"Love and Happiness" is a song by Al Green from his album I'm Still in Love with You. Green wrote the song with Teenie Hodges. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom on London Records in 1973 and in the United States on Hi Records in 1977. Many artists, including Etta James and Al Jarreau, have performed the song.

The song was ranked #98 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #861 in Dave Marsh's The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Soul Train historian Stephen McMillian called it "quintessential Al Green" and "one of the greatest soul songs of all time." In Vibe, Alan Light described it as "perhaps his most perfect song."

Composition and recording

Green wrote the song "Love and Happiness" with Teenie Hodges. They also worked together on other songs like "Take Me to the River," "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)," "Full of Fire," and more. The song was made by Willie Mitchell during the 1972 recording for the album I'm Still in Love with You. About the recording, Green said: In his 2000 book about his life, Take Me to the River, Green talked about the song.

Chart performance

On April 27, 1973, London Records released the song "Love and Happiness" as a UK single, paired with "So You're Leaving" (catalog number 10419). At the same time, Hi Records did not release "Love and Happiness" as a single while the album I'm Still in Love with You was on the charts. Instead, Hi Records released the album's title track, "Look What You Done for Me," and "For the Good Times." The song became popular in the United States through radio play and a performance on Soul Train on March 3, 1973.

To help increase Green's record sales, an edited version of the song was released as a U.S. single in the summer of 1977, paired with "Glory Glory" (catalog number 45-2324). The single reached #104 on the pop chart and #92 on the R&B chart.

The song was also the first track on Al Green's Greatest Hits, Volume II (1977) and appeared on reissues of his first greatest hits compilation.

Cover versions

• A version of the song by Earnest Jackson was released as a single in 1973 by John Fred’s record company, Stone Records, which is based in Louisiana.
• First Choice included the song on their 1973 debut album Armed and Extremely Dangerous.
• Motown psychedelic soul group The Undisputed Truth recorded the song for their 1973 album Law of the Land.
• Lee "Scratch" Perry and The Upsetters covered the song, renaming it "Jungle Lion," on the 1974 album Double Seven.
• Graham Central Station included the song on their 1977 album Now Do U Wanta Dance.
• Al Jarreau included the song on his 1979 album Call Me.
• The Amazing Rhythm Aces covered the song on their self-titled album and released it as a single in 1979.
• David Sanborn included the song on his 1984 album Straight to the Heart.
• Living Colour included the song on their 1991 EP Biscuits.
• Etta James included the song on her 1992 album The Right Time.
• Morgan Heritage included the song on the 1993 album Gunmen – Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
• Toots and the Maytals included the song on the 1995 compilation The Collection.
• A secretly recorded live version by Mr. Lee & the Rearrangers Band was described by Rocktober magazine as "one of the strangest 45s ever made in Chicago."
• Marc Broussard included the song on his 2006 album S.O.S.: Save Our Soul.
• Cultura Profética included the song on their 2019 album Sobrevolando. [1]