Among the many pleasures that come with being a staff writer for SoulTracks comes when I’m asked to write about a song by an artist that I am not immediately familiar with, such as “I’m So Happy,” a track from Prince Phillip Mitchell’s 1979 album Top of the Line, the tune featured in this Lost Gem segment.
This is the kind of job that takes me down a rabbit hole. I begin by listening to songs from Mitchell’s catalog, which sent me to the aforementioned Top of the Line and his 1978 release Make It Good. That record provided me with my first breadcrumb in the form of the song “Star in the Ghetto,:” the archetypal song about being “black famous.” The Average White Band and Ben E. King recorded the tune and I recall hearing both of those versions on the radio. Mitchell wrote this song.
I learned that Mitchell wrote “Starting All Over Again” by Mel and Tim, “Hurts So Good,” a song performed by Mille Jackson, among others. Mitchell wrote and song “Once I Been There,” which is where I remember hearing his vocals. Mitchell also wrote songs for Bobby Womack and Candi Staton, among others.
The Loiusville native, who had been performing in groups and toiling for a solo breakthrough since the early 1960s, is one of those artists whose music you knew even if you didn’t know the name Phillip Mitchell.
Mitchell was an accomplished and polished singer/songwriter by the time he released “I’m So Happy.” His voice is soulful and inviting, while the cuts such as “I’m So Happy” show the influence of his time with Connors and being enmeshed in the Philadelphia sound that was impacting radio. “I’m So Happy” is a lush arrangement that fuses smooth R&B, disco and a jazzy swing, with its combination swelling strings, tightly harmonized horns and bluesy guitar riffs.
“I’m So Happy” sports call and response backing vocals that derive their influence from doo-wop and gospel singing. Meanwhile, the message is an uplifting display of gratitude for being rewarded with the love of his life. Check out Prince Phillip Mitchell’s Hidden Gem “I’m So Happy” here. Here’s one for free: Listen to the following record, “If It Ain’t Love, It’ll Go Away,” which is another gem.
By Howard Dukes
