Today’s classic early ’70s song of the day is “Gypsy Woman.” It was originally a hit for the Impressions in 1961 and an even bigger hit for Brian Hyland in 1970.
Curtis Mayfield wrote “Gypsy Woman” when he was barely a teenager and his group the Impressions released it as a single in October of 1961. The Impressions’ version of the song hit #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, #17 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #2 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
Brian Hyland recorded his version of the song almost a decade later, with Del Shannon producing. His version, released in June of 1970, went to #3 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100.
Hyland, born in 1943, had his initial chart success in the early 1960s. His previous hits included “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” (#1 in 1960), “Sealed with a Kiss” (#3 in 1962), and “The Joker Went Wild” (#20 in 1966). “Gypsy Woman” was both his big comeback and his last big hit. He continues to perform today.
And here’s your daily bit of trivia of the day. Brian Hyland happens to be the second cousin of Larry Fine of the Three Stooges. Why, I oughta….
