Roses Are Red (My Love)

"Roses Are Red (My Love)" is a popular song composed by Al Byron and Paul Evans. It was recorded by Bobby Vinton, backed by Robert Mersey and his Orchestra, in New York City in February 1962, and released in April 1962, and the song was his first hit.^[2][1]

"Roses Are Red (My Love)"
Single by Bobby Vinton
from the album Roses Are Red
B-side	"You and I"
Released	April 6, 1962[1]
Recorded	February 16, 1962[1]
Genre	Traditional pop
Length	2:38
Label	Epic
Songwriter(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)

Bobby Vinton version

Bobby Vinton found the song in a reject pile at Epic Records.^[3] 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 (from Robert Mersey and his Orchestra) added.^[4][3][1]

The song was released in April 1962.^[4] It reached No. 1 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, 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.^[2][5] The single was also the first number-one hit for Epic Records.^[3]

Billboard ranked the record No. 4 in their year end ranking "Top 100 Singles of 1962"^[6] and No. 36 in their year end ranking of the top Rhythm and Blues records of 1962.^[7] The song was also ranked No. 17 on Cash Box's "Top 100 Chart Hits of 1962".^[8]

Chart performance

Weekly charts Charts (1962) Peak position Australia (David Kent)[9] 1 Australia (Music Maker)[10] 2 Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[11] 1 Denmark[12] 6 Flanders[13] 5 Hong Kong[14] 5 India (The Voice)[15] 9 Ireland (Teenage Express)[10] 3 Italy (FIMI)[16] 20 Netherlands[17] 3 New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[18] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[19] 1 South Africa[12] 1 UK New Musical Express[20] 13 UK Record Retailer[21] 15 US Billboard Hot 100[2] 1 US Billboard Easy Listening[22] 1 US Billboard Hot R&B Sides[23][24] 5 Wallonia[25] 47 West Germany (Musikmarkt)[19] 7

Year-end charts Chart (1962) Rank South Africa[26] 10 US Billboard Hot 100[6] 4 US Billboard Easy Listening[27] 3 US Billboard R&B[7] 36 US Cash Box[8] 17 All-time charts Chart (1958-2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100[28] 256

Certifications

Certifications for "Roses Are Red"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[29]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Ronnie Carroll version

In the UK, a cover version by Northern Irish singer 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.^[30][21] It peaked at No. 7 in the very first Irish Singles Chart published in September 1962.

Chart performance

Charts (1962)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)[31]	7
UK (New Musical Express)[32]	2
UK (Record Retailer)[30]	3

Other versions

In July 1962, David MacBeth released his version of the song as a single on Piccadilly Records.^[33]

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.^[34]

Caterina Valente recorded the song in German, Rosen Sind Rot（1962）.The single reached #7 in Germany. Musik-Charts 1962 ranked the record #29 in their year end ranking.

A Swedish version, "En ros som lyser röd" recorded by the Swedish/Danish artist Carli Tornehave was released 1962 (Philips 433 415 PE).

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.^[35] The song spent seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 62,^[36] while reaching No. 15 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.^[37][38] It was released by Epic Records (single #9529)^[39] and was produced by Robert Morgan.

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1962 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1962 (U.S.)
• VG-lista 1962
• List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1960s
• List of number-one singles in 1962 (New Zealand)