"She Comes in Colors" | ||||
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![]() US issue | ||||
Single by Love | ||||
from the album Da Capo | ||||
B-side | "Orange Skies" | |||
Released | December 1966 | |||
Recorded | September 29, 1966 [1] | |||
Studio | RCA Victor (Hollywood, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:43 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Songwriter(s) | Arthur Lee | |||
Producer(s) | Paul A. Rothchild | |||
Love singles chronology | ||||
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"She Comes in Colors" is a song written by Arthur Lee and released by the band Love as a single in 1966 and on their 1966 album Da Capo . It was also included on a number of Love compilation albums, including Love Revisited and Best of Love and on the multi-artist compilation album Forever Changing: The Golden Age of Elektra 1963–1973.
Although modern critics have praised the song as being "sublime," or a "timeless jewel," or as possibly the best song Lee ever wrote, at the time of its release as a single it failed to make the Billboard Hot 100. Lee and some music critics believed that "She Comes in Colors" was a source for The Rolling Stones' song "She's a Rainbow", and several music critics and record company executives also believe that it influenced Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger", although Madonna has denied this. The song was also covered by several artists, including The Hooters.
Inspiration for "She Comes in Colors" came from the clothing worn by Love fan Annette Bonan (later Ferrell), who was also a friend of Arthur Lee. [4] Love guitarist Johnny Echols recalls that the song "was about this girl named Annette who would come to all our shows wearing these outrageous gypsy clothes." [4] The lyrics include a line about being in "England town," although Lee had never been to England when he wrote the song; [4] Echols suggested that Lee change the line to "London town" but Lee refused. [5] The guitar riff was influenced by folk rock. [2] Instrumentation of Love's recording of the song includes harpsichord played by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer and flute played by Tjay Cantrelli. [3]
Echols remembers "She Comes in Colors" to be the most difficult song on Da Capo to record, because it incorporated a lot of "strange chords." [4] He said that the recording "probably took seven or eight takes, because in a way it's three songs in one, but it's hard to hear where the changes are." [5] According to Echols: "The single version... and the album version were mixed differently. The flute and harpsichord were more prominent on the album because it was a stereo mix. The single was mono, so the vocal, as well as the guitars, were more forward, and the ancillary instruments were further back in the mix." [6]
The single release of "She Comes in Colors" received heavy airplay in several localities, including Los Angeles, but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. [4]
Cash Box said the single is a "bashing, discotheque-ish rock stand with lots of flutes and funk and stuff." [7] AllMusic critic Richie Unterberger described "She Comes in Colors" as "enchanting," and "beautiful Baroque pop with dream-like images," suggesting that it might be the best song Lee ever wrote, and that it is Lee's "most melodic and graceful song." [3] [8] [9] Gavin Edwards of Rolling Stone described the song as "wistful pop." [10] Author Martin Charles Strong called it one of the "timeless jewels" on Da Capo. [11] Paul Evans called the song "strange and lovely" in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide . [12] Author Barney Hoskyns considers it one of Da Capo's "six sublime songs that blend psychedelia and punk rock with Latin and Broadway influences," and that it "employed Latin rhythms and cool jazz shadings to fashion a kind of spaced-out MOR." [13] [14] Author Bob Cianci praised Michael Stuart-Ware's drumming on the song. [15]
After its original release as a single and on Da Capo, "She Comes in Colors" was also included on a number of Love compilation albums, including Love Revisited and Best of Love and on the multi-artist compilation album Forever Changing: The Golden Age of Elektra 1963–1973. [16]
A number of critics have suggested that "She Comes in Colors" was a source for The Rolling Stones 1967 song "She's a Rainbow," which incorporates the line "she comes in colors everywhere." [4] [8] [17] [18] Lee himself agreed that "She Comes in Colors" influenced "She's a Rainbow," believing that The Rolling Stones heard the song when Love played at the Whisky a Go Go. [3] [4] According to Da Capo engineer Bruce Botnick, Lee was bothered by the line he believed The Rolling Stones had stolen. [4]
Others, such as USA Today 's Ken Barnes, have suggested that the chorus, riff, instrumentation and structure of Madonna's song "Beautiful Stranger," from the soundtrack of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me , were based on "She Comes in Colors." [19] [20] [21] [22] Rhino Records executive Gary Stewart has stated that "certainly, the riff and instrumentation [of Beautiful Stranger] are reminiscent of 'She Comes in Colors,'" and that the "da da da da da" chorus on "Beautiful Stranger" seems to be based upon "an instrumental flourish that's an integral part of the [Love] record. It may be a conscious or an unconscious homage." [19] Madonna, however, has denied any such influence, claiming that she never heard of Love. [19] Unbeknownst to her, William Orbit had brought the music of "Beautiful Stranger" to her after reworking "She Comes in Colors." The estate of Arthur Lee finally got its publishing share of Orbit's percentage in a settlement in 2017.
The Hooters covered "She Comes in Colors" on their 1985 album Nervous Night . [23] The Age critic Paul Speelman noted that the keyboard playing on The Hooters' version of the song "will take many listeners back to the Doors." [24] Ted Shaw of The Windsor Star claimed that it "could be a dark horse hit." [25] Stereo Review called it "a surprisingly effective cover of an old Arthur Lee/ Love number." [26] The Pale Fountains also covered the song. [13]
Janet Jackson sampled "She Comes in Colors" in the track "Gon' Be Alright" on her album "Unbreakable." [27]
Forever Changes is the third studio album by the American rock band Love, released on November 1, 1967, by Elektra Records. The album saw the group embrace a subtler folk- and baroque pop-oriented sound based around acoustic guitars and orchestral arrangements, while primary songwriter Arthur Lee explored darker themes alluding to mortality and his growing disillusionment with the era's counterculture. It was the final album recorded by the original band lineup; after its completion, guitarist Bryan MacLean left the group acrimoniously, and Lee subsequently dismissed the other members.
Love is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965. Led by Arthur Lee, the band's primary songwriter, they were one of the first racially diverse American rock bands. Their sound incorporated an eclectic range of styles including garage, folk-rock, and psychedelia. While finding only modest success on the music charts, peaking in 1966 with their US Top 40 hit "7 and 7 Is", Love would come to be praised by critics as their third album, Forever Changes (1967), became generally regarded as one of the best albums of the 1960s.
Wild Honey is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on December 18, 1967, by Capitol Records. It was the group's first foray into soul music and was heavily influenced by the R&B of Motown and Stax Records. The album was the band's worst-selling at that point, charting at number 24 in the US. Lead single "Wild Honey" peaked at number 31, while its follow-up "Darlin'" reached number 19. In the UK, the album peaked at number seven.
Arthur Taylor Lee was an American musician, singer and songwriter who rose to fame as the leader of the Los Angeles rock band Love. Love's 1967 album Forever Changes was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and it is part of the National Recording Registry.
"Love in Vain" is a blues song written by American musician Robert Johnson. Johnson's performance – vocal accompanied by his finger-style acoustic guitar playing – has been described as "devastatingly bleak". He recorded the song in 1937 during his last recording session and in 1939 it was issued as the last of his original 78 rpm records.
"Beautiful Stranger" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on May 19, 1999, by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records as a single from the soundtrack of the film, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the song with William Orbit. The soundtrack for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me was a much expected release and Madonna's song was chosen by the album's executive producers to promote it. "Beautiful Stranger" has appeared on three separate Madonna greatest hits collections: GHV2 (2001), Celebration (2009) and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022). Musically, "Beautiful Stranger" is a psychedelic pop and disco song that features heavily reverberated guitars and bouncy drum loops. Its lyrics tell the tale of a romantic infatuation.
Da Capo is the second studio album by American rock band Love, released in November 1966 by Elektra Records. The album was recorded during September and October 1966 at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California, with the exception of lead single "7 and 7 Is", recorded the previous June. The single was a departure for the band and became their highest charting, reaching No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the success of "7 and 7 Is", a string of well received live performances at the time and contemporary critical acclaim for the album upon its release, it peaked at No. 80 on the Billboard 200.
Love is the debut album by the Los Angeles-based rock band Love; released in March 1966 by Elektra Records.
"Alone Again Or" is a song originally recorded in 1967 by the rock group Love and written by band member Bryan MacLean. It appears on the album Forever Changes, and was released as a single in the USA, UK, Australia, France and the Netherlands.
John Marshall Echols is an American songwriter and guitarist, who was a co-founder and the lead guitar player of the psychedelic rock band Love.
"She's a Rainbow" is a song by the Rolling Stones and was featured on their 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request. It has been called "the prettiest and most uncharacteristic song" that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote for the Stones, although somewhat ambiguous in intention.
"7 and 7 Is" is a song written by Arthur Lee and recorded by his band Love on June 17 and 20, 1966, at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood. It was produced by Jac Holzman and engineered by Bruce Botnick.
"Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)," also known as "Soldiers of Love," is a 1962 song written by Buzz Cason and Tony Moon It was originally recorded by soul artist Arthur Alexander and released as a B-side of the single "Where Have You Been (All My Life)", which reached #58 in the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1962. The song was later covered by The Beatles during a 1963 session at the BBC, released on the 1994 album Live at the BBC. It was also covered by The Kaisers, Marshall Crenshaw, Pearl Jam, Little Steven, and The Derailers.
"Orange Skies" is a song written by Bryan MacLean and originally recorded in 1966 by the band Love for their second album Da Capo. It was first released the same month as the B-side to the band's single "Stephanie Knows Who". The original recording features band leader Arthur Lee on lead vocals instead of MacLean.
"It Makes No Difference" is a song written by Robbie Robertson and sung by Rick Danko that was first released by The Band on their 1975 album Northern Lights – Southern Cross. It has also appeared on live and compilation albums, including the soundtrack to the film The Last Waltz. Among the artists that have covered the song are Solomon Burke, My Morning Jacket, The Icicle Works, Trey Anastasio, Over the Rhine and Eric Clapton.
"My Little Red Book" (occasionally subtitled "(All I Do Is Talk About You)") is a song composed by American songwriter Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Hal David. The duo was enlisted by Charles K. Feldman to compose the music to Woody Allen's film What's New Pussycat? following a chance meeting between Feldman and Bacharach's fiancée Angie Dickinson in London. "My Little Red Book" was composed in three weeks together with several other songs intended for the movie. Musically, the song was initially composed in the key of C major, largely based on a reiterating piano riff performed. David's lyrics tells the tale of a distraught lover, who after getting dumped by his girlfriend browses through his "little red book" and taking out several girls to dance in a vain effort to get over her.
"¡Que Vida!" is a song written by Arthur Lee and first released in 1967 by the band Love. It was released both on Love's album Da Capo and as a single, backed with "Hey Joe". It has also been included on several Love compilation albums.
"Stephanie Knows Who" is a song written by Arthur Lee and first released by Love on their 1966 album Da Capo. It has also been released on several Love compilation albums. It was to have been released as a single, backed with "Orange Skies", but the single was withdrawn, with "She Comes in Colors" replacing it under the same catalog number. The song was also covered by the Move.
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Black Beauty is an album by the psychedelic rock band Love, released on February 13, 2012, nearly six years after the death of frontman Arthur Lee. Issued on High Moon Records, it compiles material from a canceled studio album, which Lee—backed by a new group with an all-black line-up—planned to have released on the Buffalo Records label. Recorded after a series of unsuccessful albums, both with Love and his 1972 solo effort Vindicator, Black Beauty was intended to serve as Lee's comeback album. Among other Love releases, it is notable for its reinvention of the band as a funk group, while preserving Lee's lyrical complexity.