SONGPEOPLE.CO.UK LISTEN. RATE. WIN

10 songs involving the colour black

..and before you say anything, I do know that technically (technicolourly?) speaking, black isn't a colour, but give me a break! So here we go with songs that have black in the title:

 
1. Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

The late, great and much missed Amy Winehouse with that song that changes tempo in the middle, and could be almost a gothic anthem (will it be covered by Gary Numan or the Deathstars? I hope not!). As you’d expect from Amy there were some live performances of this number that ranged from the awesome to the awful. RIP Amy. Here’s a good version:

2. The Rolling Stones (Paint it Black)



They saw a red door and wanted it painted black- oooh how miserable! Couldn’t we paint it a nice avocado green?  "Paint It, Black" was a song released by The Rolling Stones, on 13 May 1966 as the first single from their fourth album Aftermath.  Here’s a slightly laid back live version of the song in Japan 1990.

3. Los Bravos:  Black is Black



This 1966 song has stood the test of time pretty well, but check out the uber-Librarian geeko on the right in the photo: not very groovy!
Again, like Paint it Black, a surprisingly up-tempo song for downbeat lyrics!
Ship-spotting fans may wish to note the Bravos boys are on board the Radio Caroline boat that used to broadcast illegally to the UK, until it was shut down to be replaced by…Radio 1.

Trivia: A French female disco group called La Belle Epoque recorded Black is black in 1977 and it charted in the UK and Europe.

4. Johnny Cash: Man in Black



The man in black sings the man in black and not a boy named Sue in sight!

 
5. Alannah Miles: Black Velvet



I remember my black velvet loon pants with some affection- but they used to create dreadful static in the nether regions!  This is a lovely laid back slow-beat pot-boiler rock/blues song from 1988. Reached Number 1 in the US.

6. Fleetwood Mac: Black Magic Woman

Ahh… the first song I learned to play on guitar (Dm, Am and G,  I recall). A bluesy classic, that most people will probably remember more for the Santana cover version, where Carlos’ Gibson SG guitar made memorable lead licks over the latin rhythms. But the live version here shows that Peter Green (centre of pic) was a mean plank-spanker himself:

7. Lead Belly: Black Betty



Huddie William Ledbetter 1888-1949. Hugely influential blues legend- as it says on his ‘stone- A Lousisiana Legend.  Catch him  doing the song here:

8. Soundgarden: Black Hole Sun

Beautiful lyrics by Chris Cornell (also in Audioslave, who played this song live) hence the lyrics on the vid:

9. Nina Simone/Bob & Marcia: To Be Young, Gifted and Black



Originally recorded for Nina’s album Black Gold in 1970, it was released as a single. It was covered by Aretha Franklin, but my favourite is the Bob and Marcia reggae version, released the same year, which was a No 5 UK hit on the infamous Trojan label.  Just lurve the Afros on the vid!

10. Back in Black: AC/DC

The first full album recorded by a band bereaved of their former singer Bon Scott. It was dedicated to him, and, against all the odds, was and still is a great album (recently re-issued remastered) thanks to Geordie singer Brian Johnson, who used to do AC/DC covers before being called to duty with the Young brothers, Angus and Malcolm.

The camera here shooting them at Donnington seems strangely shy of Brian, focusing almost entirely on Wee Angus.