JOY TO THE WORLD

Created on 05/10/2008
Latest update on 08/02/2024

Artist: Hoyt Axton
Author: Hoyt Axton
Label: Capitol
Year: 1971

Title track lp. Written for The Happy Song, an animation film for children. Never materialized, except for the song. Not to be confused with the christmas carol Joy To The World, with words by Isaac Watts based on Psalm 98, first published in 1719, with music added by Lowell Mason in 1834 based on a recitative from Handel's Messiah and recorded by Percy Faith ('54), Mahalia Jackson ('55), Mitch Miller ('58), Pat Boone ('59), Jackie Wilson ('63), Nat King Cole ('63), The Supremes ('65), Ella Fitzgerald ('67), Johnny Tillotson ('69), Andy Williams ('74), The Roches ('80), Boney M ('84), The King's Singers ('89), Judy Collins ('94), Mariah Carey ('94), Whitney Houston ('96), Dave Brubeck ('96) and The Vandals ('96 - on their Xmas album Oi To The World).

Covers:

1971:

Three Dog Night [n°1 US, that year's biggest]

1971:

Gaytones

1971:

Little Richard

1994:

Mariah Carey [combining Hoyt Axton's with the christmas carol Joy To The World]

2002:

Patty Loveless & Jon Randall

Three Dog Night also cut Axton's Never Been To Spain (coming from this same album). Hoyt was their supporting act. With this Joy To The World success, Hoyt and his mum (Mae Boren Axton, who wrote Presley's first n°1 Heartbreak Hotel) became the first songwriting mother and son with a n°1 US each.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
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Arnold Rypens
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info@originals.be

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