“Hush” was originally written by Joe South for Country singer Billy Joe Royal in 1967. It was a decent success in America, reaching number 52 on the Billboard Top 100 Chart.
Deep Purple’s version eclipsed that success the following year , when they reached number 4 on that chart with their cover of that song. Oddly enough, the song wasn’t noticed that much in their native Britain. Perhaps the song’s previous success and country roots prepared the ground for the Deep Purple version!
The success of this song as a single was one of the main factors launching the band’s career in the U.S.A., ensuring good sales of the album and bagging them a set of tour dates.
The chorus of the song is a variation of a traditional gospel song, and although it is very catchy, that isn’t even the catchiest part. That honour belongs to the “na na na na” section, which has instantly apparent anthem quality…
The instrumentation is classic 60s hard rock, with an assertive bass, lively rhythm section, nifty organ part, and a lovely fuzzy guitar.
The song was released as a single from the 1968 debut album Shades Of Deep Purple.