Misty Blue

Misty Blue

'"Misty Blue"' is a song written by Bob Montgomery in 1966 which has become a hit in the pop, C&W and soul fields through various versions, the most successful being the 1976 pop/soul hit by Dorothy Moore.

Contents

C&W hit versions

"Misty Blue"
Single by Eddy Arnold
from the album The Last Word in Lonesome
B-side "Calling Mary Names"
Released May 1967
Format 7" single
Recorded 20 April 1966
Genre C&W
Length 2:06
Label RCA Victor
Writer(s) Bob Montgomery
Producer Chet Atkins
Eddy Arnold singles chronology
"Lonely Again"
(1967)
"Misty Blue"
(1967)
"Turn the World Around"
(1967)

Montgomery wrote the song for Brenda Lee; he recalls: "I wrote 'Misty Blue' in about twenty minutes. It was a gift and it was perfect for Brenda Lee, but she turned it down. Her producer Owen Bradley loved the song and as he couldn’t push her to do it, he cut it country style with Wilma Burgess."[1] Burgess recorded the song in a 24 March 1966 session at the Columbia Recording Studio in South Nashville; after another track from the same session, "Don't Touch Me", was released to become a #12 C&W hit that summer, "Misty Blue" was released in October 1966 to spend most of December 1966 and January–February 1967 in the C&W Top Ten with a peak of #4 becoming Burgess' career record.

Eddy Arnold recorded "Misty Blue" in a Chet Atkins-produced session at the RCA Victor Studio on 20 April 1966; included on the June 1966 album release The Last Word in Lonesome, Arnold's "Misty Blue" had a belated single release in May 1967 to introduce The Best of Eddy Arnold compilation album. Besides virtually matching Burgess' success with the song—Arnold's version peaking at C&W #3—Arnold's "Misty Blue" became the first version of the song to crossover to the pop field reaching #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1967 and rising as high as #3 Easy Listening: the single's pop chart peaks in Cash Box and Record World were respectively #20 and #48.

Billie Jo Spears had a #5 C&W hit with "Misty Blue" in 1976 after the Dorothy Moore pop/soul hit version had revived interest in the song.

R&B hit versions

"Misty Blue"
Single by Dorothy Moore
from the album 'Misty Blue'
B-side "Here It Is"
Released 1975
Format 7" single
Recorded 1973
Genre Southern soul
Length 3:38
Label Malaco Records
Writer(s) Bob Montgomery
Producer Tom Couch, James Stroud
Dorothy Moore singles chronology
"Making Love" (w/King Floyd)
(1975)
"Misty Blue"
(1975)
"Funny How Time Slips Away"
(1976)

The first R&B recording of "Misty Blue" was a 1972 version by Joe Simon which while not one of his biggest R&B hits at #47 did return "Misty Blue" to the Hot 100 at #91 (Cash Box #62).

In 1973 Dorothy Moore recorded "Misty Blue" at Malaco Records in Jackson, Mississippi[2], cutting her vocal in a single take. [1] The recording was made for Malaco then a production company who were unable to successfully shop the track to a label. At Thanksgiving 1975 the cash-strapped Malaco used the last of its resources to press Moore's "Misty Blue" and release it on the Malaco label. [2] Moore's single broke in the southern states in April 1976 and was #1 in Washington, D.C. that May: in the summer of 1976 the single reached #2 R&B with a Pop peak of #3. "Misty Blue" was also a UK hit reaching #5 there on the chart dated for the week of 8 August 1976.[3] Moore's single also achieved hit status in Australia (#5), Canada (#4), New Zealand (#4) and South Africa (#11).[4] Moore's version is included on the soundtrack of the 1996 movie Phenomenon and also the 2008 movie Made of Honor.

Other versions

Bob Montgomery estimates there are over 200 versions of "Misty Blue". C&W singers who have cut "Misty Blue" include the Browns, Claude Gray, Ferlin Husky, David Houston, Cristy Lane, Reba McEntire, George Morgan, Lorrie Morgan, Johnny Paycheck and T. G. Sheppard. In 1967 "Misty Blue" served as the title cut for an album of C&W songs by Ella Fitzgerald.

R&B versions of "Misty Blue" include versions by Monica and Mary J. Blige which virtually replicate the Dorothy Moore rendition, and also by LaVern Baker, Boyz II Men, Miki Howard and Barbara Lynn. The 2007 Prince live album Indigo Nights featured a version of "Misty Blue" with Shelby J as vocalist. Shelby J also performs this song live frequently at Prince concerts.

In 2002 UK electronic trio Amillionsons released a song which heavily sampled the track entitled "Misti Blu" which reached #39 UK. [5]

The 1989 Connie Francis album Where the Hits Are, a Malaco release composed mostly of new versions of Francis' own hits, featured her version of "Misty Blue" as well as "Old Time Rock 'N' Roll" and "Torn Between Two Lovers" which like "Misty Blue" were hits recorded at Muscle Shoals, where Where the Hits Are was recorded. Jann Arden, Brian Conley, Sheena Easton, Engelbert Humperdinck, Leon Jackson, Jim Nabors and Bobby Vinton have also recorded "Misty Blue".

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Misty Blue Simmes — Ring name(s) Misty Blue Misty Blue Simmes Billed height 167 cm Billed weight 57 kg Born February 8, 1962 (1962 02 08) ( …   Wikipedia

  • Misty Blue (disambiguation) — Misty Blue is a song written by Bob Montgomery and made popular by Dorothy Moore. Misty Blue may also refer to: Misty Blue (album), a 1968 album by Ella Fitzgerald Misty Blue (video game), a Japan exclusive video game published by Enix Misty Blue …   Wikipedia

  • Misty Blue (album) — For other uses, see Misty Blue (disambiguation). Misty Blue Studio album by Ella Fitzgerald Released 1968 …   Wikipedia

  • misty blue — noun : dusty blue …   Useful english dictionary

  • Misty — may refer to: Misty (satellite), a United States satellite program Misty (comics), a British comic published from 1978 to 1984 Misty (film), a 1961 adaptation of the book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry Misty (song), by Erroll Garner… …   Wikipedia

  • Misty (Pokémon) — Misty Misty as seen in the Pokémon anime Series Pokémon First appearance Pokémon Red and Blue Crea …   Wikipedia

  • Misty's Big Adventure — Background information Origin Birmingham, England Years …   Wikipedia

  • Misty Mundae — Misty Mundae, de son vrai nom Erin DeWright, est une actrice et réalisatrice américaine née le 16 octobre 1979 à East Saint Louis, dans l Illinois (États Unis). Elle joue principalement de rôles érotiques lesbiens[1]. Elle utilise parfois les… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Misty Eyed Adventures — Studio album by Moya Brennan Released November, 1994 …   Wikipedia

  • Misty Fiords National Monument — IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area) One of the thousands of ocean inlets at Misty Fiords …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”