Midnight Lady (1982 song)
Encyclopedia
"Midnight Lady" is the beginning track of Marvin Gaye
's 1982 album, Midnight Love
. It wasn't released as a single off the album but is notable for its sly references to Rick James
and his hit, "Superfreak".
and new wave
artists such as Duran Duran
to rock
artists such as John Lennon
, a pop music contemporary he was often compared to, reggae
legend Bob Marley
and funk
/R&B
artists such as Prince
, Michael Jackson
and Rick James
. For this song, the musical style of James, which mixed styles of funk
, synthpop
and new wave
particularly on James' biggest crossover hit, "Superfreak", influenced the direction of what became "Midnight Lady". In its alternate demo version, later released on the Midnight Love and the Sexual Healing Sessions album, it's titled as "Clique Games/Rick James". The eventual title of the song was loosely based on what Gaye was calling himself. According to biographer David Ritz
, Gaye told him, "Most of my life happens after midnight. Call me the 'Midnight Man'." Gaye played on most of the instruments of the album except for drums by James Gadson
, the horn section by David Stout and The L.A. Horn Section and guitar by Gordon Banks
. In the song, Gaye references going to a party "last Saturday night" where "superfreaks were hanging out/wall to wall". Throughout the song, Gaye continues referencing the woman he's after as a "superfreak". Lyrically wise and musically wise, the influence of "Superfreak" was prominent. In one verse, Gaye tells the woman, "somebody said you was a superfreak/I'm here to tell you I'm a superfreak, baby." Gaye would later admit he was influenced by James for the duration of the album as it progressed. The song was never released as a single but was issued as the first track off Midnight Love.
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's 1982 album, Midnight Love
Midnight Love
Midnight Love is the final studio album recorded and issued by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and was the singer's first release from Columbia months after leaving his longtime label, Motown. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year....
. It wasn't released as a single off the album but is notable for its sly references to Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
and his hit, "Superfreak".
Song information
By the recording of Midnight Love, Gaye was influenced by the different musical styles that were dominating the pop music scene of the 1980s from synthpopSynthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
artists such as Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
to rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
artists such as John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, a pop music contemporary he was often compared to, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
legend Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
/R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
artists such as Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
. For this song, the musical style of James, which mixed styles of funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
particularly on James' biggest crossover hit, "Superfreak", influenced the direction of what became "Midnight Lady". In its alternate demo version, later released on the Midnight Love and the Sexual Healing Sessions album, it's titled as "Clique Games/Rick James". The eventual title of the song was loosely based on what Gaye was calling himself. According to biographer David Ritz
David Ritz
David Ritz is an American author, most of whose books are biographies of soul music and R&B legends such as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Janet Jackson. On four occasions, his co-authored autobiographies of musicians have been awarded the Ralph J...
, Gaye told him, "Most of my life happens after midnight. Call me the 'Midnight Man'." Gaye played on most of the instruments of the album except for drums by James Gadson
James Gadson
James Gadson is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B music....
, the horn section by David Stout and The L.A. Horn Section and guitar by Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks (musician)
Gordon Banks , aka Gordon 'Guitar' Banks, is an American guitarist, producer, writer and musical director. He was voted one of the top 100 guitarists in America in 1985.Banks played an important part in Marvin Gaye's later years...
. In the song, Gaye references going to a party "last Saturday night" where "superfreaks were hanging out/wall to wall". Throughout the song, Gaye continues referencing the woman he's after as a "superfreak". Lyrically wise and musically wise, the influence of "Superfreak" was prominent. In one verse, Gaye tells the woman, "somebody said you was a superfreak/I'm here to tell you I'm a superfreak, baby." Gaye would later admit he was influenced by James for the duration of the album as it progressed. The song was never released as a single but was issued as the first track off Midnight Love.
Credits
- Lead and background vocals by Marvin Gaye
- Written, arranged and produced by Marvin Gaye
- All instruments by Marvin Gaye except where notified:
- James GadsonJames GadsonJames Gadson is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B music....
- drums - Gordon BanksGordon Banks (musician)Gordon Banks , aka Gordon 'Guitar' Banks, is an American guitarist, producer, writer and musical director. He was voted one of the top 100 guitarists in America in 1985.Banks played an important part in Marvin Gaye's later years...
- guitar - David Stout and The L.A. Horn Section - horns
- James Gadson
- Horn arrangement by McKinley T. Jackson