John Denver – Rocky Mountain High
“Rocky Mountain High” is a folk rock song written by John Denver and Mike Taylor and is one of the two official state songs of Colorado. Recorded by Denver in 1972, it is the title track of the 1972 album Rocky Mountain High, and rose to No. 9 on the US Hot 100 in 1973. Denver told concert audiences in the mid-1970s that the song took him an unusually long nine months to write. On April 10, 2017, the record was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales exceeding 500,000 digital downloads.
Background and composition
“Rocky Mountain High” was primarily inspired by John Denver’s move to Aspen, Colorado, three years before its writing, and by his love for the state. The song’s lyrics are a celebration of the beauty of the Rocky Mountains and the simple life. The song is also notable for its catchy melody and optimistic message.
Recording and production
“Rocky Mountain High” was recorded at the Caribou Ranch recording studio in Nederland, Colorado. The song was produced by Milton Okun.
The recording features John Denver on lead vocals. Denver’s vocals are warm and expressive, and they perfectly convey the emotion of the song. The song’s instrumentation is simple, yet effective, with a driving acoustic guitar and a catchy melody.
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“Rocky Mountain High” is a beautiful and moving song that will be cherished for generations to come.
Here are some additional details about the song:
- The song was written by John Denver and Mike Taylor.
- It was recorded in 1972 and released on the album Rocky Mountain High.
- The song reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.
- “Rocky Mountain High” has been covered by many artists, including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Kacey Musgraves.
- The song is one of the two official state songs of Colorado.