Happiness

Now on 4AD. Resequenced. People think it was all remixed but not… just a different order and a few different tracks already existing. p.s. no “boots are made for walking!!” That’s the important thing.

When 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell signed Lisa Germano to his label in late 1993, his first order of business was to reclaim the album she had just lost. Happiness had already been released on Capitol Records that July—to favorable reviews and near-total promotional neglect—and Germano, freed from her contract following a management shakeup at the label, had retained her master tapes. What Watts-Russell offered was not just a new home but a new context: a resequencing of the album, two additional songs, revised mixes on select tracks, and an entirely reconceived visual identity. Released on April 26, 1994, the 4AD version of Happiness is, by most accounts, the definitive one—darker in texture and more coherent in arc, stripped of the Capitol-mandated “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” cover and reframed within 4AD’s signature aesthetic of uncompromising artistic autonomy. It was the beginning of a four-year relationship between Germano and Watts-Russell that would produce some of the most singular work of her career.

Background

After Capitol Records underwent internal restructuring in the months following Happiness‘s original release, Germano found herself in a professional limbo. The label’s promotional support had effectively evaporated, and the album — despite strong critical notices — had failed to find a commercial foothold. According to various accounts, a meeting between Germano and Capitol president Gary Gersh made the incompatibility of their partnership clear, and Gersh agreed to allow her to take the record elsewhere — an unusual concession in the music industry. Crucially, Germano was able to retain her master tapes.

Watts-Russell had already been tracking Germano’s career. According to a 4AD press release, he attended an “In Their Own Words” songwriters showcase at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, where Germano’s solo performance caught his attention. He then approached Capitol about licensing Happiness for worldwide release at the same time the label was undergoing its changes, and all parties ultimately agreed that 4AD would be a more suitable home for her future.

In January 1994, three months before the 4AD Happiness appeared, the label released the Inconsiderate Bitch EP (catalog no. TAD 4003) as a limited-edition “temporary release” — a format 4AD used to introduce new artists to their audience while building toward a main release. The EP contained Watts-Russell and engineer John Fryer’s remixes of four Happiness tracks (the title song, “Energy,” “Puppet,” and “Sycophant”), along with Malcolm Burn’s “(Late Night) Dresses” remix of “You Make Me Wanto Wear Dresses.” None of these EP versions appear on the 4AD album. The EP was mixed at Blackwing Studios in London — Fryer’s home studio and a longtime 4AD production base, most closely associated with the label’s work with This Mortal Coil.

“What’s mostly different is just the sequence. There’s two or three different mixes, but I kept fighting with Capitol and trying to tell them that I felt like the sequence would make it feel a different way, and they just wouldn’t let me do it. It’s amazing how many people think that the whole record is mixed over or something. It’s really just the sequence. 4AD is cooler because they trust you.”

Lisa Germano
The Bloomington Voice (October 1995)

Her liner notes on the 4AD release made the transition explicit: she opened her thank-you credits with “resurrected from the dead by Ivo Watts-Russell and everyone at 4.A.D.” and closed with a pointed aside: “and all the people at Capitol Records who suddenly aren’t there anymore…..ain’t life fun?

Themes

The thematic content of the 4AD Happiness is substantively the same as the Capitol version—depression, self-doubt, damaged idealism, and dark humor—but the resequencing profoundly reshapes the listening experience. Where the Capitol version opened with the relatively accessible “Around the World” and placed “You Make Me Wanto Wear Dresses” second, the 4AD version opens with “Bad Attitude,” a more unsettling and confrontational entry point that immediately signals the record’s darker register.

Two tracks absent from the Capitol version appear here for the first time: “Destroy the Flower,” a piano-and-drums miniature produced by Jay Joyce with a childlike, halting quality, and “The Earth,” a spare, whispering piece recorded at Bloodsucker Studios that reinforces the album’s quieter, more introspective passages. In exchange, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” and “Breathe Acrost Texas” were dropped entirely. The Lee Hazlewood cover’s removal was unambiguous in its meaning—it had been Capitol’s idea, not Germano’s—and the instrumental “Breathe Acrost Texas” was simply superfluous in the new context.

“You Make Me Wanto Wear Dresses” was retitled “The Dresses Song” and appears near the album’s end rather than its beginning. The 4AD mix of the track was reworked by Watts-Russell—credited in the liner notes as “Produced (Resurrected from the dead) by Ivo Watts-Russell”—pulling Germano’s vocals forward and stripping back much of the original’s country-tinged instrumentation, leaving violin and a restless drum pattern. Its demotion to the penultimate position, just before “The Darkest Night of All,” reads almost as a comment on the song’s earlier commercial prominence.

In a 4AD press release, Germano described the revised album as “darker, and makes the idea of happiness more elusive. The contradiction is obvious, so the listener will question it that much more.”

---

No.	Title	Length
1	Bad Attitude	6:12
2	Destroy the Flower	3:12
3	Puppet	6:00
4	Everyone’s Victim	4:45
5	Energy	3:51
6	Cowboy	4:08
7	Happiness	3:43
8	The Earth	2:44
9	Around the World	4:27
10	Sycophant	4:26
11	Miamo-Tutti	1:58
12	The Dresses Song	3:39
13	The Darkest Night of All	4:41

The recording circumstances for the 4AD Happiness are largely identical to those of the Capitol version—the underlying performances and production by Malcolm Burn were not recreated. Primary recording took place at Kingsway Studio in New Orleans, the French Quarter home studio that Daniel Lanois had converted and used for his most celebrated productions of the late 1980s. Additional sessions were held at Champagne Studio in Nashville, September Studio in Indianapolis, and Germano’s home.

The key additions were “Destroy the Flower,” engineered by Mike Griffith at Champagne Studios in Nashville and produced and mixed by Jay Joyce; and “The Earth,” engineered by Giles Reaves at Bloodsucker Studios. The track “Puppet” received a new mix from Malcolm Burn and Trina Shoemaker, and “Sycophant” was re-produced by Jay Joyce and Ivo Watts-Russell. The introductory section added to “Bad Attitude”—often described by listeners as a Robin Guthrie-style wash of echoing guitars—was Watts-Russell’s intervention into the track. The “Energy” mix on the 4AD version also differs, with drums toned down compared to the Capitol pressing.

Mastering was again handled by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in New York—notably the same engineer and facility used for the Capitol version, providing a point of sonic continuity between the two releases.

The EP’s remixes, prepared by Watts-Russell and Fryer at Blackwing Studios, were separate from the album and do not appear on it; they exist exclusively on the Inconsiderate Bitch release.

Packaging & Design

The visual shift between Capitol and 4AD was as striking as the sonic one. Capitol’s packaging featured photography by Bob Lanois of Germano in relatively accessible, sun-drenched settings—the label’s preferred presentation of her as an accessible alt-country figure. 4AD replaced this entirely.

Art direction was handled by Vaughan Oliver and V23—4AD’s long-standing in-house design studio, responsible for the visual identities of the Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Dead Can Dance, and virtually the entire label roster throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Oliver and Adrian Philpott designed the package, with photography by Malcolm (Burn), who is credited simply by first name. The album’s imagery is austere and abstract, consistent with 4AD’s broader aesthetic of disorienting, painterly sleeve art that suggested mood rather than literal representation of the artist.

The UK LP release (CAD 4005) used a modified version of the back cover as the front, featuring the tracklisting in inversion — a characteristically oblique formal decision from V23. An advance promotional CD was manufactured in the UK in a unique cardboard wallet and included on its rear panel an explanatory note: “This is a re-release of the album that was first available in 1993. This 1994 version has a completely different running order including two new tracks, two re-mixed tracks and a different version of ‘you make me want to wear dresses’ (the dresses song). The album has been re-mastered, has brand new artwork and will be available at a lower list price.”

A separate US promotional advance was also issued, with its own unique cardboard sleeve artwork.

The 4AD press release accompanying the album took an unsubtle dig at Capitol’s approach, describing the reissue as “a remodeled version of Happiness… a series of musical mood swings that range from folky to furious, it’s now an even more compelling showcase for her talents.”

Five years after its release, 4AD reissues Happiness and included four tracks from the Inconsiderate Bitch EP as bonus tracks (the extended version of “Happiness” is omitted—likely due to run time of the CD). The back cover of this version includes the listing of the additional tracks. The front cover is the same as the 1994 release.

Additional Versions

	Label	Format	Catalog No.	Country	Year
	4AD	CD	9 45593-2	US	1994
	4AD	CD	CAD 4005 CD	UK	1994
	4AD	LP	CAD 4005	UK	1994
	4AD	CD	72438 396122 1	France	1994
	4AD Polygram	CD	769 742 020-2	Canada	1994
	Rough Trade 4AD	CD	RTD 120.1716.2	Germany	1994
	4AD	CD	CAD 4005 CD	Belgium	1994
	4AD	LP Test Pressing	CAD 4005	UK	1994
	4AD	CD Promo	45593	US	1994
	4AD	CD Reissue	9 45593-2	US	1994
	4AD	Cassette Reissue	9 45593-4	US	1994
	4AD	Cassette	724383961245	France	1994
	4AD	Cassette Promo	None	US	1994
	4AD	CD	GAD 4003/4005	US	1999
	4AD	FLAC	None	Worldwide

Press Release

To find evidence of Lisa Germano's many instrumental talents, then a cursory listen to 'Happiness' or even a glimpse at her session credits will suffice. But to hear what she really has to say, you may have to lean in a little closer because Lisa doesn't sing her heart out... she just whispers it into your ear.

After contributing material to the film 'Falling From Grace,' Lisa recorded the largely DIY album, 'On the Way Down from the Moon Palace,' for her own Major Bill label (named so because the disc's production cost set her back a "major bill"). The acclaim following the release of '...Moon Palace' led to Germano inking with Capitol and recording 'Happiness' in New Orleans with Daniel Lanois associate Malcolm Burn.

Shortly after its release, 4AD's Ivo Watts-Russell attended the 'In Their Own Words' songwriters showcase at LA's Troubadour and found himself intrigued by Lisa's performance. He then approached Capitol about licensing the 'Happiness' LP for worldwide rights at a time when that company was undergoing internal changes, and subsequently, all parties agreed that 4AD may be a more suitable home for Lisa's future.

4AD's issue of the 'Happiness' LP features material remixed by John Fryer and Ivo, different artwork & running order, extra tracks ("Betty Says...", "Destroy the Flower", "The Earth"), "You Make Me Want to Wear Dresses" has transformed into "The Dresses Song," and 'Happiness' now excludes the cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'.

Considering the scrutiny and re-assessment that the 'Happiness' sessions produced, it's a testament to Lisa's abilities that the disc is so veracious. Joyless at the core, laments like "what a waste to feel the way I feel" can be found on "Around the World" while "pain and sadness are real to me" punctuate the LP's title track (if these confessions appear to lifted straight from Germano's diary, it's because they are).

Yet despite the allusions to personal torment, Lisa's songs never become bogged down in despair, largely because they're leavened with a pop veneer and an impish sense of humor, "You wish you were pretty, but you're not... ha, ha, ha." ('Bad Attitude'). And the extremes are musical as well as emotional, 'Happiness' runs from the plaintive, folky approach of "Cowboy" and "Energy" to texturally dense numbers like "Puppet" without sounding out of context. Germano feels that this version of 'Happiness' is darker, and makes the 'idea of happiness' more elusive. The contradiction is obvious, so the listener will question it that much more.

Personnel

“Bad Attitude”
Bass: Daryl Johnson
Drums: Ronald Jones
Guitar: Bill Dillon
Keyboards: Malcolm Burn

“Destroy the Flower”
Bass: Jay Joyce
Drums: Michael Radovsky
Produced by Jay Joyce
Mixed by Ivo Watts-Russell and Jay Joyce
Engineered by Mike Griffith at Champagne Studios in Nashville, TN

“Puppet”
Acoustic Guitar: John Keane
Bass: Toby Myers
Drums: Kenny Aronoff
Guitars: Bill Dillon, Jay Joyce
Piano, tambourine: Malcolm Burn
Additional mixing by Trina Shoemaker

“Everyone’s Victim”
Bass: Bill Dillon
Drums: Daryl Johnson
Guitar: Jay Joyce
Percussion: Ronald Jones

“Energy”
Bass: Toby Myers

“Cowboy”
Pedal Steel Guitar: John Keane

“Happiness”
Acoustic Guitar: Malcolm Burn
Bass: Daryl Johnson
Drums: Ronald Jones
Guitar: Bill Dillon

“The Earth”
Engineered by Giles Reaves and recorded at Bloodsucker Studios

“Around the World”
Bass, Djembe: Daryl Johnson
Drums: Ronald Jones
Guitar: Bill Dillon
Keyboards: Jay Joyce

“Sycophant”
Bass: Jay Joyce
Keyboards, tambourine: Malcolm Burn
Produced by Jay Joyce and Ivo Watts-Russell

“The Dresses Song”
Bass: Toby Myers
Guitar: Malcolm Burn
Pedal Steel Guitar: Bill Dillon
Produced (Resurrected from the dead) by Ivo Watts-Russell

All other tracks produced by Malcolm Burn
Recorded by John Keane, Malcolm Burn, Mark Howard, Trina Shoemaker, and Wayne Lorenz at Kingsway Studio in New Orleans, LA.

Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in New York, New York.

All songs written by Lisa Germano except “Sycophant” written by Lisa Germano and Jay Joyce.

Art Direction by V23 and Vaughan Oliver
Design by Adrian Philpott and Vaughan Oliver
Photography by Malcolm

Published by Emotional Wench Music / Door Number One Music / PolyGram Music BMI, except “Destroy the Flower” and “The Earth” © 1991 Emotional Wench Music / Door Number One Music / PolyGram Music BMI. Manufactured and distributed by Warner Bros. Records Inc., a Time Warner Company. ℗ and © 1994 4AD.

Videos

A music video for “Puppet” was produced for the 4AD release, directed by an uncredited director. In contrast to the bright cartoon imagery used for Capitol’s “You Make Me Wanto Wear Dresses” video, the “Puppet” clip is stark and spare: Germano is filmed barefoot, wearing rubber bands on her teeth, visible mostly in harsh shadow. The visual register was a deliberate departure from Capitol’s approach to presenting her.

Critical Reception

The 4AD version was received as an improvement over its Capitol predecessor by the critics who addressed it specifically.

“Resequenced and partly remixed by Burn and Germano, the reworked Happiness amplifies the ethereal 4AD sound which lurked in the original, drops the instrumental ‘Breathe Acrost Texas’ and a superfluous cover of ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin” and adds two fine new songs, ‘Destroy the Flower’ and ‘The Earth.’ The effort focuses and magnifies the album’s moody impact, rendering it even more atmospheric and intimate than the original — if that’s possible. Not just an excellent 3 a.m. my-lover-just-walked-out-the-door record, but a moving and inspiring document of one person’s struggle with depression. Essential listening for anyone who’s had a dark day or two.”

Michael Azerrad / Brad Reno
Trouser Press

“A voyage into Lisa Germano’s psyche, a bleak domain where psychological traumas hang heavy and the artist slowly pulls herself apart.”

Dave Simpson
Melody Maker (May 21, 1994)

“With 1994’s Happiness, 4AD Records dismantled the fence.”

Kurt Wildermuth
Pop Matters (February 2023)

Related Press

Related Releases

---