Sue Raney - Happiness Is A Warm Sue Raney (1964)

Move past its silly title and Sue Raney's Philips label debut is an absolute delight. An effervescent, briskly paced set that wisely eschews the turgid standards often heaped upon singers of Raney's ilk, it captures her at her most purely engaging. Ralph Carmichael's finger-popping arrangements are an essential component of the music's considerable charm, he keeps the tempos brisk and the melodies sharp, perfectly complementing Raney's saucy vocals (which have never sounded better). And yes, the title is awful but it is appropriate Happiness Is a Warm Sue Raney captures an irrepressible joie de vivre that's undeniably infectious.