Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress explained

Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress
Cover:Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress.jpg
Border:yes
Caption:Cover of the 1972 French single
Type:single
Artist:the Hollies
Album:Distant Light
B-Side:
  • "Cable Car" (UK)
  • "Look What We've Got" (US)
Released:17 April 1972[1]
Recorded:16–30 July 1971[2]
Studio:AIR, London
Genre:Swamp rock
Label:
Prev Title:The Baby
Prev Year:1972
Next Title:Magic Woman Touch
Next Year:1972

"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" (also titled "Long Cool Woman" or "Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)") is a song written by Allan Clarke, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, and performed by the British rock group the Hollies. In an interview with Johnnie Walker on BBC Radio 2 on Sounds of the 70s in April 2023, Clarke said it had been written by himself and Cook. Cook had a long-standing agreement with Greenaway that any songs written by one of them should be credited to both.

Originally appearing on the album Distant Light, it was released as a single on 17 April 1972 (on Parlophone in the United Kingdom), selling 2 million copies worldwide, including 1.5 million in the United States.[3] It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1972 for two weeks, behind Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)". Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1972.

Background and recording

On the day "Long Cool Woman" was recorded at AIR Studios, the group's producer, Ron Richards, was ill and, as a result, the song was produced by the group. "Long Cool Woman" is different from most other Hollies songs in that there are no three-part vocal harmonies. Allan Clarke's lead vocal is the only voice prominently heard. It also features lead guitar by Clarke. Upon his return, Richards mixed the recording.

The lyrics set a scene similar to a film noir crime-drama. The singer, who is an FBI agent, is in a speakeasy filled with criminals. He falls for an attractive 5’9" woman in a black dress and helps rescue her when gun shots ring out.[4]

The song was written initially in the country / rockabilly style of Jerry Reed then adapted over recording more to the swamp rock[5] [6] style of Creedence Clearwater Revival, in terms of the vocal, rhythm, and melodic style. Clarke imitated John Fogerty's vocal style, which was based on the Creedence song "Green River". According to Clarke, the song was written "in about five minutes".

Reception

U.S. music-business magazine Cash Box said of the song: "rockin' in the tradition of Creedence and T Rex, the Hollies at their most commercial since 'He Ain't Heavy.'"[7] In the Hollies' native United Kingdom, the song was only a modest success, peaking at number 32 on the charts. However, it was a much bigger hit in the United States, peaking at number 2 for two weeks, making it the group's highest-charting single ever in the U.S. It topped the charts in South Africa, and also reached number 2 in Australia and New Zealand. By that time Clarke had left the band, but he feels that "it wasn't unfortunate", for he had co-written the song. Clarke rejoined the Hollies in the summer of 1973, partly due to the success of the song.

Personnel

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1972)Peak
position
Australia[8] 2
Canada (RPM 100 Singles)[9] 1
Netherlands (Gfk Top 100 Singles)[10] 21
New Zealand (Listener)[11] 2
South Africa (Springbok)[12] 1
UK Singles Chart[13] 32
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] 2
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 [15] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1972)Rank
Australia16
Canada[16] 19
South Africa [17] 10
U.S. Billboard [18] 24
U.S. Cash Box [19] 20

In popular culture and cover versions

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress' single release information . Hollies.co.uk . 2011 . 9 January 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313162622/http://www.hollies.co.uk/information.php?idx=132 . 13 March 2012 . dmy.
  2. The Hollies – Epic Anthology: From the Original Master Tapes, Epic Records EGK 46161, liner notes
  3. Book: Murrells, Joseph. The Book of Golden Discs. 2, illustrated. Barrie & Jenkins. 0-214-20480-4. 1978. registration. Hot Butter Popcorn single sold million copies 1972..
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT_8ScMVzxg YouTube.com "Hollies - Long Tall Woman in A Black Dress" with lyrics
  5. Web site: Horowitz . Hal . The Hollies: 50 At Fifty . to swamp rock (“Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" . . 2014 . 15 June 2015.
  6. Book: Dean, Maury . Rock and Roll: Gold Rush . Algora Publishing . 1 January 2003 . 178 . 978-0-87586-227-9.
  7. News: CashBox Record Reviews. 3 June 1972. 20. 11 December 2021. Cash Box.
  8. Web site: Steffen Hung . Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) . Australian-charts.com . 3 January 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 . 2 June 2016 . dmy .
  9. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 4 March 2013.
  10. Web site: Steffen Hung . The Hollies - Long Cool Woman . dutchcharts.nl . 4 March 2013.
  11. Web site: flavour of new zealand - search listener. Flavourofnz.co.nz. 17 April 2019.
  12. Web site: SA Charts 1965–March 1989. 5 September 2018.
  13. Web site: Official Charts Company. 20 October 2012. Official Charts Company. 17 April 2019.
  14. Web site: The Hollies - Awards . . 4 March 2013.
  15. Web site: Cash Box Top Singles - 1972 . Cashboxmagazine.com . 4 March 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130305035647/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/1972.html . 5 March 2013 . dead.
  16. Web site: Best of 1972 songs and music, on . Musicandyears.com . 12 November 2010 . 3 January 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110916052852/http://www.musicandyears.com/year/1972 . 16 September 2011.
  17. Web site: Top 20 Hit Singles of 1972. 2 September 2018.
  18. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972 . Musicoutfitters.com . 3 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170427223218/http://musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1972.htm . 27 April 2017 . dead.
  19. Web site: Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1972 . cashboxmagazine.com . 30 December 1972 . 3 January 2016 . dmy.
  20. Web site: Cover Girl - Phantom, Rocker & Slick | Songs, Reviews, Credits . AllMusic . 3 January 2016.
  21. Web site: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress Every Time Played . Phish.net . 9 January 2014.
  22. Web site: Primer - Rockapella | Songs, Reviews, Credits . AllMusic . 3 January 2016.
  23. Web site: Nothin on But the Radio - T.G. Sheppard | Songs, Reviews, Credits . AllMusic . 18 November 1997 . 3 January 2016.
  24. Web site: Remember the Titans (2000) Soundtracks. IMDb. 3 January 2015.
  25. Web site: The Longest Yard (2005) Soundtracks. IMDb. 3 January 2015.
  26. Web site: The Lovely Bones (2009) Soundtracks. IMDb. 3 January 2015.
  27. Web site: Trouble with the Curve (2012) Soundtracks. IMDb. 3 January 2015.
  28. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. 2008. 50–51. 978-0-89820-177-2.
  29. Web site: Greg Prato . Tattoos & Tequila - Vince Neil | Songs, Reviews, Credits . AllMusic . 22 June 2010 . 3 January 2016.

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