Black Velvet (song)

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"Black Velvet"
Song
B-side"If You Want To"

"Black Velvet" is a song written by Canadian songwriters Christopher Ward and David Tyson, recorded by Canadian singer songwriter Alannah Myles. It was released in December 1989 as one of four singles from Myles' 1989 eponymous CD from Atlantic Records. It became a number-one hit for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1990 and reached number one on the Album Rock Tracks chart, as well as number ten in her native Canada and number two on the UK Singles Chart. It contains blues verses with a rock chorus.

Myles won the 1991 Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the song and the 1990 Juno Award for Single of the Year. Since its release, the power ballad[1] has received substantial airplay, receiving a "Millionaire Award" from ASCAP in 2005 for more than four million radio plays.[2]

Background and writing

The song is a paean to Elvis Presley. Co-writer Christopher Ward, who was Myles' then-boyfriend, was inspired on a bus full of Elvis fans riding to Memphis attending the 10th anniversary vigil at Graceland, in 1987. Upon his return to Canada, he brought his idea to Alannah and producer David Tyson, who wrote the chords for the bridge. The song was one of three in a demo Myles presented to Atlantic Records which eventually got her signed to the label.

Atlantic Records, much to the disappointment of Myles, for whom the song had been written, gave the song for country artist Robin Lee to record. In the USA, Myles' version was released in December 1989, while Lee's version was released two months later, in February 1990. This led to Myles being promoted by Atlantic on the pop and rock radio stations, and Lee on the country radio stations. Lee even filmed a videoclip to the song very similar to Myles' video.

Myles released a new version of the song on a digitally-released Elvis tribute EP to commemorate the 30 years since his death in August 2007. It was later included on her 2008 Black Velvet CD.

The song is performed in the key of D♯ minor with a swinging tempo of 91 beats per minute in common time. Myles' vocals span from C♯4 to D♯6 in the song.[3]

Music video

The music video, directed by Doug Freel, was partially shot in Myles' family ranch in Buckhorn, Ontario. Myles is seen singing at a cabin porch with her guitarist, intercut with scenes from Myles in concert with her band.

Release and reception

Released as Myles' second single off her debut album, it was first released in Myles' native Canada in July 1989, peaking at #10 in September of that year, becoming her first of four top 10 hits in her homeland. Worldwide, it was released as Myles' debut single. It was released in the USA in December 1989, and worldwide in early 1990, becoming a top 10 hit in most countries where it was released, and peaking at #1 in four countries: The USA, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, receiving Gold and Platinum discs in several countries.

Track listings

Charts and sales

Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
March 24, 1990 – March 31, 1990 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Norwegian VG-Lista number-one single
Weeks 20–27/1990 		Succeeded by
"Om" by Niklas Strömstedt
Swedish number-one single
May 23, 1990 – June 6, 1990 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Swiss number-one single
June 3, 1990 – June 24, 1990 		Succeeded by

Other versions

"Black Velvet"
Song

Country music artist Robin Lee, also signed to Atlantic at the time, covered "Black Velvet" in 1990 on her third studio album, also titled Black Velvet. Lee's version peaked at No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart.

Idols South Africa winner Anke Pietrangeli covered the song on her album Tribute to the Great Female Vocalists in 2009.[35]

"Black Velvet" has also been recorded by Valentina Gautier (as "Hey tu" Italian), Gee Gee & Soluna featuring Soluna Samay, Bert Heerink (as "Rocksterren" Dutch), Vicky Rosti (as "Yön helmaan" Finnish), Jackie Thomas, and Sandi Thom.

"Black Velvet" was also roughed up and recorded by Canadian Rock artist Kami and released on her single "Death Toll Rising" on January 2013. And also by the group The Lost Fingers "Lost in the 80s" 2008.

In 2015, Canadian heavy metal band Kobra and the Lotus recorded the song for their first EP entitled Words of the Prophets.[36]

Chart performance/ Robin Lee version

Chart (1989–1990) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[37] 21
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) 12

See also

References

  1. ^ "The 21 best power ballads".
  2. ^ "Alannah Myles – About". Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Tyson, David. "Alannah Myles "Black Velvet" Guitar Tab in E Minor - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  4. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  6. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  7. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 50, No. 22, September 25, 1989". RPM. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  8. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet". Tracklisten.
  9. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet" (in French). Les classement single.
  10. ^ "Irish Singles Chart – Search for song". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 20, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  12. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  13. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet". Top 40 Singles.
  14. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet". VG-lista.
  15. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  16. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet". Singles Top 100.
  17. ^ "Alannah Myles – Black Velvet". Swiss Singles Chart.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  19. ^ "Alannah Myles Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  20. ^ "Alannah Myles Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  21. ^ "Mainstream Rock: Feb 17, 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  22. ^ "Top 40/Rock: March 17, 1990" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  23. ^ a b "1990 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  24. ^ 1990 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at Archived December 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved July 29, 2008)
  25. ^ 1989 Canadian Singles Chart [1] (Retrieved February 6, 2016)
  26. ^ "Single top 100 over 1990" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  27. ^ 1990 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch Archived February 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved July 29, 2008)
  28. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1990". Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved 2009-09-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Alannah Myles – Black Velvet" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  30. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alannah Myles; 'Black Velvet')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  31. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011.
  32. ^ "British single certifications – Alannah Myles – Black Velvet". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Black Velvet in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  33. ^ "American single certifications – Alannah Myles – Black Velvet". Recording Industry Association of America.
  34. ^ Black Velvet (CD liner notes). Robin Lee. Atlantic Records. 1990. 82085-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  35. ^ Anke - Tribute to the Great Female Vocalists Retrieved 10 January 2014
  36. ^ OBRA AND THE LOTUS Premiere Sexy "Black Velvet" Video[permanent dead link]
  37. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1249." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 2, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.

External links

Preceded by Juno Award for Single of the Year
1990 		Succeeded by
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