Nite Flights (album)
| Untitled | |
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Nite Flights is the sixth studio album by the American pop group The Walker Brothers. It was released in 1978. It includes the single "The Electrician". The album was to be the group's last together.
Each member of the group wrote songs for the album, two were by Gary Walker while Scott Walker and John Walker each contributed four. The album was recorded in February 1978 in the UK at Scorpio Sound, London, and released in July 1978. It was long out of print until the mid-1990s when it was re-released as a budget CD. The artwork was designed by Hipgnosis.
Overview
Nite Flights was the last album the trio recorded as a group, although the structure of the album, effectively split into 3 sections in which each member writes and sings, has led to both critics and band members describing it as more akin to 3 miniature solo albums than a true group album.
The album is most notable for the first four songs, all written and sung by Scott Walker—his first original material since his 1970 solo album 'Til The Band Comes In, all of them notably darker in tone than the rest of the album, indicating the direction in which his later solo work would head.
"The Electrician" was released as a single backed with "Den Haague", but did not chart. Scott Walker's four songs were also released as Shutout E.P. in 1978, under the Walker Brothers name.
In 2001, two outtakes from the Nite Flights sessions surfaced on the compilation album If You Could Hear Me Now. "The Ballad" written by John Walker is a complete song, the second outtake, "Tokyo Rimshot" is an unfinished instrumental written by Scott Walker.
Reception
| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
Nite Flights received mixed to positive reviews by the majority of critics.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shutout" | Scott Engel | 2:46 |
| 2. | "Fat Mama Kick" | Scott Engel | 2:57 |
| 3. | "Nite Flights" | Scott Engel | 4:25 |
| 4. | "The Electrician" | Scott Engel | 6:10 |
| 5. | "Death of Romance" | Gary Leeds | 3:44 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Den Haague" | Gary Leeds | 4:03 |
| 7. | "Rhythms of Vision" | John Maus | 2:55 |
| 8. | "Disciples of Death" | John Maus | 3:49 |
| 9. | "Fury and the Fire" | John Maus | 3:58 |
| 10. | "Child of Flames" | John Maus | 3:14 |
Personnel
- The Walker Brothers
- Scott Walker - vocals, bass, keyboards
- Gary Leeds - vocals, percussion
- John Walker - vocals
- Additional personnel
- Ronnie Ross - soprano saxophone
- Alan Skidmore - tenor saxophone
- Chris Mercer - saxophone
- Jim Sullivan - rhythm guitar
- Les Davidson - guitar
- Frank Gibson, Jr. - drums
- Peter Van Hooke - drums
- Mo Foster - bass
- Dill Katz - bass
- Dave MacRae - keyboards
- Morris Pert - percussion
- Joy Yates and Katie Kissoon - Vocal backing
- Dennis Weinreich - background vocals
- Personnel by track
- Vocals: John and Scott Walker
- Guitar Solo: Les Davidson
- Rhythm Guitar: Jim Sullivan
- Drums: Peter Van Hooke
- Bass: Mo Foster
- Vocals: John and Scott Walker
- Tenor Sax Solo: Alan Skidmore
- Guitar: Jim Sullivan
- Keyboards: Dave MacRae
- Drums: Frank Gibson
- Bass: Mo Foster
- Vocals: John and Scott Walker
- Keyboards: Dave MacRae
- Drums: Frank Gibson
- Bass: Mo Foster and Scott Walker
- Vocals: John and Scott Walker
- Drums: Frank Gibson
- Bass: Dill Katz
- Percussion: Morris Pert
- Guitar: Jim Sullivan
- Vocals: Gary Leeds
- Soprano Saxophone: Ronnie Ross
- Guitar: Les Davidson
- Drums: Frank Gibson
- Bass: Mo Foster
- Keyboards: Scott Walker
- Vocals: Gary Leeds
- Keyboards: Scott Walker and Dave MacRae
- Drums: Peter Van Hooke
- Bass: Mo Foster and Scott Walker
- Percussion: Gary Leeds
- Background Vocals: Dennis Weinreich
- Vocals: John Walker
- Guitar: Jim Sullivan
- Keyboards: Dave MacRae
- Bass: Mo Foster
- Drums: Frank Gibson
- Percussion: Morris Pert
- Vocal Backing: Joy Yates and Katie Kissoon
- Vocals: John and Scott Walker
- Guitar: Jim Sullivan
- Keyboards: Dave MacRae
- Bass: Mo Foster
- Drums: Peter Van Hooke
- Vocal Backing: Joy Yates, Katie Kissoon
- Vocals: John and Scott Walker
- Guitar: Jim Sullivan
- Keyboards: Dave MacRae
- Bass: Mo Foster
- Drums: Frank Gibson
- Vocals: John and Scott Walker
- Guitar: Jim Sullivan
- Keyboards: Dave MacRae
- Bass: Mo Foster
- Drums: Frank Gibson
- Sax Solo: Chris Mercer
- Vocal Backing: Joy Yates, Katie Kissoon
Production and Music Direction
- The Walker Brothers - Arrangements
- Dave MacRae - Orchestrations and Conducting
- Scott Walker and Dave MacRae - Producer
Technical and visual
- Dennis Weinreich - Recording
- Scott Walker, Dave MacRae and Dennis Weinreich - Mixing
- Steve Parker - Assistant Engineer
- Hipgnosis, Walker Brothers - Sleeve and Photography
Release details
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
| United Kingdom | 1978 | GTO Records | Vinyl | GTLP 033 |
| 1996 | Columbia Records | CD | 484438 2 | |
| Netherlands | 1978 | GTO Records | Vinyl | 2321 133 |