| Black and Blue | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Chain |
| Album: | Toward the Blues |
| B-Side: | Lightning Ground |
| Recorded: | Early 1971 |
| Genre: | Blues |
| Label: | Infinity |
| Producer: | Chain |
"Black and Blue" is a 1971 song by Chain which exemplifies, "genuine Australian blues". It is about a chain gang from the country's convict past, and it struck a chord with young suburban audiences, such that it reached No. 10 on the Go-Set National Top 60 singles chart.[1] [2] The song was co-written by all four members of Chain: Barry Harvey, Phil Manning, Barry Sullivan and Matt Taylor.[3] It was awarded a Go-Set Silver Disc for 25,000 Australian sales and appeared at No. 31 on Go-Sets Top Singles for 1971.[1] [4]
"Black and Blue" appears on the double gold certified album, Toward the Blues,[5] which was released in September 1971 and went to No. 6 nationally in Australia. The album reached ARIA gold status for the second time in 1998. The 30th anniversary "remixed" version of the album was released as a CD in September 2001. The 30th anniversary CD included three bonus songs; Chain's number 2 hit single "Judgement", "Blow in D", and the single version of "Black and Blue". Chain appeared at a special night to mark the 30th anniversary of the release of Toward the Blues held in Melbourne at the Mercury Lounge during September 2001.
Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a cover version of "Black and Blue" on the album Messin'.[6]
Ash Grunwald (with Scott Owen and Andy Strachan of The Living End) covered the song on the 2013 album Gargantua.