"Dark Lady" | ||||
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Single by Cher | ||||
from the album Dark Lady | ||||
B-side |
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Released | December 1973 | |||
Recorded | 1973 | |||
Genre | Pop [1] | |||
Length | 3:27 | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | Johnny Durrill | |||
Producer(s) | Snuff Garrett | |||
Cher singles chronology | ||||
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"Dark Lady" is a song recorded by American singer-actress Cher, and the title selection song from her eleventh studio album, Dark Lady , released in 1974. Written and composed by John Robert "Johnny" Durrill and produced by Snuff Garrett, it was released as the album's first single in December of 1973. [2] The song became Cher's third solo U.S. number 1 hit on March 23, 1974.
The song was written and composed by the Ventures' keyboard player Johnny Durrill. He recalled: "I spent a week in his [Snuff Garrett's] office playing him songs, one of which Cher recorded. Later, when I was on tour in Japan with the Ventures, I was writing an interesting song. I telegraphed the unfinished lyrics to Garrett. He said to 'make sure the bitch kills him.' Hence, in the song both the lover and fortune teller were killed." [3]
The critic Peter Fawthrop, writing for AllMusic, called this song a "grimly comedic folk song." [4]
The "Dark Lady" of the song's title is a gypsy fortune teller in New Orleans with an implied history of sleeping with clients. (The narrator of the song describes seeing scratches on the inside of the fortune teller's limousine from her previous conquests.) The narrator follows the fortune teller's limousine to her lair and pays money for her to tell her fortune. The narrator learns that her lover has been unfaithful to her with, as the (audibly uncomfortable) fortune teller says, "someone else who is very close to you." Advised to leave the fortune teller's shop, never to return, and to forget she has ever seen the fortune teller's face, the narrator returns home. She is in a state of shock, unable to sleep. But then she realizes to her horror that she can smell, in her own room, the same perfume that the fortune teller had been wearing. Alarmed, she snuck back to the fortune teller's shop with a gun, she catches her lover and the fortune teller "laughing and kissing." She shoots them both to death, presumably in a fit of rage. The song implies the narrator blacked out upon shooting. ("Next thing I knew, they were dead on the floor.") The narrator does not regret the outcome. She remarks that the "dark lady" will not be turning up cards anymore.
In 1974, "Dark Lady" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for one week, becoming Cher's third solo #1 hit. The song became a top 10 hit in Norway and a top 20 hit in the Netherlands. Like "Half-Breed," the song struggled in West Germany and the UK, though it managed to reach top 40 status in the UK.
There are two versions of the video. The first version of the video is a live performance that was aired in the third season of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1973. In this performance Cher was dressed all in black and was wearing a black veil on her head. The second version of the video is an animated cartoon done by John David Wilson's animation studio; this second video follows the whole story of the song.
In 2002, a special remix medley was created by Dan-O-Rama for a video montage that was used in Cher's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour. The medley contains videos of "All I Really Want to Do", "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady". Unlike the other videos, "Dark Lady" was unique because both the live-action and the animated videos had been mixed.
In 1999, Cher performed this song throughout her Do You Believe? Tour, for the first time in twenty-five years. In 2002, she performed the song 325 times in her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.
Cher performed the song on the following concert tours/Las Vegas residencies:
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In 1974 Lea Laven recorded the Finnish rendering of "Dark Lady" entitled "Tumma nainen". "Tumma nainen" was also recorded by Ami Aspelund for her 1974 album Ami and also by Jean S. for their 2003 album Sammakkoprinssi.[ citation needed ]
In the same year, Argentinian singer Johnny Tedesco recorded a Spanish version called "Te quiero tanto (Dulce gitana)".
"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" is a Southern Gothic murder ballad, written in 1972 by songwriter Bobby Russell and first recorded by his then-wife singer, comedian and actress Vicki Lawrence. Lawrence's version, from her 1973 album of the same title, went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart after its release. Of several cover versions, the one recorded by Reba McEntire for her 1991 album For My Broken Heart peaked at number 12 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Thomas Lesslie Garrett known as Snuff Garrett or Tommy Garrett, was an American record producer whose most famous work was during the 1960s and 1970s.
"Half-Breed" is a popular song recorded by Cher in 1973.
Tanya Tucker is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Tanya Tucker. It was released on April 21, 1975 as her first album for MCA Records after Columbia Records dropped Tucker from the label in 1974. The album was produced by Snuff Garrett and includes two No. 1 singles, "Lizzie and the Rainman" and "San Antonio Stroll".
Chér is the self-titled seventh studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in September 1971 by Kapp Records. For this album, Cher left her husband Sonny Bono to produce the album, and for the first time she collaborated with Snuff Garrett and with Al Capps for the arrangements. The album was retitled after the success of the single of the same name. It received positive reviews from critics, and the RIAA certified it Gold on July 2, 1972. The album was her first and most successful album of the '70s. Two singles were released from the album, "The Way of Love" and "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves", both reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Foxy Lady is the eighth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in July 1972 by Kapp Records. Following the commercial success of the previous album Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, Cher again collaborated with Snuff Garrett (producer), Al Capp (arrangements) and her then-husband Sonny Bono (co-producer). Foxy Lady was the second and last record for Kapp. The album was promoted on Cher's successful The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour show. It was well received by critics, but unlike her previous effort Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, had only moderate chart and sales success.
Half-Breed is the tenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in September 1973 by MCA. For the production of the album Cher returned with Snuff Garrett and Al Capps. Half-Breed was her second record for MCA and was promoted on her successful The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour television show. After its release, the album faced mixed reviews from critics, and the RIAA certified it gold on March 4, 1974. The album was her second solo album to receive a certification by RIAA.
Dark Lady is the eleventh studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in May 1974 by MCA. Cher again collaborated with Snuff Garrett as a record producer, and with Al Capps for the arrangements. Dark Lady was the third and final studio album for MCA. It was also the last record promoted on her successful The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour show. After its release, the album received positive reviews from critics but, unlike her previous record produced by Garrett, was only moderately successful.
American entertainer Cher has released 27 studio albums, 11 compilation albums, two soundtrack albums, and three live albums. Widely recognized as the Goddess of Pop, Cher has sold over 100 million records worldwide and a further 40 million as part of Sonny & Cher, making her one of the best-selling female recording artists in history. Billboard ranked her as the 109th Greatest Artist of all time and the 49th Greatest Hot 100 Artist of all time. According to RIAA, she has sold 12.5 million albums in the United States. Her signature hit "Believe" has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, and it is the UK's best-selling single by a female artist in history, and one of the best-selling physical singles of all time.
"Just Like Jesse James" is a song recorded by American singer and actress Cher for her nineteenth album Heart of Stone (1989). It was released as the third North American and second European single in October 1989, by Geffen Records. The song was written by Desmond Child and Diane Warren, and produced by Child. It was a December 1989 top-ten hit. The song's title is a reference to legendary Wild West bandit Jesse James. The title phrase previously appeared in Linda Ronstadt's hit “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”.
Lea Laven is a Finnish pop singer.
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"The Way of Love" is a song written by Jacques ("Jack") Dieval, with English lyrics by Al Stillman. It was originally a 1960 French song titled "J'ai le mal de toi", and it was first recorded in English by Kathy Kirby in 1965. The best-known English version was by Cher whose recording reached No. 7 in the US.
"Rescue Me" is a rhythm and blues song first recorded and released as a single by American soul singer-songwriter Fontella Bass in 1965. The original versions of the record, and BMI, give the songwriting credit to Raynard Miner and Carl William Smith, although many other sources also credit Bass herself as a co-writer. It would prove the biggest hit of Bass's career, reaching #1 on the R&B charts for four weeks and placing at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Rescue Me" also peaked at #11 on the UK Singles Chart.
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"Misery and Gin" is a song written by Snuff Garrett and John Durrill, and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard. It was written specifically for inclusion in the 1980 movie, Bronco Billy, and released as a single in June 1980. It was co-released both on the Bronco Billy soundtrack album and Haggard's studio album, Back to the Barrooms. "Misery and Gin" reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 4 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks.
"Charlotte's Web" is a song written by Snuff Garrett, Cliff Crofford and John Durrill, and recorded by American country music group The Statler Brothers. It was released in July 1980 as the first single from the album 10th Anniversary. The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It also appeared on the soundtrack to Smokey and the Bandit II.
But that doesn't make it a satisfying pop-music experience. "Dark Lady" is just a dull, clumsy song...
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