"Midnight in Montgomery" | ||||
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Single by Alan Jackson | ||||
from the album Don't Rock the Jukebox | ||||
B-side | "Working Class Hero" | |||
Released | April 20, 1992 | |||
Recorded | August 21, 1990 [1] | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:46 | |||
Label | Arista 12418 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Alan Jackson Don Sampson | |||
Producer(s) | Scott Hendricks Keith Stegall | |||
Alan Jackson singles chronology | ||||
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"Midnight in Montgomery" is a song written by American country music singer Alan Jackson and Don Sampson, and recorded by Jackson. It was released in April 1992 as the fourth single from Jackson's second album, Don't Rock the Jukebox . The song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart (the album's only single not to top the chart), and number 3 as well on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It has been featured on numerous compilation albums by Jackson, such as 34 Number Ones and the 2015 box set Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story .
In August 2020, Josh Turner recorded a cover version of "Midnight In Montgomery" on his album Country State of Mind.
This song was written about Hank Williams, who was from Montgomery, Alabama. It is a mid-tempo, largely acoustic ballad in the key of D minor.
The singer, while heading to Mobile for a New Year's Eve show, makes a visit to a Montgomery grave (Williams died on New Year's Day 1953, and is buried in Montgomery), and encounters the ghost of Williams who thanks him for paying tribute before disappearing. The song also references several Williams hits, including "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." The song ends with the words "Hank's always singing there".
Leeann Ward of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, saying that "the song’s story is fascinating in and of itself, but equally impressive is the recording as a whole package." She goes on to say that "along with the ominous production and chilling story, Jackson’s performance strays from its usual smooth reliability and picks up its own haunting quality, which perfectly adds to the overall darkness of the song." [2]
The music video was directed by Jim Shea and premiered in April 1992. It was filmed in black and white under a full moon amidst the headstones of an empty cemetery. It went on to win that year's Country Music Association award for Music Video of the Year. They had to record the video twice, in the first take, there was a shadow that wasn't supposed to be in the video.
"Midnight in Montgomery" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 25, 1992.
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [3] | 3 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [4] | 3 |
Chart (1992) | Position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [5] | 12 |
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [6] | 27 |
"The Best Things in Life Are Free" is a duet between American singers Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson, recorded for the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced soundtrack to the 1992 American film Mo' Money, starring Damon Wayans. The song was composed by Jam, Lewis, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch. The song was released as the soundtrack's lead single on May 12, 1992, by Perspective Records and A&M Records. Additionally, the song was remixed by David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, and CJ Mackintosh. The duet became a major hit in several countries, peaking at number two in Australia and the United Kingdom, number six in Ireland and New Zealand, number eight in Canada and Germany, and number 10 in the United States. Its music video was directed by Paris Barclay, but didn't feature Vandross and Jackson. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
"Who Is It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on July 13, 1992, as the fifth single from Jackson's eighth studio album, Dangerous (1991). The song was written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Jackson and Bill Bottrell. The song's lyrics pertain to despair over being left by someone you love; some critics noted a comparison to the lyrics of the song to Jackson's single "Billie Jean" from the album Thriller. As part of the promotion for the song, two music videos were released in 1992. The song was not performed by Jackson on any of his tours. He did, however, perform a small segment of the song in his interview with Oprah Winfrey in early 1993.
"Hey, Good Lookin'" is a 1951 song written and recorded by Hank Williams, and his version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003, CMT voted the Hank Williams version No. 19 on CMT's 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music. Since its original 1951 recording it has been covered by a variety of artists.
"Murder on Music Row" is a 1999 song written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell, and originally recorded by American bluegrass group Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, as the title track from their album Murder on Music Row. It gained fame soon after that when it was recorded as a duet between American country music artists George Strait and Alan Jackson. The song laments the rise of country pop and the accompanying decline of the traditional country music sound; it refers to Music Row, an area in Nashville, Tennessee considered the epicenter of the country music industry.
Don't Rock the Jukebox is the second studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on May 14, 1991, and produced five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts; the title track, "Someday", "Dallas", and "Love's Got a Hold on You", which all reached number 1, and "Midnight in Montgomery" which peaked at number 3. Fellow country music artist George Jones makes a cameo on the album, singing the last line on "Just Playin' Possum".
"Don't Rock the Jukebox" is a song by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on April 29, 1991, as the lead single from the album of the same name. It was his second consecutive Number One single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. Jackson wrote the song with Roger Murrah and Keith Stegall.
"Chattahoochee" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in May 1993 as the third single from his album A Lot About Livin' . The album is named for a line in the song itself. Jackson wrote the song with Jim McBride. It is one of Jackson's most popular and well-known songs, being included on his 2015 box set Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story.
"It Must Be Love" is a song written by Bob McDill, and recorded by American country music artist Don Williams. It was released in July 1979 as the third single from the album Expressions. The song was Williams' ninth Number One single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles charts.
"Gone Country" is a song written by Bob McDill and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in November 1994 as the third single from his fourth major-label studio album, Who I Am. As with that album's first two singles, "Gone Country" reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, a position that it held for one week.
"Chasin' That Neon Rainbow" is a song written by American country music artist Alan Jackson and Jim McBride, and recorded by Jackson. It was released in September 1990 as the fourth single from Jackson's first album, Here in the Real World. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, behind "I've Come to Expect It from You" by George Strait, and number 5 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
"I'd Love You All Over Again" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in January 1991 as the last single from his debut album, Here in the Real World and the song was Jackson's first number 1 single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, as well as his second number 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. This was also Jackson's first single not to have an accompanying music video.
"Someday" is a song written by American country music singer Alan Jackson and Jim McBride, and recorded by Jackson. It was released in August 1991 as the second single from Jackson's second album, Don't Rock The Jukebox. The song peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and number 2 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
"Dallas" is a song written by American country music artists Alan Jackson and Keith Stegall, and recorded by Jackson. It was released in December 1991 as the third single from Jackson's second album, Don't Rock the Jukebox. The song peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, Jackson's fourth consecutive single to top the chart, as well as number 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart, Jackson's fourth single to top that chart also.
"Love's Got a Hold on You" is a song written by Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall, and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in July 1992 as the final single from Jackson's second album, Don't Rock the Jukebox. It was also the only song that Jackson did not co-write on the album, and the first single of such in his career. It peaked at number 1 on both the U.S. Billboard country music chart, and on the Canadian RPM country music chart.
"A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action" is a song written by Keith Hinton and Jimmy Alan Stewart. Originally recorded by American country music singer Hank Williams Jr. on his 1992 album Maverick, the song was also recorded by Toby Keith one year later on his self-titled debut album. Keith's version was released in November 1993 as that album's third single. Also, it reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 25 on the Canadian RPM charts.
"Mercury Blues" is a song written by rural blues musician K. C. Douglas and Robert Geddins, and first recorded by Douglas in 1948. The song, originally titled "Mercury Boogie," pays homage to the American automobile marque, which ended production in 2010.
"She's Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)" is a song written by American country music artists Alan Jackson and Randy Travis, and recorded by Jackson. It was released in October 1992 as the first single from his album A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love). The song received an award in 1993 from Music City News for being one of the most performed country songs of the year.
"Here in the Real World" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in January 1990 as the second single and title track from his debut album Here in the Real World, and in early 1990 it became his first Top 10 country hit. The song reached a peak of number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, and number 1 on the Canadian RPM Top Country Tracks charts and 162 in the UK in August 1990. Jackson wrote the song with Mark Irwin. The song is also included on Jackson's 2015 career-spanning box set Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story.
"I'll Think of Something" is a song written by Bill Rice and Jerry Foster, which has been recorded by American country music singers Hank Williams Jr. and Mark Chesnutt. The song was also recorded by Loretta Lynn for her 1985 album Just a Woman.
Alan Jackson is an American country music artist. The first artist signed to Arista Nashville Records, he was with them from 1989 to 2011. He has released 21 studio albums, two Christmas albums, 10 compilations, and a tribute album for the label, as well as 68 singles.
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