Lady in Black (Uriah Heep song)

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"Lady in Black"
Ladyinblack.jpg
Single by Uriah Heep
from the album Salisbury
B-side "Simon the Bullit Freak"
ReleasedJune 1971 [1]
RecordedOctober–November 1970
Genre Progressive rock, Folk rock
Length4:44
Label Vertigo
Songwriter(s) Ken Hensley
Producer(s) Gerry Bron
Uriah Heep singles chronology
"Gypsy"
(1970)		"Lady in Black"
(1971)		"Look at Yourself"
(1971)

"Lady in Black" is a song by the rock band Uriah Heep. It is the fourth track of their 1971 album Salisbury .

Contents

The song is credited to Ken Hensley. It narrates the story of a man wandering through war-torn darkness and encountering a goddess-like entity who consoles him. It is often praised, by fans and critics alike, as Hensley's most poetic work. There were many b-sides for this song as a single. The most famous was "Simon the Bullet Freak" but "Bird of Prey" has also been the b-side for the song. [2] In 1981 the song was re-released as a single in Germany and in Netherlands and the b-side was "Easy Livin'". [3]

Background

A brief comment on the cover of the original vinyl release commented that for Ken Hensley inspiration was a real case: a surprise visit of a rural vicar's daughter at a moment when he was in a very depressed state. The result of this meeting, and - some kind of insight - was the song "Lady in Black": a philosophical parable that tells us that evil cannot be overcome by evil itself. Later in an interview Hensley said, though: "...And the girl that inspired it will never know. I saw her through my hotel room window, but we never met!" [4]

According to Ken Hensley, he sang the lead vocals because David Byron did not like the song and refused to record it during the Salisbury sessions. Producer Gerry Bron, proposed Hensley record the lead vocals, which he did. [4]

History

"Lady in Black" has been performed in the form of rock ballads (and not having the traditional verse-chorus), and has become one of the most popular concert numbers of Uriah Heep. It achieved great success in Germany and Russia. [5] While the song was never released as a single in the United Kingdom and United States, it made it into the German singles charts three times during the seventies. The 1977 re-release, in particular, became a major hit. It spent nine weeks in the German Top 20 during 1977, peaking at number 5 [6] and a further seven weeks in the Top 20 during 1978, maintaining the number 5 peak position. [7] For this achievement Uriah Heep got the "Golden Lion" award, the German equivalent of a Grammy or Brit Award. [5]

The song was subsequently re-recorded for two of their greatest hits albums: Totally Driven (2001) and Celebration – Forty Years of Rock (2009).

Personnel

Cover versions

Charts

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References

  1. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Uriah Heep - Lady In Black". hitparade.ch.
  2. ↑ "The Official Uriah Heep Discography". Heepfiles.info. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
  3. ↑ "Record sleeve image". Heepfiles.info. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
  4. 1 2 Ken Hensley: Demons & Wizards… Looking back at the Best of Uriah Heep. By Jeb Wright.
  5. 1 2 "Lady in black - single by uriah heep". Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  6. ↑ "Infinity Charts - German Top 20 for 1977". Archived from the original on 2004-08-31. Retrieved 2004-08-31.
  7. ↑ "Infinity Charts - German Top 20 for 1978". Archived from the original on 2004-09-01. Retrieved 2004-09-01.
  8. ↑ "L'uomo del paradiso". Uriah Heep Italia. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
  9. ↑ "Archivio Opere Musicali". Operemusicali.siae.it. Archived from the original on 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
  10. ↑ "Die Zorros - Ahhh". YouTube. 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  11. ↑ "Biografie Iris" (in Romanian). Rockmania Romania. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
  12. ↑ "Ken Hensley - Lady in Black". YouTube. 2011-01-21. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
  13. ↑ ""Lady in black" - John Lawton and B.T.R." YouTube. 2009-08-18. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
  14. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (U)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Uriah Heep – Lady in Black". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Uriah Heep – Lady in Black" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  17. ↑ "INFINITY CHARTS: German Top 20". Ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de. 2000-01-14. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
  18. ↑ "INFINITY CHARTS: German Top 20". Ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de. 2000-01-14. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
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