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Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive

From the musical

A New Brain

Music by Harold Arlen, Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" is a popular song which was nominated for "Best Song" in 1945 after being used in the film "Here Come the Waves". The music was written by Harold Arlen and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and it was published in 1944. It is sung in the style of a sermon, and explains that accentuating the positive is key to happiness. In describing his inspiration for the lyric, Mercer told the Pop Chronicles radio documentary "[my] publicity agent ... went to hear Father Divine and he had a sermon and his subject was 'you got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.' And I said 'Wow, that's a colorful phrase!'"

Mercer recorded the song, with The Pied Pipers and Paul Weston's orchestra, on October 4, 1944, and it was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 180. The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on January 4, 1945 and lasted 13 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 2. The song was number five on Billboard's Annual High School Survey in 1945.

On March 25, 2015, it was announced that Mercer's version will be inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry for the song's "cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation’s audio legacy"

    Release Date: 1944



Songbooks, Arrangements and/or Media

Displaying 1-7 of 7 items.


Harold Arlen : The Harold Arlen Songbook : Solo : Songbook : 073999590807 : 0881884251 : 00359080

Harold Arlen : The Harold Arlen Songbook

A must-own collection of 76 songs of Harold Arlen. Includes his major works and some previously unpublished titles. Highlights include: Come Rain or Come Shine - Get Happy - Let's Fall in Love - The Man That Got Away - Over the Rainbow - Stormy Weather - and more!

Songlist: Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive, Lullaby, Ain't It De Truth, God's Country, Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home, As Long As I Live, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, Out Of This World, Blues In The Night, Buds Won't Bud, My Shining Hour, Right As Rain, Cocoanut Sweet, Come Rain Or Come Shine, Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead, Dissertation On The State Of Bliss (Love And Learn), Don't Like Goodbyes, Down With Love, The Eagle And Me, The Morning After, Get Happy, Evelina, Fancy Meeting You, For Every Man There's A Woman, Fun To Be Fooled, Goose Will Never Be Peacock, Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe, Happy As The Day Is Long, Happy With The Blues, Hit The Road To Dreamland, and more

More details
Voicing: Solo | 20252b | Songbook | $21.95 | PVG


Johnny Mercer : The Johnny Mercer Centennial Sheet Music Collection : Solo : Songbook : 884088688738 : 0739074776 : 00322363

Johnny Mercer : The Johnny Mercer Centennial Sheet Music Collection

Johnny Mercer (1909-1976) was not only one of America's greatest lyricists - he helped define the American South from the outside in. His words paint rich and vivid portraits of life in his native Georgia. Mercer wrote a wide variety of songs, from lush, dreamy ballads to plays on colloquial American expressions. He joined forces with some of the most talented composers of his day, including Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, and Henry Mancini, to fashion one of the most startlingly original catalogs in American popular music. This songbook commemorates the centennial of his birth with piano/vocal sheet music arrangements (including guitar chord frames) for 46 of his most famous and best-loved classics.

Songlist: DREAM, EMILY, LAURA, SKYLARK, BLUES IN THE NIGHT, CHARADE (FROM 'CHARADE'), COME RAIN OR COME SHINE, DAY IN DAY OUT, Days of Wine and Roses, I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU, I WANNA BE AROUND, SATIN DOLL (VOCAL VERSION), SUMMER WIND, TOO MARVELOUS FOR WORDS, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABY, I'M AN OLD COWHAND (FROM THE RIO GRANDE), FOOLS RUSH IN (WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD), GOODY-GOODY, AC-CENT-TCHU-ATE THE POSITIVE, AND THE ANGELS SING, ANY PLACE I HANG MY HAT IS MY HOME, AUTUMN LEAVES A/K/A LES FEUILLES MORTES, DRINKING AGAIN, G.I. JIVE, GLOW WORM, THE, HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD, I'M OLD FASHIONED (Lyric Version), IN THE COOL COOL COOL OF THE EVENING, JEEPERS CREEPERS, LAZYBONES (a/k/a LAZY BONES), and more

More details
Voicing: Solo | 20251b | Songbook | $19.95 | PVG


Paul McCartney : Kisses on the Bottom : Solo : Songbook : 884088654139 : 145844063X : 00307707

Paul McCartney : Kisses on the Bottom

Sir Paul's tribute to classic standards also features a few originals that pay homage to the genre. Our matching folio features all 14 songs: Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive - Always - Bye Bye Blackbird - Get Yourself Another Fool - The Glory of Love - Home (When Shadows Fall) - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter - The Inch Worm - It's Only a Paper Moon - More I Cannot Wish You - My Valentine - My Very Good Friend, The Milkman - Only Our Hearts - We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me).

Songlist: Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive, Always, My Very Good Friend, The Milkman, Home (When Shadows Fall), Bye Bye Blackbird, My Valentine, Only Our Hearts, Get Yourself Another Fool, The Glory Of Love, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter, The Inch Worm, It's Only A Paper Moon, More I Cannot Wish You, We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me)

More details
Voicing: Solo | Performed by Paul McCartney | 20344b | Songbook | $16.95 | PVG


Tony Bennett : Tony Bennett Sheet Music Anthology : Solo : Songbook : 888680915025 : 1540046044 : 00289023

Tony Bennett : Tony Bennett Sheet Music Anthology

100 songs from Bennett's remarkable and lengthy career which started in the early 1950s and is still going strong today! Our songbook features his very best arranged for piano/vocal/guitar, including: As Time Goes By - Because of You - Bein' Green - Body and Soul - Cheek to Cheek - Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) - The Good Life - I Left My Heart in San Francisco - I Wanna Be Around - It Had to Be You - Just in Time - The Lady Is a Tramp - Moonlight in Vermont - New York State of Mind - Over the Rainbow - Put on a Happy Face - Rags to Riches - Smile - Stella by Starlight - Tender Is the Night - and more.

Songlist: Anything Goes, Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive, Rags To Riches, Dancing In The Dark, Once Upon A Time, Smile, I'm A Fool To Want You, All My Tomorrows, All The Things You Are, Because Of You, The Good Life, I'll Be Around, Alright, Okay, You Win, Firefly, Are You Havin' Any Fun?, New York, New York, As Time Goes By, Sweet Lorraine, Tender Is The Night, Some Other Time, Bein' Green, The Best Is Yet To Come, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, Blue Moon, Blue Velvet, For Once In My Life, Body And Soul, The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Emily, Look For The Silver Lining, and more

More details
Voicing: Solo | 70727b | Songbook | $29.95 | PVG


Various Arrangers : Crooners : Solo : Songbook : 884088274979 : 1423463668 : 00311819

Various Arrangers : Crooners

Your audience will swoon over these 84 standards crooned by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Mel Tormé and others. Includes: Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive - Bewitched - Blue Velvet - Chances Are - Georgia on My Mind - I've Got the World on a String - Lazy River - Misty - Mona Lisa - The Nearness of You - Red Roses for a Blue Lady - There Is No Greater Love - When I Fall in Love - and dozens more. Includes a title index, artist index, and a great section of photos and bios of each featured artist.

Songlist: I Believe, Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive, I'm Walking Behind You (Look Over Your Shoulder), If, Wish You Were Here, Till The End Of Time, Rockin' Chair, Chances Are, Alright, Okay, You Win, Nature Boy, Night Song, Cry, Change Partners, Baby, It's Cold Outside, Baby (You've Got What It Takes), Candy, There Is No Greater Love, Bewitched, Beyond The Sea, Learnin' The Blues, Just Walking In The Rain, Blue Velvet, Body And Soul, Mr. Lonely, It's Just A Matter Of Time, Careless Hands, Mona Lisa, Cheek To Cheek, The Christmas Song, My Foolish Heart, and more

More details
Voicing: Solo | 2491b | Songbook | $19.95 | PVG


Various Composers : Cabaret Songbook : Solo : Songbook : 073999904888 : 0793500869 : 00490488

Various Composers : Cabaret Songbook

Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue - a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables (often dining or drinking) watching the performance being introduced by a master of ceremonies, or MC. Here are 54 essential cabaret classics.

Songlist: Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive, Ain't Misbehavin, All By Myself, And All That Jazz, Another Op'nin' Another Show, Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home, As Long As He Needs Me, Being Alive, The Best Is Yet to Come, Blame It On My Youth, Cabaret, Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man, Comedy Tonight, Comes Love, Copacabana (At The Copa), Everything's Coming Up Roses, From This Moment On, How High The Moon, I Am What I Am, I Believe In You, I Wanna Be Loved By You, I Wish You Love, I'd Do Anything, I'll Be Seeing You, I'm Beginning to See the Light, I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People), I've Got You Under My Skin, I've Got Your Number, It's All Right With Me, The Lady is a Tramp, and more

More details
Voicing: Solo | 5136b | Songbook | $19.95


Various Composers : The Great American Songbook - The Composers : Solo : Songbook : 884088106522 : 1423419545 : 00311365

Various Composers : The Great American Songbook - The Composers

From Berlin to Gershwin to Carmichael to Cahn, this folio features a comprehensive collection of standards from the greatest American composers, along with photos and bios of these masters of song.

Songlist: Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive, Ain't Misbehavin', All The Things You Are, All The Way, April In Paris, Autumn In New York, The Best Is Yet To Come, The Best Things In Life Are Free, Beyond The Blue Horizon, Big Spender, Blue Skies, Body And Soul, Button Up Your Overcoat, Buttons And Bows, Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man, Change Partners, Cheek To Cheek, Come Fly With Me, Come Rain or Come Shine, Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me, Don't Blame Me, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Dream A Little Dream Of Me, Easy Living, Everything's Coming Up Roses, A Fine Romance, For You, For Me, For Evermore, Georgia On My Mind, Here's That Rainy Day, Honeysuckle Rose, and more

More details
Voicing: Solo | 5324b | Songbook | $27.95 | PVG


Individual Folios

Displaying 1-3 of 3 items.


Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive : SA : Joy Hirokawa : Harold Arlen : A New Brain : Songbook : 00153646 : 888680096731

Joy Hirokawa : Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive

Your singers will love developing style and technique while performing this jazz arrangement of the famous Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer song with a fun notated scat section and authentic piano accompaniment.

Arranger: Joy Hirokawa | Composer: Harold Arlen | Lyricist: Johnny Mercer | Musical: A New Brain

More details
Voicing: SA | Sheet Music | $2.15 | With Piano |
(Minimum order 4 copies)
| 00153646


Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive : SSA : Paula Foley Tillen : Harold Arlen : A New Brain : Sheet Music : 08201233 : 073999556582

Paula Foley Tillen : Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive

This Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen standard is one of the top swing tunes of the '40s and this SSA setting will show your girls' group at their finest! Available: SSA, ShowTrax CD. Performance Time: Approx. 2:50.

Arranger: Paula Foley Tillen | Composer: Harold Arlen | Lyricist: Johnny Mercer | Musical: A New Brain

More details
Voicing: SSA | Sheet Music | $2.25 | With Piano |
(Minimum order 4 copies)
| 08201233


Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive : 2-Part : Steve Zegree : Harold Arlen : A New Brain : Sheet Music : 08551688 : 073999829020

Steve Zegree : Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive

Introduce your younger choirs to the music of Harold Arlen with this 'must-sing' jazz arrangement by Steve Zegree. Whether you use the notated scat section, or let your singers improvise, your choir will love it! Available: 2-Part, ShowTrax CD. Approx. Time: 2:30.

Arranger: Steve Zegree | Composer: Harold Arlen | Lyricist: Johnny Mercer | Musical: A New Brain

More details
Voicing: 2-Part | Sheet Music | $2.30 |
(Minimum order 4 copies)
| 08551688 | Showtrax CD Available

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