Black is Black

Rocker

Black is Black is one of those songs that are popular on the dance floor. There are many versions available, I am looking for the well known bass driven (disco??) version. Could anyone suggest a CD that has that version of the song on it. I worked out the main riff, confirmed by finding the tab on the Internet, but some parts are 'different' and I want to hear the song in its entirety on my hi-fi, mainly to learn the complete song (bass parts). Thanks

Nitefly

@Rocker the only version I know is the original from 1967, by Los Bravos.  Apparently there was another version by Belle Epoque in 1977, but I'm not familiar with that one.

Neill

Presumably you mean the Belle Epoque version but why do you need a CD? (as opposed to a download)

Rocker

What is a download? . I always rip music to hard drive (saved in FLAC), and I like to have the CD as backup. And there might be something else on the disk that is interesting.

Neill

Rocker said:

What is a download? . I always rip music to hard drive (saved in FLAC), and I like to have the CD as backup. And there might be something else on the disk that is interesting.

The Belle Epoche version is this 

otherwise known as the "disco" version.  I think it made #1 in new Zealand or somewhere...

It features on their "Greatest Hits" CD, also "Disco Music" (Various artists, feb 2011) "the Seventies Album" (Various Artists Nov 2015) and probably a slew of other compilations.  The disco music CD will be the cheapest but there's some cracking stuff on that seventies album, shows it wasn't such a bad decade after all.



 

Rocker

@Neill, thanks for posting but that is not the version I have in mind. What I am looking for is the version played at a lot of weddings. The bass intro gets people on the dance floor....

Neill

Rocker said:

@Neill, thanks for posting but that is not the version I have in mind. What I am looking for is the version played at a lot of weddings. The bass intro gets people on the dance floor....

I think using the term "disco" might be putting us off the scent - there are a lot of covers of this song, does the version you have in mind start of with just a bass guitar then the drums come in, there's a version I'm thinking of, you can dance to it but it's not what you would call "disco", it's just a guitar/bass/drums and I think a bit of electric organ.  Sorry it's a long time since I went to a wedding it's funerals all the way these days!  

Lyrically it's an odd choice for a wedding don't you think?  Mind you, so is "Donald where's yer Troosers" and they played that at the last wedding I went to..

Rocker

You have a point @Neill, I tend to lump all jump around type dance music as disco. Club might be a more accurate term, you know the sound of clubs in the holiday locations.

Not sure of the drums but the song starts with a strong bass riff and I know not what happens after that. The song was in a wedding scene in an episode of Midsomer Murder, the scene was about five seconds long and Mrs Rocker recognised it and came up with the song title. Catchy and repetitive, a good exercise even if I never got to play the song in its entirety.

EricTheWeary

I’m enjoying the use of Black is Black on Midsomer Murders - a show at the centre of an argument about racism. 

The original Los Bravos ( bigger than The Beatles in Spain) version has that thumping bass line thing going on ( although it ain’t disco):

https://youtu.be/QkwmSzPdVnY

Neill

EricTheWeary said:
I’m enjoying the use of Black is Black on Midsomer Murders - a show at the centre of an argument about racism. 

He Heee me too I thought that was just too ironic, had to be done on purpose.

As for tracking down this mystery version, Mrs Neill is a Midsomer addict so it can't be long before the relevant episode comes round again - I'll ask her to watch out for it...

Rocker

@EricTheWeary, thanks for drawing my attention to Los Bravos.  Having listened to the link through my hi-fi, this is the version that I was looking for.  The link when played through my iPad sounds absolutely dire.  But there you have it.  Los Bravos it is.  

EricTheWeary

Apparently Los Bravos were massive in the sixties in  Spain so the Belle Epoque version was like Boney M covering Lady Madonna or something. I guess a lot of people would have heard it on Spanish holidays in the sixties and seventies, hence so well known in the UK and Ireland. 

Rocker

I got the CD, Black is Black - THE ANTHOLOGY 1966-1969 by Los Bravos yesterday.  The guy in Tower Records said it was re-issued last year.

Sixty tracks and I only ever heard two of them before!  Interesting info in the enclosed booklet.  Anyway the song Black is Black is the track I was looking for.

Rocker

I have been reading up on the recording of Black is Black.  As I understand it, the recording was made in London.  Foreign musicians were not allowed to record in London so local session players were used.  One of which appears to be Jimmy Page.

EricTheWeary

Rocker said:

I have been reading up on the recording of Black is Black.  As I understand it, the recording was made in London.  Foreign musicians were not allowed to record in London so local session players were used.  One of which appears to be Jimmy Page.

Ahh.

Found the Johnny Hallyday version. Jimmy played on some of his stuff as well; Mick Jones ( later of Foreigner and Mark Ronson’s step dad) also played for him in the 60s. Anyway, if you ever wondered what this song would be like sung in French and accompanied by an appalling video: 

https://youtu.be/vx3OTZ35e80