Lady in Black (song)
Encyclopedia
"Lady in Black" is a song by the 1970s rock
band Uriah Heep
. It is the fourth track of their 1971 album Salisbury
.
The song is credited to Ken Hensley
. It tells the story of a man wandering through war-torn darkness and encountering a goddess
-like entity who consoles him. It is often praised, by fans and critics alike, as Hensley's most poetic work to date.
project Gregorian
on their 2006 album Masters of Chant Chapter V
and Finnish folk metal
band Ensiferum
. The song was translated into Finnish and covered by another Finnish band Lemon in 1972 as "Nainen tummissa".
In 1972 italian singer Caterina Caselli
covered the song in her album Caterina Caselli 1972, with title L'uomo del Paradiso; Italian translation has been made by Claudio Daiano and Ettore Carrera.
The song was covered by the Spanish folk metal
group Mägo de Oz
in a translated version as "Dama Negra". Serbian heavy metal band Kraljevski Apartman
recorded a cover version with Serbian lyrics entitled Slike on their 2000 album Izgubljen u vremenu
. Czech version Slečna závist (Miss Envy) is by rock band Arakain.
Italian singer Spagna
covered the song in her 2002 album Woman. There is also an Italian language version, titled Di nero vestita , included in Io sono il vampiro, a 2005 album (O.S.T. of the homonymous 2002 horror movie) by the Italian progressive rock
band Abiogenesi.
In 2002 the Romanian group Iris
together with Mick Box
and Bernie Shaw from Uriah Heep
made a new version of this song named "Doamna in negru". This new version was a collaboration between Iris
and the two members of Uriah Heep
and the lyrics are bilingual in Romanian and in English.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
. It is the fourth track of their 1971 album Salisbury
Salisbury (album)
Salisbury is the second album released by British rock band Uriah Heep.Although the majority of tracks are clean hard rock, more so than on the previous Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble, the album features forays into both jazz-fusion on "The Park", and square progressive rock on the band's first foray into...
.
The song is credited to Ken Hensley
Ken Hensley
Kenneth William David Hensley is a keyboard player , guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970s....
. It tells the story of a man wandering through war-torn darkness and encountering a goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
-like entity who consoles him. It is often praised, by fans and critics alike, as Hensley's most poetic work to date.
Cover versions
Acts who have covered "Lady in Black" include the gregorian chantGregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
project Gregorian
Gregorian (band)
Gregorian is a German band headed by Frank Peterson that performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. The band features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment.- Band history :...
on their 2006 album Masters of Chant Chapter V
Masters of Chant Chapter V
Masters of Chant Chapter V is the seventh album by German band Gregorian. It was released on March 31, 2006.Note that the album The Dark Side was also released in Oceania under the name Masters of Chant V...
and Finnish folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band Ensiferum
Ensiferum
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "heroic folk metal." Since their formation, Ensiferum has released four full-length albums, one EP, one compilation, three singles, and three demo albums and one unreleased album.-Musical...
. The song was translated into Finnish and covered by another Finnish band Lemon in 1972 as "Nainen tummissa".
In 1972 italian singer Caterina Caselli
Caterina Caselli
Caterina Caselli is an Italian record producer and former singer and actress.In 1966 she debuted in the Sanremo Festival with "Nessuno mi può giudicare", a song discarded by Adriano Celentano, scoring a notable success. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc...
covered the song in her album Caterina Caselli 1972, with title L'uomo del Paradiso; Italian translation has been made by Claudio Daiano and Ettore Carrera.
The song was covered by the Spanish folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
group Mägo de Oz
Mägo de Oz
Mägo de Oz is a Spanish folk/heavy metal band from Begoña, Madrid formed in mid-1988 by drummer Txus di Fellatio. In 1992, the band were finalists in the Villa de Madrid contest. Then, they went onto achieve great success in Spain, and in 1995, were declared Revolution Rock Band...
in a translated version as "Dama Negra". Serbian heavy metal band Kraljevski Apartman
Kraljevski Apartman
Kraljevski Apartman is a Serbian heavy metal band from Belgrade.-Apartman 69:...
recorded a cover version with Serbian lyrics entitled Slike on their 2000 album Izgubljen u vremenu
Izgubljen u vremenu
Izgubljen u vremenu is the second studio album by Serbian heavy metal band Kraljevski Apartman. Following the release of their first album Long Live Rock 'n' Roll and good reactions of the fans and critics, the band, with a changed lineup, entered the studio to record the second studio album...
. Czech version Slečna závist (Miss Envy) is by rock band Arakain.
Italian singer Spagna
Spagna
Spagna is an Italian singer and songwriter.-Career:She started her career singing in English and in the early 1980s she provided vocals and wrote songs for an Italo Disco duo project called Fun Fun; as well as writing songs for many other dance music projects until 1986, when she embarked on a solo...
covered the song in her 2002 album Woman. There is also an Italian language version, titled Di nero vestita , included in Io sono il vampiro, a 2005 album (O.S.T. of the homonymous 2002 horror movie) by the Italian progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Abiogenesi.
In 2002 the Romanian group Iris
IRIS (Romanian band)
Iris is a Romanian hard rock band established in 1977 by Ioan Dumitrescu , Ion Olteanu and Emil Lechinţeanu...
together with Mick Box
Mick Box
Michael Frederick Box , better known by his stage name Mick Box, is the lead guitarist of British rock group Uriah Heep, having previously been a member of The Stalkers and Spice, both with original Uriah Heep vocalist David Byron. He is the only member from the band's founding in 1969 who is...
and Bernie Shaw from Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
made a new version of this song named "Doamna in negru". This new version was a collaboration between Iris
IRIS (Romanian band)
Iris is a Romanian hard rock band established in 1977 by Ioan Dumitrescu , Ion Olteanu and Emil Lechinţeanu...
and the two members of Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
and the lyrics are bilingual in Romanian and in English.