The traditional tune "Shortening Bread" date to the 1800s and was recorded by The Skillet Lickers (Clayton McMichen, Fate Norris, Riley Puckett and Gid Tanner) as the initial vocal version issued in 1926.

Dave "Baby Cortez (Clowney) issued "The Happy Organ" (Clowney - Kriegsmann - Wood) in 1959 with studio musicians Jimmy Spruill on guitar and Gary Hammond is the drummer. This hit the top of the Top One Hundred and peaked at number five R&B and has a strong resemblance to the traditional tune. Co-writer James Kriegsmann was a noted portrait photographer whose subjects included Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Simon and Garfunkel, Doris Day, Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Benny Goodman and many more celebrities.