"Makin' Happy"
Single by Crystal Waters
from the album Surprise
Released1991
GenreHouse
Length
  • 5:33 (album version)
  • 6:21 (Hurley's Happy House Mix)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Neal Conway
  • Mark Harris
  • Crystal Waters
Producer(s)The Basement Boys
Crystal Waters singles chronology
"Gypsy Woman"
(1991)		 "Makin' Happy"
(1991)		 "100% Pure Love"
(1994)
Music video
"Makin' Happy" on YouTube

"Makin' Happy" is a song by American singer and songwriter Crystal Waters, released in 1991 by Mercury and A&M as the second single from her debut studio album, Surprise (1991). It was the follow-up to Waters' hugely successful song "Gypsy Woman" and achieved moderate success in European countries. In the US, the song spent one week at number-one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and it also reached the top of the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart. In the United Kingdom, the single peaked at number 18.

Critical reception

Alex Henderson from AllMusic complimented the song as a "highly addictive and enjoyable house/neo-disco fare".[1] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "a frenetic and hypnotic jam".[2] He remarked that it "maintains a similar deep house vibe [as her first single]. Waters more than proves her songwriting talent here, while her unique feline vocals will test some and delight others."[3] Andy Kastanas from The Charlotte Observer declared it as "a housy tune that's bound to, well, make you happy, what else?"[4] Push from Melody Maker felt it "would certainly do well as a follow-up. You might mistake it for Flowered Up's "Take It" until the oompah-bumped house beats and Crystal's jazzy vocals weigh in. The lyrics are basically all about having sex, when, where and how you fancy."[5]

Machgiel Bakker from Music & Media called it "pop-house".[6] An editor also commented in an album review, "Just repeat the words 'Makin' Happy' endlessly and you'll get a good flavour of 'Gypsy Woman, Part II'."[7] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update wrote that "the strange nasally pitched girl is less Eartha Kitt-like for her follow-up to 'Gypsy Woman', a jauntly trotting repetitive canterer with some "ooh wee ooh wee ooh" (and a guy's "so happy") instead of all the "la da dee, la dee da"."[8] Stuart Maconie from New Musical Express declared it as "a spectacularly bangin' tune".[9] Jonathan Bernstein from Spin described it as "ebullient".[10]

Track listing and formats

  • UK 7-inch vinyl single
  1. "Makin' Happy" (Hurley's Happy House Mix) – 3:49
  2. "Makin' Happy" (Basement Boys Happy Club Mix) – 3:31
  • UK CD maxi-single
  1. "Makin' Happy" (Hurley's Happy House Mix) – 3:49
  2. "Makin' Happy" (Hurley's Happy House Mix II) – 6:22
  3. "Makin' Happy" (Basement Boys Happy Club Mix) – 3:31
  4. "Makin' Happy" (Basement Boys Happy Club Mix II) – 7:52
  • Netherlands and UK 12-inch vinyl single
  1. "Makin' Happy" (Hurley's happy house mix) – 6:22
  2. "Makin' Happy" (basement boys happy club mix) – 7:52
  • UK CD maxi-single
  1. "Makin' Happy" (Hurley's Happy House Mix 7") – 3:52
  2. "Makin' Happy" (Hurley's Happy House Mix 12") – 6:24
  3. "Makin' Happy" (Basement Boys Happy Club Mix 12") – 7:52
  • US 12-inch vinyl maxi-single
  1. "Makin' Happy" (Hurley's Happy House Mix) – 6:23
  2. "Makin' Happy" (Hurley's Insane Mix) – 6:24
  3. "Makin' Happy" (Basement Boys Happy Club Mix) – 7:52
  4. "Makin' Happy" (Basement Boys Happy Hump) – 6:14

Charts

Chart (1991) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 21
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[12] 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[13] 33
Europe (European Dance Radio)[14] 5
France (SNEP)[15] 17
Ireland (IRMA)[16] 22
Italy (Musica e dischi)[17] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[18] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 27
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 22
UK Singles (OCC)[21] 18
UK Dance (Music Week)[22] 9
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[23] 1
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[24] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[25] 63
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[26] 58

References

  1. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Crystal Waters – Surprise". AllMusic. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  2. ↑ Flick, Larry (June 22, 1991). "Dance Trax: Hi-NRG Awards Set; Waters Flowing; Princely Track" (PDF). Billboard. p. 31. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  3. ↑ Flick, Larry (August 10, 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 67. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  4. ↑ Kastanas, Andy (August 28, 1991). "Sounds of Progress". p. 10. The Charlotte Observer.
  5. ↑ Push (July 27, 1991). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 32. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  6. ↑ Bakke, Machgiel (September 28, 1991). "Dance: Dancing All Over The Airwaves" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 13. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  7. ↑ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. August 10, 1991. p. 10. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  8. ↑ Hamilton, James (August 10, 1991). "DJ Directory: Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 6. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  9. ↑ Maconie, Stuart (January 4, 1992). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 15. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  10. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan (June 1, 1994). "SPINS: Crystal Waters – Storyteller". Spin. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Crystal Waters – Makin' Happy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1663." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  13. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. October 5, 1991. p. 23. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  14. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. September 28, 1991. p. 13. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Crystal Waters – Makin' Happy" (in French). Les classement single.
  16. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Makin' Happy". Irish Singles Chart.
  17. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved May 29, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Crystal Waters".
  18. ↑ "Crystal Waters – Makin' Happy" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Crystal Waters – Makin' Happy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  20. ↑ "Crystal Waters – Makin' Happy". Swiss Singles Chart.
  21. ↑ "Crystal Waters: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  22. ↑ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 7, 1991. p. 22. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Crystal Waters Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "Crystal Waters Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Crystal Waters Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "Crystal Waters Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
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