Happy Days was one of the most popular shows in the ’70’s and ’80’s. It starred Ron Howard (from The Andy Griffith Show), Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Donny Most, Erin Moran, and Tom Bosley when it started in 1974, and by the time the show ended, roughly 30 more actors were added to and subtracted from the cast. In the first two seasons, “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets was the show’s opening theme, and this song was the closing theme; starting with the third season, it served both as the opening and closing theme. It was written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox and sung by Truett Pratt and Jerry McClain for the first season, after which it was sung by Jim Haas. Pratt & McClain released it as a single in 1976, and it reached #5 on the Hot 100, #3 in Canada, and #31 in the UK.
16 thoughts on “Song of the Day: Pratt & McClain, “Happy Days””
Comments are closed.
I bought this single as a kid. Loved it and I credit Happy Days with getting me into 50s music more.
LikeLike
For me, it was American Graffiti, which wasn’t Happy Days’ inspiration (it was originally a sketch on Love, American Style) but came out about a year earlier and also starred Ron Howard. I was kind of disappointed there wasn’t as much music in HD as there was in AG, but it caught the essence of the era well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That makes sense. With my age it was the opposite…I watched American Graffiti after Happy Days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great show, nice theme song.
LikeLike
I always preferred “Rock Around The Clock,” but I guess the licensing must have cost a fortune.
LikeLike
This is a funny one, such a well-known song but I didn’t know who performed it.
LikeLike
And the guys who had the single weren’t the ones (or the one,I guess) who sang it most of the time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We used to love watching ‘Happy Days’ when we were growing up – I’m probably going to have that theme tune in my head all day now! 🙂
LikeLike
I don’t charge extra for earworms…
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I watched this constantly with my kids. Great song.
LikeLike
Gimbel and Fox wrote some great TV themes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
GreAt song always liked it and the show though I didn’t watch it regularly, Henry Winkler the oldest teenager on the block 💜💜
LikeLike
They used to say that about Dick Clark, who ran American Bandstand and a few other shows back in the day. Winkler was 28 when the show started and 38 when it ended, but he knew he had a good thing going and he ended up being the star of the show.
LikeLike
He was good, but never looked youthful just one of those faces I guess 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person