One Night Only (song)
Encyclopedia
"One Night Only" is a song from the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls
, with lyrics by Tom Eyen
and music by Henry Krieger
. In the context of the musical, "One Night Only" is performed twice in succession, as differing versions of the song - a soul ballad by the character Effie White and a disco version by her former bandmates Deena Jones & the Dreams - compete on the radio and the pop charts.
as Effie and Sheryl Lee Ralph
, Loretta Devine
, and Deborah Burrell as Deena Jones & the Dreams. "One Night Only" was later covered on album by Elaine Paige
and Sylvester
. Actor Hugh Jackman
performed the song while hosting the 2004 Tony Award
s ceremony, in a large production number featuring girl group
s from the musicals Caroline, or Change
, Hairspray
, and Little Shop of Horrors
.
Dreamgirls
was adapted by writer/director Bill Condon
into a motion picture for DreamWorks SKG and Paramount
in 2006. For this version, the two versions of "One Night Only" were performed by Jennifer Hudson
as Effie and Beyoncé Knowles
, Anika Noni Rose
, and Sharon Leal
as Deena Jones & the Dreams. R&B production team The Underdogs
served as the producers of "One Night Only" and the other songs from the film's score. A club remix
of Deena's version of the song, produced by Eric Kupper & Richie Jones, was issued by Music World Entertainment and Columbia Records
as a promo single for the Dreamgirls film soundtrack in August 2006, four months before the release of the film. The song was also sampled by Lil Wayne for his version of "One Night Only". The dance crew Breaksk8 danced to this song on America's Best Dance Crew
as a part of their Broadway Challenge. The Korean pop quintet, Wonder Girls
performed a cover version of the song during their 1st Wonder Tour. John Barrowman
covered the song on his self-titled album John Barrowman
.
meant that the song made its only appearance in the UK top 100 songs three years after it was initially released. "One Night Only" is the second highest charting song from the modern cinematic version of Dreamgirls
behind only Beyoncé
's "Listen" (although "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
" has also since garnered more interest after performances by Nicole Lawrence, Danyl Johnson (also on The X Factor) and Amber Riley
on Glee
.)
Other releases:
from the extended soundtrack edition of Dreamgirls. This is an extended edit of the Eric Kupper and Richie Jones remix version.
Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based upon the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio...
, with lyrics by Tom Eyen
Tom Eyen
Tom Eyen was an American playwright, lyricist, television writer and theatre director.Eyen is best known for works at opposite ends of the theatrical spectrum...
and music by Henry Krieger
Henry Krieger
Henry Krieger is an American composer.Krieger wrote the music for the Broadway shows Dreamgirls , The Tap Dance Kid , and Side Show , as well as other works of musical theatre.He was nominated for the Tony Awards for Best Score for both Dreamgirls and Side Show, won a Grammy...
. In the context of the musical, "One Night Only" is performed twice in succession, as differing versions of the song - a soul ballad by the character Effie White and a disco version by her former bandmates Deena Jones & the Dreams - compete on the radio and the pop charts.
Song information
Both versions of "One Night Only" appear as one track on the original 1982 Dreamgirls Broadway cast album, performed by Jennifer HollidayJennifer Holliday
Jennifer-Yvette Holliday is an African-American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist...
as Effie and Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph is an American actress, singer, and activist.-Personal life:Raised between Mandeville, Jamaica, and Long Island, New York, Sheryl Lee Ralph was born in Waterbury, Connecticut to an African American father and a Jamaican mother. Sheryl attended Uniondale High School in Uniondale, NY...
, Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine is an American stage, film and television actress known for her roles on Boston Public, Grey's Anatomy, and Eli Stone. She also provided her voice for the stop motion animated television series The PJs. Devine is a NAACP Image Award and Emmy award winning actress.-Early life:Devine...
, and Deborah Burrell as Deena Jones & the Dreams. "One Night Only" was later covered on album by Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
and Sylvester
Sylvester James
-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Compilation albums:* Mighty Real UK #62* 12 By 12 * Immortal -Singles:-Additional recordings:*Lights Out San Francisco...
. Actor Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
performed the song while hosting the 2004 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s ceremony, in a large production number featuring girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
s from the musicals Caroline, or Change
Caroline, or Change
Caroline, or Change is a through-composed musical with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and score by Jeanine Tesori that combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music....
, Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
, and Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
.
Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
was adapted by writer/director Bill Condon
Bill Condon
William "Bill" Condon is an American screenwriter and director. Condon is best known for directing and writing the critically acclaimed films Gods and Monsters, Chicago, Kinsey, and Dreamgirls. In 1998, Condon debuted as a screenwriter in Gods and Monsters, which won him his first Academy Award....
into a motion picture for DreamWorks SKG and Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 2006. For this version, the two versions of "One Night Only" were performed by Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
as Effie and Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, Anika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose is an American singer and actress known for her Tony Award winning performance in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change and her starring roles in the films Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog....
, and Sharon Leal
Sharon Leal
Sharon Leal is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in movies such as Dreamgirls, Why Did I Get Married?, Why Did I Get Married Too? and the televisions series Hellcats.-Personal life:...
as Deena Jones & the Dreams. R&B production team The Underdogs
The Underdogs (duo)
The Underdogs is an R&B/pop production duo composed of Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas.-Biography:Harvey Mason, Jr. is the son of Harvey Mason, Sr., a noted session drummer...
served as the producers of "One Night Only" and the other songs from the film's score. A club remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of Deena's version of the song, produced by Eric Kupper & Richie Jones, was issued by Music World Entertainment and Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as a promo single for the Dreamgirls film soundtrack in August 2006, four months before the release of the film. The song was also sampled by Lil Wayne for his version of "One Night Only". The dance crew Breaksk8 danced to this song on America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
as a part of their Broadway Challenge. The Korean pop quintet, Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls is a South Korean girl group. Its producer and manager is singer-songwriter Park Jin-Young and the Wonder Girls is signed to his talent agency, JYP Entertainment. Each of the five original members were selected through auditions...
performed a cover version of the song during their 1st Wonder Tour. John Barrowman
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and...
covered the song on his self-titled album John Barrowman
John Barrowman (album)
John Barrowman is the self-titled third studio album by musician and actor, John Barrowman. Released on March 1, 2010, the album debuted at #11 on the UK Top 40 Albums Chart. This was the highest chart rating of any of Barrowman's albums to date....
.
Charts
"One Night Only" in the version performed by Deena Jones & the Dreams entered the UK Singles Chart at #67 on September 6, 2009 based on downloads alone. Renewed interest after an audition performance by Rozell Phillips, 21 on the reality TV show The X FactorThe X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
meant that the song made its only appearance in the UK top 100 songs three years after it was initially released. "One Night Only" is the second highest charting song from the modern cinematic version of Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
behind only Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
's "Listen" (although "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a torch song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger...
" has also since garnered more interest after performances by Nicole Lawrence, Danyl Johnson (also on The X Factor) and Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
on Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
.)
Track list and remixes
House mixes EP- One Night Only (Eric Kupper & Richie Jones Club Mix Edit) - 4:06
- One Night Only (Eric Kupper & Richie Jones Club Mix) - 8:27
- One Night Only (Eric Kupper & Richie Jones Club Mix Instrumental) - 8:27
- One Night Only (Film Version) - 3:23
- One Night Only (Film Version Instrumental) - 3:24
Other releases:
- One Night Only (Dance Mix) - 6:08
from the extended soundtrack edition of Dreamgirls. This is an extended edit of the Eric Kupper and Richie Jones remix version.
Cover Versions
- Scherrie PayneScherrie PayneScherrie Payne is an American singer. The younger sister of singer/actress Freda Payne, Scherrie Payne was the co-lead singer of The Supremes from 1973 to 1977, after Jean Terrell left the group in the fall of 1973...
, a member of The SupremesThe SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
from 1973-77, recorded a 12" single 6:35 duration, on the San Francisco label MEGATONEMegatoneMegatone is a collaborative album between Merzbow and Japanese experimental doom band Boris, released on Inoxia Records in 2002.-Track listing:# "It Continues Waiting for a Headronefish" – 23:26...
in 1984. It was a big hit in gay discos of the era, and featured Cindy BirdsongCindy BirdsongCynthia Ann "Cindy" Birdsong , better known by her stage name, Cindy Birdsong, is an American singer, most famous for singing with the legendary soul groups Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles and The Supremes.-Early life:...
on background vocals.
- Treyc Cohen performed the song when she was in the Bottom 2 on the 3rd Live Show of the seventh series of The X Factor