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Because the Night

 

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Because the Night



 
 
"Because the Night" is a song by the Patti Smith Group, written by Smith and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has recorded and toured with the E Street Band....
, released as a single in 1978, taken from Smith's album Easter
Easter (album)

Easter is an album by the Patti Smith, released in March 1978 on Arista Records . Produced by Jimmy Iovine, it is regarded as the group's commercial breakthrough, owing to the success of the single, "Because the Night" , which reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 in the UK....
. The song was a hit, rising to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
 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
NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition....
 magazine's list of "The Top 150 Singles of All Time".

original song was recorded by Bruce Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town

Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1978 ....
 album.






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Encyclopedia


"Because the Night" is a song by the Patti Smith Group, written by Smith and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has recorded and toured with the E Street Band....
, released as a single in 1978, taken from Smith's album Easter
Easter (album)

Easter is an album by the Patti Smith, released in March 1978 on Arista Records . Produced by Jimmy Iovine, it is regarded as the group's commercial breakthrough, owing to the success of the single, "Because the Night" , which reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 in the UK....
. The song was a hit, rising to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
 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
NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition....
 magazine's list of "The Top 150 Singles of All Time".

History

The original song was recorded by Bruce Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town

Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1978 ....
 album. The Patti Smith Group was working on Easter in the studio next door, and the bands were exchanging tapes; Springsteen even composed some songs in the other band's style. With male-centered lyrics and a reported Latin
Latin American music

Latin American music refers to the music of all countries in Latin America and comes in many varieties. Latin America is home to musical styles such as the simple, rural conjunto music of northern Mexico, the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, the rhythmic sounds of the Music of Puerto Rico plena, the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos, and the...
 feel, the original version of the song – a workingman's lament – wasn't finding a place on the Springsteen album. Smith took the song and recast it from a female perspective, and it was included on Easter, becoming the first single release from that album. Though it was never released on a Springsteen studio album, in concert beginning with his Darkness Tour
Darkness Tour

Bruce Springsteen's Darkness Tour was a concert tour of North America that ran from May 1978 through the rest of the year, in conjunction with the release of Springsteen's album Darkness on the Edge of Town....
 Springsteen would often perform the song with his original lyrics, borrowing Smith's rock arrangement. The only commercially-released recording of a Springsteen version of the song was included on Live/1975–85.

Cover versions

  • In 1986, heavy metal band Keel
    Keel (band)

    Keel is an United States glam metal, Heavy metal music band founded in 1984 in Los Angeles, California. They were known for their rock anthem "The Right to Rock." The band was active until 1989, with a brief reunion in 1998....
     did a hard rock version of the song on their album The Final Frontier
    The Final Frontier

    The Final Frontier is a 1986 album by the Heavy metal music band Keel . It was the band's second album to be produced by Kiss bassist Gene Simmons....
    .
  • In 1992, Co Ro featuring Taleesa released a version 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 live version was recorded by 10,000 Maniacs
    10,000 Maniacs

    10,000 Maniacs was a United States-based alternative rock band, formed in 1981 and active with various line-ups through 2007. Their best-known member is Natalie Merchant, who left the band in 1993 to pursue a solo career....
     in 1993 for MTV Unplugged
    MTV Unplugged (10,000 Maniacs album)

    MTV Unplugged is a 1993 live album by 10,000 Maniacs. The album was recorded for the MTV Unplugged series and it was also the last album by the band featuring Natalie Merchant as vocalist....
    , 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 1998 Kim Wilde
    Kim Wilde

    Kim Wilde is an England pop singer.Wilde burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the new wave music classic "Kids in America ", which hit number two in the UK Singles Chart....
     released a cover of the song which appearing on the Germany-only various artists release Philharmania.
  • The Spanish band Tahúres zurdos
    Tahúres zurdos

    Tah?res zurdos was a Spain band active from 1987 to 2004.Its members were Aurora Beltr?n Gila , Manuel Beltr?n Gila , Luis salcedo , Juan Manuel Ugarte , Javier Lizarazu ....
     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
    Chihiro Onitsuka

    is a Japanese singer-songwriter.In 2000, Onitsuka released her debut single "Shine" and gained massive popularity through her second single "Gekkou"....
     performed a live cover at the Yokohama Arena on August 23, 2001.
  • German DJ Jan Wayne
    Jan Wayne

    Jan Wayne , real name Jan Christiansen, is a German electronic dance music DJ and producer, noted for his remixes....
     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
    Cascada

    Cascada is a Germany Eurodance group most famous for their hit singles "Everytime We Touch " and "What Hurts the Most". They have so far sold an estimated 4 million copies of their two albums worldwide....
     recorded a version which appears on their second album Perfect Day
    Perfect Day (Cascada album)

    Perfect Day is the second studio album released by German Eurodance act Cascada. It features a number of cover songs, most notably Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi", Pink 's "Just like a Pill", Patti Smith's "Because the Night" and Mark Wills' song "What Hurts the Most"....
    . The music video for the single premiered on YouTube
    YouTube

    YouTube is a Video hosting service website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005....
     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 too, the Italian project May released their own version of the song, under the label D:vision
  • In 2008, the french band Dark_electro A7IE performed a live cover on November 1, 2008 in France,this song is available on True Mania 5 Years Compilation


Notable live cover performances

  • The song has been performed live by Bruce Springsteen
    Bruce Springsteen

    Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has recorded and toured with the E Street Band....
     during a show in Miami with U2
    U2

    U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
     singer Bono
    Bono

    Paul David Hewson , also known by his stage name Bono, is the main vocalist of the Ireland rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Ali Hewson, and the future members of U2....
     and the E Street Band
    E Street Band

    The E Street Band is a musical group that has periodically toured and recorded with rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972.The band has also recorded , with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Sting , Ian Hunter , Ringo Starr, Ronnie Spector, G...
    .
  • R.E.M.
    R.E.M.

    R.E.M. is an American Rock music band formed in Athens, Georgia, Georgia , in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry ....
     lead singer Michael Stipe
    Michael Stipe

    John Michael Stipe is an United States singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surrealism lyrics, as well as his social and political activism....
     performed the song with Springsteen at a Vote for Change-tour performance.
  • Member of E Street Band, Nils Lofgren
    Nils Lofgren

    Nils Lofgren is an United States rock music singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Famous as a solo artist, he is also a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band as well as a former member of Crazy Horse ....
     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.
  • The song was part of the set of Patti LuPone
    Patti LuPone

    Patti LuPone is an United States singer and actress, perhaps best known for her Tony Award-winning performance as Eva Per?n in the 1979 musical Evita ....
     during her 27 weeks of concerts at Les Mouches in 1980. The concert, including this song, was recently released on CD.


Charts

Patti Smith Group
Chart (1978) Peak
position
Austrian Singles Chart21
Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart

The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the Irish Recorded Music Association by Chart-Track....
16
Swedish Singles Chart9
UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
5
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
13


Co.Ro featuring Tarlisa

Chart (1992)Peak
position
Austrian Singles Chart14
French Singles Chart6
German Singles Chart16
Irish Singles Chart21
Italian Singles Chart1
Swedish Singles Chart26


10,000 Maniacs
Chart (1993) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
65
U.S. Billboard Hot 10011
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks7
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream
Top 40 Mainstream

Top 40 Mainstream Chart is an airplay chart from Billboard Magazine and is featured in both sister publications Billboard and R&R . It is often mistaken for and confused with the Pop 100 Airplay charts ....
7
Chart (1994) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks

The Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary music and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States....
9


Cascada
Chart (2008) Peak
Position
Austrian Singles Chart45
Dutch Top 40tip3*
Euro Singles Hot 10093
French Airplay Chart37
German DJ Playlist Chart3
German Singles Chart41
Slovakia Singles Chart56
UK Singles Chart28
U.S. Billboard European Hot 10057
U.S. Billboard Global Dance Tracks16


Cascada's Version


As with most dance music, the song comes in many remix variations.

  1. Because The Night (Radio Edit)3:25
  2. Because The Night (Short Radio Edit) 2:58
  3. Because The Night (Extended Mix) 5:33
  4. Because The Night (Styles & Breeze Mix) 6:07
  5. Because The Night (Hypasonic Mix) 5:37
  6. Because The Night (Riffs & Rays Mix) 6:26
  7. Because The Night (Alex K Remix) 5:50
  8. Because The Night (The Hitmen Mix) 5:50
  9. Because The Night (M65 Mix) 6:02
  10. Because The Night (Bassrockerz Remix) 5:15
  11. Because The Night (2-4 Grooves Radio Edit) 3:00
  12. Because The Night (Schwarzkopf & Schroder Mix) 5:49
  13. Because The Night (Mondo Remix) 6:00
  14. Because The Night (Mondo Radio Edit)
  15. Because The Night (2-4 Grooves Remix) 5:47
  16. Because The Night (Manian Bootleg Cut) 5:06
  17. Because The Night (Manox Remix) 6:20
  18. Because The Night (Manox Radio Edit)
  19. Because The Night (Michel Kovacs Remix) 4:59
  20. Because The Night (Michel Kivacs Radio Edit)

External links

  • at the official website