Walkin' After Midnight
"Walkin' After Midnight" | ||||
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Paul Cohen | ||||
Patsy Cline singles chronology | ||||
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"Walkin' After Midnight" is a song written by Alan Block and Don Hecht and recorded by
In January 1957, Cline performed the song on an episode of the
In 2020, the 1957 release was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[2]
Background and composition
Alan Block and Donn Hecht wrote the song in 1954, a few years before Cline recorded it. According to Hecht, after securing a songwriting contract with Four Star Records, his assignment was to pick an artist from the label whom he could compose a song for. Hecht was impressed by Cline's vocals and realized her voice was best suited to pop music. Among his catalog of pop-styled songs was "Walkin' After Midnight", originally intended for traditional pop artist Kay Starr, and written in the key of B-flat. Starr's record label had rejected the original version, and it was left unused for years. Hecht pawned his furniture, had a demo made with singer Lynn Howard, and played the demo for Cline's producer, who then played it to Cline over the telephone.[3]
Her first reaction to "Walkin' After Midnight" was negative; however, Hecht and Four Star owner Bill McCall agreed with her. The compromise was that Cline would record it as long as she could also record "
"Walkin' After Midnight" is a
Reception
Critical reception
Alanna Nash of the book Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Country Music in America, called "Walkin' After Midnight" "bluesy";
Impact and chart performance
On January 21, 1957, Cline was invited to perform a song on the CBS television program hosted by Arthur Godfrey entitled, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, a talent competition made up of rising young, unknown professionals. She originally intended to perform "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)" on the show, but the producers preferred "Walkin' After Midnight." Against her wishes, Cline performed the song during the program's 8:30 pm slot.[9] The excessive audience applause froze the show's applause meter, and Cline won first place on that night's show.[10] Because of the strong response, Decca Records (Four Star leased their music to Decca) released "Walkin' After Midnight" as a single on February 11, 1957. It quickly debuted on the Billboard charts, eventually peaking at No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart and No. 12 on the Pop chart by March 3. "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)" was released as the single's B-side, also charting on the Billboard Country chart at No. 14.[11] Because "Walkin' After Midnight" had become a significant hit, Decca issued Cline's debut album August 5, 1957, simply titled, Patsy Cline. The album, however, did not contain the flip side.[12]
Cline later re-recorded "Walkin' After Midnight" for Decca with a more "pop" arrangement that featured backing vocals and a pronounced "clip clop" percussion effect, as well as a modulation to the key of C# for the final verse. Although this version is sometimes heard as an "oldie" on country playlists, it is not the version that was the hit single. Cline's vocals from this recording were overdubbed with a jazzier arrangement for the soundtrack of Cline's biopic Sweet Dreams.
Track listing
7" vinyl single[13]
- "Walkin' After Midnight" – 2:32
- "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)" – 2:45
Personnel
Original 1956 recording[14]
- Harold Bradley – acoustic guitar
- Owen Bradley – associate producer, piano
- Farris Coursey – drums
- Don Helms – steel guitar
- Tommy Jackson – fiddle
- Grady Martin – electric guitar
- Bob Moore – acoustic bass
- Paul Cohen – producer
Re-recorded 1961 version[15]
- Harold Bradley – 6-string electric bass
- Owen Bradley – producer
- Floyd Cramer – organ
- Buddy Harman – drums
- Walter Haynes – steel guitar
- Randy Hughes – acoustic guitar
- The Jordanaires – backing vocals
- Grady Martin – electric guitar
- Bob Moore – acoustic bass
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1957) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia Top 100 Singles (Kent Music Report)[16] | 33 |
US Hot 100 (Billboard)[17] | 12 |
US | 2 |
Notes
- ^ allmusic. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#w
- ^ Patsy: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline. Margaret Jones. Da Capo Press. 1999.page 119
- ^ Nassour 1993, pp. 61–65
- ^ a b "Patsy Cline's Recording Sessions - The Four Star Years". Patsified. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ a b Nash 2006, p. 239
- ^ Nassour 1993, p. 67
- ^ "Nothing But a Little Ole Pop Song." Jocelyn R. Neal. "Sweet Dreams: The World of Patsy Cline" edited by Warren R. Hofstra. University of Illinois Press, Jul 22, 2013. page 142
- ^ Nassour 1993, pp. 72–73
- ^ Nassour 1993, p. 74
- ^ Nassour 1993, p. 81
- ^ Nassour 1993, p. 91
- ^ Cline, Patsy (1957). ""Walkin' After Midnight" / "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)" (7" vinyl single insert sleeve)". Decca Records. 9-30221.
- ^ Cline, Patsy (August 5, 1957). "Patsy Cline (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Decca Records. DL-8611.
- ^ Cline, Patsy (November 27, 1961). "Showcase (LP Liner Notes & Album Information)". Decca Records. DL 74202.
- ISBN 978-0-646-11917-5.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006. Record Research.
- ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
References
- Nassour, Ellis (1993), Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline, ISBN 0-312-08870-1
- Nash, Alanna (2006), Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Country Music in America, DK Publishing, ISBN 0-7566-2352-9