"Blue on Black" | ||||
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Single by Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band | ||||
from the album Trouble Is... | ||||
B-side | Blue on Black (The Road Mix)/Voodoo Child (Non-Album Track) | |||
Released | April 7, 1998 | |||
Format | CD single | |||
Genre | Blues rock | |||
Length | 5:30 | |||
Label | Giant/Warner Bros. Records | |||
Writer(s) | Kenny Wayne Shepherd Mark Selby Tia Sillers |
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Producer | Jerry Harrison | |||
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band singles chronology | ||||
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"Blue on Black" is a song by American blues band Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and is the lead single from their second studio album, Trouble Is.... Released on April 7, 1997, the track rose to #1 on the US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and remained there for 6 non-consecutive weeks. "Blue on Black" was regarded as the best rock song of 1998 by various media, and its popularity helped make Trouble Is... the 1999 Blues Album of the Year in Billboard. The song continues to be a top download of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd catalog, ranking at #1 on Rhapsody.
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"Blue on Black" features a simple acoustic guitar chord progression and ghostly lyrics with a faint echo. Its chorus incorporates a vocal harmony and simple yet bold lyrical hook. An electric guitar solo aids the song's rock edge. The song's subject matter remains cryptic throughout and includes brief phrasing such as "Joker on jack/match on a fire/cold on ice/a dead man's touch."
Shepherd discussed the song's commercial significance in an interview:
As Shepherd's signature song, "Blue on Black" has been known to help close his concerts just prior to "Voodoo Child."[2] An exclusive cover of the latter song was also included on the "Blue on Black" CD single.
The song has been included on compilation albums such as Loaded with Hits (2000), Double Shot of Blues (2001), and Powered by Fender: The Players (2003). A live version was included on WCCC Live at Planet of Sound in 2005.
"Blue on Black" was ranked the top rock song of 1998 by Billboard, the Album Network, and R&R. It also won the 1998 Billboard Music Award for Rock Track of the Year.
In honor of the hit single, the Martin Guitar Company issued its Kenny Wayne Shepherd Limited Edition Signature model JC-16KWS, a distinct jumbo model in dark blue, in January 2001. The guitar design was inspired by the imagery evoked in the song's lyrics.[3] Proceeds from the model were to be donated to Providence House, a Shreveport, Louisiana shelter and development program for homeless families with children.
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
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Billboard Hot 100 | 78 |
US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
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