Kentucky Woman

For the 1983 film, see Kentucky Woman (film).

"Kentucky Woman" is a 1967 song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond.

"Kentucky Woman"
Single by Neil Diamond
B-side	"The Time Is Now"
Released	October 1967 (1967-10)
Genre	Pop, country
Length	2:34
Label	Bang
Songwriter(s)	Neil Diamond
Producer(s)	Jeff Barry Ellie Greenwich
Neil Diamond singles chronology
"Thank the Lord for the Night Time" (1967) "Kentucky Woman" (1967) "Some Day Baby" (1967)

Background

Diamond recorded "Kentucky Woman" as his last hit single for Bang Records. The song was mixed in monophonic, which is the common version heard on all Neil Diamond compilations featuring original Bang singles. The only known stereo mix was done in 1978 for a Frog King/Columbia House album called Early Classics, which has never been released on CD.

Chart history

Released in October 1967, it reached number 22 on the U.S. pop singles chart,^[1] number 58 on the Australian charts, and number 6 on the Canadian charts.^[2]

Chart (1967–68)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	58
Canada RPM Top Singles[3]	29
New Zealand (Listener)[4]	10
US Billboard Hot 100[5]	22
US Cash Box Top 100[6]	12

Deep Purple version

"Kentucky Woman"
Single by Deep Purple
from the album The Book of Taliesyn
B-side	"Wring That Neck"
Released	October 1968[7]
Recorded	August 1968
Genre	Psychedelic pop[8] hard rock[9]
Length	3:57
Label	Parlophone Tetragrammaton
Songwriter(s)	Neil Diamond
Producer(s)	Derek Lawrence
Deep Purple singles chronology
"Hush" (1968) "Kentucky Woman" (1968) "River Deep Mountain High" (1968)
Audio sample
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Another well-known version is the 1968 recording by Deep Purple. The group's cover had vastly different instrumental feel, if not vocal line. It was their second single release in 1968. It managed to reach #38 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[10] #21 Canadian RPM charts, and #27 on the Australian Singles Chart where it was released as a double A-Side with "Hush."

The single version is an edit of the album version and runs 4:04. Cash Box said that it has a "heavy dance beat and a splendid instrumental burst".^[11] A remastered version appears on the two-CD 30th anniversary album 30: Very Best of Deep Purple and runs 4:43.^[12] Both those versions end on a fadeout. The album version, which does not fade out at the end, runs 5:31.^{[citation needed]}

Deep Purple played "Kentucky Woman" live on tour in 1968 and 1969, even after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover joined the band in the summer of 1969. It has never been on Deep Purple's set list since. The song was also featured in Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film and soundtrack for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Other notable versions

• Waylon Jennings also released a version on his 1968 album, Only the Greatest.^[13]
• Diamond re-recorded the song for his 1996 country album Tennessee Moon. He performed the song with Jennings on a TV special to promote the album.^[14]