"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress"") is a song written by Allan Clarke, Roger
Cook, and Roger Greenaway and performed by the British rock group The Hollies.
Originally appearing on the album Distant Light, it was released as a
single in April 1972, selling 1.5 million copies in the United States and
two million worldwide. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September
1972. Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1972.
Single track listings Background and recording
On the day "Long Cool Woman" was recorded at AIR Studios, the group's
producer, Ron Richards, was ill and, as a result, the song was produced by the
group. The song is different from most Hollies songs in that there are no
three-part vocal harmonies, and the song features lead guitar and lead vocal work
by Allan Clarke. Upon his return, Ron Richards mixed the recording.
The song was written in the swamp rock style of Creedence Clearwater Revival,
in terms of the vocal, rhythm, and melodic style. It came out in the summer
of 1972, that same time when Creedence split up. Clarke imitated John Fogerty's
vocal style, which was based on the Creedence song "Green River". John
Fogerty was not impressed with the group's imitation of his style, and
tried to sue the Hollies for infringing on the Creedence trademark; however,
because of the differences in the melody of the two songs, the case was thrown
out. According to Clarke, the song was
written "in about five minutes". When the song made its mark in America,
Clarke had already left the band, but Clarke feels that "it wasn't
unfortunate", since he had written the song. Clarke rejoined the Hollies in the
summer of 1973, partly due to the success of this song.
Chart performance Cover versions and use in popular
culture Phantom, Rocker & Slick released their
version on their 1986 album Cover Girl. Country music singer Clint Black
released his version of the song to country radio on 19 February 2008, under
the title "Long Cool Woman". Black's version charted on the Hot Country Songs
chart at #58. Another country music singer, T. G.
Sheppard, covered the song on his 1997 album Nothin' on But the Radio.
Heavy metal rocker Vince Neil released a heavier version of "Long Cool Woman",
along with other covers and original material, on his third studio album,
Tattoos & Tequila, on 22 June 2010. A cappella group Rockapella released a
version on their 1995 album Primer. The energy corporation BP used it in
radio and TV commercials in 2013. "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" was
the first song played by the band Phish. They also played the song at their 15th
and 20th anniversary concerts. "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" was
played by Widespread Panic on October 29, 2000, during the last of three shows
on their Halloween Weekend in New Orleans.
The song was used in the 2000 film Remember the Titans. It also appeared it
the films Amores Perros, The Longest Yard, The Lovely Bones, and Trouble with
the Curve. References
External links Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
