| "Misty Blue" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byWilma Burgess | ||||
| from the album Wilma Burgess Sings Misty Blue | ||||
| B-side | "Ain't Got No Man" | |||
| Released | September 1966 | |||
| Recorded | March 24, 1966 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:30 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Songwriter | Bob Montgomery[1] | |||
| Producer | Owen Bradley | |||
| Wilma Burgess singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Misty Blue" is a song written byBob Montgomery that has been recorded and made commercially successful by several music artists. Although Montgomery wrote the song for a different artist in mind, it was brought first to the attention ofWilma Burgess in 1966. It was recorded byEddy Arnold the following year, both versions were top five country hits. A decade later,blues artistDorothy Moore released the highest-charting version of the song and it reached the top ten in several different radio formats. Following Moore's revival of the track, numerous artists re-covered the tune, including country artistBillie Jo Spears. Spears's version would also go on to become a successful single release. Numerous other artists and musicians of different genres have recorded their own versions of "Misty Blue". The song is now considered both a country music and bluesstandard.
Bob Montgomery originally wrote the song forBrenda Lee, recalling, "I wrote 'Misty Blue' in about twenty minutes. It was a gift and it was perfect for Brenda Lee, but she turned it down. Her producerOwen Bradley loved the song and as he couldn’t push her to do it, he cut it country style withWilma Burgess."[2] Burgess recorded the song on March 24, 1966 at the Columbia Recording Studio inNashville, Tennessee. "Misty Blue" was released in October 1966 and spent most of December 1966 and January–February 1967 in the top ten, peaking at number 4 on theBillboardHot Country Singles chart. It ultimately became her highest-charting single.[3] The song spawned the release of Burgess's second studio albumWilma Burgess Sings Misty Blue in 1967.[4]
"Misty Blue" would ultimately become Burgess'ssignature song and would be re-recorded by her several times throughout her career. Paul Wadey ofThe Independent called Burgess's version of the song "soulful", noting that she was "an underrated song stylist who was at her best when handling romantic ballads."[5]
| Chart (1966–67) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USHot Country Singles (Billboard)[3] | 4 |
| "Misty Blue" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byEddy Arnold | ||||
| from the album The Last Word in Lonesome | ||||
| B-side | "Calling Mary Names" | |||
| Released | May 1967 | |||
| Recorded | April 20, 1966 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:06 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter | Bob Montgomery | |||
| Producer | Chet Atkins | |||
| Eddy Arnold singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Misty Blue" was made successful again by Americancountry artistEddy Arnold less than a year later. Arnold recorded his version of the track on April 20, 1966 with producerChet Atkins. The song was released as asingle in May 1967 and it became a major hit for Arnold. The song became even more successful than Wilma Burgess's original 1966 release. Arnold's "Misty Blue" peaked at number three on theBillboardHot Country Singles chart, crossed over to number fifty-seven on theHot 100 singles chart, and number thirteen on theadult contemporary chart. Arnold's 1967 release is the most successful cover version to be released by a male artist.[3]
Arnold's version of "Misty Blue" appeared on his 1967 studio album with RCA Records entitled,The Last Word in Lonesome. Greg Adams ofAllMusic called Arnold's version "pure MOR pop vocal material" and would later say, " Arnold's smooth crooning and Bill Walker's easy listening string arrangements are bound for the supper club."[7]
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CanadaRPM Top Singles[8] | 41 |
| USHot 100 (Billboard)[3] | 57 |
| USAdult Contemporary Tracks (Billboard)[3] | 13 |
| USHot Country Singles (Billboard)[3] | 3 |
| "Misty Blue" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byDorothy Moore | ||||
| from the album Misty Blue | ||||
| A-side | "Here It Is" | |||
| Released | November 1975 | |||
| Recorded | Malaco Studio 1973 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:38 | |||
| Label | Malaco | |||
| Songwriter | Bob Montgomery | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Dorothy Moore singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Prior to Moore'sblues version of "Misty Blue", fellow blues singerJoe Simon cut the song. Released in 1972, Simon's version of the song only became a regional hit.[12]
It was through the Joe Simon version thatMalaco Records owner Tommy Couch was familiar with "Misty Blue"[13] which Couch would record in 1973 withDorothy Moore, a native ofJackson, MS who had recorded a number of tracks at the Malaco Studios in Jackson. Moore would recall receiving a morning call at her home from Couch inviting Moore to Couch's studio to hear a song he deemed perfect for her:(Dorothy Moore quote:)"I didn’t have a car at the time, so I took the bus to Malaco [where] I listened to the song [and] liked it...The rhythm section [was] there [so] we decided to record it. They had the lyrics typed out and [put] in front of me. And we did that record in one take. 'Misty Blue' was meant for me"[14] - although Moore admits: "I recorded it just like I did any other. I didn’t say: 'This is a hit.' I never saw [great success] coming."[14]
Evidently reluctant to release the track themselves, Malaco Records shopped Moore's "Misty Blue" to major labels without success, with the track remaining "in the can" until November 1975 when the cash-strapped Malaco Records used the last of its resources to press Moore's "Misty Blue" which they released themselves. When Moore was advised of her recording's belated release by Couch(Dorothy Moore quote:)"I [asked to] come in [to the studio] and add one thing to it. I had a copy of the recording [and had realized] the intro was too long - and [so] I put that 'mmmm-ooh-a-ooh' over the first few notes."[14] AlsoMuscle Shoals Rhythm Section veteranJimmy Johnson overdubbed his rhythm guitar work on to the 1973 track.[15] Malaco Records did shop the updated track to Florida-basedTK Records whose ownerHenry Stone passed on releasing Moore's "Misty Blue" while agreeing for TK to act as national distributor for Malaco's own release of the track which Stone began promoting heavily via his own independent network.[16]
After receiving its initial airplay in Chicago and Washington DC,[13] Moore's single broke in the southern states in April 1976 and three months later it was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 1976 the single reached number 2 on the R&B chart and 3 on theBillboard Hot 100,[17] as well as number 14 on the Adult Contemporary chart.Billboard ranked it as theNo. 19 song for 1976.
"Misty Blue" was also a UK hit, reaching number 5 there on the chart dated for the week of 8 August 1976.[18] Moore's single also achieved hit status in Australia (5), Canada (4), New Zealand (4), and South Africa (11).[19]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[28] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[29] | Silver | 60,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
In 1976 Etta James recorded "Misty Blue" on her albumDreamer, a blues version of the song. It was one of the songs she almost always sang at her performances.
In 2002, the English trip hop trio Amillionsons released a song which heavily sampled the track titled "Mistiblue", which reached number 39 in the UK.[30]Monica covered the song on her 1998 multi-platinum albumThe Boy Is Mine.Mary J. Blige performed it at one of theShare My World Tour shows, which was released intoThe Tour.[31]Cyndi Lauper covered the song as part of her classic country albumDetour in 2016 and also included it as part of the set list on theassociated tour.
| "Misty Blue" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byBillie Jo Spears | ||||
| from the albumWhat I've Got in Mind | ||||
| B-side | "Let's Try to Wake Up Again" | |||
| Released | May 1976 | |||
| Recorded | January 1976 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:36 | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Songwriter | Bob Montgomery | |||
| Producer | Larry Butler | |||
| Billie Jo Spears singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The revival of "Misty Blue" by Dorothy Moore renewed country artists' interests in the song. In January 1976, Americancountry music artistBillie Jo Spears recorded the song alongside producerLarry Butler.[3]
Spears had recently regained success with the help of Butler's modern production and had major hits with songs like "Blanket on the Ground" and "What I've Got in Mind". After internationally issuing a single, Spears released "Misty Blue" to the American market in May 1976 viaUnited Artists Records. The song would peak within the top five of theBillboardHot Country Singles chart that year, becoming Spears's fourth top-ten single.[3][32] "Misty Blue" was then issued on Spears's 1976 studio album entitledWhat I've Got in Mind.[33]
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[34] | 4 |
| USHot Country Singles (Billboard)[3] | 5 |
| Chart (1976) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[35] | 41 |
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