Paper Roses

"Paper Roses"
Single by Anita Bryant
from the album Hear Anita Bryant in Your Home Tonight!
B-side	"Mixed Emotions"
Released	April 1960
Format	45 RPM
Recorded	1960
Genre	Traditional pop
Length	2:49
Label	Carlton 528
Writer(s)	Fred Spielman, Janice Torre
Certification	Gold
Anita Bryant singles chronology
"Till There Was You" (1959) "Paper Roses" (1960) "My Little Corner of the World" (1960)

"Paper Roses" is a popular song written and composed by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre. It first was a top five hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant with Monty Kelly's Orchestra and Chorus. Marie Osmond later covered it in 1973 and took her version to number one on the US country chart.

Anita Bryant version

Anita Bryant's version of "Paper Roses" was originally released in 1960 as a single b/w "Mixed Emotions" (Carlton 528) and was the opening track on her 1961 album Hear Anita Bryant In Your Home Tonight! (Carlton STLP 12/127), recorded in "Provocative Stereo." "Paper Roses" was Bryant's biggest hit on the Billboard Pop chart, peaking at No. 5 in 1960.^[1] Bryant continued to release singles following "Paper Roses"' success. Although Bryant had hits that reached the Top 40 again, she never had another hit as big as "Paper Roses."

Marie Osmond version

"Paper Roses"
Single by Marie Osmond
from the album Paper Roses
B-side	"Least of All You"
Released	August 25, 1973
Recorded	June 7, 1973
Genre	Country pop
Length	2:38
Label	MGM 2006 315
Writer(s)	Fred Spielman, Janice Torre
Producer(s)	Sonny James
Certification	Gold
Marie Osmond singles chronology
"Paper Roses" (1973) "In My Little Corner of the World" (1974)

Background

In 1973, Marie Osmond's brothers, The Osmonds, were already well-established as stars in the pop music world and as teen idols (especially Donny). The Osmonds' management convinced Osmond to try her hand at singing as well, and soon she was performing with her brothers on tour, but not officially a member. When she began to record, she took a different tack from her brothers musically: she decided to try to make it big in country music. Osmond was soon signed to MGM Records in Los Angeles, California.

Mike Curb, who had overseen Donny Osmond's solo hit covers of oldies like "Go Away Little Girl," "Puppy Love," "Sweet and Innocent," and "Hey Girl," used the same approach with Marie Osmond. According to Curb in the book Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits by Fred Bronson, when Curb was looking for country songs for her to record for her first album, Sonny James suggested that Osmond sing "Paper Roses."

Release

"Paper Roses" was the first song recorded by Osmond, and also her first single release. The single was released in August 1973. MGM promoted the single first to country radio, and received a favorable reaction to the song from radio stations and disc jockeys. Soon the song became a hit for Osmond, going all the way to number one on the country charts.^[2] Before long, the song crossed over to pop radio as well, becoming a number 5 Pop and number 1 Easy Listening singles hit.^[3] The album and single both received Gold certifications in the United States.

Upon reaching No. 1, Osmond became -- at less than one month after her 14th birthday -- the youngest female artist and youngest overall solo artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, a record that still stands as of 2015. In the United Kingdom, where Osmond-mania was just as strong as (if not stronger than) in the United States, "Paper Roses" climbed all the way to number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Osmond followed up the success of "Paper Roses" with a cover of another Anita Bryant hit from 1960, "My Little Corner of the World," but it didn't fare as well, reaching only number 33 on the country-music charts, and bubbling under the pop charts.

She re-recorded "Paper Roses" with the same producer and in the same studio for her 1990 The Best of Marie Osmond greatest hits album on Curb Records because her record label at the time did not have the rights to include the original recording. Paper Roses has been adopted by fans of the Scottish football team Kilmarnock FC as the club's anthem and is played at major games throughout the season.

Chart performance

Chart (1973)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	5
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Top Singles	12
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks	3
UK Singles Chart	2

Other versions

• The Kaye Sisters had the UK 1960 hit with their version which reached number 10 (Record Mirror chart) on 17th September.
• A version of "Paper Roses" was recorded by Maureen Evans in 1960, reaching number 40 on the UK Singles Chart.
• A version was also recorded by Cristy Lane for one of her Country Classics albums.
• In the UK Dame Vera Lynn recorded the song for her album Vera Lynn in Nashville.
• In 1975, Loretta Lynn recorded a version of "Paper Roses" on her Back to the Country album in 1975.
• In 1975, the Shaggs recorded a version for their unfinished second album, which was finally released in 1982 on the compilation album "Shagg's Own Thing"
• In 1977, Slim Whitman, recorded "Paper Roses" for his number 2 Home on the Range album

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 91.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 255.
3. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 187.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2005). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2005. Record Research, Inc. p. 609. ISBN 0-89820-165-9.
5. "RPM Country Tracks for December 8, 1973". RPM. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
6. "RPM Country Tracks for November 17, 1973". RPM. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
7. "RPM Country Tracks for December 1, 1973". RPM. Retrieved 2 October 2010.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics