Wild Night

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Not to be confused with Wild Nights!.

"Wild Night"
Single by Van Morrison
from the album Tupelo Honey
B-side"When That Evening Sun Goes Down"
Released1 September 1971[1]
RecordedSpring 1971 in Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco
Genre
Length3:33
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Van Morrison
Producer(s)Van Morrison
Ted Templeman
Van Morrison singles chronology
"Call Me Up in Dreamland"
(1971) 		"Wild Night"
(1971) 		"Tupelo Honey"
(1972)
Audio
"Wild Night" on YouTube

"Wild Night" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is the opening track on his fifth studio album Tupelo Honey. It was released as a single in 1971 and reached number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[4] In 2022, the song peaked at #1 on the radio airplay chart in Canada.[5]

Morrison has continued to perform it in concerts throughout his career and it has been recorded by many artists and bands. A new version recorded by John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello in 1994 peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of that year and reached number one in Canada for three weeks.

Recording and composition[edit]

"Wild Night" was first recorded during a session with Lewis Merenstein as producer at Warners Publishing Studio in New York City in autumn 1968. The version released on Tupelo Honey was recorded in spring 1971 at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco with Ted Templeman as producer.[6]

Reception[edit]

Tom Maginnis in Allmusic describes it as: "an effusive three and a half minutes of Stax-inspired R&B, buoyed by a sweet guitar lick from Ronnie Montrose of such quality that would make Steve Cropper proud."[7] Cash Box described the song as an "intriguing self penned composition," praising the "electrifying vocal and musical performance"[8] Record World said that Morrison's voice is in "rare form" and that the "rock and roll flavor [is] sure to please many fans."[9] Record World also highlighted the "weepy sax."[9]

Reviewing Tupelo Honey in Uncut magazine, David Cavanagh wrote of "Wild Night": "Recorded live in the studio (as all Morrison's albums are), it sounds intricately layered, highly sophisticated by 2007's standards, like speeded-up Steely Dan meets Allen Toussaint. It's fluid but meticulous; ultra-rehearsed but effortless. It promises a party to come."[10]

"Wild Night" as originally recorded by Morrison was rated at No. 747 on Dave Marsh's 1989 book, The Heart of Rock and Soul, The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever.[11]

Other releases[edit]

"Wild Night" has remained a popular tune performed by Morrison at many of his concerts from 1970 to 2009.[12] It featured as one of the closing songs during his appearance as the first day headline act at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in September 2006. It was included in the Limited Edition Album, Live at Austin City Limits Festival recorded from the performance. The song was used on the soundtrack of the movie Twenty Four Seven and as such is one of the nineteen movie hits featured on Morrison's 2007 compilation album, Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits. The original as remastered in 2007 is one of the hits included on the compilation album, Still on Top - The Greatest Hits. "Wild Night" was included on the 2003 (10 CD) set Ultimate Seventies Collection by Time-Life.[13]

A live performance is also one of the songs performed on Morrison's 1980 concert disc on the Live at Montreux 1980/1974 DVD released in 2006.

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Belgium[15] 41
Canada RPM Top Singles 20
Netherlands Dutch Singles Chart[16] 24
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 28
US Cash Box Top 100[18] 24

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 1 September 1971 Vinyl
[19]
United Kingdom 19 November 1971
Netherlands November 1971
Germany 1971
France
Portugal

Martha Reeves version[edit]

"Wild Night"
Italian single sleeve
Single by Martha Reeves
from the album Martha Reeves
B-side"My Man (You Changed My Tune)" (UK, Italy and Japan)
"Stand by Me" (US and Australia)
"I've Got To Use My Imagination" (France)
Released12 July 1974[20]
Genre
Length3:28
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)Van Morrison
Producer(s)Richard Perry
Martha Reeves singles chronology
"Power of Love"
(1974) 		"Wild Night"
(1974) 		"Love Blind"
(1975)
Audio
"Wild Night" on YouTube

In 1974, Martha Reeves recorded a version of the song for her self-titled debut solo album,[21] and was released as a single. it reached number seventy-four on the R&B charts[22] and at number 95 in Australia.[23] Reeves' version of the song was featured in the 1991 film Thelma & Louise.[24]

Charts[edit]

Chart (1974) Peak
position
US R&B chart[25] 74
Australia ARIA[23] 95

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 12 July 1974 Vinyl
[26]
United States August 1974
Australia
Italy 1974
Japan
France

John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello version[edit]

"Wild Night"
Single by John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello
from the album Dance Naked
B-side"Brothers" (live)
Released10 May 1994
GenreRock[27]
Length3:27
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)Van Morrison
Producer(s)
  • John Mellencamp
  • Mike Manchic
John Mellencamp singles chronology
"Baby Please Don't Go"
(1994) 		"Wild Night"
(1994) 		"Dance Naked"
(1994)
Meshell Ndegeocello singles chronology
"Call Me"
(1994) 		"Wild Night"
(1994) 		"Who Is He and What Is He to You"
(1996)
Music videos

American musicians John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello recorded a version of "Wild Night" and released it as a single in 1994. The song was included on Mellencamp's 1994 album, Dance Naked[28] and an "acoustic" remix was released as a promotional single for radio. This version of the song reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 in mid-1994 and remained in the top 40 for 33 weeks. It also topped the US Adult Contemporary chart for eight weeks, the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart for three weeks, and the RPM Adult Contemporary chart for one week. It sold 500,000 copies in the US.[29] A live version by Mellencamp and Ndegeocello appears on Mellencamp's 1999 album Rough Harvest.

Music videos[edit]

Two music videos were filmed for "Wild Night". The first music video for "Wild Night" features Mellencamp, his backing band, and Ndegeocello performing the song in a hall and basement, and continues throughout the video.

Another video for "Wild Night" was filmed, it begins when a cab driver in Chicago (portrayed by American model Shana Zadrick) turns on the radio, the song comes on, gets dressed for work (matching with the opening lyrics) and drives around her various fares (with passengers such as a filmmaker, driving past a place with a sign that reads "60s-70s Dance Hits", possibly a reference to the original or Reeves's version, Mellencamp's then-drummer Kenny Aronoff, a newlywed couple, a man and his dogs, a surfer, and many more) intercut with scenes from the first video, with a few minor differences.

Charts[edit]

Sales[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States — 500,000[29]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Van Morrison - Wild Night - dutchcharts.nl".
  2. ^ "Wild Night by van Morrison - Track Info | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (15 October 1996). "Color Blind: Blue-eyed Soul". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 42. ISBN 031214704X.
  4. ^ "Song artist 420 – Van Morrison". tsort.info. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Wild Night".
  6. ^ Heylin. Can You Feel the Silence?. pp. 518–520.
  7. ^ "Wild Night: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  8. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 25 September 1971. p. 20. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Single Product" (PDF). Record World. 25 September 1971. p. 12. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  10. ^ Cavanagh, David. "Van Morrison Tupelo Honey review". Uncut. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  11. ^ "Dave Marsh the 1001 greatest Singles Ever". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2007.
  12. ^ "Wild Night Performances". ivan.vanomatic.de. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  13. ^ "Ultimate Seventies". deaddisc.com. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  14. ^ "Rick Shlosser – About". rickshlosser.com. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  15. ^ "Van Morrison - Domino".
  16. ^ "Dutch singles history:Van Morrison". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  17. ^ "Allmusic: Van Morrison bllboard singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  18. ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, 11 December 1971
  19. ^ "Van Morrison - Wild Night - dutchcharts.nl".
  20. ^ "Martha Reeves - Wild Night - dutchcharts.nl".
  21. ^ "Martha Reeves". allmusic.com. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  22. ^ "Billboard singles – Martha Reeves". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  23. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 249. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  24. ^ Mansfield, Brian. "Thelma & Louise". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  25. ^ "Billboard singles – Martha Reeves". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  26. ^ "Martha Reeves - Wild Night - dutchcharts.nl".
  27. ^ Considine, J.D. (2004). "John "Cougar" Mellencamp". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 536–537. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  28. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Dance Naked". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  29. ^ a b "Best-Selling Records of 1994". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 3. 21 January 1995. p. 57. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  30. ^ "John Mellencamp with Me'shell N'degéocello – Wild Night". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  31. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2536." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  32. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2579." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  33. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 37. 10 September 1994. p. 13. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  34. ^ "John Mellencamp with Me'shell N'degéocello – Wild Night" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  35. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (29.9.–5.10. '94)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 29 September 1994. p. 16. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  36. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  37. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  38. ^ "John Mellencamp Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  39. ^ "John Mellencamp Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  40. ^ "John Mellencamp Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  41. ^ "John Mellencamp Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  42. ^ "John Mellencamp Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  43. ^ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1994". RPM. Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  44. ^ "RPM Top 100 AC tracks of 1994". RPM. Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  45. ^ "Árslistinn 1994". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1995. p. 25. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  46. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1994". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  47. ^ "1994 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. 24 December 1994. p. YE-68. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  48. ^ "1995 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 51. 23 December 1995. p. YE-80. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  • Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press, ISBN 1-55652-542-7
  • The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996
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