Midnight in a Perfect World

Last updated
"Midnight in a Perfect World"
DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World cover art.jpg
Single by DJ Shadow
from the album Endtroducing.....
B-side
  • "Mutual Slump"
  • "The Number Song"
  • "Red Bus Needs to Leave"
  • Remixes
ReleasedSeptember 2, 1996
Recorded1996
Studio The Glue Factory (San Francisco)
Genre
Length
  • 4:57 (LP version)
  • 5:02 (radio version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow singles chronology
"Hardcore (Instrumental) Hip Hop" / "Fully Charged on Planet X"
(1996)		"Midnight in a Perfect World"
(1996)		"Stem"
(1996)

"Midnight in a Perfect World" is a song by American DJ and music producer DJ Shadow. It was released as the lead single from his debut studio album, Endtroducing..... , on September 2, 1996. The song peaked at number 52 on the Scottish Singles Chart and number 54 on the UK Singles Chart.

Contents

Composition

Featuring a soulful vocal line and a slow drum beat, [3] [4] "Midnight in a Perfect World" is based around mournful piano sampled from the 1969 song "The Human Abstract" by David Axelrod. [5] Aside from the Axelrod sample, the track also samples "Sower of Seeds" by Baraka, [6] "The Madness Subsides" by Pekka Pohjola, [6] "Releasing Hypnotical Gases" by Organized Konfusion, [7] "Dolmen Music" by Meredith Monk, [4] and "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw. [8]

Release

"Midnight in a Perfect World" was released as both a 12-inch single and CD single on September 2, 1996 in England, [9] and later in America too. [10] In January 1997, the song was released to American college and modern rock radio stations. [11]

Both releases have different artwork, with the American release featuring a photo of John Hillyard, who owned a record store where DJ Shadow found many of the records he sampled on his album. [12] The photograph was taken by B Plus, [12] who also directed a music video for the song that was also released and gained much airplay on the MTV program Amp . [13]

Track listing

UK release

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Midnight in a Perfect World" (Radio Vision)5:02
2."Midnight in a Perfect World" (Gab Mix)5:21
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Midnight in a Perfect World" (Extended Vision)9:53
2."Mutual Slump"4:03

US release

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Midnight in a Perfect World"4:57
2."The Number Song"4:40
3."Red Bus Needs to Leave"2:41
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Midnight in a Perfect World" (Gab Mix)5:20
2."The Number Song" (Cut Chemist Party Mix)5:09

Charts

Chart (1996)Peak
position
Scotland (OCC) [18] 52
UK Singles (OCC) [19] 54

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalogue no.
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom September 2, 1996 Mo' Wax MW057 [14] [15]
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States January 1997
  • 12"
  • CD
162-531 084 [16] [17]

" Midnight in a Perfect World " at Discogs (list of releases)

References

  1. ↑ Bradley, Larry (November 4, 2014). "The 1990s: DJ Shadow - "Midnight in a Perfect World". The Alternative Jukebox. Cassell. p. 209. ISBN   978-1-84403-789-6.
  2. ↑ 10 Essential Plunderphonics Tracks|Treble
  3. ↑ O'Neil, Tim (June 10, 2005). "DJ Shadow: Endtroducing..." PopMatters. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 20–01". Pitchfork Media. September 3, 2010. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  5. ↑ Patrin, Nate (October 9, 2006). "Dungen". Seattle Weekly . Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Endtroducing... (liner notes). DJ Shadow (deluxe ed.). Island Records. 1996. 0602498286821.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ Lee, Jordan (May 1, 2013). "Midnight In A Perfect Sample". WYMS. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  8. ↑ Diver, Mike (July 14, 2011). "DJ Shadow: Endtroducing..." BBC Music. BBC. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Midnight in a Perfect World – DJ Shadow". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  10. ↑ "DJ Shadow – Midnight In A Perfect World (Master)". Discogs. 1996. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Out Of The Shadows". Billboard . New York. November 23, 1996. p. 21. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Gaunt, James (2023-12-29). "Remembering John Hillyard". DJ Shadow Reconstructed. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  13. ↑ "Endtroducing…". BAM . San Francisco. April 4, 1997. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "DJ Shadow – Midnight In A Perfect World (Vinyl) (UK)". Discogs. 2 September 1996. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  15. 1 2 "DJ Shadow – Midnight In A Perfect World (CD) (UK)". Discogs. 2 September 1996. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  16. 1 2 "DJ Shadow – Midnight In A Perfect World (Vinyl) (U.S.)". Discogs. 1997. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  17. 1 2 "DJ Shadow – Midnight In A Perfect World (CD) (U.S.)". Discogs. 1998. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "DJ Shadow: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
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