Shadows of the Night

Last updated
"Shadows of the Night"
Shadows of the Night.png
Standard picture sleeve
Single by Pat Benatar
from the album Get Nervous
B-side "The Victim"
ReleasedSeptember 18, 1982
RecordedJune 18, 1982
Genre Hard rock
Length4:20 (album version)
3:43 (single edit)
Label Chrysalis
Songwriter(s) David Leigh Byron, Rachel Sweet
Producer(s) Peter Coleman, Neil Giraldo
Pat Benatar singles chronology
"It's A Tuff Life"
(1981)
"Shadows of the Night"
(1982)
"Anxiety (Get Nervous)"
(1982)
Music video
"Shadows of the Night" on YouTube

"Shadows of the Night" is a song composed by D.L. Byron explicitly for the 1980 film Times Square , [1] which tells the story of two young runaways in New York City. The song did not make it into the movie and Byron's own record label rejected it, claiming the song "wasn't commercial enough." [2]

Contents

It was released as a single by Helen Schneider in 1981 as well as on her album Schneider with the Kick. According to Byron, Schneider's version went 5× platinum in Germany and the Benelux countries. [2] This successful song is not mentioned in her own biography. Another version with slightly different lyrics was released by Rachel Sweet on her album ...And Then He Kissed Me in 1981.

The most famous version was then released in September 1982 by American rock singer Pat Benatar, as the lead single from her fourth studio album Get Nervous . Benatar's recording reached number 3 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, the Top 15 on the US Hot 100 and in Canada, and the Top 20 in Australia. "Shadows of the Night" garnered Benatar her third Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1983. The lyrics of Benatar's version differ slightly from both previous versions.

Music video

Benatar's music video for the song centers around Benatar as a riveter dreaming about being a flying ace who fights in World War II. It features Judge Reinhold as a pilot and Bill Paxton as a Wehrmacht Unteroffizier. Benatar's T-6 Texan aircraft is named Midnight Angel, a phrase also used in the song itself with a different meaning ("And now the hands of time are standin' still/Midnight angel, won't you say you will").

Helen Schneider's version has a spaceman and a goat. [3] [4]

Chart performance

Chart (1982–83)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] 29
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [6] 12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [7] 32
UK Singles (OCC) [8] 83
US Billboard Hot 100 [9] 13
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [10] 3
Chart (1985)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [11] 50

Cover versions

There have been several cover versions of the song over the years:

Sampling

In 1995, the melody of the chorus was sampled in the DJ Miko Eurodance song "Lovely Lullaby", and again in 2014 in the Demi Lovato song "Really Don't Care".

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Benatar</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1953)

Patricia Mae Giraldo is an American singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has two multi-platinum albums, five platinum albums, and 15 US Billboard top 40 singles, while in Canada she had eight straight platinum albums, and she has sold over 36 million albums worldwide. She is also a four-time Grammy Award winner. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022.

<i>In the Heat of the Night</i> (Pat Benatar album) 1979 studio album by Pat Benatar

In the Heat of the Night is the debut studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on August 27, 1979, by Chrysalis Records. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 for the week ending October 20, 1979, peaking at No. 12 in March 1980, almost six months after its release.

<i>Crimes of Passion</i> (Pat Benatar album) 1980 studio album by Pat Benatar

Crimes of Passion is the second studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on August 5, 1980, by Chrysalis Records. It is Benatar's first album to feature Myron Grombacher on drums, beginning a long tenure in her band that would last into the late 1990s.

<i>Precious Time</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Pat Benatar

Precious Time is the third studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on July 6, 1981, through the Chrysalis label. The album peaked at number one on the United States' Billboard 200, her only album to do so in any country, and was certified Double Platinum in the US.

<i>Get Nervous</i> 1982 studio album by Pat Benatar

Get Nervous is the fourth studio album by American rock singer Pat Benatar, released in October 1982. It debuted on the Billboard 200 album chart the week ending November 20 and peaked at No. 4, staying on the charts for 46 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is a Battlefield</span> 1983 single by Pat Benatar

"Love Is a Battlefield" is a song by American singer Pat Benatar, released on September 12, 1983, as a single from Benatar's live album Live from Earth (1983), though the song itself was a studio recording. It was written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman. The song was ranked at number 30 in VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s. "Love Is a Battlefield" went on to sell over a million records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Belong</span> 1984 single by Pat Benatar

"We Belong" is a song recorded by American rock singer Pat Benatar, released through Legacy Music Group on October 16, 1984, as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Tropico (1984). The song was written by the songwriting duo of Eric Lowen and Dan Navarro. It matched the success of "Love Is a Battlefield" on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States, peaking at #5. It reached #3 on Billboard's Top Rock Tracks chart and #34 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbreaker (Pat Benatar song)</span> 1979 single by Pat Benatar

"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer Pat Benatar from her debut studio album In the Heat of the Night (1979). Written and composed by Geoff Gill and Cliff Wade, the song had first been recorded by English singer Jenny Darren on her 1978 album Queen of Fools, and Benatar adjusted the original lyrics, as such references as "A to Zed" and "moonraker" would have likely confused American listeners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sister Christian</span> 1984 single by Night Ranger

"Sister Christian" is a song by the American hard rock band Night Ranger. A power ballad, it was released in March 1984 as the second single from their album Midnight Madness. It was ranked No. 32 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s. It was written and sung by the band's drummer, Kelly Keagy, for his sister. It was the band's biggest hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and staying on the charts for 24 weeks. It also reached No. 1 in Canada. The song is used in several films, including Boogie Nights (1997), Superstar (1999), Friday the 13th (2009) and Ben Affleck's 2023 film Air (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hit Me with Your Best Shot</span> 1980 single by Pat Benatar

"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" is a song recorded by American rock singer Pat Benatar and written by Eddie Schwartz. In 1980, it was released as the second single from her second album Crimes of Passion, which became her biggest-selling album. It hit No. 7 in Cash Box, and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first Top 10 hit in the US. It was particularly popular on album-rock radio stations, peaking at number 1 on the US Tunecaster Rock Tracks chart. It was also a Top 10 hit in Canada, although the only other country in which it charted was Australia where it reached the Top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Light Up My Life (song)</span> 1977 single by Debby Boone

"You Light Up My Life" is a ballad written by Joseph Brooks, and originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the soundtrack album to the 1977 film of the same title. The song was lip synced in the film by its lead actress, Didi Conn. The best-known cover version of the song is a cover by Debby Boone, the daughter of singer Pat Boone. It held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks in 1977 and topped Record World magazine's Top 100 Singles Chart for a record 13 weeks.

"Wild One" or "Real Wild Child" is an Australian rock and roll song written by Johnny Greenan, Johnny O'Keefe, and Dave Owens. While most sources state that O'Keefe was directly involved in composing the song, this has been questioned by others. Sydney disc jockey Tony Withers was credited with helping to get radio airplay for the song but writer credits on subsequent versions often omit Withers, who later worked in the United Kingdom on pirate stations Radio Atlanta and, as Tony Windsor, on Radio London.

<i>Wide Awake in Dreamland</i> 1988 studio album by Pat Benatar

Wide Awake in Dreamland is the seventh studio album by American rock singer Pat Benatar, and her eighth album overall, released in 1988. After a string of successful albums, this was her last rock-oriented album of the 1980s, before she would go on to try a blues-based sound with True Love in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Benatar discography</span>

This is the discography of American singer Pat Benatar. It consists of 11 studio albums, nine live albums, 27 compilation albums, 39 singles, and 34 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Fired Up (Rattling Sabres song)</span> 1987 single by the Rattling Sabres

"All Fired Up" is a song written by Kerryn Tolhurst and first performed and released by Australian country rock group Rattling Sabres in 1987. It charted nationally, peaking at number 94 on the Australian Music Report. The following year, American singer-songwriter Pat Benatar recorded a version that became a chart hit in several countries, including Australia, where it reached number two on the ARIA Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Better Run</span> 1966 single by The Rascals

"You Better Run" is a song by the Young Rascals. Written by group members Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere, it was released as the band's third single in 1966 and reached the top 20 in the United States. This song is noted for its repeated roller coaster musical chords in the bass guitar, going from C to B-flat to C to E-flat to B-flat to C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invincible (Pat Benatar song)</span> Pat Benatar song

"Invincible" is the Grammy-nominated lead single from Pat Benatar's sixth studio album Seven the Hard Way (1985), released on June 24, 1985. The song was written by Holly Knight and Simon Climie, and was used as a theme song for the film The Legend of Billie Jean (1985). Helen Slater once stated "That song will always take me back to a part in the movie where Lisa Simpson gets her period,". The song was a huge hit, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 14, 1985. The song was also used prominently in the 2002 film Hysterical Blindness starring Uma Thurman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treat Me Right (song)</span> 1980 single by Pat Benatar

"Treat Me Right" is a song by American singer Pat Benatar, released on December 29, 1980, as the third and final single from her second studio album, Crimes of Passion (1980). Produced by Keith Olsen, the song was written by Doug Lubahn and Benatar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire and Ice (Pat Benatar song)</span> 1981 single by Pat Benatar

"Fire and Ice" is a song by Pat Benatar, released on July 6, 1981 as the lead single off her third album, Precious Time. The track was written by Benatar, Tom Kelly, and Scott Sheets. It peaked at #17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart. The song also won Benatar her second Grammy award for Best Female Rock Performance in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Moves (Marilyn Martin song)</span> 1986 song by Marilyn Martin

"Night Moves" is a song by American singer Marilyn Martin, which was released in 1986 as the lead single from her debut studio album Marilyn Martin. The song was written by Martin, John Parr and Jon Astley and produced by Astley and Phil Chapman. "Night Moves" peaked at No. 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

References

  1. "Blog Archive » The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "TIMES SQUARE"". Robin Johnson. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  2. 1 2 "D.L. BYRON: Shadows Of The Night (Pat Benatar) (c) 2012". Rockunited.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  3. Helen Schneider - Shadows of the Night 1981 on YouTube
  4. "Helen Schneider With The Kick (2) – Shadows Of The Night". Discogs.com.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970 - 1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6180." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  7. "Pat Benatar – Shadows of the Night". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  9. "Pat Benatar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  10. "Pat Benatar Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 28, 2018.