ARLEN' FIRST HIT-JUST BY ACCIDENT

Arlen's First Hit-Just by Accident: In New York, Arlen was pursuing a career as a singer . He hated the indignity and impersonal nature of the audition process. However, Vincent Youmans, an established Broadway song writer ( Tea for Two, More Than You Know, Without a Song, Hallelujah!, Time on my Hands) wanted to produce his own show and hired Arlen for the role of Cokey Joe, a singer-pianist in a production called Great Day. Unfortunately, Youmans talent as a composer did not translate into success as a producer and the title Great Day, did not describe what became an expensive failure.
However, while still acting as a rehearsal pianist he would play a few notes that would cue the dancers to get ready to rehearse. It was just a few notes of his own creation. Fortunately, an established song writer , Harry Warren, felt that that there was a potential for a song in what Harold had been playing and told Harold " To write it up" and put Arlen in touch with lyricist Ted Koehler. The result, Arlen/Koehlers first commercial success " Get Happy."   When Ruth Etting ( whose life was depicted in the Hollywood musical Love Me or Leave me with Doris Day playing Etting)  introduced the song in a Broadway musical revue, it became a major success. The song had elements of a Negro spiritual with references to " judgement day" " troubles"  " The Lord"  and " sins" and " sinners." The success as a composer let Arlen abandon a career as a performer and concentrate completely on creating memorable songs first with Ted Koehler and subsequently with E.Y. Harburg, Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin and Leo Robin.
Since Arlen enjoyed a long history of creating songs well suited for a number of major black entertainers like Lena Horne and Ethel Waters, who better than Ella Fitzgerald to sing Get Happy ?
The verse  or introduction starts with Hallelujah, Hallelujah  as a spiritual call to arms and when the main chorus begins, the singer exhorts the listener to " Forget Your Troubles and Just Get Happy."
The song is so infectious, that it does help to lift anyone's spirits.

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwoPlRR9J_k

NOTE:  The next several posts will reveal how Arlen and Koehler became a major presence at the famous Cotton Club in Harlem