| Kentucky Woman | |
| Cover: | Kentucky Woman.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Neil Diamond |
| B-Side: | The Time Is Now |
| Genre: | Pop, country |
| Label: | Bang |
| Prev Title: | Thank the Lord for the Night Time |
| Prev Year: | 1967 |
| Next Title: | Some Day Baby |
| Next Year: | 1967 |
"Kentucky Woman" is a 1967 song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond.
Diamond recorded "Kentucky Woman" as his last hit single for Bang Records. The song was mixed in monophonic, which is the common version heard on all Neil Diamond compilations featuring original Bang singles. The only known stereo mix was done in 1978 for a Frog King/Columbia House album called Early Classics, which has never been released on CD.
Released in October 1967, it reached number 22 on the U.S. pop singles chart,[1] number 58 on the Australian charts, and number 6 on the Canadian charts.[2]
| Chart (1967–68) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 58 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles[3] | 29 |
| New Zealand (Listener)[4] | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 22 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[6] | 12 |
| Kentucky Woman | |
| Cover: | Kentucky Woman.png |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Deep Purple |
| Album: | The Book of Taliesyn |
| B-Side: | Wring That Neck |
| Released: | October 1968[7] |
| Recorded: | August 1968 |
| Genre: | Hard rock[8] |
| Label: | |
| Producer: | Derek Lawrence |
| Prev Title: | Hush |
| Prev Year: | 1968 |
| Next Title: | River Deep Mountain High |
| Next Year: | 1968 |
Another well-known version is the 1968 recording by Deep Purple. The group's cover had vastly different instrumental feel, if not vocal line. It was their second single release in 1968. It managed to reach #38 on the Billboard Hot 100,[9] #21 Canadian RPM charts, and #27 on the Australian Singles Chart where it was released as a double A-Side with "Hush."
The single version is an edit of the album version and is four minutes and four seconds in length. Cash Box said that it has a "heavy dance beat and a splendid instrumental burst".[10] A remastered version appears on the two-CD 30th anniversary album and runs a full four minutes and 43 seconds.[11] Both those versions end on a fadeout. The album version, which does not fade out at the end, is five minutes and 31 seconds in length.
Deep Purple played "Kentucky Woman" live on tour in 1968 and 1969, even after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover joined the band in the summer of 1969. It has never been on Deep Purple's set list since. The song was also featured in Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film and soundtrack for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
