"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" (also titled "Long Cool Woman" or "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. In an interview with Johnnie Walker on BBC Radio 2 on Sounds of the 70s in April 2023, Clarke said it had been written by himself and Cook. Cook had a long-standing agreement with Greenaway that any songs written by one of them should be credited to both. Originally appearing on the album Distant Light, it was released as a single on 17 April 1972 (on Parlophone in the United Kingdom), selling 2 million copies worldwide, including 1.5 million in the United States. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1972 for two weeks, behind Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)". Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1972. 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. "Long Cool Woman" is different from most other Hollies songs in that there are no three-part vocal harmonies. Allan Clarke's lead vocal is the only voice prominently heard. It also features lead guitar by Clarke. Upon his return, Richards mixed the recording. The lyrics set a scene similar to a film noir crime-drama. The singer, who is an FBI agent, is in a speakeasy filled with criminals. He falls for an attractive 5 foot 9" woman in a black dress and helps rescue her when gun shots ring out. The song was written initially in the country/rockabilly style of Jerry Reed then adapted over recording more to the swamp rock style of Creedence Clearwater Revival, in terms of the vocal, rhythm, and melodic style. Clarke imitated John Fogerty's vocal style, which was based on the Creedence song "Green River". According to Clarke, the song was written "in about five minutes"." (Wikipedia) LYRICS: Saturday night, I was downtown
Working for the FBI
Sitting in a nest of bad men
Whiskey bottles piling high
Bootlegging boozer on the west side
Full of people who are doing wrong
Just about to call up the D.A. man
When I heard this woman singing a song
A pair of forty fives made me open my eyes
My temperature started to rise
She was a long cool woman in a black dress
'Bout a 5'9", beautiful, tall
With just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all
Woo!
I saw her heading to the table
Well, a tall walking big black cat
When Charlie said, "I hope that you're able, boy"
Well, I'm telling you she knows where it's at
Well, suddenly we hear the sirens
And everybody started to run
A-jumping under doors and tables
Well, I heard somebody shootin' a gun
Well, the D.A. was pumpin' my left hand
And a-she was a-holding my right
Well, I told her, don't get scared 'cause you're gonna be spared
I've gotta be forgiven if I wanna spend my livin'
With a long cool woman in a black dress
Just a 5'9", beautiful, tall
Well, with just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all
Had it all, had it all
Had it all, had it all
Had it all, mmm
Had it all
Ah, she had it all
Songwriters: Alan Clarke, Roger John Reginald Greenaway, Roger Frederick Cook. For non-commercial use only.
![57th Street Rogue Dog Villians - My Dogs For Life [2003]-12 Intoxicated](https://img.youlistener.com/upl2/public/664/5ca/24b/CwGz0En0YY8.jpg)
Comments