Iconoclassic Records is set to reissue “Happy The Man” (1977) and “Crafty Hands” (1978), two landmark albums from one of America’s most innovative Progressive Rock bands. Both albums have been remastered with direct involvement from the band and will feature expanded booklets with new liner notes, rare photos, and memorabilia.
The reissues will be available on July 4, 2025, offering fans the chance to rediscover Happy The Man’s complex, Jazz Prog sound with unprecedented clarity.
— Happy The Man – Happy The Man (CD Remaster) —
From our friends at Iconoclassic Records:
Digitally remastered by Ray Staff and accompanied by newly written 6000-word liner-notes by Syd Schwartz in a 28-page color booklet. Ranked as one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s 50 greatest Progressive Rock albums of all time.
“Masters the band can finally be proud of; this is the way these two albums were always intended to sound” – Happy The Man
Happy the Man’s self-titled debut, released in 1977 on Arista Records, is one of the most fully realized Progressive Rock albums ever recorded on American soil. It was neither a direct response to its British forebears nor an attempt to fit within the evolving commercial American landscape. Instead, it was something rarer – a singular work of progressive music that existed entirely on its own terms. Though they wouldn’t know it at the time, Happy the Man also became the bar against which nearly all-American Prog Rock would be measured in the decades that followed.
Their sound wasn’t just symphonic – it was Cinematic, sophisticated, and distinctly American, weaving Jazz Fusion and impressionistic harmony into Prog Rock’s DNA. Eschewing mythic storytelling and grandiose concepts, their primarily instrumental music instead unfolded like a rich tapestry of harmonies and interwoven melodies, shifting with the same organic unpredictability as a Jazz improvisation yet executed with the precision of a Chamber ensemble. The music was both cerebral and joyous, technically demanding yet full of human warmth.
With a lineup of Stanley Whitaker (Guitars, Vocals), Kit Watkins (Keyboards), Frank Wyatt (Sax, Flute, Keyboards), Rick Kennell (Bass) and Mike Beck (Drums), the band recorded their first album under the production supervision of Ken Scott (who had worked with Supertramp and David Bowie). Happy the Man celebrates the reclamation of their rights to their classic Arista albums with a new band-approved remasters by Ray Staff. Features a 28-page booklet with a new 6000-word liner notes essay by Syd Schwartz.
Format: CD
Artist: Happy The Man
Release Date: July 4, 2025 (1977)
Pre-Order the album here: The Band Wagon USA | Iconoclassic Records Webshop
Tracklist:
01. Starborne
02. Stumpy Meets The Firecracker In Stencil Forest
03. Upon The Rainbow (Befrost)
04. Mr. Mirror’s Reflection On Dreams
05. Carousel
06. Knee Bitten Nymphs In Limbo
07. On Time As A Helix Of Precious Laughs
08. Hidden Moods
09. New York Dream’s Suite
Lineup:
Mike Beck / Percussion
Rick Kennell / Bass
Stanley Whitaker / Six and Twelve String Guitars, Lead Vocals
Frank Wyatt / Saxes, Flute, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
Kit Watkins / Mini Moog, Acoustic Piano, Rhodes Piano, ARP String Ensemble, Hammond B3, Hohner Clavinet, Flute, Marimba
— Happy The Man – Crafty Hands (CD Remaster) —
From our friends at Iconoclassic Records:
Digitally remastered by Ray Staff and accompanied by newly written 6000-word liner-notes by Syd Schwartz in a 28-page color booklet. Ranked as one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s 50 greatest Progressive Rock albums of all time.
“Masters the band can finally be proud of; this is the way these two albums were always intended to sound” – Happy The Man
As remarkable as Happy the Man’s self-titled debut album was, it was only the beginning – an appetizer for an even more sumptuous artistic banquet. Happy the Man’s sonic vocabulary evolved by the time they returned to the studio with new ideas, sharper execution, and an even clearer sense of identity. 1978’s sophomore album “Crafty Hands” is more rhythmically intricate, placing a greater emphasis on counterpoint and complexity.
Despite the acrobatic interplay amidst the complicated time signatures, the accessibility of the music never suffers. The lush, analog warmth of the debut album remains, but with more polished production and a crisp mix that emphasizes the tight arrangements. And like Happy the Man’s debut album, “Crafty Hands” eschews the Prog Rock cliche of a “concept album,” choosing instead to offer eight mini-epics that say more in a few short minutes than most of their genre brethren would say in their entire careers.
If Happy the Man was the band introducing itself—an intricate yet cinematic statement that fused progressive rock’s classical leanings with Jazz Fusion’s fluidity—then “Crafty Hands” was the sound of that vision sharpening into focus. Leaner, more direct, yet paradoxically more complex, “Crafty Hands” built upon the successes of their debut while showcasing an increased confidence in their ability to push rhythmic and harmonic boundaries. Arguably their finest hour, the album featured only one vocal track and ranks as one of the most important in U.S. Progressive Rock history.
Happy the Man celebrates the reclamation of their rights to their classic Arista albums with a new band-approved remasters by Ray Staff. Features a 32-page booklet with a new 5000-word liner notes essay by Syd Schwartz and a 3000-word piece by Happy the Man bassist Rick Kennell.
Format: CD
Artist: Happy The Man
Release Date: July 4, 2025 (1978)
Pre-Order here: The Band Wagon USA | Iconoclassic Records Webshop
Traclist:
01. Service With A Smile
02. Morning Sun
03. Ibby It Is
04. Steaming Pipes
05. Wind Up Doll Day Wind
06. Open Book
07. I Forgot To Push It
08. The Moon, I Sing (Nossuri)
Lineup:
Stanley Whitaker / Six and Twelve String Guitars, Lead Vocals
Frank Wyatt / Pianos, Harpsichord, Saxes, Flute, Words
Kit Watkins / Pianos, Harpsichord, Moog, Fake Strings, Clavinet, B3, Recorder
Rick Kennell / Bass
Ron Riddle / Drums, Percussion