Accentuate The Positive
Written by
Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen
Streaming
Description
I first heard Accentuate The Positive… while gaming. As a teenager, I was a pretty hardcore gamer, Call of Duty, FIFA, and especially my favorite series: Fallout.
The Fallout games are filled with music from the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s, which, if you ask me, might just be the greatest music ever made. Bing Crosby’s version of Accentuate The Positive played through the radio in Fallout, and from that moment on, the song stuck with me. It became a musical souvenir from a fictional world.
Originally written and performed by Johnny Mercer, the song has since been covered by legends like Bing Crosby and Aretha Franklin. And now, I’ve added my own take. My version opens with Mercer’s original intro, before launching into an irresistibly swinging big band arrangement.
This song is a reminder, especially in today’s crazy world, to keep your head up and focus on the good stuff. Because there’s a lot of that too!
Official Music Video
Musicians
Vocal – Dennis van Aarssen
Alto Saxophone – Jasper van Damme
Tenor Saxophone – Floriaan Wempe
Baritone Saxophone – Nils van Haften
Trumpet 1 – Alvaro Jimenez
Trumpet 2 – Tom Ridderbeekx
Trombone 1 – Gregor Sperzel
Trombone 2 – Louk Boudesteijn
Piano – Sjoerd van Eijck
Guitar – Gersom Raams
Double Bass – Richard Frijters
Drums – Mitchell Damen
Violin 1 – Ian de Jong
Violin 1 – Anne van Eck
Violin 1 – Ephraim Feves
Violin 2 – Loes Dooren
Violin 2 – Floortje Beljon
Violin 2 – Annelieke Marselje
Viola – Yanna Pelser
Viola – Tseroeja van den Bos
Cello – René van Munster
Cello – Jascha Bordon
Double Bass – Jesse Feves
Credits
Arrangement - Ilja Reijngoud
Production - Paul Pouwer, Dennis van Aarssen
Mixing - Tijmen Zinkhaan
Mastering - Joris Wolff
Label - Swingin' Records NL
Publishing - DVA Music
Photography - Jorn Baars, Robert Gort
Artwork - Eefje Halters
Artwork
Song lyrics
Gather 'round me, everybody
Just settle back and just sit tight
While I start reviewin'
The attitude of doin' right
You gotta accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
You gotta spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium's
Liable to walk upon the scene
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do just when everything looked so dark?
Man, they said "We'd better accentuate the positive"
"Eliminate the negative"
"And latch on to the affirmative"
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, don't mess with Mister In-Between
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do just when everything looked so dark?
Man, they said "We'd better accentuate the positive"
"Eliminate the negative"
"And latch on to the affirmative"
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, don't mess with Mister In-Between