Because the Night

"Because the Night" is a song by the Patti Smith Group, written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith which was released as a single in 1978, taken from Smith's album Easter. The song was a hit, rising to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and helping propel sales of Easter to mainstream success – even as Smith was deciding to retire from a life of constant touring. The song remains one of the best known of Smith's catalog.

In 1987, "Because the Night" by Patti Smith Group was ranked number 116 on NME magazine's list of "The Top 150 Singles of All Time".^[2]

History

The original song was recorded by Bruce Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town album. He was not satisfied with it; the Patti Smith Group was working on Easter in the studio next door, with engineer/producer Jimmy Iovine working on both albums. Iovine gave Smith a tape of the song, she recast it, and it was included on Easter, becoming the first single released from that album. Though it was never released on any of Springsteen's studio albums, in concert beginning with his Darkness Tour Springsteen would often perform the song with his own lyrics. The song was first performed live (with Patti Smith) at CBGB's in New York City on December 30, 1977. Until the 2010 release of Springsteen's box set The Promise, which included the original recording from the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions, the only commercially released recording of a Springsteen version of the song was in the 1986 box set Live/1975–85, where Smith was listed as co-writer.

Cover versions

• In 1980, Tony Award winner Patti LuPone sang the song during her engagement at the New York nightclub Les Mouches.
• In 1986, heavy metal band Keel did a version of the song on their album The Final Frontier.
• In 1992, Co.Ro released a version that featured Tarlisa that sold over 660,000 copies. It was a gold record in France and reached number one in Italy, Spain, and several other European countries.
• A well-known Unplugged version was recorded by 10,000 Maniacs in 1993 for MTV Unplugged, with a few lyrical alterations. The recording gained considerable radio airplay and reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, which was the first time the group broke the top forty.
• In 1994, the experimental Alternative band Sonic Youth drastically reworked the song for the first track, "Becuz", of their album Washing Machine, playing on the repetitive aspects of Smith's original, and contrasting Smith's ebullient vocals with a breathy near-whisper by Kim Gordon, a departure from Gordon's ordinarily Smith-like grunge-era delivery.
• In 1996, Japanese singer-songwriter Ua covered the song on her single "Kumo ga Chigireru Toki".
• Trip hop band Earthling recorded a cover of the song for their Blood Music EP released in 1996.
• In 1998, Kim Wilde released a cover of the song, which appears on the Germany-only various artists release Philharmania.
• The Spanish band Tahúres zurdos covered this for their 2000 album El tiempo de la luz. The title ("La noche es") and the lyrics where translated into Spanish, but the song kept the "Because the night belongs to lovers, because the night belongs to us" part intact in English. The lyrics are not a literal translation, but still quite true to the original.
• Japanese singer-songwriter Chihiro Onitsuka performed a live cover at the Yokohama Arena on August 23, 2001.
• German DJ Jan Wayne released a dance version in 2002 that reached number 14 in the UK and topped the charts in the Netherlands for several weeks. It reached number 2 in Belgian charts.
• In 2008, Cascada recorded a version which appears on their second album Perfect Day. The music video for the single premiered on YouTube on 28 May 2008. The single was released on July 18, 2008 in Germany, July 21, 2008 in France and August 4, 2008 in the UK.
• In 2008, the Italian project May released their own version of the song, under the label D:vision.
• In 2008, the Italian gothic-metal band Domina Noctis covered this song on their second album, Second Rose.^[3]
• In 2008, the French Dark electro band A7IE performed a live cover on November 1, 2008, in France. This song is available on True Mania 5 Years Compilation.
• In 2007, the Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall collaborated with an all-star cast of Cuban musicians of the Buena Vista Social Club. Their version of the song was released with the album Rhythms del Mundo Classics on July 31, 2009.
• In 2009, the London-based octet Brontosaurus Chorus had their version of the song included on the Springsteen tribute album Play Some Pool, Skip Some School, Act Real Cool, released on the WIAIWYA label.

Notable live cover performances

• The song was performed live by Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and U2 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert at Madison Square Garden on Friday, October 30, 2009. There were two takes of the song, as the first take suffered from missed cues and technical issues. The second take, suggested by Bono at the end of the first, was tighter and even more impassioned than the first.
• The song has been performed live by Bruce Springsteen during a show in Miami with U2 singer Bono and the E Street Band, and more recently on their 2009 European Tour.
• R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe performed the song with Springsteen at a Vote for Change tour performance.
• E Street Band member Nils Lofgren has never recorded the song, but is known for an especially fiery concert performance of it. The genesis for this version came about when Springsteen asked Lofgren to work on a solo to add to the song, and it has since become a Lofgren staple.
• Idol 2009 fourth place runner up Mariette Hansson.
• The song was part of the set of Patti LuPone during her 27 weeks of concerts at Les Mouches in 1980. The concert, including this song, was recently released on CD.
• The Waterboys would introduce "The Pan Within" with the first verse of this song during their Big Music phase, available on The Live Adventures of the Waterboys.
• Toyah Wilcox performed this song in 1988 in the second series of French and Saunders.
• Amandine Bourgeois performed this song in 2010 in the French TV show Taratata.^[4]
• In 2010, Springsteen performed the song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, accompanied by bandmates Steven Van Zandt, Roy Bittan and The Roots.^[5]
• Antigone Rising has performed this song live at numerous live shows in 2011. Live video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYYFE9szfS8

Charts

Patti Smith Group

Co.Ro featuring Tarlisa

10,000 Maniacs

Cascada

References

External links

• Because the Night by Patti Smith at Allmusic
• Because the Night by 10,000 Maniacs at Allmusic
• Lyrics at the official website