One Lonely Night (song)

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"One Lonely Night"
Single by REO Speedwagon
from the album Wheels Are Turnin'
B-side"Wheels Are Turnin'"
ReleasedMarch 1985 (US)[1]
Recorded1984
GenreSoft rock
Length3:20
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Neal Doughty
Producer(s)Kevin Cronin, Gary Richrath, Alan Gratzer
REO Speedwagon singles chronology
"Can't Fight This Feeling"
(1984) 		"One Lonely Night"
(1985) 		"Live Every Moment"
(1985)

"One Lonely Night" is a song performed by the American band REO Speedwagon. The song is the third single from the band's 1984 album Wheels Are Turnin'. It peaked at No. 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the second best performing single from the album in the United States,[2] although very far from the success of "Can't Fight This Feeling".

Reception[edit]

Cash Box said that "One Lonely Night" was "even more appealing [than 'Can't Fight This Feeling'] for its chiming chorus and sentiment soaked lyric."[3] Billboard described it as "solid but sentimental rock ballad."[4] Greg Kennedy of the Red Deer Advocate called it one of the few "winners" on Wheels Are Turnin', describing it as a "soft-rock love ballad with a truly lush mix of instruments."[5] Rapid City Journal writer Mike Sanborn called it one of REO Speedwagon's "best ballads."[6] Wisconsin State Journal writer Dan Lindblade described it as an "optimistic song about the value of persistence."[7] Chicago Tribune critic Jan DeKnock labeled the single the "dud of the week" when it came out, saying that it is a "sappy song" that proves that "when it comes to rock ballads, there's a very fine line between hit and miss."[8] Music critic Tim Kelley called it ""yet another variation on the 'heard it from a friend' heartbreak formula that first put REO in the Top 10."[9] Knight News Wire writer Rick Shefchik criticized the song as being "sludgy," whose primary audience is "late '20s to early '30s stockbrokers on cocaine."[10] Allmusic critic Mike DeGagne said that the song "throws the spotlight on Cronin's voice, proving that his expertise at carrying out the slow stuff hasn't dwindled."[11]

Music video[edit]

The music video for "One Lonely Night" is a sequel to the video for the first single from Wheels Are Turnin', "I Do' Wanna Know" and, according to Billboard, incorporates similar comedic themes.[12] It plays on a pun on the song title, telling the story of "one lonely knight."[13] The video has a medieval setting, and starts out with a knight arguing with his spouse. He then walks out on her. The song begins playing and he encounters the lead singer Kevin Cronin who appears to be a wizard. The rest of the video follows the knight walking through the streets of a big and modern city. The video uses a lot of stop motion.[14]

Personnel[edit]

REO Speedwagon[15]
Additional personnel
  • Tommy Funderburk - backing vocal

Charts[edit]

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[16] 35
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[17] 7
Poland (LP3)[18] 34
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 19
US Adult Contemporary[19] 10
US Top Rock Tracks[19] 17
US Cash Box[20] 24
US Radio & Records (R&R)[21][22] 17

References[edit]

  1. ^ "REO Speedwagon singles".
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955-2012. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc. p. 703. ISBN 978-0-89820-205-2.
  3. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. March 30, 1985. p. 25. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  4. ^ "Pop Picks" (PDF). Billboard. March 30, 1985. p. 73. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  5. ^ Kennedy, Greg (November 17, 1984). "Wheels Keep Turnin'". Red Deer Advocate. p. 4B. Retrieved 2022-07-27 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Sanborn, Mike (October 16, 1987). "Fun-loving 'bar band' balladeers polished". Rapid City Journal. pp. 30–31. Retrieved 2022-07-27 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Lindblade, Dan (May 17, 1985). "REO comes back strong after three-year break". Wisconsin State Journal. pp. 4–7. Retrieved 2022-07-27 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ DeKnock, Jan (April 5, 1985). "Madonna sets pace for female soloists". Chicago Tribune. pp. 7–58. Retrieved 2022-07-27 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Kelley, Tim (May 17, 1985). "REO's flat as the Illinois prairie, but Cheap Trick provides peaks". The Capital Times. p. 38. Retrieved 2022-07-27 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Shefchik, Jeff (May 26, 1985). "Here's a look at some of the hot singles of summer". The Sunday Dispatch. p. G9. Retrieved 2022-07-27 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ DeGagne, Mike. "Wheels Are Turnin'". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
  12. ^ Zuckerman, Faye (March 23, 1985). "Video Track" (PDF). Billboard. p. 33. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  13. ^ del Condo, Debbie (May 19, 1985). "REO punsters' 'One Lonely Night' made strictly for laughs". Orlando Sentinel. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-07-27 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "REO Speedwagon, One Lonely Night". YouTube. 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
  15. ^ REO Speedwagon, Wheels are Turnin'. Sony Music Entertainment. 1984. p. 4.
  16. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 42, No. 14, June 15, 1985". RPM. RPM Music Publications Ltd. June 15, 1985. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  17. ^ "Adult Contemporary: June 29, 1985". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  18. ^ "One Lonely Night - REO Speedwagon" (in Polish). LP3. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  19. ^ a b c "Artist Chart History – REO Speedwagon". Billboard charts. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  20. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 1, 1985". Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 2016-06-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  21. ^ REO Speedwagon
  22. ^ "Charts!". Archived from the original on 2015-02-11. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
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