Where did they get that song?

Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s plus some Aussie originals and some New Zealanders

Originals / Covers / Remakes / Songwriters / Chart Positions

What have they done to my song?

Melanie Safka

Obscure Originator Dept: Val Martinez

You Make Me Happy (1964) charted top 20 in Sydney and Brisbane for the versatile entertainer and TV star Jimmy Hannan. So, a moderate hit but a good example of Australian diligence in finding material for cover versions.

The original was by Val Martinez, a B-side on RCA Victor (1963, wr. Jimmy Curtiss). He recorded four singles (1962-63) for RCA at its Hollywood studios with some of LA's top session musicians.

Martinez's RCA records have been well-reviewed, sometimes in retrospect (alas!). They have been taken up by some Northern Soul enthusiasts and dealers (again, too late!), and although that term is carelessly thrown about, it's not nothing.

Martinez was not a prolific recording artist. He had released four previous singles on three other labels beginning with two on Cincinatti's King Records back in 1954. He was a well-booked club singer in Las Vegas and Hollywood and I'm guessing record sales were never his bread and butter.

When I first wrote about Val Martinez (1936-1998) I discovered that his father, also Val Martinez (1900-1943), released many Spanish-language records in the 1920s and 30s and performed daily on high-power Mexican border station XER. I exchanged emails with their son and grandson, the current Val Martinez, who was in a re-formed Four Seasons with Frankie Valli and now stages a Four Seasons tribute show, one of many musical events and services provided by his company Val Martinez Music.

I understand that the family tree goes back to yet another musical Val Martinez, the great-grandfather of the current Val Martinez, but that was beyond the reach of my research.

The Australians weren't the only ones to spot the potential of You Make Me Happy. After Jimmy Hannan's release in March 1964, at least four versions of the song came out elsewhere later in the year, including one by Bruce Channel in the style of his hit Hey! Baby.

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