♫ Black Is Black ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

The world may be falling apart before our very eyes, but there’s one thing that can help us shut it all out for a little while, help us remember a saner time, things that mattered once upon a time, can bring a smile to our face and make us tap our toes, if only for a short time … music.  I was in the mood for some toe-tapping tunes tonight, and I happened across one from way back in 1966 that I always liked.  I last played this, coincidentally, exactly three years ago, 13 February 2020!  Hmmmm … I must ponder on this coincidence!  Anyway …

This song is by Los Bravos, a Spanish quintet with a German lead singer – Mike Kogel.  It is one of the few songs by a group from a non-English speaking country to have an international hit, in part because they were one of the few Spanish acts to sing in English.

After getting tipped to the group by someone at Decca Records in Spain, the British producer Ivor Raymonde took a trip to that country and signed the group, who at the time were using the name Mike & The Runaways. He brought them to London and had them record “Black Is Black,” which was their first release as Los Bravos.

This song was written by the British team of Michelle Grainger, Tony Hayes and Steve Wadey.

Now, I’m playing two versions here … both by Los Bravos, but one is the 1966 Los Bravos, and the other, just for fun, is Los Bravos … um … some years later, though I’m not sure of the exact date, I believe it is circa 2015.  Quite honestly, I think they sound just as good, maybe even better, nearly 50 years later as they did way back when, and the sound quality of the video is far superior!

Black Is Black 
Los Bravos

Black is black, I want my baby back
It’s grey, it’s grey, since she went away, oh oh
What can I do, ’cause I, I’m feelin’ blue

If I had my way, she’d be here today
But she’d go in time, and leave me to cry again, oh no
What can I do, ’cause I, I’m feelin’ blue

I can’t choose, it’s too much to lose when our love’s too strong
Maybe if she would come back to me, then I can’t go wrong

Bad is bad, that I feel so sad
It’s time, it’s time, that I felt peace of mind, oh oh
What can I do, ’cause I, I’m feelin’ blue

I can’t choose, it’s too much to lose when our love’s too strong
Maybe if she would come back to me, then I can’t go wrong

Black is black, I want my baby back
It’s grey, it’s grey, since she went away, oh oh
What can I do, ’cause I, I’m feelin’ blue

‘Cause I, I’m feelin’ blue, ’cause I, I’m feelin’ blue

Songwriters: Anthony Hayes / Michelle Grainger / Steve Wadey
Black Is Black Mono Single lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

20 thoughts on “♫ Black Is Black ♫ (Redux)”

  1. Love this song. But I was the weird kid on the block, in 1966. I always played the flip sides to see what they were like. The flip side of Black is Black is I Want a Name, and I love it too.

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  3. I always liked this one. It had the distinction of being banned by Clear Channel stations after 9/11 as being inappropriate. The same bunch who went after Natalie Maines and The Chicks. Moral of the story: don’t offend right wing weirdos!

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