Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness

Subject: Who wrote;'Spread a little happiness'
From: Fingerbuster
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 11:21 AM

Can't seem to find the music anywhere. Anyone have a copy of the (jazzy) chords?
N.

Subject: RE: Who wrote;'Spread a little happiness'
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 11:34 AM

Chords, not sheet music in PDF......here, and html
here. Written by Vivian Ellis.

Subject: RE: Who wrote;'Spread a little happiness'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 11:34 AM

Chords are HERE (pdf file). Words and music by Vivian Ellis, Richard Myers and Greatrex Newman in 1929.
~Masato

Subject: RE: Who wrote;'Spread a little happiness'
From: Fingerbuster
Date: 18 Nov 02 - 11:37 AM

Thankyou all most kindly.

Nic.

Subject: RE: Who wrote;'Spread a little happiness'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 19 Nov 02 - 02:25 AM

The info above on the lyricist/composer I got is from The Great Song Thesaurus (Oxford, p. 343), but according to R. Gottleb & R. Kimbnall's Reading Lyrics (Pantheon, p. 68) Clifford Grey wrote the words and Vivian Ellis the music.
~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: SPREAD A LITTLE HAPPINESS (Grey/Ellis)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 02:49 AM

Weird. I've never seen a site that gave only chords, no lyrics. So let's rectify that:

Copied from http://www.midnitesun.freeserve.co.uk/lyrics/lyrics04/wb04p102.txt

SPREAD A LITTLE HAPPINESS
Words by Clifford Grey, music by Vivian Ellis, from the operetta "Mister Cinders" (1928)

VERSE 1: I've got a creed for every need,
So easy that it must succeed.
I'll set it down for you to read,
So please, take heed.
Keep out the gloom. Let in the sun.
That's my advice for everyone.
It's only once we pass this way,
So day by day,

CHORUS: Even when the darkest clouds are in the sky,
You mustn't sigh and you mustn't cry.
Spread a little happiness as you go by.
Please try.
What's the use of worrying and feeling blue?
When days are long, keep on smiling through.
Spread a little happiness till dreams come true.
Surely you'll be wise to make the best of every blues day.
Don't you realize you'll find next Monday or next Tuesday
Will be your golden shoes day?
Even when the darkest clouds are in the sky,
You mustn't sigh and you mustn't cry.
Spread a little happiness as you go by.

VERSE 2: The rule is old, so I've been told,
But still it's worth its weight in gold.
It pays you back a thousand fold,
So be enrolled
Upon the lists of optimists
And disregard the pessimists.
This life is short, so try to smile,
Each little while. CHORUS

Subject: RE: Who wrote;'Spread a little happiness'
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 02 - 05:20 AM

Can some clever cat supply the whole tune for this, I'm determined to sing it, and only know the chorus.

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Dec 10 - 01:32 AM

According to WorldCat.org, the sheet music says "music by Vivian Ellis & Richard Myers; book and lyrics by Clifford Grey & Greatrex Newman." From the musical comedy, "Mister Cinders," 1928.

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: GUEST,djangofandango
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 04:33 PM

Here are the chords - bet you wished you didn't ask!

http://www.midnitesun.ukart.com/chords/chords04/pb04p102.pdf

Or transposed to F

Verse
|| F . . . | . . . . | . . . . | Am7b5 . D7 . |
| Bb . . . | Ab . Bb C7 | F . . G7 | C7 . . . ||
|| F . . . | . . . . | . . . Dm6 | E7 . Am . |
| F6 . . . | Dm . Dm +5 G7 | C . . Gm | C7 . . . ||
Chorus
||: F . C . | Dm . Am . | Bb . . Bbm | Am7b5 . D7 . |
| Bb Bbm F Ebo | Gm7 . C7 . | F . . G7 | C7 . . . ||
|| F . C . | Dm . Am . | Bb . . Bbm | Am7b5 . D7 . |
| Bb Bbm F Ebo | Gm . C7 . | F . . . | . . F7 . ||

|| Bb . F Ebo | C7 . D Dm | C . . . | C7 . . . |
| F6 Ebo C Bbo | Bb . Am Dm6 | Bb6 . . Dm | Gm7 . C9 C7 ||
|| F . C . | Dm . Am . | Bb . . Bbm | Am7 c#5 . D7 . |
| Bb Bbm F Ebo | Gm7 . C7 . |1| F . . Ebo | Gm7 . C7 . :||
|2| F . . C7 + | F . . . ||

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: GUEST,Denisol
Date: 28 May 11 - 06:26 PM

I have found the music for you. I had to do the verse tune myself. I used the chords given above and converted them to C major to match the chorus sheet music. Here it is:

http://www.4shared.com/document/sqxiOakb/Spread_a_Little_Happiness__3p_.html

Regards
Denis

Subject: Spread a Little Happiness - Sheet Music
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jun 11 - 09:02 PM

I have uploaded the music again with a correction to the third page which I transcribed to include the verse melody. Here is the new link.

http://www.4shared.com/document/14vBdlkN/Spread_a_Little_Happiness__C_m.html

Regards
Denis

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Jun 11 - 02:49 AM

There's a YouTube video here (click) of Sting singing this song - while wearing clerical garb and dancing with a chapel full of old ladies.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 11 - 09:24 PM

Thanks Joe. I like Sting's version.

Cheers
Denis

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Dec 14 - 05:58 PM

I opened up this old thread because I've been playing this song. I found a YouTube of Kenny Watkins singing it with a ukulele, here http://youtu.be/3fGA1J9k4DM , which I rather prefer to Sting's version. There's a rather simpler set of chords, which I think he uses at http://www.doctoruke.com/spreadalittlehappiness.pdf. Simpler but challenging enough, and very pretty.

Great little song. I like the way the tune is jaunty and melancholy at the same time

I wish someone could put up on YouTube a better quality of Binnie Hale's version from 1929.

I think both those links work. I' mot lazy to turn them into blue clickies to find out right now. I might later, if someone else doesn't.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: GUEST,#
Date: 23 Dec 14 - 06:55 PM

http://youtu.be/3fGA1J9k4DM

There's one.

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Dec 14 - 08:21 PM

And here are the ukulele chords

Thanks nameless one for making Kenny's catchy version more accessible. I wonder if he's a Mudcatter?

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: Will Fly
Date: 24 Dec 14 - 04:22 AM

If you're interested, you can download my fingerstyle arrangement of this at: Spread A Little Happiness

And you can see and hear it on YouTube at: Will Fly: Spread A Little Happiness

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Dec 14 - 05:05 AM

Yes, that's pretty good stuff, Will. It really is a tune with fascinating possibilities.

I'd half known it for years, because my mother used to sing it when I was young, And when I followed it up to learn it I came across the Binnie Hall version, and she looked just like my mother.

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: Will Fly
Date: 24 Dec 14 - 05:33 AM

I've always loved the chords and melody line of this tune - as you say, the Binnie Hale original is great.

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Spread a Little Happiness
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Apr 19 - 03:34 PM

This is a song written by Vivyan Ellis and Clifford Gray in 1929. I have a lot of memories of this song - the name of it is Spread a little Happiness. I sung this song when I was young in the school I grew up. In 1989 I had a 1920s night that got me and the rest of the folks to get in to that 1920s music. After that night we sung this song so often my music teacher had a book that got us to know the song and the words of the song my friend Vicky said that she heard Sting sing this song in a style that that Binny Hale sung in the first version from 1929. J0ust yesterday with my helper I went to Fopp Record shop I bought a cd and it is called hits from the 1920s and 30s and it the first recording by Binny hale. I would burn this on a CD.