Happy To Be (The Man You Like To See)
1970 · Century City CCR-511 · USA
- Artist
- Jimmie Ellis
- Title
- Happy To Be (The Man You Like To See)
- Release
- Happy to Be (The Man You Like to See) / Looking Through the Eyes of Love
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- Century City # CCR-511
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- T. Cross / J. Ellis
- Genre
- Soul, Gospel & Funk · Soul
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation
Jimmie "Preacher" Ellis came from Foreman, Arkansas, and started his career in 1950 singing for the choir of Mount Baker Baptist Church, in Seattle, Washington. In 1955 Ellis entered military service. By the mid-60s, Ellis was in Los Angeles, recoding as a solo act. He released the track "Happy to Be (The Man You Like to See)" (Century City Records # CCR-511), in which the soldier narrator had "been fighting for many long years". He has returned home to his loved one, and has a very optimistic outlook, pledging to sing a song about "what's right and not what the war has done, with every new sun comes a new day". It does not specifically mention Vietnam. Produced by Tom Cross, who co-wrote the song with Ellis.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs
Jimmie "Preacher" Ellis came from Foreman, Arkansas, and started his career in 1950 singing for the choir of Mount Baker Baptist Church, in Seattle, Washington. In 1955 Ellis entered military service. By the mid-60s, Ellis was in Los Angeles, recoding as a solo act. He released the track "Happy to Be (The Man You Like to See)" (Century City Records # CCR-511), in which the soldier narrator had ]"been fighting for many long years". He has returned home to his loved one, and has a very optimistic outlook, pledging to sing a song about "what's right and not what the war has done, with every new sun comes a new day". It does not specifically mention Vietnam. Produced by Tom Cross, who co-wrote the song with Ellis.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Jimmy 'Preacher' Ellis (born James Ellis, 17 August 1934 in Foreman, Arkansas; died 16 September 2022 in Dallas, Texas, aged 88) was an American blues and soul guitarist and singer who was raised from 1950 in Seattle, where he sang with the gospel group the Traveling Four before forming the doo-wop group the Centuries; he went solo in 1964, moved to Los Angeles, and recorded across two decades for Movin', Ride, Kris, Space, Jewel, Salem, Hip-Delic and Cotillion, his output ranging from blues and R&B through psychedelic funk to 1970s soul. "Happy To Be (The Man You Like To See)", which he…