When the Snow Is on the Roses
Encyclopedia
"When the Snow Is on the Roses" is a country music
song made famous by Sonny James
. The record became an Adult Contemporary hit for Ed Ames
in 1967, spending four weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart
, but only reached #98 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
in the late 1960s as an album cut — was James' first single released after he had signed with Columbia Records
in 1972. James had just wrapped up a successful stay at Capitol Records
, where he had enjoyed a string of 16 consecutive No. 1 hits during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
"When the Snow ... ," a ballad, began another long string of hits by "The Southern Gentleman." The song became his 22nd No. 1 song on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
chart in mid-September 1972.
Ernst Bader
wrote the original lyrics to the song in German
; Larry Kusik
and Eddie Snyder
then wrote the English
translation. The music was by James Last
.
Elvis Presley
also sang this song live in Las Vegas on August 24, 1970 MS (Midnight Show). This performance is registered in the Live In Las Vegas BMG box set. It is an audience recording. Thanks to that, it is a rare and unique performance.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
song made famous by Sonny James
Sonny James
James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
. The record became an Adult Contemporary hit for Ed Ames
Ed Ames
Ed Ames is an American popular singer and actor. He is best known for his pop and adult contemporary hits of the 1960s like "When the Snow is on the Roses" and the perennial "My Cup Runneth Over." He was part of a popular 1950s singing group called The Ames Brothers.-Early life:Born in Malden,...
in 1967, spending four weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
, but only reached #98 on the 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...
.
Song history
The song — originally recorded by Roy DruskyRoy Drusky
Roy Frank Drusky Jr., was an American country music singer popular from the 1960s through the early 1970s. Known for his baritone voice, he was known for incorporating the Nashville sound. His highest-charting single was the No. 1 "Yes Mr. Peters", a duet with Priscilla Mitchell.-Early life and...
in the late 1960s as an album cut — was James' first single released after he had signed with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1972. James had just wrapped up a successful stay at Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, where he had enjoyed a string of 16 consecutive No. 1 hits during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
"When the Snow ... ," a ballad, began another long string of hits by "The Southern Gentleman." The song became his 22nd No. 1 song on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart in mid-September 1972.
Ernst Bader
Ernst Bader
Ernst Bader was a German actor, composer and songwriter best known for his hit recordings "Tulips from Amsterdam" and "Milord"...
wrote the original lyrics to the song in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
; Larry Kusik
Larry Kusik
Larry Kusik is an award-winning lyricist.He is perhaps best known for writing the lyrics for the tune Speak Softly Love, the love theme from the 1972 film The Godfather, however he has also written lyrics to many other movie themes, including A Time for Us from the 1968 film version of Romeo and...
and Eddie Snyder
Eddie Snyder
Edward Abraham Snyder was an American composer and songwriter. Snyder is credited with co-writing the English language lyrics and music for Frank Sinatra's 1966 hit, "Strangers in the Night"....
then wrote the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation. The music was by James Last
James Last
James Last is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark...
.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
also sang this song live in Las Vegas on August 24, 1970 MS (Midnight Show). This performance is registered in the Live In Las Vegas BMG box set. It is an audience recording. Thanks to that, it is a rare and unique performance.
Chart performance
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
See also
- Whitburn, Joel, Top Country Songs: 1944-2005, 2006.
- Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)