Single Song Sunday

In our previous post we featured a couple of tracks from "Super Eight" by George Faith. One of the other tracks on the album is George's take on "In The Midnight Hour", a song that has been covered approximately 3.4 million times. Its induction into the Single Song Sunday Hall of Fame is long overdue.

We start, of course, with the original and really the only one of those 3.4 million versions that you need. Being such an iconic record I had always assumed it was a massive hit when it came out in 1965, but in fact it only made it to No. 21 in the Billboard charts.

That is followed by two other charting versions, Cross Country (No. 30 in 1973) and Roxy Music (No. 105 in 1980 - if  No.105 counts as "charting"), and we then rattle through some blue-eyed soul, mod revival, Latin and French takes on the tune.   

We round things off as always with the Mandatory Reggae Version, or Versions in this case. We'll skip the George Faith cover, as good as it is, to bring you two other versions both of which can be found on a very good compilation called "Duke Reid's Treasure Chest" - a straight cover from the Silvertones and then the late great U-Roy doing his thing over the top of the track.

"In The Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett

"In The Midnight Hour" - Cross Country

"In The Midnight Hour" - Roxy Music

"In The Midnight Hour" - Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels

"In The Midnight Hour" - The Jam

"In The Midnight Hour" - Machito & His Orchestra

"Jusqu'à minuit" - Johnny Hallyday

"Midnight Hour" - The Silvertones

"Words Of Wisdom" - U Roy