Here Comes the Night
| "Here Comes the Night" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Them | ||||
| A-side | "Here Comes the Night" (Bert Berns) | |||
| B-side | "All for Myself" | |||
| Released | March 1965 | |||
| Format | 7" vinyl | |||
| Recorded | October 1964 | |||
| Genre | Blues rock | |||
| Length | 2:47 | |||
| Label | Decca Records (UK), Parrot Records (USA) | |||
| Writer(s) | Bert Berns | |||
| Producer(s) | Bert Berns | |||
| Them singles chronology | ||||
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"Here Comes the Night" is a 1964 song, written by Bert Berns. It became a hit for Van Morrison and Them in March 1965, charting at No.2 in the UK and No.24 in the US and was listed as No.33 on the list of the Top 100 most popular hits in UK singles for the year 1965.[1]
The song was originally released by Decca Records in November 1964, in a version sung by Lulu. Her recording charted at No.50 in the UK.[2][3]
Recording and history
This was the second Them record produced by Bert Berns and the first time that Them recorded one of his songs. It was recorded in a session at Decca Studios in West Hampstead, London in October 1964 along with "Baby, Please Don't Go" and "All For Myself".[4]
Jimmy Page played guitar on this arrangement. Andy White and Tommy Scott performed backing vocals with Phil Coulter on keyboards. Drummer Ronnie Millings recalled that the band worked on the song at the studio with rehearsals lasting four days. Billy Harrison noted that "I remember sitting in Decca when Bert said he had this song, and he came out with "Here Comes the Night". He had a riff and that's all he had, and we sat and we worked on it, and we came up with what you hear. We worked at it sitting in the studio—but no engineers or anything."[5] Phil Coulter later said, "I knew I'd heard a smash. It was the first time I'd ever heard a hit record in its emerging state."[6]
According to Phil Coulter the band had intended this song to be the follow-up to "Baby, Please Don't Go" but Decca rush-released a recording of the song by Lulu in November 1964. The band members of Them were said to be bitterly disappointed by this decision made by Decca and Phil Solomon. Phil Coulter remarked: "They bitched to me a lot but they wouldn't dare to have said anything to Solomon." The band was said to have a "certain grim satisfaction" as Lulu's recording reached No. 50 and then dropped off the charts.[7]
Despite a bold, breezy tone the song's lyrics told a tale of obsessive jealousy and approaching loneliness from the point of view of a rejected lover who voyeuristically watches the new couple.
"Here Comes the Night" was Them's third single in both the UK and the US; the US release following the success of "Gloria" in that market. The first day of its release it sold 16,000 copies, at the time an impressive showing.[8] It peaked at No.2 UK and No.24 US, spending 10 weeks on the U.S. chart. It was also released on the EP Mystic Eyes. After the record was released, Them was immediately sent on a public relations push with television appearances on Ready Steady Go! and Top of the Pops.
Van Morrison has remarked on this:[8]
Them were never meant to be on Top of the Pops, I mean miming? Lip syncing? We used to laugh at the programme, think it was a joke. Then we were on it ourselves. It was ridiculous. We were totally anti that type of thing. We were really into the blues...and we had to get into suits and have make-up put on and all that..
It was released on the Parrot (US) version of the album THEM in July 1965, and also appears on the album The Story of Them. It was also re-released on the Deram label in 1973, but did not chart.
Appearance on other Van Morrison albums
- Van Morrison (1974). Having gone on to a critically acclaimed solo career, Morrison revisited "Here Comes the Night" on his seminal live album It's Too Late to Stop Now. This rendition is augmented by a string section.
- "Here Comes the Night" (the original 1965 version) was included in the 1990 compilation album The Best of Van Morrison.
- This song (the original 1965 version) is one of the hits that is included on Van Morrison's 2007 compilation album Still on Top - The Greatest Hits.
Other versions
| "Here Comes the Night" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Lulu | ||||
| B-side | "That's Really Some Good" | |||
| Released | November 1964 | |||
| Format | 7" vinyl | |||
| Label | Decca Records | |||
| Producer(s) | Bert Berns, Music director: Mike Leander | |||
| Lulu singles chronology | ||||
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The song was originally released by Decca Records in November 1964, in a version by Scottish singer Lulu. Her recording charted at No.50 in the UK.[3][9]
- The Exciters (1965). A slight variation of the song, named "There They Go". Released on Roulette 4632.
- David Bowie (1973). On his covers album Pin Ups.
- Streetheart (1979) Under Heaven Over Hell.
- The Rivals (1980). A punk version. The Rivals thought they were covering a David Bowie song.
- Native (1994). A reggae version. Featured memorably in the film (and soundtrack to) Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.
- Dwight Yoakam (1997). On his covers album Under the Covers.
- The Fabulous Thunderbirds (1995), on the album Roll of the Dice.
- Rod Stewart (2013), on the special edition of the album Time.
- South African bands All Night Radio and Big Sky have both covered the song.[10]
References
- ↑ "Top 100 1965". UKCharts-TopSource.Info. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
- ↑ Rogan, No Surrender, p.102
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Lulu Discography - UK". 45cat. Retrieved 2014-06-06.
- ↑ Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p. 516
- ↑ Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p.99
- ↑ Rogan, No Surrender, pp. 111-112
- ↑ Rogan, No Surrender, p.102
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Rogan, No Surrender, p. 112
- ↑ Rogan, No Surrender, p.102
- ↑ Brian Currin (2003-05-25). "South African Rock Lists Website - Cover Versions". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 2014-06-06.
- Bibliography
- Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press, ISBN 1-55652-542-7
- Rogan, Johnny (2006). Van Morrison: No Surrender, London: Vintage Books ISBN 978-0-09-943183-1
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