Hush (Billy Joe Royal song)

Last updated

"Hush"
Hush (Billy Joe Royal song).png
Cover of the 1967 Norway single
Single by Billy Joe Royal
from the album Billy Joe Royal
featuring Hush
B-side "Watching from the Bandstand"
ReleasedSeptember 1967
Recorded12 July 1967
Genre Swamp rock [1]
Length2:30
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Joe South
Producer(s) Joe South
Billy Joe Royal singles chronology
"These Are Not My People"
(1967)		"Hush"
(1967)		"Storybook Children"
(1968)

"Hush" is a song written by American composer and musician Joe South, for recording artist Billy Joe Royal. The song was later covered by Somebody's Image (an Australian band fronted by Russell Morris) in 1967. Their version reached #14 in Australia. It was also covered by Deep Purple in 1968 and by Kula Shaker in 1997. Each artist had a Top 5 hit with their version.

Contents

Billy Joe Royal version

Billy Joe Royal recorded "Hush" on 12 July 1967 in Nashville with Barry Bailey, future lead guitarist for the Atlanta Rhythm Section, on guitar. Joe South, Royal's regular songwriter/producer, was travelling to Nashville with Royal and writing "Rose Garden" in the car. Royal didn't like it, so South wrote "Hush" for him while leaning on the dashboard. [2] Royal did record "Rose Garden" for his album Billy Joe Royal featuring Hush, though didn't release it as a single. In 1971, "Rose Garden" become an international hit for Lynn Anderson, and was South's most successful composition. Royal later regretted not liking the song. [3]

Although more successful than Royal's last six single releases, only two of which had ranked even low on the Billboard Hot 100, "Hush" would not afford Royal a Top 40 comeback: managing only one "top-tier" market breakout in Chicago - whose prime Top 40 station WLS would rank "Hush" as high as #5 tying the WLS hit parade peak for both Royal's 1965 career record "Down in the Boondocks" and also Deep Purple's 1968 "Hush" cover [4] - "Hush" would rise no higher on the Hot 100 than #52, [5] with a Canadian pop chart peak of #45. [6] The qualified success of "Hush" was sufficient to allow for the release of Royal's second album Billy Joe Royal featuring Hush.

"Hush" did afford Billy Joe Royal a one-off hit on the European continent, reaching #12 on the German singles chart and becoming a Top Ten hit in Belgium (#1), the Netherlands (#5) and Switzerland (#2). [7]

A promo clip for Billy Joe Royal's release of the song was filmed at the boardwalk amusement park and outskirts of an unidentified Southern beach town.

Deep Purple version

"Hush"
Deeppurplehushps.jpg
Cover of the 1968 UK single
Single by Deep Purple
from the album Shades of Deep Purple
B-side "One More Rainy Day"
Released
  • 21 June 1968 (UK) [8]
  • July 1968 (US)
RecordedMay 1968
Studio Pye, London
Genre
Length4:24
Label
Songwriter(s) Joe South
Producer(s) Derek Lawrence
Deep Purple singles chronology
"Hush"
(1968)		"Kentucky Woman"
(1968)
Audio sample
"Hush"
Deep Purple Hush 1988.png
Cover of the 1988 German single
Single by Deep Purple
from the album Nobody's Perfect
B-side
  • "Dead or Alive" (live)
  • "Bad Attitude" (live)
Released31 May 1988 [11]
Recorded26 February 1988 [12]
Studio Pye, London
Genre Rock
style: blues rock, [13] hard rock [14]
Length3:32
Label
Songwriter(s) Joe South
Deep Purple singles chronology
"Call of the Wild"
(1987)		"Hush"
(1988)		"King of Dreams"
(1990)

The song was subsequently recorded by English hard rock band Deep Purple, at that time fronted by lead singer Rod Evans, for their 1968 debut album Shades of Deep Purple . Group member Ritchie Blackmore having heard the Billy Joe Royal original while living in Hamburg: (Ritchie Blackmore quote:) "It was a great song [which] would be a good song [for] our act, if we could come up with a different arrangement...We [recorded] the whole song in two takes." [15] The track became the group's first hit single, peaking at number 4 on the Hot 100 on 21–28 September 1968, [16] number 16 in Italy in late 1968, and number 2 in Canada, while going largely unnoticed in the United Kingdom. Cash Box called it a "psychedelicized reversion of the time-back Billy Joe Royal song," saying that the instrumental work and tailoring of the rock song all point to sheer force". [17] Record World described it as "a rollicking, contemporary ditty." [18]

In 1968, Deep Purple performed live on Hugh Hefner's Playboy After Dark TV series. The band opened the episode playing the instrumental "And the Address". After Hefner heard a ghost story from Jon Lord and had a guitar lesson from Ritchie Blackmore, Deep Purple performed "Hush" which is available in the Playboy After Dark -2nd Collection 2007 DVD release and the 2000 CD-reissue of the Shades of Deep Purple album.

In celebration of the band's 20th anniversary, Deep Purple re-recorded the song in 1988 for their album Nobody's Perfect . The track was released as a single and reached number 62 on the UK singles chart and number 44 on the US Hot Mainstream Rock chart. Ian Gillan, who had replaced Rod Evans as lead singer of Deep Purple in 1969, admitted being "uneasy" about having recorded the song, saying that the only person he wanted to hear perform the song was Evans (who at that point was no longer involved in music). [19]

"Hush" is one of four songs originally recorded with the band's original vocalist Rod Evans and bassist Nick Simper that Deep Purple have performed with their replacements Ian Gillan and Roger Glover later on. Others are "Mandrake Root", also from Shades of Deep Purple, "Kentucky Woman", from the album The Book of Taliesyn from 1968 and "Bird Has Flown", from the album Deep Purple from 1969. The instrumental "Wring That Neck" from The Book of Taliesyn was also a regular part of the band's setlist into the early 1970s.

Charts

Deep Purple version
Chart (1968)Peak
position
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [20] 13
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade) [21] 7
US Billboard Hot 100 [22] 4

Other versions

Personnel

1968 Deep Purple version

1988 Deep Purple version

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Purple</span> English rock band

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". Listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre, they have sold over 100 million records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Evans</span> English singer

Roderic Evans is a retired British singer known as the original vocalist of the rock bands Deep Purple and Captain Beyond.

<i>Fireball</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Deep Purple

Fireball is the fifth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released in 1971 as the second album with the Mark II line-up, consisting of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. It was recorded at various times between September 1970 and June 1971. It became the first of the band's three UK No. 1 albums, though it did not stay on the charts as long as its predecessor, Deep Purple in Rock. Even though the album has sold over a million copies in the UK, it has never received a certification there.

<i>Shades of Deep Purple</i> 1968 studio album by Deep Purple

Shades of Deep Purple is the debut album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released in July 1968 on Tetragrammaton in the United States and in September 1968 on Parlophone in the United Kingdom. The band, initially called Roundabout, was the idea of former Searchers drummer Chris Curtis, who recruited Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore before leaving the project. The Mk. I line-up of the band was completed by vocalist/frontman Rod Evans, along with bassist Nick Simper and drummer Ian Paice, in March 1968.

<i>Deep Purple</i> (album) 1969 studio album by Deep Purple

Deep Purple, also referred to as Deep Purple III, is the third studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released in June 1969 on Tetragrammaton Records in the United States and only in September 1969 on Harvest Records in the United Kingdom. Its release was preceded by the single "Emmaretta" and by a long tour in the UK, whose dates were interspersed between the album's recording sessions.

<i>Deep Purple in Concert</i> 1980 live album by Deep Purple

Deep Purple in Concert is a live album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, recorded by the BBC for their "In Concert" live series in 1970 and 1972. First released in 1980 in the UK, with the current US edition being made available in 2001.

<i>Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple</i> 1980 compilation album by Deep Purple

Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in 1980 on LP. It features the original hits of Deep Purple before their 1984 reunion. Aided by a TV advertising campaign it would become Purple's third UK No. 1 album. In 1984 this compilation additionally was published on CD.

<i>The Book of Taliesyn</i> 1968 studio album by Deep Purple

The Book of Taliesyn is the second studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, recorded only three months after Shades of Deep Purple and released by Tetragrammaton Records in October 1968, just before their first US tour. The name for the album was taken from the 14th-century Book of Taliesin.

<i>The House of Blue Light</i> 1987 studio album by Deep Purple

The House of Blue Light is the twelfth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 12 January 1987 by Polydor Records. It was the second recording by the reformed Mark II line-up, and the sixth studio album overall by this formation of the band.

<i>Slaves and Masters</i> 1990 studio album by Deep Purple

Slaves and Masters is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, and was released on 22 October 1990. This is the only Deep Purple album to feature former Rainbow lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, who had joined the previous year after the firing of Ian Gillan. Before hiring Turner, the band had considered singer Jimi Jamison of Survivor, but other obligations made him unavailable.

<i>The Battle Rages On...</i> 1993 studio album by Deep Purple

The Battle Rages On... is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released on 19 July 1993 in Europe. It is the last album recorded with the band's classic Mk II line-up, which reunited for a second time.

<i>Listen, Learn, Read On</i> 2002 box set by Deep Purple

Listen, Learn, Read On is a box set released by the English hard rock band Deep Purple in 2002.

<i>When We Rock, We Rock, and When We Roll, We Roll</i> 1978 greatest hits album by Deep Purple

When We Rock, We Rock, and When We Roll, We Roll is a compilation album by Deep Purple featuring some of their most popular songs from 1968 to 1974.

<i>The Anthology</i> (Deep Purple album) 1985 compilation album by Deep Purple

The Anthology is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, containing material by Mks I (1968–1969), II (1969–1973), III (1973–1975) and IV (1975–1976) line-ups. It was released as a double vinyl album and double-cassette, and included a few previously unreleased tracks and mixes. The sleeve-notes were written by Chris Charlesworth, author of Deep Purple – The Illustrated Biography.

<i>30: Very Best of Deep Purple</i> 1998 greatest hits album by Deep Purple

30: Very Best of Deep Purple is a 1998 compilation album by English rock band Deep Purple, celebrating 30th anniversary of the band. There are two CD versions of the album, a single CD and a double CD, and a vinyl version, a double LP printed on purple vinyl, with the track listing being identical to the single CD version.

<i>The Deep Purple Singles As and Bs</i> 1978 greatest hits album by Deep Purple

The Deep Purple Singles A's & B's is a compilation album of singles released by the English hard rock band Deep Purple. It was released on vinyl in October 1978. An updated version of the album was issued on CD in 1993 and contains the complete collection of Deep Purple's UK singles, recorded and released from 1968 to 1976 by the Mk I, II, III and IV line-ups of Deep Purple. In 2010 EMI released another double CD compilation album called Singles & E.P. Anthology '68 – '80. It contains all songs as herein plus 15 tracks. The song "Kentucky Woman" is present in the album version, which is 38 seconds longer than the single edit.

<i>Purple Passages</i> 1972 compilation album by Deep Purple

Purple Passages is a 1972 double-LP compilation album by Deep Purple released in North America, Venezuela and Japan only, featuring material originally released in 1968 and 1969 on the Tetragrammaton label. It features classics such as "Hush" and "Kentucky Woman". It was issued in Japan on compact disc in 1993.

<i>Deep Purple in Rock</i> 1970 studio album by Deep Purple

Deep Purple in Rock is the fourth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 5 June 1970. It was the first studio album recorded by the Mark II line-up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.

The Deep Purple European Tour was a year-long successful concert tour by English hard rock band Deep Purple, lasting from July 1969 until June 1970. The band played mostly United Kingdom shows, also covering West Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium. It was the first tour to feature the classic Deep Purple line-up: Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. It is considered to be the pre-tour for the In Rock album, as the band mostly played songs from the upcoming album.

<i>Mark I & II</i> 1973 compilation album by Deep Purple

Mark I & II is a 1973 compilation album by Deep Purple, released by EMI's German subsidiary Electrola. It contains material originally released between 1968 and 1973. This double LP was released after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover had left Deep Purple in June 1973. This compilation was mainly a European release, but was also released in various overseas territories, like Australia and New Zealand.

References

  1. ↑ Fontenot, Robert. "What Is Swamp Rock?". LiveAbout. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  2. ↑ Vancouver Province 4 November 1988 "Billy Joe Pulls Himself Out of the Boondocks" by Bruce Mason p.65
  3. ↑ The Tennessean 7 November 1987 "Billy Joe Royal a Little Late, But Country Stardom Arrives at Last" by Robert K. Oermann pp.1D, 2D
  4. ↑ Smith, Ronald P. (2001). 'Chicago Top 40 Charts 1960-1969. Bloomington IN: Writers Club Press. p. 161. ISBN   0-595-19614-4.
  5. ↑ "Billy Joe Royal – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Official list" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Billy Joe Royal - Hush - hitparade.ch". Swisscharts.com. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  8. ↑ Popoff, Martin (2016). The Deep Purple Family (2nd ed.). Wymer Publishing. p. 41. ISBN   978-1-908724-42-7.
  9. ↑ Wiser, Carl. "Steve Morse of Deep Purple : Songwriter Interviews". www.songfacts.com. Songfacts. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ Breihan, Tom (November 15, 2022). "Bon Jovi - "You Give Love a Bad Name". The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. New York: Hachette Book Group. p. 175.
  11. ↑ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 31.
  12. ↑ Gillan, Ian (2016). The Autobiography (3rd ed.). John Blake Publishing. p. 328. ISBN   978-1-786-06135-5.
  13. ↑ "Deep Purple - Hush". Discogs. 1988.
  14. ↑ "Deep Purple - Hush". Discogs. 1988.
  15. ↑ Moseley, Willie G. (July 10, 2001). "Ritchie Blackmore". Vintageguitar.com. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  16. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 169.
  17. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 27, 1968. p. 32. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 27, 1968. p. 163. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  19. ↑ Thompson, Dave (2004). Smoke on the Water - The Deep Purple Story. ECW Press. p. 256. ISBN   9781550226188.
  20. ↑ "Hit per Interprete". HPI.
  21. ↑ "Deep Purple - Hush". hitparade.ch.
  22. ↑ "Deep Purple". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "Joe South - Games People Play". Discogs. 1969.
  24. ↑ "Tom – Nature Boy (1968, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. 1968. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  25. 1 2 3 "Cover versions of Hush by Billy Joe Royal". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  26. ↑ Alan Byrne, "Thin Lizzy: Soldiers of Fortune", Firefly, 2004
  27. ↑ "Captain Jack - Party Warriors - The Partyhit Collection". Discogs. February 24, 2003.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.