"Love and Happiness"

[TeleHawg]

Do any of you players perform this Al green tune?

I've pretty much got the chords down (and I should mention that I'm in awe the guitarist, Mabon "Teeny" Hodges), but the harmony behind that three-note descending figure is giving me trouble.

The only online tab, which is generally accurate, gives the chords as E9, Ebm, G#m.

But the actual notes are D, C#, B.

If these chords are accurate, how does the C# work against the Ebm? I know it's the seventh of Eb, but I can't find any voicings that sound right.

[JayFreddy]

I can't find a link for that song that is in-tune.



Was the original tuned to concert pitch? If you can post the arrangement you've got so far, I'll give it a shot.

[TeleHawg]

As I said, everything except that "love-and-happiness" figure sounds fine. Here's the sequence in question:

E9 Ebm7 G#m (rep)
Love and Happiness...

B B/A G#m F# (repx2)
Wait a minute...something's going wrong
Someone's on the phone...three o'clock in the morning, yeah

THIS Repeating figure is correct:

D Cm B (rep)

B B/A G#m F# (repx2)
Talkin' about how she can make it right, yeah
Well, happiness is when you really feel good about somebody
Nothing wrong with being in love with someone, yeah...

D Cm B (rep x2)

And here comes that figure again:

E9 Ebm7 G#m (rep)
Love and Happiness...

etc.

[DMace]

I believe it's E9 to E-flat9 to A-flat-minor.

[JayFreddy]

Originally Posted by TeleHawg

As I said, everything except that "love-and-happiness" figure sounds fine. Here's the sequence in question:

E9 Ebm7 G#m (rep)
Love and Happiness...

I'm hearing E7 D#7 (aka Eb7) to G#m

Originally Posted by TeleHawg

THIS Repeating figure is correct:

D Cm B (rep)

I don't think so. I'm hearing a C#m. E.g., D C#m B

Originally Posted by TeleHawg

B B/A G#m F# (repx2)
Wait a minute...something's going wrong...

I'm not hearing that F# either. This is what it sounds like to me:

B      B/A     G#m                      
////   ////    ////   ////   ////  

D C#m  B
/ /   //    etc.

[klasaine]

Originally Posted by DMace

I believe it's E9 to E-flat9 to A-flat-minor.

I've always played like that ... maybe sometimes with just straight dominant chords as opposed to 9th's - ?

[JayFreddy]

I only hear the 9th on the E9, then to D#7, then to the G#m. That's the organ part. I don't hear Teeny Hodges playing the 9th, just the 7th. Of course you can play it if you want, but I don't think Mr. Hodges does.

how does the C# work against the Ebm?

It's a dominant 7, not a minor chord. The C# is the flat 7 on the D#7 chord.

ps. I'd call the key G#m instead of Abm because B major (relative major of G#m) has 5 sharps, Cb major (relative major of Abm) has 7 flats. Generally less sharps or flats is easier to read. Also, the bridge is clearly in B, not Cb.

[TeleHawg]

Originally Posted by JayFreddy

I'm hearing E7 D#7 (aka Eb7) to G#m



I don't think so. I'm hearing a C#m. E.g., D C#m B

My mistake! I hear a C#m, too -- I just typed it wrong!

I'm not hearing that F# either. This is what it sounds like to me:

B      B/A     G#m                      
////   ////    ////   ////   ////  

D C#m  B
/ /   //    etc.

Thanks!

[JayFreddy]

Strange timing... Two or three weeks ago I was out with a couple of guitar buddies at a nice restaurant near where I work. There was some kind of commotion in the restaurant. I asked what was up, and one of my friends turned, looked at me, and said, "OMG, it's Teeny Hodges!". It's embarrassing to admit, but I didn't know who he was talking about. My friend gave me this incredulous look, "You know, Al Green's guitarist?!!!" We ended up talking to him and sharing a couple of drinks. He was very approachable and seemed genuinely flattered that we were familiar with his work. I mostly just listened. My friend had the bartender take pictures of all of us together. Which reminds me, I need to call my friend!

[gaddis]

Originally Posted by JayFreddy

I'm hearing E7 D#7 (aka Eb7) to G#m

I absolutely agree. Been playing it that way for years.

A great tone for the middle pickup of a strat, by the way.


The descending figure I play as D Db B, but I tend to emphasize only the root and fifth on these chords.