Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
Encyclopedia
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (commonly written with an ampersand) is a song by Scottish
singer-songwriter
KT Tunstall
and is featured on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope
. It was released on 21 February 2005 as the lead single
from the album, charting at #28 in the UK Singles Chart
(see 2005 in British music
). It is one of many songs that reuses the famous Bo Diddley beat from the influential 1955 song of the same name.
The song is a playable track in the music video games Band Hero
and Dancing with the Stars: We Dance!
The song is usually performed solo by Tunstall the original artist, with the layered guitar and vocals constructed piece-by-piece by sampling the parts live, and using a loop pedal unit to create the backing track. A performance of the song on Later... with Jools Holland (recorded before the release of Eye to the Telescope
) was an important break in Tunstall's career. The song won Tunstall an award for Best Single of 2005 in Q
, and it received a 2007 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".
The album version was used as the opening theme song for the CBC Television
drama Wild Roses
. The song was later redone by Aly & AJ
for Pepsi Smash, included on the re-release of their second studio album Insomniatic
. "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" was also used in advertisements for The WB show Pepper Dennis
and the 2006 US Open. The song's video ranked #19 on VH1
's 40 Greatest Videos of 2006. During the programme's airing, Tunstall stated that the day of the video shoot was the only time she had ever worn red lipstick
.
In the United States, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" was initially in the bottom half of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Only after Katharine McPhee
sang the song on American Idol
(in the 5th season
) as part of a Billboard charts
-based song selection did the tune rise rapidly in popularity; it jumped 56 positions on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, going from #79 to #23, and then moving to #20, becoming Tunstall's first single (and only, to date) to appear on that chart's Top 20. McPhee would go on to sing the song again in her final performance show on 23 May 2006, finishing second to Taylor Hicks
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
KT Tunstall
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
and is featured on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope
Eye to the Telescope
Reviews for Eye to the Telescope were positive. Mark A. Price of PopMatters gave the album a score of 7 out of 10, noting that it manages to sound "both new and familiar", mixing influences from artists like Melissa Etheridge and Fiona Apple while adding some originality of her own...
. It was released on 21 February 2005 as the lead single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album, charting at #28 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
(see 2005 in British music
2005 in British music
This is a summary of 2005 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts. Average sales for a number one were 80,437 per week.-Summary:...
). It is one of many songs that reuses the famous Bo Diddley beat from the influential 1955 song of the same name.
The song is a playable track in the music video games Band Hero
Band Hero
Band Hero is a spinoff video game as part of the Guitar Hero series of music video games, released by Activision on November 3, 2009, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS consoles...
and Dancing with the Stars: We Dance!
Dancing with the Stars: We Dance!
Dancing with the Stars: We Dance! is a video game based on Dancing with the Stars. It is the sequel to the original Dancing with the Stars game...
Song information
Tunstall said of the song:The song is usually performed solo by Tunstall the original artist, with the layered guitar and vocals constructed piece-by-piece by sampling the parts live, and using a loop pedal unit to create the backing track. A performance of the song on Later... with Jools Holland (recorded before the release of Eye to the Telescope
Eye to the Telescope
Reviews for Eye to the Telescope were positive. Mark A. Price of PopMatters gave the album a score of 7 out of 10, noting that it manages to sound "both new and familiar", mixing influences from artists like Melissa Etheridge and Fiona Apple while adding some originality of her own...
) was an important break in Tunstall's career. The song won Tunstall an award for Best Single of 2005 in Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
, and it received a 2007 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".
The album version was used as the opening theme song for the CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
drama Wild Roses
Wild Roses (TV series)
Wild Roses is a Canadian television drama series, which debuted January 6, 2009 on CBC Television. Originally titled Cowgirls, CBC requested the change to Wild Roses after testing the title. The show was officially cancelled by the CBC on April 22, 2009 after only one season...
. The song was later redone by Aly & AJ
Aly & AJ
78violet is a pop rock band consisting of sisters Alyson and Amanda Michalka. They were born in Torrance, California, but spent part of their childhood in Seattle, Washington. They are both actresses, singer-songwriters, and guitarists. They signed a record deal with the Disney-owned label,...
for Pepsi Smash, included on the re-release of their second studio album Insomniatic
Insomniatic
Insomniatic is the second studio album by American teen pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on July 10, 2007 in the United States, and was later released in the UK and Italy on October 22, 2007 with new cover art...
. "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" was also used in advertisements for The WB show Pepper Dennis
Pepper Dennis
Pepper Dennis is a comedy-drama television series that aired on The WB from April to July 4, 2006. It was quickly announced on May 17, 2006 that Pepper Dennis would not be one of the WB shows transferred to The CW Television Network....
and the 2006 US Open. The song's video ranked #19 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 40 Greatest Videos of 2006. During the programme's airing, Tunstall stated that the day of the video shoot was the only time she had ever worn red lipstick
Lipstick
Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
.
Track listings
- Digital download
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - 2:54
- UK Maxi CD single
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - 2:54
- "One Day (Live)" - 4:19
- "Barbie" - 2:23
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (Instrumental) - 2:54
- UK vinyl 7" single
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - 2:54
- "Barbie" - 2:25
- European CD single
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - 2:54
- "One Day (Live)" - 4:19
- US CD single
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - 2:51
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (Instrumental) - 2:47
- Italian vinyl 12" single
- "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - 2:54
Release history
| Country | Release date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Canada | |
| United States |
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, the single peaked at #28 in its first week and dropped out of the Top 75 in three weeks.In the United States, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" was initially in the bottom half of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Only after Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...
sang the song on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
(in the 5th season
American Idol (season 5)
The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
) as part of a Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
-based song selection did the tune rise rapidly in popularity; it jumped 56 positions on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, going from #79 to #23, and then moving to #20, becoming Tunstall's first single (and only, to date) to appear on that chart's Top 20. McPhee would go on to sing the song again in her final performance show on 23 May 2006, finishing second to Taylor Hicks
Taylor Hicks
Taylor Reuben Hicks is an American singer who achieved fame in 2006, when he won the fifth season of American Idol. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (2005/2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 31 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 35 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 80 |
| French Singles Chart | 23 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
51 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
16 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 10 |
| New Zealand Singles Charts | 20 |
| Spain Los 40 principales | 21 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
92 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
28 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
20 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
22 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 15 |
Cover versions
- OverboardOverboard (a cappella)Overboard is a male a cappella group based in Boston, MA. The group's repertoire consists of a cappella covers of popular contemporary pop/rock artists, such as Train, The Script, and Rascal Flatts, and of a cappella standards, such as "Blue Moon", "In the Still of the Night" and "Stand by Me".-...
(Shipwrecked, 2006) - Aly & AJ (On the Deluxe Edition of Insomniatic)
- Casey WestonCasey WestonCasey Weston is a singer-songwriter born December 4, 1992 in Naples, Florida. She was one of the top two finalists on Adam Levine's team on the first season of The Voice....
on The VoiceThe Voice (U.S. TV series)The Voice is an American reality talent show that premiered on April 26, 2011 on the NBC television network. Based on the reality singing competition The Voice of Holland, the series was created by Dutch television producer John de Mol. It is part of an international series... - Sandy Leah Lima on her live DVD/Blu-Ray Manuscrito