Ramblin' Rose

Cole's recording of the song was released July 16, 1962, as a single by Capitol Records (catalog no. 4804; Side A; matrix no. 45-AA37861). It reached number two on both the Billboard and Cash Box charts - kept from number one by "Sherry" by The Four Seasons[2] - and sold more than a million copies as a single. On the Billboard chart, "Ramblin' Rose In 1962 the song spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and the Australian charts, while on the R&B chart, the song reached number seven.[3] It was released as a single from Cole's album of the same name, with orchestra and chorus arranged and conducted by Belford "Sinky" Hendricks, was a million seller. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Record of the Year.

The song has been covered by many artists, particularly country music artists.

There are four country versions of the song. Sonny James recorded the song first in July 1968 and released it five years later on the album The Gentleman from the South in 1973.[4] Johnny Lee's version reached number 37 on the Billboard country chart in 1977.[5] The following year, singer Hank Snow's version charted at number 93.[6] In 1978, Johnny Rodriguez released a cover of the song on the album Love Me with All Your Heart.[7]

Petula Clark released a French version in 1962, titled "Les Beaux Jours". Her recording reached #10 in the French charts in 1963.[8]

Others recording this version of the song were Charley Pride (1962), Roy Rogers (1962), Billy Vaughn, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Vinton, Engelbert Humperdinck, Paul Anka, Floyd Cramer,[9] (an unknown home recording but was definitely slated for recording between August 22–23, 1967, at RCA Studio A, Hollywood. However the session was cancelled after one of Elvis' employees accidentally killed a pedestrian while driving one of Elvis' cars), Sammy Davis Jr. (The Nat King Cole Songbook, 1965), Chuck Berry (1967), George Benson, the Mills Brothers, Dean Martin (1973), Marvin Gaye (1976), and Slim Whitman.

There is a different song called "Ramblin' Rose," recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis and MC5 in the 1960s; although it has the same title it is a different song, written by Wilkin and Burch, and not to be confused with the Nat King Cole hit.

Neither of those songs should be confused with "Rambling Rose", a light pop song from the 1940s, with music by Joe Burke and lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, recorded by a number of singers, most notably Perry Como. Also Dean Martin was perhaps the only singer to make a recordings of both "Ramblin' Rose" and "Rambling Rose."

A Finnish punk rock band Pelle Miljoona & 1980 has covered the song on their first 7´´ single in 1979.

Original copyright

Copyright renewal

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1962 (U.S.)

• Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)