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Because the Night
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"Because the Night" is a song by the Patti Smith Group, written by Smith and Bruce Springsteen, 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".
original song was recorded by Bruce Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town album.

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Encyclopedia
"Because the Night" is a song by the Patti Smith Group, written by Smith and Bruce Springsteen, 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".
History
The original song was recorded by Bruce Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town 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 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 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 did a hard rock version of the song on their album The Final Frontier.
- 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 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 1998 Kim Wilde released a cover of the song which appearing 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 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 during a show in Miami with U2 singer Bono and the E Street Band.
- R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe performed the song with Springsteen at a Vote for Change-tour performance.
- Member of E Street Band, 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.
- 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.
Charts
Patti Smith Group
Co.Ro featuring Tarlisa
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 14 | | French Singles Chart | 6 | | German Singles Chart | 16 | | Irish Singles Chart | 21 | | Italian Singles Chart | 1 | | Swedish Singles Chart | 26 | |
10,000 Maniacs
Cascada
| Chart (2008) | Peak Position |
|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 45 | | Dutch Top 40 | tip3* | | Euro Singles Hot 100 | 93 | | French Airplay Chart | 37 | | German DJ Playlist Chart | 3 | | German Singles Chart | 41 | | Slovakia Singles Chart | 56 | | UK Singles Chart | 28 | | U.S. Billboard European Hot 100 | 57 | | U.S. Billboard Global Dance Tracks | 16 | |
Cascada's Version As with most dance music, the song comes in many remix variations.
- Because The Night (Radio Edit)3:25
- Because The Night (Short Radio Edit) 2:58
- Because The Night (Extended Mix) 5:33
- Because The Night (Styles & Breeze Mix) 6:07
- Because The Night (Hypasonic Mix) 5:37
- Because The Night (Riffs & Rays Mix) 6:26
- Because The Night (Alex K Remix) 5:50
- Because The Night (The Hitmen Mix) 5:50
- Because The Night (M65 Mix) 6:02
- Because The Night (Bassrockerz Remix) 5:15
- Because The Night (2-4 Grooves Radio Edit) 3:00
- Because The Night (Schwarzkopf & Schroder Mix) 5:49
- Because The Night (Mondo Remix) 6:00
- Because The Night (Mondo Radio Edit)
- Because The Night (2-4 Grooves Remix) 5:47
- Because The Night (Manian Bootleg Cut) 5:06
- Because The Night (Manox Remix) 6:20
- Because The Night (Manox Radio Edit)
- Because The Night (Michel Kovacs Remix) 4:59
- Because The Night (Michel Kivacs Radio Edit)
External links
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