Gypsy Woman (The Impressions song)
| "Gypsy Woman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Side A of the original US single | ||||
| Single by The Impressions | ||||
| from the album The Impressions | ||||
| B-side | "As Long as You Love Me" | |||
| Released | October 1961 | |||
| Studio | Universal Recording (Chicago)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:20 | |||
| Label | ABC-Paramount | |||
| Songwriter | Curtis Mayfield[5] | |||
| The Impressions singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Gypsy Woman" is a 1961 rhythm and blues song written by Curtis Mayfield and recorded by his group the Impressions. The group's first single following the departure of lead singer Jerry Butler, it reached No. 2 on the US Billboard R&B chart, No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100[6] and number 17 on the Cash Box chart. It also appeared on the group's 1963 eponymous debut album. Joe Bataan (1967), Brian Hyland (1970), Bobby Womack (1985), Steve Marriott (1989), and Santana (1990) covered this song.
According to a 1995 British interview, Mayfield wrote "Gypsy Woman" when he was 12 years old.[7]
Brian Hyland version
| "Gypsy Woman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
One of side-A labels of the US single | ||||
| Single by Brian Hyland | ||||
| from the album Brian Hyland | ||||
| B-side | "You and Me (#2)" | |||
| Released | June 10, 1970 | |||
| Length | 2:32 | |||
| Label | Uni | |||
| Songwriter | Curtis Mayfield | |||
| Producer | Del Shannon | |||
| Brian Hyland singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1970, Brian Hyland recorded his version of the song, produced by Del Shannon and featuring Max Crook on keyboards which went up to Number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and in Canada,[8] and number 4 in South Africa.[9]
Hyland's version became a gold record. In that same year 1970, Major Lance also recorded the song.[10]
Santana version
Santana covered "Gypsy Woman" in 1990, from the album Spirits Dancing in the Flesh. It was released as a single and charted on both Adult Contemporary charts of the US and Canada, at numbers 31 and 29 respectively.
Charts
The Impressions
| Chart (1961–1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 20 |
| US Billboard R&B | 2 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[12] | 17 |
Brian Hyland
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Santana
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[25] | 40 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[26] | 29 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[27] | 31 |
References
- ^ Cogan, Jim; Clark, William (2003). Temples of Sound: Inside the Great Recording Studios. San Francisco, California, USA: Chronicle Books. p. 133. ISBN 0-8118-3394-1.
- ^ Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 310. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
- ^ Doggett, Peter (January 1, 2015). "Soul Food". Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the iPhone - 125 Years of Pop Music. London: The Bodley Head. p. 283. ISBN 978-1-847-92218-2. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ Guardian Staff (November 20, 2007). "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die: Artists beginning with I". The Guardian. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
...floridly romantic doo-wop ("Gypsy Woman", "Minstrel and Queen")...
- ^ "discogs.com". Discogs. September 1961. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Huey, Steve. "The Impressions [Awards]". AllMusic. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
- ^ "Curtis Mayfield: Darker Than Blue (1995)". YouTube.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. December 5, 1970. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ a b "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ Gypsy Woman Retrieved 13 May 2022
- ^ "The Impressions Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 23, 1961". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Brian Hyland – Gipsy Woman" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 3723". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 15, 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Brian Hyland".
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Brian Hyland" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Brian Hyland – Gipsy Woman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 4/4/1971 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Brian Hyland Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts (West Germany)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 3740". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 1300". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 1345". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Brian Hyland Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
External links