Other Versions
Television and nightclub comedian Rip Taylor has used "Happy Days Are Here Again" for years as his theme song. He always makes his entrance, with bag of confetti in hand, to the strains of his song.
Also the song was used to open Washington D.C. comedian Mark Russell's weekly PBS-tv shows that featured topical political humor.
Beauty pageant contestant Vanessa L. Williams performed the song during the talent competition of the Miss America 1984 pageant. Williams went on to win both a preliminary talent award and the pageant itself.
In 1930 the Comedian Harmonists recorded their popular German adaptation, Wochenend und Sonnenschein (Weekend and Sunshine, German lyrics by Charles Amberg). More darkly, the song can be heard in German in the soundtrack of archive documentary films in the 30's showing Adolf Hitler addressing huge rallies urging young people to join the Hitler Youth. The "Happy Days" represented the return of German pride following defeat in the 1st World War.
It was used by the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps of Concord, CA to open their 1988 Program and was used again in 2009 as part of their program entitled "1930".
"Happy Days", in medley with Judy Garland's "Get Happy" (as originally performed in duo by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland in 1963), was used in the 2010 episode "Duets" of TV show Glee, performed by actors Lea Michele and Chris Colfer as their characters Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel respectively.
A harmonica rendition was played early in the Christmas-themed pilot episode of The Waltons, entitled "The Homecoming", by one of the Walton children until John Boy requested something more Christmas-y.
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Famous quotes containing the word versions:
“The assumption must be that those who can see value only in tradition, or versions of it, deny man’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.”
—Stephen Bayley (b. 1951)