You Could've Been a Lady
| "You Could've Been a Lady" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Portuguese 7" vinyl single cover | ||||
| Single by Hot Chocolate | ||||
| B-side | "Everybody's Laughing" | |||
| Released | January 1971 | |||
| Length | 3:42 | |||
| Label | Rak | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Mickie Most | |||
| Hot Chocolate singles chronology | ||||
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"You Could've Been a Lady" is a song by the British soul band Hot Chocolate, written by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson in 1969. Released as a single in 1971, it peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart during a nine-week run. Although initially released by Hot Chocolate as a non-album single, the song later appeared on the 2009 reissue of Cicero Park.
In 1976, the band re-recorded the song for their Man to Man album. Boasting a fuller, heavier production than the 3:42 original, it runs for 4:25. Rather than the original single version, a 3:48 edit of the re-recording has appeared on all compilation albums issued both by the band and with various other artists.
"You Could've Been a Lady" has many similarities to "Why Don't You Quit" by American jazz musician Eddie Harris.