Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)” gets ’em up every time.
“Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)” gets ’em up every time. It was a huge hit back in early 1972 when it peaked at #2 for two weeks, kept out of the top spot by Gilbert O’Sullivan’s poignant “Alone Again (Naturally)”. The Hollies got started with Allan Clarke and Graham Nash first meeting back in 1962, with Eric Haycock and Don Rathbone joining soon after. Tony Hicks became the fifth and final member when they were signed to EMI Records in the UK. During that time, they released classic Brit Pop like “Bus Stop”, “Stop Stop Stop”, “On A Carousel” and “Carrie Anne”. They shifted into the the 70’s with Allan testifying to brotherhood of man with “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”. Soon, band members quit with Allan Clarke going solo in 1971. After the break up, One track from their final LP “Distant Light” was this rockin’ dance tune that did not do well in the UK, and they expected it to tank in the US too. “Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)” did just the opposite, the song proved irresistable to the Americans, who took it to their heart and never forgot about it. Clarke delivers a Grammy-worth effort along with his bandmates that sounds worlds away from the inner tensions that had already broken up the band. The success of this one led Clarke to reconsider and rejoined the band in 1973, recording “The Air That I Breathe”, a #6 ballad and another rock classic. Clark flew the coop again but returned, recording “Russian Roulette” with the band in 1976 and in 1983 Graham Nash’s return reunited them and they had a #29 hit with their cover of 60’s chestnut “Stop! In The Name Of Love”. I always think of Cher when I hear this one…cos she was the long cool woman when she wore a black dress.
