I am looking for a song, titled "purple shades" that was released on a
45 rpm single; the artist is a woman vocalist, and the record was
released between 1952 and 1955.  The beginning lyrics are:  "Purple
shades at evening time remind me of our love.  Everytime that they
appear its you I'm thinking of"

Dear ecornap,

The song "Purple Shades" (lyrics and music by Frank Lavere, Phil S.
Dooley and Lew Douglas) was recorded by the female singer Joni James
in 1952. As the B-side of "Why Don't You Believe Me", "Purple Shades"
was released in Autumn 1952 as a 45 by MGM, MGM 11333. The single
reached the #1 of the Billboard Charts on October 18, 1952. Four years
later, in 1956, the song was included with Joni James' LP "Award
Winning Album" (MGM E-3346).

I did some extensive research and can now say for sure that this is
the song your are looking for because of two reasons:

- All music databases list only two songs named "Purple Shades" at
all, with the second one being recorded by the Troggs many years
later.

- Though I could not locate the lyrics for Joni James' "Purple
Shades", I found the song mentioned on a website collecting memories
of Korea War veterans. Two of them remember having heard Ms. James'
song "Purple Shades Of Evening Tide" on a special occasion in 1953.
"Evening Tide" is, of course, not "Evening Time"; but these terms
might sound very similar when sung. It would be too much coincidence
if there had been two different songs by female vocalists in those
three years, both titled "Purple Shades", but one starting "Purple
Shades Of Evening Time" and the other "Purple Shades Of Evening Tide".
I have no doubt that the song the veterans remember is in fact the one
you have in mind.

"Purple Shades" by Joni James is included on several CDs available,
for example, from Amazon.com. Here is a choice of them:

Joni James / Platinum & Gold: MGM Years ($ 28.99)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006B1L3/qid=1034184433/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-1020939-4970315?v=glance

Joni James / Let There Be Love [Jasmine] ($ 15.98)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000017D2/qid=1034184433/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-1020939-4970315?v=glance

Joni James / Latest and Greatest Hits ($ 18.98)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004TTJR/qid=1034184630/sr=1-13/ref=sr_1_13/104-1020939-4970315?v=glance

Sources:

SongFile - The World's Largest Music Ressource
http://www.songfile.com/

MGM Album Discography, Part 3, by Mike Callahan, David Edwards, and
Peter Preuss, 2000
http://www.bsnpubs.com/mgm/mgm32013400.html

Korean War Project: 933rd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion - Mobile
http://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/933aaa.htm

Prickly Pair Records: 45 RPM Singles - 7" (Artists H ~ L)
http://www.pricklypair.com/45singk-o.htm

Search terms used:
"purple shades" 1955 lyrics:
://www.google.de/search?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=%22purple+shades%22+1955+lyrics&meta=
"joni james" "purple shades":
://www.google.de/search?q=%22joni+james%22+%22purple+shades%22+&hl=de&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&start=30&sa=N

Hope this is what you were looking for!
Regards,
Scriptor

---

Clarification of Answer by scriptor-ga on 09 Oct 2002 11:55 PDT

Dear ecornap,

I just received the lyrics to Joni James' "Purple Shades" from one of
my Fellow Researchers. This confirms it is indeed the song you are
looking for:

"Purple Shades" (Joni James, 1952)

Purple shades at eventide 
Remind me of our love 
Every time that they appear 
It's you I'm thinking of 

I know our love has ended 
There's nothing left for me 
Of happiness that used to be 

If, by chance, a new romance 
Appears to be the thing 
I'll just chart it on my wall 
As just another fling 

Forgetting you completely 
Would be the only rule 
But I'll admit I'm just a fool 

Your memory 
Keeps haunting me 
My life would be 
Just misery 
While you're away 

I'm not the same 
And I'm to blame 
I've played the game 
And now I know that I must pay 

Guess it's time to realize 
And tell my foolish heart 
There's no use to reminisce 
The flame can never start 

For purple shades are saying 
It's too late now to cry 
Your love has gone 
Farewell, goodbye 

I'm not the same 
And I'm to blame 
I've played the game 
And now I know that I must pay 

Guess it's time to realize 
And tell my foolish heart 
There's no use to reminisce 
The flame can never start 

For purple shades are saying 
It's too late now to cry 
Your love has gone 
Farewell, goodbye

Many thanks to wonderful pinkfreud-ga for transcribing the lyrics!

Regards,
Scriptor