MJM, Andrae Crouch Record Oh Happy Day For Orix

(Los Angeles) Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Andrae Crouch made his Japanese market debut recording a rendition of the classic song Oh Happy Day for use in a commercial video for one of Japan's top housing companies, Orix.

Crouch, known for his work in the fields of Gospel and Soul as well as on numerous film scores and soundtracks such as The Lion King, recorded the track at his studio in the San Fernando Valley. Co-produced by Crouch and MJM's Mark Joseph, the song was recorded in two days after several weeks of pre-production.

Crouch and Joseph were joined in the studio by an all-star lineup of talent, including longtime Crouch background vocalists Carolyn Dennis, Linda McCrary and Howard Smith. The production was coordinated by MJM's Susumu Matsumoto.

"Working with a talent like Andrae was a real honor," noted MJM's Joseph, "but I did have to learn to work on Andrae-time-which meant working all night long and going to bed at 6 AM."

"To give this song a new and different take was a challenge, but we had a good time," noted Crouch. "We were able to create a whole different mood and vibe and it seems like everybody liked the way it came out."

The track will be used in an extensive campaign to highlight Orix's new housing campaign and was produced by MJM in association with Japan's Keynote Productions.