I Could Be Happy

"I Could Be Happy"
"I Could Be Happy"
Single by Altered Images
from the album Pinky Blue
B-side	"Insects"; "Disco Pop Stars" (12-inch only);
Released	December 1981
Genre	New wave
Length	3:28
Label	Epic (UK); Portrait (US);
Songwriter(s)	Altered Images
Producer(s)	Martin Rushent
Altered Images singles chronology
Music video
	"I Could Be Happy" on YouTube

"I Could Be Happy" is a song by Scottish new wave band Altered Images, released as the first single from their second album, Pinky Blue. Their second top-10 hit in the UK, the song peaked at number seven in December 1981, and remained on the chart for 12 weeks. It also reached the top 40 in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand and was their first and only single to chart in the United States, on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart at number 45 in April 1982.

Music video

The music video for this song was a brief mainstay on MTV in its early days.^{[citation needed]} MTV initially accidentally said the song was from their Happy Birthday album.^{[citation needed]}

The band members are shown holding different pastel pieces and playing them like they were their musical instruments, and singer Clare Grogan is shown singing the "I could be happy, I could be happy" part in scenes where those lyrics are on the screen with a dot weirdly moving around, but hitting each syllable in time. Near the end, the band members put their pieces down to show it draws a very colorful happy face, then the video ends with Grogan riding out the song with the band playing their real instruments.

Track listings

7-inch single^[1]

A. "I Could Be Happy"

B. "Insects"

12-inch single^[2]

A1. "I Could Be Happy"

B1. "Insects"

B2. "Disco Pop Stars"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1981–1982)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[3]	30
Ireland (IRMA)^[4]	13
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[5]	4
UK Singles (OCC)^[6]	7
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)^[7]	45

Year-end chart

Chart (1982)	Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[8]	32

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[9]	Silver	250,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ I Could Be Happy (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Altered Images. Epic Records. 1981. EPC A1834.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ I Could Be Happy (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Altered Images. Epic Records. 1981. EPC A13 1834.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 16. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Could Be Happy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
^ "Altered Images – I Could Be Happy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
^ "Altered Images: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
^ "Altered Images Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
^ "End of Year Charts 1982". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
^ "British single certifications – Altered Images – I Could Be Happy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 December 2020.

This 1980s rock song–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] I Could Be Happy (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Altered Images. Epic Records. 1981. EPC A1834.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[2] I Could Be Happy (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Altered Images. Epic Records. 1981. EPC A13 1834.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[3] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 16. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[sc_Ireland2_-4] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Could Be Happy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 December 2020.

[sc_New_Zealand_Altered_Images-5] "Altered Images – I Could Be Happy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 December 2020.

[sc_UKsinglesbyname_Altered_Images-6] "Altered Images: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.

[sc_Billboarddanceclubplay_Altered_Images-7] "Altered Images Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2020.

[8] "End of Year Charts 1982". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 5 December 2020.

[United_KingdomAltered_ImagesI_Could_Be_HappysingleCertRef-9] "British single certifications – Altered Images – I Could Be Happy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 December 2020.

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