Posted on 03/15/2014 8:10:20 PM PDT by lee martell
I'm a night person, and I like music inspired by the night. The biggest void that we know of is the darkness of the night. The darkness surrounds our part of the earth, like a soft heavy comforter filled with down. The night is without shape, and cannot be measured. This unknowable nature of the dark night allows us to easily imagine what is or what should be there. We imagine what is desired or what is dreaded. The night has long served as a catalyst or a muse for creativity. Look to the french composer Claude Debussy, who wrote his signature piece; Clair de Lune in 1890, publishing the final version in 1905. The piano is spare and elegant. The measures allude to the slow drift of cumulus clouds floating at night, translucent with moonlight. This is the third movement from Debussy's Suite Bergamasque, which was based on poems of Paul Verlaine.
Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller was released in 1939 on Bluebird Records. The recording used a clarinet led saxophone section, which is widely considered classic Glenn Miller style. The song evolved from a 1935 version of another Miller song; "Now I Lay Me Down To Weep". Jazz critic Gary Giddins wrote about the song's impact and legacy. "Miller exudes little warmth on or off the bandstand, but once the band struck up this theme, audiences were done for; throats clutched, eyes softened. No other record of it's time could match 'Moonlight Serenade' for it's ability to induce a Pavlovian slobber in so many for so long".
A lot of songs by Phil Collins were technically very good, but somewhat formulaic. There is one exception, although this was recorded when he was still with Genesis. The song Tonight Tonight Tonight was released in 1986 on the album Invisible Touch. The music video has an atmosphere reminiscent of the film Blade Runner, which was a source of inspiration for the video. Supposedly, Collins wrote this song after divorcing his first wife Andrea in 1979. He was upset enough to have left Genesis for a couple of months. There is something about this song that is both invigorating, because of the incessant percussion which varies in force and in tempo, and there is also a soothing effect that is imposed on the listener because of the cello like chords that become a dirge, that dirge is your only path away from the chaos. This is not a night song, but listen to the first three minutes of Shaft, by Issac Hayes, those are the kind of 'cello like chords' I'm speaking of, where you are prodded onto your journey, like it or not. **Nights in White Satin is a beautiful, lyrical piece of work, by the Moody Blues. Night Moves, by Seeger worth a mention. **Are You Lonesome Tonight?, by Elvis captures an intimate moment, listen you his voice, which seems to resonate or softly echo. That feels like a though within the head. What other night music is there?
It’s true, nighttime provides a wonderful setting for many things, such as horror movies (what self-respecting monster attacks in the daytime?) and dates. As regards the latter, it is hard to visualize a romantic setting in bright sunshine—yes, I know it’s possible for some people but darkness provides a certain something hard to beat for most, I would submit.
Music which invokes a setting of nighttime has always held a special appeal to me, your humble OldPossum. Hell, when do you think possums come out, certainly not in that sterile daylight!
Very nice post, and there should be more like it on FR, if for no other reason than to break the relentless onslaught of The Political.
There’s a great moody song Nina Simone recorded, probably in the 50s titled “Middle of the Night”,probably from the movie of the same name, with Fredric March. Glad you mentioned the Elvis ballad, because that was his finest and most sensitive vocal.Nice soft rock song from the 70s with the lyrics “there’s a warm wind blowin’ the stars around/and I really want to see you tonight.There are no shortage of average songs with “night “ in them, like The Night has a Thousand Eyes and You and the night and the Music.Maybe I’m partial, but the song “Summer Nights” from the musical Grease, is pretty good in an adolescent-yearning kind of way. I was in the original cast in Chicago, but that song was written for the movie. For now, though, the Simone song should suffice.
Oh, yes, we can always go much, much deeper. As a former disc jockey, I have a great love of popular music that goes back to the early 20th century.
Tonight - Bernstein/Sondheim - West Side Story
Xylophones!! Nobody leads with xylophones anymore. Perfect nightime driving music with the front windows down.
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Gerry Goffin/Carole King
Ferrante and Teicher are one of our favorite duos, too.
If you like Ferrante and Teicher, you my know that Michel Legrand rocks, as well. I know this one is not in keeping with the theme of this thread, but this is my favorite Michel Legrand composition, the theme from the Summer of '42
The Nina Simone song I mentioned , Middle of the Night, is on youtube -—it’s the Google result with her image on it. Could someone post the link.I forgot how to do it.Thanks.
Never heard a Phil Collins song in my life, so when I read your title I assumed that you meant this one “Tonight, Tonight,” by the Mellow Kings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyLQViMuE7I
“my also know” = “may also know”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48WGhAZEd0Q
Claire de Lune in ‘7 years in Tibet’ from a book depicting a real life experience.
bfl
LOVE me some “Moonlighting”! :-)
Very nice. Makes me think of an infinite neighborhood of bright, sparking constellations. Mozart like with the trilling, or the light touches of a Harpsicord player.
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