"Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers
Anthony Newley and
Leslie Bricusse for the musical ''
The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd''. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by
Cy Grant on the UK tour and by
Gilbert Price
Gilbert Price (September 10, 1942 – January 2, 1991) was an American operatic baritone and actor.
Price was a protégé of Langston Hughes. He was a life member of New York's famed Actors Studio. Price first gained notice in 1964, for his ...
in 1965 with the original Broadway cast.
Nina Simone recorded "Feeling Good" for her 1965 album ''
I Put a Spell on You''. The song has also been
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
ed by
Sammy Davis Jr.,
Traffic,
Michael Bublé,
John Coltrane,
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...
, Victory,
Eels,
Joe Bonamassa,
Eden
Eden may refer to:
* Garden of Eden, the "garden of God" described in the Book of Genesis
Places and jurisdictions
Canada
* Eden, Ontario
* Eden High School
Middle East
* Eden, Lebanon, a city and former bishopric
* Camp Eden, Iraq
O ...
,
Muse,
Black Cat Bones,
Bassnectar,
Sophie B. Hawkins
Sophie Ballantine Hawkins (born November 1, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and painter. Born in New York City, she attended the Manhattan School of Music for a year as a percussionist before leaving to pursue a music career. S ...
,
Leslie West,
Avicii,
Chlöe and
Lauryn Hill among others. It was also performed by
John Legend as part of the Celebrating America performance marking the
inauguration
In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugu ...
of
Joe Biden and
Kamala Harris on January 20th 2021.
Early performances and recordings
Although Bricusse and Newley shared songwriting credits, the words of the song are usually attributed to Bricusse, with the music by Newley.
[Judy Harris, ''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd'']
Retrieved 6 January 2014. The song was first performed in public by
Guyanese-British singer and actor
Cy Grant on the opening night of ''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd'' at the
Theatre Royal in
Nottingham on 3 August 1964. The show, directed by Newley, toured British provincial theatres, and was then taken to the US by theatre producer
David Merrick
David Merrick (born David Lee Margoulis; November 27, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an American theatrical producer who won a number of Tony Awards.
Life and career
Born David Lee Margulois to Jewish parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Merrick gradua ...
. It opened on 16 May 1965 at the
Shubert Theatre in New York City, where the role of "the Negro", who sings "Feeling Good", was taken by
Gilbert Price
Gilbert Price (September 10, 1942 – January 2, 1991) was an American operatic baritone and actor.
Price was a protégé of Langston Hughes. He was a life member of New York's famed Actors Studio. Price first gained notice in 1964, for his ...
.
In the show, Price's character is asked to compete against the show's hero "Cocky"; but, as "Cocky" and his master "Sir" argue over the rules of the game, "the Negro" reaches the centre of the stage and "wins", singing the song at his moment of triumph.
[ It was described as a "booming song of emancipation", and a '']Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' review said it was "the kind of robust number that should have strong appeal". The original cast recording of the show, featuring Price's version of the song, was released by RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
in early 1965, before the show reached New York.
A version by Cy Grant with pianist Bill Le Sage – much jazzier than the original stage version – appeared on their 1965 album . Anthony Newley's own recording appeared on his 1965 album ''"Who Can I Turn To" and other songs from "The Roar of the Greasepaint"''. One of the earliest recorded versions was a jazz treatment by saxophonist John Coltrane, which appeared on his album ''The John Coltrane Quartet Plays
'' The John Coltrane Quartet Plays'' (full title ''The John Coltrane Quartet Plays Chim Chim Cheree, Song of Praise, Nature Boy, Brazilia'') is an album by jazz musician John Coltrane, recorded in February and May 1965, shortly after the release of ...
...''. Recorded on 18 February 1965, it also features Art Davis, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner. Versions were also released in 1965 by Nina Simone, Jean DuShon
Jean DuShon (born Anna Jean Harris, later Atwell, August 16, 1935 – July 19, 2019) was an American jazz and R&B singer, and stage actor. She was best known for her recordings in the 1960s, including the first released recording of the so ...
, Julie London
Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums ...
, Chris Connor
Mary Jean Loutsenhizer, known professionally as Chris Connor (November 8, 1927 – August 29, 2009) was an American jazz singer.
Biography
Chris Connor was born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Clyde Loutsenhizer and Mabel Shir ...
, Billy Eckstine
William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously ...
, Andy
Andy may refer to:
People
*Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds
*Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and piano ...
& The Bey Sisters and Sammy Davis Jr.
Ed Ames recorded a version in 1966 on his album "It's a Man's World".
Chart versions
Nina Simone
Nina Simone's version, arranged and produced by Hal Mooney
Hal Mooney, born Harold Mooney (February 4, 1911 – March 23, 1995), was an American composer and arranger.
Early life and career
Hal Mooney was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a young man, Mooney was a professional pianist. He attended Brookly ...
, was recorded in New York in January 1965 and appeared on her album '' I Put a Spell on You''. It was not released as a single at the time. In 1994, Simone's recording was used in a British TV commercial for Volkswagen, and became popular. Released as a single, it reached No. 40 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1994.
Simone's version was remixed by Joe Claussell in 2002 for the first volume of the Verve Remixed
''Verve Remixed'' is a series of albums released by Verve Records centered on the concept of classic Verve tracks, remixed by contemporary electronic music producers and DJs. The series has proven to be very popular, both with fans of the origina ...
series.
The vocal track by Nina Simone and the music of "Feeling Good" have been sampled in numerous songs. In 1997, it was sampled in "Feeling Good" by Huff & Herb. Other uses include "How I Feel" by Wax Tailor, from the 2005 album ''Tales of the Forgotten Melodies''; "New Day" from the debut collaborative studio album '' Watch the Throne'' by American rappers Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
and Kanye West in 2011; " How I Feel" by Flo Rida
Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...
, from the 2013 album ''The Perfect 10
Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single "Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital down ...
''; and, also in 2013, in the beginning of Bassnectar's ''Immersive Music Mixtape Side One''.
The track "About You" on Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
's 2005 album ''The Breakthrough'' features an unusual take on the song. The bulk of the recording consists of new lyrics, composed by Mary J. Blige, will.i.am
William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas.
...
and Keith Harris; however, the chorus samples several lines from "Feeling Good" as performed by Nina Simone. Simone's original vocals are distorted so much that her voice is almost unrecognisable; for this reason, Simone receives a credit as a featured artist, and Newley and Bricusse receive credit as co-writers. "About You" is produced by will.i.am. The original instrumental track to Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" was also used in the Swedish musician Avicii's song of the same name, used by Volvo.
Simone's recording was used in the film '' Point of No Return'' and appears on soundtracks for the movies ''Repo Men
''Repo Men'' is a 2010 science fiction action film directed by Miguel Sapochnik, starring Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Liev Schreiber, Alice Braga and Carice van Houten. An American-Canadian production, it is based on the novel ''The Reposses ...
'' (2010), '' Last Holiday'' (2006), ''Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
''Professor Marston and the Wonder Women'' is a 2017 American biographical drama film about American psychologist William Moulton Marston, who created the fictional character Wonder Woman. The film, directed and written by Angela Robinson, star ...
'' (2017),
Cruella (2021), the TV soundtrack '' Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends'' and the 2009 video game The Saboteur
''The Saboteur'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in December 2009. A mobile version of the game was developed an ...
. The Bassnectar/Simone cover was used in "Chapter 6", a first-season episode of the television series '' Legion''.
An official music video for Simone's version was released on YouTube 56 years after the release of her recording in June 2021.
Certifications
Muse
The English rock band Muse recorded a version for their 2001 album '' Origin of Symmetry''. It was released as a single also featuring the song "Hyper Music
"Hyper Music" and "Feeling Good" are songs by English alternative rock band Muse, recorded for their second album ''Origin of Symmetry'' (2001). They were released together as a double A-side single on 19 November 2001.
Composition
"Hyper ...
".
In a poll by '' Total Guitar'' about best cover songs, Muse's version came fifth. In September 2010, '' NME'' readers voted it the greatest cover song of all time, over " Twist and Shout" by the Beatles and " Hurt" by Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
. A BBC poll in 2014 placed it ninth.
Muse's version reached No. 137 on the singles chart in France, and No. 24 on the singles chart in the UK.
Michael Bublé
"Feeling Good" was covered by Canadian singer Michael Bublé as the lead single from his album '' It's Time''. The single was released on 4 April 2005. The song was the opening track on his live album '' Caught in the Act'' and has appeared in television advertisements, ESPN's 2005 ''World Series of Poker'' tournament, and the 2010 NBA draft broadcast.
Chart performance
The single peaked at No. 162 in the United Kingdom, No. 70 in Australia, No. 36 in Germany, No. 66 in Austria, and No. 14 in Poland. The song has become one of his most popular singles and became a hit in May 2010, when it reached No. 69 on the UK Singles Chart after it was featured in British advertisements.
Sales and certifications
The Pussycat Dolls
American girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
the Pussycat Dolls recorded "Feeling Good" for their debut studio album, '' PCD'' (2005). The song was sung entirely by the Dolls' lead singer, Nicole Scherzinger.
Reception
The Pussycat Dolls' version of "Feelin’ Good" received mixed reviews from critics. Nick Butler of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
wrote that the song's inclusion on the album serves as "a pretty pointless vocal workout for Nicole". John Murphy from musicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
gave a negative review, writing: "All the emotion and melodrama of the original is ripped out of the heart of the song and we're left with a pointless, faux-jazz version. They may as well have strutted over to inaSimone's grave and performed a stiletto clad dance upon it." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
commented that the "rendition of 'Feelin' Good' ..is misguided at best". In contrast, Spence D. of IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
praised the song for returning to the "retro vibe with wondrous results". On the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Smooth Jazz Songs chart, the song peaked at number 23, becoming The Pussycat Dolls' only song to appear on that chart.
Live performances
The song is included on their 2006 '' Live from London'' as the fourth track of the DVD. The song is performed solely by Scherzinger. The song was also included on their first headlining tour, PCD World Tour
The PCD World Tour was the first concert tour by American girl group, The Pussycat Dolls, launched in promotion of their debut album, '' PCD'' (2005). During the tour, the group also toured North America with Christina Aguilera and The Black Eyed ...
. While delivering an a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
version of the song, Scherzinger wore a "virginal hoodie-cum-headscarf", reported Helen Pidd of '' The Guardian''.
George Michael
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...
performed "Feeling Good" during his 2011–12 Symphonica Tour
Symphonica (also promoted as Symphonica: The Orchestral Tour) was an orchestral concert tour by George Michael and his last tour. The singer performed the songs mainly from ''Songs from the Last Century'' and ''Patience'' albums as well as some ...
and included it on the '' Symphonica'' album (2014). The music video was released on 6 May 2014, and "Feeling Good" was sent to radio on 11 August 2014. The release of "Feeling Good" coincided with the issue of ''Symphonica'' on the vinyl format. It became his final single before his death in 2016.
The studio version of "Feeling Good" was recorded by Michael in 2008 (with actress Loretta Devine featured prominently on backing vocals) and included on the US edition of his '' Twenty Five'' compilation. He also performed it during the 2008 legs of his 25 Live tour and the 2010 George Michael Live in Australia
George Michael Live in Australia was a concert tour by English singer-songwriter George Michael. For the first time since his Faith Tour in 1988, Michael returned to Australia in 2010 to perform his three live concerts.
History
With the tour ...
concerts.
Release history
References
External links
Lyrics of this song
*
{{authority control
1964 songs
Songs written by Anthony Newley
Songs written by Leslie Bricusse
Songs from musicals
Nina Simone songs
George Michael songs
Eels (band) songs
Frank Sinatra songs
Michael Bublé songs
Philips Records singles
Mushroom Records singles
143 Records singles
Reprise Records singles
A&M Records singles
Song recordings produced by George Michael