The Last Worthless Evening

Last updated

"The Last Worthless Evening"
Don Henley The Last Worthless Evening Single.jpg
Single by Don Henley
from the album The End of the Innocence
B-side "Gimme What You Got"
ReleasedOctober 3, 1989
Recorded1988
Genre Rock, soft rock
Length6:03
Label Geffen
Songwriter(s) John Corey, Don Henley, [1] Stan Lynch [2]
Producer(s) Don Henley, Mike Campbell, John Corey
Don Henley singles chronology
"The End of the Innocence"
(1989)
"The Last Worthless Evening"
(1989)
"The Heart of the Matter"
(1990)

"The Last Worthless Evening" is a song written by John Corey, Don Henley, and Stan Lynch. [3] It was a single recorded by Henley in 1989 that reached number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was included on Henley's third album The End of the Innocence that same year. [4]

Contents

Reception

The Los Angeles Times described the song as "a romantic plea to move on from the hurt of old relationships." [5] The Washington Post called the song an "intriguing ... hard-edged love ballad." [6] The track was one of the reasons that the Yardbarker named the song's album as one of the top 25 solo albums to come from the former member of a "legendary band" in 2023. [7]

Performances

Henley played the song during his appearance on Saturday Night Live on October 28, 1989. [8]

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (1989)Peak
position
RPM Top Singles5
RPM Adult Contemporary3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [11] 21
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks5
U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks [12] 4

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benmont Tench</span> American musician

Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers</span> American rock band

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer Stan Lynch and bassist Ron Blair. In 1982, Blair, weary of the touring lifestyle, departed the band. His replacement, Howie Epstein, stayed with the band for the next two decades. In 1991, Scott Thurston joined the band as a multi-instrumentalist—mostly on rhythm guitar and second keyboard. In 1994, Steve Ferrone replaced Lynch on drums. Blair returned to the Heartbreakers in 2002, the year before Epstein's death. The band had a long string of hit singles including "Breakdown", "American Girl", "Refugee", "The Waiting", "Learning to Fly", and "Mary Jane's Last Dance", among many others, that stretched over several decades of work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Henley</span> American rock musician (born 1947)

Donald Hugh Henley is an American musician, and a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he is the drummer and one of the lead vocalists, as well as the sole continuous member of the band. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "Witchy Woman", "Desperado", "Best of My Love", "One of These Nights", "Hotel California", "Life in the Fast Lane", "Victim of Love", "The Last Resort", "The Long Run", and "Get Over It".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">32nd Annual Grammy Awards</span> Award ceremony

The 32nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 1990, and hosted by Garry Shandling. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.

<i>The End of the Innocence</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Don Henley

The End of the Innocence is the third solo studio album by Don Henley, the co-lead vocalist and drummer for the Eagles. The album was released in 1989, on Geffen Records, and was his last release on that label. It was also his last solo album before reforming the Eagles and it would be eleven years before he released another solo project, 2000's Inside Job.

<i>Inside Job</i> (Don Henley album) 2000 studio album by Don Henley

Inside Job is the fourth solo studio album by Don Henley, the lead vocalist and drummer for the Eagles. The album was released through the Warner Bros. record label on May 23, 2000, the album was Henley's last album of all-new material until the release of Cass County in 2015, as well as his first album to be recorded fully digitally. The album was the first solo album for Henley in 11 years, the album reached #7 on the charts and released two Adult Contemporary Tracks singles with "Taking You Home", and "Everything's Different Now". "Taking You Home" was also released as a single, and on the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at #58.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. D. Souther</span> American singer, songwriter, and actor

John David "J. D." Souther is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. Souther is probably best known for his songwriting abilities, especially in the field of country rock. He co-wrote some of the biggest hits for the Eagles, including "Best of My Love", "Victim of Love", "Heartache Tonight", and "New Kid in Town". "How Long", which appears on the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, was written by Souther and originally recorded on his first solo album in 1972. Souther recorded two major hit songs in his solo career: "You're Only Lonely" (1979) and "Her Town Too" (1981), a duet with his longtime friend James Taylor.

<i>Actual Miles: Henleys Greatest Hits</i> 1995 greatest hits album by Don Henley

Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter Don Henley, released in 1995. The album was the first compilation album released by Henley and it covered hits from all three of his solo albums throughout the 1980s. The album features three new songs, "The Garden of Allah", "You Don't Know Me at All", and Henley's cover of "Everybody Knows". The collection peaked at No. 48 on the charts and reached platinum status. "The Garden of Allah" reached No. 16 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Lynch</span> American drummer

Stanley Joseph "Stan" Lynch is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The End of the Innocence (song)</span> 1989 single by Don Henley

"The End of the Innocence" is the lead single and title track from Don Henley's third solo studio album of the same name, released in 1989. Henley co-wrote and co-produced the song with Bruce Hornsby, who also performed piano. Both artists regularly include the song in their live performances. The single peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming his fifth solo top-10 hit on the chart. "The End of the Innocence" also became his fourth number-one single on the Album Rock Tracks chart. In Canada, it reached number three on the RPM Top Singles and Adult Contemporary charts. The song received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirty Laundry (Don Henley song)</span> 1982 single by Don Henley

"Dirty Laundry" is a song written by Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar, from Henley's debut solo studio album I Can't Stand Still, (1982). The song hit number 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart in October 1982, prior to being issued as a 45 rpm single. Lyrically, the song describes mass media sensationalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunset Grill (song)</span> 1985 song by Don Henley

"Sunset Grill" is a song by American rock musician Don Henley from his second solo studio album Building the Perfect Beast (1984). The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart in January 1985. Released as the fourth single from the album in August 1985, it peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)</span> 1981 single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

"A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)" is a song recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in June 1981 as the second single from their album Hard Promises. It peaked at number 79 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Heart of the Matter (song)</span> Song by Don Henley, Mike Campbell and J.D. Souther

"The Heart of the Matter" is a song recorded by American rock singer Don Henley from his third solo studio album, The End of the Innocence (1989). Written by Henley, Mike Campbell, and J. D. Souther and produced by Henley, Campbell, and Danny Kortchmar, the song was released as the album's third single, reaching No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks in early 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Got Lucky</span> 1982 single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

"You Got Lucky" is the first single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' album Long After Dark. The song peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart, where it stayed for three weeks at the end of 1982. Somewhat unusually for a Petty song, guitars give up the spotlight to allow synths to carry the song's main structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here Comes My Girl</span> 1980 single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

"Here Comes My Girl" is a song written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, their third single from their breakthrough hit 1979 album, Damn the Torpedoes. It peaked at number 59 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on May 24, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough</span> 1992 single by Patty Smyth and Don Henley

"Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" a duet between American singers Patty Smyth and Don Henley. The rock ballad was written by Smyth and Glen Burtnik and was released as a single in August 1992. It reached No. 1 in Canada, where it was the most successful single of 1992, and peaked at No. 2 in Ireland and on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taking You Home</span> Song by Don Henley

"Taking You Home" is a song by Don Henley from 2000 album Inside Job. The track was written by Henley along with Stuart Brawley and Stan Lynch and was Henley's only number one on the Adult Contemporary chart as a solo artist. "Taking You Home" stayed at number one for four weeks and went to number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>The Very Best of Don Henley</i> 2009 greatest hits album by Don Henley

The Very Best of Don Henley is the second greatest hits compilation album by Don Henley, released in 2009 and his first release since Inside Job in 2000. A deluxe version containing extra bonus tracks plus DVD material is also available. The first 10 songs are in the same order in which they appear on Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits.

<i>Cass County</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Don Henley

Cass County is the fifth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Don Henley. The album was released on September 25, 2015, by Past Masters Holdings and Capitol Records. It was Don Henley's first new solo album in 15 years since 2000's Inside Job.

References

  1. K J Knight (2011). Knight Moves: The K J Knight Story. p. 159.
  2. Scott R. Benarde (2003). Stars of David: Rock'n'roll's Jewish Stories. UPNE. p. 265.
  3. "The Last Worthless Evening". 45cat.com. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  4. Christopher McKittrick (2020). "Somewhere You Feel Free: Tom Petty and Los Angeles". Post Hill Press. p. 101.
  5. Chris Willman (June 25, 1989). "The End of Innocence': Henley Sums It Up Again". Los Angeles Times.
  6. Mike Joyce (July 5, 1989). "STICKING WITH THE TRIED TRUE". Washington Post.
  7. Jeff Mezydlo (August 7, 2023). "Best solo albums from singers of legendary bands". Yardbarker.
  8. "Saturday Night Live S15E04 - James Woods". SNL.
  9. "Don Henley: The End of the Innocense". Discogs.
  10. Paul Zollo (2012). Conversations With Tom Petty. Omnibus Press. p. 202.
  11. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 381.
  12. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 114.