Night Life (Willie Nelson song)
| "Night Life" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Willie Nelson | ||||
| B-side | "Rainy Day Blues" | |||
| Released | 1960 | |||
| Recorded | 1960 at Goldstar Studios | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:35 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Willie Nelson, Paul Buskirk, Walt Breeland | |||
| Producer(s) | Bill Quinn | |||
| Willie Nelson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Night Life" is a song written by
Due to financial issues, Nelson sold the song to guitar instructor Paul Buskirk for $150. The recording of the song was rejected by Pappy Daily, owner of Nelson's label, D Records. Daily believed that the song was not country. Encouraged by the amount of money he received for the song, Nelson decided to master it at another studio. To avoid legal actions, it was recorded as "Nite Life" under the artist name of "Paul Buskirk and the Little Men featuring Hugh Nelson." In 1963 Bellaire Records reissued the single under the original title of "Night Life," recrediting it to "Willie Nelson."
Background and recording
After his son Billy was born in 1958, struggling with financial issues, Nelson moved to Houston. On the way, Nelson stopped by the
Nelson sold the song for $150 to Paul Buskirk in 1960, while working at his school as a guitar instructor.[3] Produced by Bill Quinn, Nelson recorded the song at Gold Star Studios. The session band was composed of guitarist Buskirk, bassist Dean Reynolds, drummer Al Hagy, pianist Bob Whitford, steel guitarist Herb Remington, and Dick Shannon on saxophone and vibraphone.[4]
The song was rejected by Pappy Daily, who did not consider it country. Nelson, who owed Daily the recording of other songs, had sold "Night Life" for enough money to master the record at another studio. Daily threatened to sue Nelson if he pressed the song.[3] Nelson and Buskirk took the tapes from Gold Star Studios, and went to Bill Holford's ACA Studios to master the recording.[5] The song was recorded as "Nite Life," and credited to "Paul Buskirk and the Little Men featuring Hugh Nelson."[3] Released through Rx Records, few copies of the single were pressed,[5] and it received limited airplay by DJ Uncle Hank Craig on XEG.[6]
Later recordings
In 1960
The original 1960 recording by Nelson was re-released as "Night Life," for the first time under his own name, on Bellaire Records in 1963, along with its original B-side, "Rainy Day Blues." Later, it was included on the 2000 Bear Family Records compilation The Complete D Singles Collection.[12]
In 1969, "Night Life" was covered by Stan Webb, the singer with Chicken Shack and issued as the B-side to a well-received cover of "I'd Rather Go Blind," sung by Christine Perfect (better known as Christine McVie, of Fleetwood Mac fame).
The song was covered by several other artists including
Crystal Gayle performed Night Life, accompanied by B.B. King on guitar, on her first CBS TV show, The Crystal Gayle Special (1979).
The song "Night Life," on the 1974 Thin Lizzy album Nightlife, borrows the title and chorus of the Willie Nelson song, but Thin Lizzy lead singer Phil Lynott is credited as the song's sole writer.[14]
A version recorded by Nelson and trumpeter
Chart performance
Ray Price
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 28[11] |
Willie Nelson and Danny Davis
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[20] | 20 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 9[16] |
B. J. Thomas
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[21] | 59 |
Footnotes
- ^ Nelson, Shrake & Shrake 2000, pp. 116, 117.
- ^ Nelson, Shrake & Shrake 2000, p. 117.
- ^ a b c Nelson, Shrake & Shrake 2000, p. 118.
- ^ Bradley & Wood 2010, p. 80.
- ^ a b Bradley & Wood 2010, p. 81.
- ^ Smith, Michael William (April 25, 2013). "Mr. Record Man: Willie Nelson". Houston Press. Voice Media Group. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
- ^ Cusic 2011, p. 137.
- ^ a b Reinert 1976, p. 102.
- ^ Nelson, Shrake & Shrake 2000, p. 158.
- ^ Night Life (LP). Ray Price. Columbia Records. 1963. CS-8771.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
- ^ Bradley & Wood 2010, p. 82.
- ^ Erlewine, Bogdanov & Woodstra 2003, p. 532.
- ^ Adams, Scott (September 10, 2012). "Thin Lizzy: Nightlife and Fighting, Reissues". Ink 19.
- ^ Whitburn 1989, p. 77.
- ^ a b "Country 75 Singles". RPM. 33 (4). Walt Grealis: 31. April 19, 1980. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
- ^ Christe 2009, p. 14.
- ^ Bego 2010, p. 98.
- ^ "Willie Nelson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "B.J. Thomas Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
Bibliography
- Bego, Mark (2010). Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-786-75229-4.
- Bradley, Andy; Wood, Roger (2010). House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-78324-9.
- Cusic, Don (2011). The Cowboy in Country Music: An Historical Survey with Artist Profiles. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-786-46314-5.
- Christe, Ian (2009). Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-53618-6.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris (2003). Allmusic Guide to Country Music. Backbeat Books. ISBN 9780879307608.
- Nelson, Willie; Shrake, Bud; Shrake, Edwin (2000). Willie: An Autobiography. Cooper Square Press.
- Reinert, Al (1976). "Bringing it All Back Home". Texas Monthly. 4 (8). Emmis Communications. ISSN 0148-7736.
- Whitburn, Joel (1989). Joel Whitburn's top country singles, 1944-1988: compiled from Billboard's country charts, 1944-1988. Record Research. ISBN 9780898200706.
