A Trick of the Night
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| “A Trick of the Night” | |||||
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| Single by Bananarama from the album True Confessions |
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| B-side | A Cut Above the Rest
Set on You |
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| Released | December 1986 | ||||
| Format | 7" single, 12" single | ||||
| Recorded | January 1986 | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Label | London Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Jolley & Swain | ||||
| Producer | Jolley & Swain | ||||
| Bananarama singles chronology | |||||
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"A Trick of the Night" is a ballad recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It was written and produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain and released as the final single from Bananarama's album True Confessions.
The song was remixed slightly for its single version, adding extra synthesizer lines and vocal harmony layering. It was also given a more "upbeat" remix by the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) production trio, at the request of London Records.
The cautionary message in the lyrics are directed towards a friend who has gone to seek his fortune in the big city and ended up a rentboy.
The 12 inch single's B-side, "Set on You", was the first in a series of club-oriented songs recorded specifically for Bananarama's single B-sides that demonstrated the group's shift towards the club market.
"A Trick of the Night" was a top-forty hit in the UK, peaking at number thirty-two (the SAW-remixed version received the most airplay in their home country), while the ballad version stalled at number seventy-six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The single made a very brief appearance on the Australian singles chart, where it peaked at number ninety-nine.
The song was included on the CD version of Greatest Hits Collection as a bonus track, it was not included on the vinyl version nor their 2001 compilation The Very Best of Bananarama.
It was included on the soundtrack to the 1986 American film Jumpin' Jack Flash.
[edit] Music video
Two videos were filmed for the song. The North American version featured the girls singing the song in a house at night, with their images projected on movie screens. The release of the single in the UK was delayed until February 1987, so that Bananarama could participate in a BBC television show called In at the Deep End. Each week Chris Serle or Paul Heiney would have to master a new skill - in this case, Serle had to master the art of directing a pop music video (the episode was similar to MTV's Making the Video program) for this song. Group members Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward hated the final product.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 32 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 76 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Club Play | 39 |
| Australia ARIA singles | 99 |
