Roses Are Red (My Love)

"Roses Are Red (My Love)"
Single by Bobby Vinton
from the album Roses Are Red
B-side "You and I"
Released April 1962
Format Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Genre Pop
Length 2:38
Label Epic
Writer(s) Paul Evans, Al Byron
Producer(s) Robert Morgan
Bobby Vinton singles chronology
"Roses Are Red (My Love)"
(1962)		 "I Love You the Way You Are"
(1962)

"Roses Are Red (My Love)" is a popular song composed by Al Byron and Paul Evans. It was recorded by Bobby Vinton and was his first hit.[1]

The song was released in April 1962.[2] It reached No. 1 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, and the United States, and was a major hit in many other countries as well. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on July 14, 1962, and remained there for four weeks.[1][3] The single was also the first number-one hit for Epic Records.[4] Billboard ranked the record as the No. 4 song of 1962.[5]

Vinton found the song in a reject pile at Epic Records.[4] He first recorded it as an R&B number, but was allowed to re-record it in a slower more dramatic arrangement, with strings and a vocal choir added.[2][4]

Ronnie Carroll version

In the UK, a cover version by Ronnie Carroll reached No. 3 on the Record Retailer chart on August 8, 1962, the same week that the Bobby Vinton record peaked at No. 15.[6][7] It peaked at No. 7 in the very first Irish Singles Chart published in October 1962.

Other versions

The song was recorded by Jim Reeves in 1963 and released on the album Gentleman Jim, one of the last albums released while he was still alive. While it did not chart in the US, it became a minor hit in Norway and Germany.

The song was covered by Singaporean female artist Zhuang Xue Fang (莊雪芳), in edited Standard Chinese lyrics written by Suyin (舒雲/雨牛) under title name of 玫瑰花香, with Ruby Records in 1967.

In 1962, an answer song, entitled "Long As The Rose Is Red", was recorded by Florraine Darlin.[8] The song spent seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 62,[9] while reaching No. 15 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.[10][11] It was released by Epic Records (single #9529) and was also produced by Robert Morgan.

The song was covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Chipettes in the 1980s as part of The Chipmunks in Concert book and cassette tape.

Charts

Bobby Vinton version

Charts (1962) Peak
position
Australia - David Kent[12] 1
Australia - Music Maker[13] 2
Canada - CHUM Hit Parade[14] 1
Denmark[15] 6
Flemish Belgium[16] 5
Germany[17] 7
Hong Kong[18] 5
India - The Voice[19] 9
Ireland - Teenage Express[13] 3
Netherlands[20] 3
New Zealand - "Lever Hit Parade"[21] 1
Norway - VG-lista[17] 1
Philippines[22] 1
South Africa[15] 1
UK - New Musical Express[23] 13
UK - Record Retailer[7] 15
US - Billboard Hot 100[1] 1
US - Billboard Easy Listening[24] 1
US - Billboard Hot R&B Sides[25] 5

Ronnie Carroll version

Charts (1962) Peak
position
Irish Singles Chart[26] 7
UK - New Musical Express[27] 2
UK - Record Retailer[6] 3

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bobby Vinton - Chart History - The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed October 13, 2015
  2. 1 2 Alan Levy, "A dozen red roses - to disc jockeys", Life, March 12, 1965. p. 89
  3. ↑ Joel Whitburn, "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits", Billboard Publications, Inc., 1987. p. 316
  4. 1 2 3 Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. New York: Billboard Books. p. 113.
  5. ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1962
  6. 1 2 Ronnie Carroll- Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company. Accessed October 13, 2015
  7. 1 2 Bobby Vinton - Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company. Accessed October 13, 2015
  8. ↑ "Artists' Biographies", Billboard, September 29, 1962. p. 40. Accessed February 19, 2016
  9. ↑ Florraine Darlin - Chart History - The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed February 19, 2016
  10. ↑ Florraine Darlin - Chart History - Adult Contemporary, Billboard.com. Accessed February 19, 2016
  11. ↑ "Easy Listening", Billboard, September 15, 1962. p. 26. Accessed February 19, 2016
  12. ↑ David Kent, Australia's Top 20 Singles for August 18, 1962
  13. 1 2 "Hits of the World", Billboard, September 22, 1962. p. 16. Accessed October 14, 2015
  14. ↑ CHUM Hit Parade – Week of July 02, 1962 at the Wayback Machine (archived November 7, 2006). Chart No. 275. CHUM. Accessed December 17, 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Hits of the World", Billboard, October 6, 1962. p. 16. Accessed October 14, 2015
  16. ↑ Bobby Vinton - Roses Are Red (My Love), Ultratop. Accessed October 14, 2015
  17. 1 2 Bobby Vinton - Roses Are Red (My Love), norwegiancharts.com. Accessed October 14, 2015
  18. ↑ "Hits of the World", Billboard, November 24, 1962. p. 30. Accessed October 14, 2015
  19. ↑ "Hits of the World", Billboard, April 6, 1963. p. 66. Accessed October 15, 2015
  20. ↑ Bobby Vinton - Roses Are Red (My Love), Dutch Charts. Retrieved October 14, 2015
  21. ↑ "Lever Hit Parade" 16-Aug-1962, Flavour of New Zealand. Accessed October 14, 2015
  22. ↑ "Hits of the World", Billboard, December 15, 1962. p. 28. Accessed October 14, 2015
  23. ↑ "Hits of the World", Billboard, August 25, 1962. p. 18. Accessed October 14, 2015
  24. ↑ "Easy Listening", Billboard, July 28, 1962. p. 26. Accessed October 14, 2015
  25. ↑ Roses Are Red (My Love) - By: Bobby Vinton, MusicVF.com. Accessed October 14, 2015
  26. ↑ Search Results for "Ronnie Carroll", The Irish Charts. Accessed October 14, 2015
  27. ↑ "Hits of the World", Billboard, September 15, 1962. p. 16. Accessed October 14, 2015

See also

Preceded by
"The Stripper" by David Rose & His Orchestra		 Billboard Hot 100 number one single
July 15, 1962 (four weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" by Neil Sedaka
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