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Pharrell Williams' Happy was originally recorded by Cee Lo Green Pharrell Williams' Happy was originally recorded by Cee Lo Green
(4 months later)
Pharrell Williams has revealed that Pharrell Williams has revealed that Happy was originally recorded by Cee Lo Green. The "powers that be" apparently vetoed Green's version of the song, declaring that the future worldwide smash "wasn't a fit" for their client.
Happy was originally recorded by Cee Lo Green. The "powers that "[Cee Lo] wanted to do it ... [and] he did do it," Williams explained in a radio interview with Howard Stern yesterday. Stern had asked , unknowingly, if he would have ever "given this [song] to a Robin Thicke or someone?"
be" apparently vetoed Green's version of the song, declaring "I actually did, [to] Cee Lo," Williams said. "He sounded amazing on it. I mean, he burns my version! But the ... how do I say this diplomatically? Um ... he ... um ... The powers that be, at the time, did not see it fit for him. Some folks on his team just felt that the priority should be on [Cee Lo's] album at the time, so they elected not to do that song."
that the future worldwide smash "wasn't a fit" for their Though it's now the centrepiece of Williams' new solo album, Happy first appeared on the soundtrack to Despicable Me 2. Williams co-wrote the score with Heitor Pereira and in the end, he said, "the movie company insisted [I sing the song]".
client. "There was a much bigger agenda for [Cee Lo], he had an album to put out," Williams claimed. "It's not his fault – he was totally down with it … [and] he was one of the most gracious people about it when [Happy] came out."
"[Cee Lo] wanted to do it ... Since its release in November, Happy has sold more than 1.3m copies in the UK alone, topping the singles chart on three separate occasions. Cee Lo Green is meanwhile preparing to release his fifth solo album; his last release, 2012's Magic Moment, peaked at No 167 in the UK.
[and] he did do it," Williams explained in a radio interview
with Howard Stern yesterday. Stern had asked , unknowingly, if he would have ever "given
this [song] to a Robin Thicke or someone?"
"I actually did, [to] Cee Lo,"
Williams said. "He sounded amazing on it. I mean, he burns my
version! But the ... how do I say this diplomatically? Um ... he
... um ... The powers that be, at the time, did not see it fit for
him. Some folks on his team just felt that the priority should be
on [Cee Lo's] album at the time, so they elected not to do that
song."
Though it's now the centrepiece of
Williams' new solo album, Happy first appeared on the soundtrack to
Despicable Me 2. Williams co-wrote the score with Heitor Pereira and
in the end, he said, "the movie company insisted [I sing the
song]".
"There was a much bigger agenda
for [Cee Lo], he had an album to put out," Williams claimed.
"It's not his fault – he was totally down with it … [and] he
was one of the most gracious people about it when [Happy] came out."
Since its release
in November, Happy has sold more than 1.3m copies in the UK alone,
topping the singles chart on three separate occasions. Cee Lo Green
is meanwhile preparing to release his fifth solo album; his last release, 2012's Magic Moment, peaked at No 167 in the UK.