Kentucky Songs: Kentucky Woman

Song number five in our tribute to Kentucky is the rerecording of the Neil Diamond classic “Kentucky Woman” by Deep Purple. The follow-up single to “Hush,” “Kentucky Woman” appeared on the band’s second album “The Book of Taliesyn.” Both the single and the album were released in the US on Tetragrammaton, a label that was partly owned by comedian/actor Bill Cosby.

The single was released in December 1968. Although it did not chart as high as Neil Diamond’s original, which peaked at #22, or as high as their debut single, Hush at #4; the single broke into the Top 40 peaking only as high as #38.

The band’s original line-up appear on this Deep Purple classic and includes vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord, bassist Nick Simper, and drummer Ian Paice. As with most of their work, Blackmore and Lord have killer solos. Jon Lord utilized a Hammond organ with a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet.