Night Time Is the Right Time

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"Night Time Is the Right Time"
Single by Roosevelt Sykes a.k.a. "The Honeydripper"
B-side "Little and Low"
Released 1937
Format 10" 78 rpm
Recorded April 29, 1937
Genre Blues
Length 2:52
Label Decca (Cat. No. 7324)
Roosevelt Sykes a.k.a. "The Honeydripper" singles chronology
"New Highway 61 Blues"/ "Mister Sykes Blues"
(1936-1937)
"Night Time Is the Right Time"
(1937)
"Bread Pan Blues"/ "Montecarlo Blues"
(1937)

"Night Time Is the Right Time" is a blues standard that has been interpreted and recorded by a variety of music artists.[1] First recorded in 1937 by Roosevelt Sykes, a.k.a. "The Honeydripper," the song features the memorable refrain "Because night time, is the right time, to be with the one you love" towards the end of each twelve-bar verse.

In 1938, Big Bill Broonzy recorded the song with slightly different (and more suggestive) lyrics (Vocalion 4149/Conqueror 9073). The same year, Roosevelt Sykes recorded a second version "Night Time Is The Right Time #2" (Decca 7438), also with slightly different lyrics. These earliest recordings of "Night Time Is The Right Time" are credited to Roosevelt Sykes and Leroy Carr, although Carr had already died in 1935 without any known recordings of the song.[2] Subsequent recordings and reissues of the song over the years would be credited to an increasing number of writers, although retaining much of Roosevelt Sykes' version's character and well-known refrain.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Nappy Brown/Ray Charles version

In 1957, Nappy Brown recorded "Night Time Is The Right Time." A hit version of the song recorded by Ray Charles was released as a single in late 1958. It was also featured on the album Ray Charles at Newport and The Genius Sings the Blues. Charles was helped in the song by lead Raelette Margie Hendricks, who sang a raspy and demanding vocal to Charles' own raspy baritone and wails. The song made a modest appearance on the pop singles chart, peaking a number ninety-five, while making a more impressive showing on the R&B singles chart at number five.

[edit] Other versions

  • Also this song was covered by Eddie Boyd & His Blues Band in 1967.
  • Tina Turner had a remarkable cover of this song in 1978 on her solo album Rough.
  • In Canada, the song is used on one of the TD Bank commercials to show that they stay open later.
  • It is covered by The Sonics, a garage rock band, on their album Here Are the Sonics!!!
  • James Brown recorded an up-tempo funk version of the song in 1983 and it was the third notable R&B chart entry peaking at number seventy-three on the chart.

[edit] Influence

The line "The night time is the right time, to be with the one you love" is also referenced in "To Be Alone With You" (by Bob Dylan), "Squeeze Her, Tease Her" (by The Animals), "Living For The Weekend" (by Admiral Freebee) and "I'm in the Mood" (by John Lee Hooker).

[edit] Cultural Reference

"The Night Time (Is the Right Time)" took on a life of its own more than 25 years later when cast members who played Bill Cosby's Huxtable family of The Cosby Show lip-synched the Ray Charles/Margie Hendricks version to help celebrate Cliff Huxtable's parents' 49th wedding anniversary in 1985, and helped the show become a huge ratings winner.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Herzhaft, Gerard; Harris, Paul; Hanssler, Jerry; Mikofsky, Anton J. (1997). Encyclopedia of the Blues, (2nd. Sub edition), University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 1557284520
  2. ^ a b "allmusic". http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sq1=73.41. Retrieved 2009-03-19.