For other uses, see Feeling Good (disambiguation).

"Feeling Good"
Song
Published 1964 by Musical Comedy Productions
Genre Show tune
 Anthony Newley
Songwriter(s)  Leslie Bricusse

"Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers
Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of
the Crowd. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy Grant on the UK tour and by Gilbert
Price in 1965 with the original Broadway cast.[1]

Nina Simone recorded "Feeling Good" for her 1965 album I Put a Spell on You. The song has
also been covered by Traffic, Michael Bublé, John Coltrane, George Michael, Victory, Eels, Joe
Bonamassa, EDEN, Muse, Black Cat Bones, Sammy Davis Jr., and Bassnectar, among others.

Contents
 1 Early performances and recordings
 2 Nina Simone version
 3 Muse version
 4 Michael Bublé version
o 4.1 Chart performance
o 4.2 Sales and certifications
 5 The Pussycat Dolls version
o 5.1 Reception
o 5.2 Live performances
 6 George Michael version
o 6.1 Release history
 7 Lauryn Hill version
 8 Selected list of other notable recordings
 9 References
 10 External links

Early performances and recordings

Although Bricusse and Newley shared songwriting credits, the words of the song are usually
attributed to Bricusse, with the music by Newley.[2] The song was first performed in public by
the Guyanese-British singer and actor Cy Grant on the opening night of The Roar of the
Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham on 3 August 1964.
The show, directed by Newley, toured British provincial theatres, and was then taken to the US
by theatre producer David Merrick. It opened on 16 May 1965 at the Shubert Theatre in New
York City, where the role of "the Negro", who sings "Feeling Good", was taken by Gilbert
Price.[3]

In the show, Price's character is asked to perform a game against the show's hero "Cocky"; but,
as "Cocky" and his master "Sir" argue over the rules, "the Negro" reaches the centre of the stage
and "wins", singing the song at his moment of triumph.[2] It was described as a "booming song of
emancipation",[4] and a Billboard review said it was "the kind of robust number that should have
strong appeal."[5] The original cast recording of the show, featuring Price's version of the song,
was released by RCA Victor in early 1965, before the show reached New York.

A version by Cy Grant with pianist Bill Le Sage – much jazzier than the original stage version –
appeared on their 1965 album Cy & I.[6] Anthony Newley's own recording appeared on his 1965
album "Who Can I Turn To" and other songs from "The Roar of the Greasepaint".[7] One of the
earliest recorded versions was a jazz treatment by saxophonist John Coltrane, which appeared on
his album The John Coltrane Quartet Plays.... Recorded on 18 February 1965, it also features
Art Davis, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner.[8] Versions were also released in 1965 by Nina
Simone, Jean DuShon, Julie London, Chris Connor, Billy Eckstine, and Sammy Davis Jr..

Nina Simone version

"Feeling Good"
Song by Nina Simone
from the album I Put a Spell on You
Released 1965
Recorded January 1965
 Show tune
 jazz
Genre
 blues

Length 2:53
Label Philips
 Leslie Bricusse
Songwriter(s)  Anthony Newley

Nina Simone's version, arranged and produced by Hal Mooney, was recorded in New York in
January 1965 and appeared on her album I Put a Spell on You. It was not released as a single at
the time. In 1994, Simone's recording was used in a British TV commercial for Volkswagen, and
became popular. Released as a single, it reached no. 40 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1994.[9]

Simone's version was remixed by Joe Claussell in 2002 for the first volume of the Verve
Remixed series.
The vocal track by Nina Simone and the music of "Feeling Good" have been sampled in
numerous songs. In 1997, it was sampled in "Feeling Good" by Huff & Herb [10] Other uses
include "How I Feel" by Wax Tailor, from the 2005 album Tales of the Forgotten Melodies;
"New Day" from the debut collaborative studio album Watch the Throne by American rappers
Jay-Z and Kanye West in 2011; "How I Feel" by Flo Rida, from the 2013 album The Perfect 10;
and, also in 2013, in the beginning of Bassnectar's Immersive Music Mixtape Side One.[11]

The track "About You" on Mary J. Blige's 2005 album The Breakthrough features an unusual
take on the song. The bulk of the recording consists of new lyrics, composed by Mary J. Blige,
will.i.am and Keith Harris; however, the chorus samples several lines from "Feeling Good" as
performed by Nina Simone. Nina's original vocals are distorted so much that her voice is almost
unrecognisable. For this reason, Simone receives a credit as a featured artist, and Newley and
Bricusse receive credit as co-writers. "About You" is produced by will.i.am. The original
instrumental track to Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" was also used in the Swedish musician
Avicii's song of the same name, used by Volvo.

Simone's recording was used in the film Point of No Return,[12] and it appears on soundtracks for
the movies Repo Men (2010),[13] Last Holiday (2006),[14] Professor Marston and the Wonder
Women (2017),[15] and the TV soundtrack Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends.[16] The
Bassnectar/Simone cover was used in "Chapter 6", a first-season episode of the television series
Legion.[17]

Muse version
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The rock band Muse recorded a version for their 2001 album Origin of Symmetry. It was released
as a single also featuring the song "Hyper Music".

In a poll by Total Guitar about best cover songs, Muse's version was fifth.[18] In September 2010,
NME readers voted it the greatest cover song of all time over "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles
and "Hurt" by Johnny Cash. [19] A BBC poll in 2014 placed it ninth.[20]

The song appeared in the movie Seven Pounds (2008), one episode of the TV series Queer as
Folk, and during the end credits of an episode of the TV series Luther. It was used by Nestlé
without the band's permission, so Nestlé replaced it with the Nina Simone version and paid Muse
settlement money, which the band donated to Oxfam. Virgin Atlantic used the Muse version for
a global television commercial which debuted in October 2010. The ad featured the song
accompanying surreal vignettes of Virgin Atlantic cabin crew members. This sequence included
imagery of flying people, a nod to the artwork of Muse's album Absolution.
Muse's version reached No. 137 on the singles chart in France and No. 24 on the singles chart in
the UK.[21][22]

Michael Bublé version

"Feeling Good"

Single by Michael Bublé

from the album It's Time
Released 4 April 2005
 CD
Format  digital download

Recorded 2002
Genre Jazz, pop, rock[23]
Length 3:57
 143
Label  Reprise

 Leslie Bricusse
Songwriter(s)  Anthony Newley

Michael Bublé singles chronology

"Spider-Man "Feeling Good" "Home"
Theme" (2005) (2005)
(2004)

Music video
"Feeling Good (Official video)" on YouTube

"Feeling Good" was covered by Canadian singer Michael Bublé as the lead single from his
album, It's Time. The single was released on 4 April 2005. The song was the opening track on his
live album, Caught in the Act, and has appeared in television commercials, ESPN's 2005 World
Series of Poker tournament, and the 2010 NBA draft broadcast.

Chart performance

The single peaked at No. 162 in the United Kingdom, No. 70 in Australia, No. 36 in Germany,
No. 66 in Austria, and No. 14 in Poland. The song has become one of his most popular singles
and became a hit in May 2010 when it reached No. 69 on the UK Singles Chart after it was
featured in British commercials.