Poetry Wednesday 07/01/09: Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive
Right: Aretha FranklinMercer recorded the song, with The Pied Pipers andPaul Weston’s orchestra, on October 4,1944 and it was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 180. The record first reached the Billboard Magazine charts on January 4, 1945, and lasted 13 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 2.
Within a matter of weeks, several other recordings of the song were released by other well-known artists:
- Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters made a recording on December 8, 1944, which was released by Decca Records as catalog number 23379. The record first reached the Billboard Magazine charts on January 25, 1945 and lasted nine weeks on the chart, peaking at number 2.
- Kay Kyser made a recording on December 21, 1944, with Dolly Mitchell and a vocal trio. This was released by Columbia as catalog number 36771.
- A recording by Artie Shaw was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-1612. The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on January 25, 1945 and lasted five weeks on the chart, peaking at number 5.
A few months later, another version was recorded by Johnny Green in the United Kingdom on April 6, 1945, and released by Parlophone Records as catalog number F-2069.
The song has twice been recorded by Perry Como: once on February 19, 1958 and later in July, 1980. Both were primarily made for albums. Neither version was released as a single in the United States, though the 1958 version was released in Germany by RCA as a single (catalog number 47-9243-A).
Aretha Franklin recorded it for The Electrifying Aretha Franklin album for Columbia Records in 1962, and it features in her many re-releases on that label. Soul great Sam Cooke recorded it for his Encore album.
The song has been used for many years as the theme for the television program Faithville. in a version by the Spitfire Band.
Written by Johnny Mercer, 1944
Gather ’round me while I’m preachin’
Feel a sermon comin’ on me
The topic will be sin and that’s what I’m ag’in’
If you wanna hear my story
The settle back and just sit tight
While I start reviewin’
The attitude of doin’ right
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-BetweenYou’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium’s
Liable to walk upon the sceneTo illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do just when everything looked so dark?
(Man, they said “We’d better accentuate the positive”)
(“Eliminate the negative”)
(“And latch on to the affirmative”)
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between (No!)
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
(Ya got to spread joy up to the maximum)
(Bring gloom down to the minimum)
(Have faith or pandemonium’s)
(Liable to walk upon the scene)
You got to ac (yes, yes) -cent-tchu-ate the positive
Eliminate (yes, yes) the negative
And latch (yes, yes) on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
No, don’t mess with Mister In-Between
[mp3j track=”accenttchuatethepositive.mp3″]
“Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive”
by Aretha Franklin, 1962
Link back to the Poetry Wednesday tour on Laurita’s page
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caffeinatedjo wrote on Jun 29, ’09
I love this! I gotta’ admit, sometimes I mess with Mister In-Between ;).
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lauritasita wrote on Jun 29, ’09
caffeinatedjo said
Jo, at first, I found it to be a little corny, but then when I sat down and read the words, I thought it was really cool. It’s an old message that I chose to bring into the 21st century.
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I love this! I gotta’ admit, sometimes I mess with Mister In-Between ;). 
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caffeinatedjo wrote on Jun 29, ’09
I don’t think it’s corny at all, Laura.
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instrumentalpavilion wrote on Jun 29, ’09
I love this song…thanks!
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bostonsdandd wrote on Jun 29, ’09
I LOVE this song LOL! It was one of the first Jazz songs I can remember here. And the horn in the video. Oh! My heart putter pats :o))))!http://bostonsdandd.multiply.com/journal/item/329
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sanssouciblogs wrote on Jun 29, ’09
I have a lovely new friend who would like to visit, her name is Rita and I am sending her the link.
As for me, I am in code limbo….will be back. |
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caffeinatedjo wrote on Jun 29, ’09
Uh, I am Catholic..I thought you were Jewish??? Jews have limbo. purgatory, a useless Pope, too? 😉
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lauritasita wrote on Jun 30, ’09
sanssouciblogs said
If you want me to post for you, let me know.
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sanssouciblogs wrote on Jun 30, ’09
Happy Birthday, TIM!!!! July 2…Let’s blog partay!
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lauritasita wrote on Jun 30, ’09
sanssouciblogs said
I’ll post your link to the sign in page
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sugarpiehuny wrote on Jun 30, ’09
I remember this song…but I never saw the TV series.. now I’m wondering if it was in a movie? Must have been.. Love it!http://sugarpiehuny.multiply.com/video/item/137/Black_Roses_Red_
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sugarpiehuny wrote on Jun 30, ’09
Oh it was used for several movies but I was thinking of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil!”
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Sorry, I can’t sign in on the sign in page this week, the playlist is somehow making my browser unresponsive.http://gilesy01.multiply.com/journal/item/659/Poetry_Wednesday_Freedoms_Fool
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lauritasita wrote on Jul 1, ’09
gilesy01 said
I’ll put your link on the sign in page for you. Sorry about the problem, although there’s a playlist here, too, and I see you didn’t have a problem…
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psychesrealm wrote on Jul 1, ’09
Hi Lauritasita…..Im Rita….You sista Sue suggested I might join you all…..Unfortunately, I dont seem to know how to sign in….. ( or is this where I do it?)….Thought Id say Hello while I was here…… enjoyin this music though………..
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forgetmenot525 wrote on Jul 2, ’09
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh what happy happy party music, great page Laurita
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