Night Fever
Encyclopedia
"Night Fever" is a disco
song, written and performed by The Bee Gees
. It first appeared on the soundtrack
to Saturday Night Fever
. Producer Robert Stigwood
wanted to call the film Saturday Night, but singer Robin Gibb
expressed hesitation at the title. Stigwood liked the title Night Fever but was wary of marketing a movie with that name. He combined the two suggestions and the idea for Saturday Night Fever as a motion picture was born.
"Night Fever" remained the number one Billboard Hot 100
single for over two months in 1978. It also replaced Andy Gibb
's "Love Is Thicker Than Water" at number one, and was in turn replaced by Yvonne Elliman
's "If I Can't Have You" - all of which were written and produced by the Gibb brothers.
After the success of "Night Fever," the Governor of Florida, Reubin O'Donovan Askew
, made the three men "honorary citizens" of the state, due to the amount of time they spent each year recording singles in Miami.
In addition to Saturday Night Fever, the song has also appeared in the movie and on the soundtrack for Mystery Men
.
The song lists at #33 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.
, Castaways and Desert Inn
casinos.) An interesting note, in the video Barry Gibb was shown without his trademark beard.
band The Dicks
covered this song on the B-side of their 1980 debut single "Hate the Police
" under the title "All Night Fever".
In 2008, Australian singer and songwriter
Tina Arena
performed a cover version
of "Night Fever" for the French
film Disco
.
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
song, written and performed by The Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
. It first appeared on the soundtrack
Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack)
Original Vinyl ReleaseSide A:#"Stayin' Alive" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:45#"How Deep Is Your Love" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:05...
to Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
. Producer Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood is an impresario and entertainment entrepreneur who relocated to England in 1954...
wanted to call the film Saturday Night, but singer Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
expressed hesitation at the title. Stigwood liked the title Night Fever but was wary of marketing a movie with that name. He combined the two suggestions and the idea for Saturday Night Fever as a motion picture was born.
"Night Fever" remained the number one Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
single for over two months in 1978. It also replaced Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb was an English singer and teen idol, and the youngest brother of the family whose other male siblings formed the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.-The early years:...
's "Love Is Thicker Than Water" at number one, and was in turn replaced by Yvonne Elliman
Yvonne Elliman
Yvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar...
's "If I Can't Have You" - all of which were written and produced by the Gibb brothers.
After the success of "Night Fever," the Governor of Florida, Reubin O'Donovan Askew
Reubin O'Donovan Askew
Reubin O'Donovan Askew is an American politician, who served as the 37th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida from 1971 to 1979.-Early life and career:...
, made the three men "honorary citizens" of the state, due to the amount of time they spent each year recording singles in Miami.
In addition to Saturday Night Fever, the song has also appeared in the movie and on the soundtrack for Mystery Men
Mystery Men
Mystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who...
.
The song lists at #33 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.
Music Video
A rare music video was made for the song in 1978, however it wasn't shown to the public until 2004 despite the fact the video didn't contain any uncensored content. It features the brothers singing the song in a dark studio cut with images from the Las Vegas, Nevada streets (based on the interspersed shots of the Golden NuggetGolden Nugget Las Vegas
The Golden Nugget Las Vegas is a luxury casino-hotel located in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Fremont Street Experience. The property is owned and operated by Landry's Restaurants....
, Castaways and Desert Inn
Desert Inn
The Desert Inn was a Paradise, Nevada, hotel/casino that operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by noted New York architect Jac Lessman, it was the fifth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The property included an 18-hole golf course. Locals nicknamed the resort "The D.I."...
casinos.) An interesting note, in the video Barry Gibb was shown without his trademark beard.
Chart performance
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United States | 1 |
| Canada | 1 |
| United Kingdom | 1 |
| Spain | 1 |
| Ireland | 1 |
| Brazil | 1 |
| Belgium | 2 |
| Germany | 2 |
| Norway | 2 |
| New Zealand | 2 |
| South Africa | 2 |
| China | 3 |
| Netherlands | 3 |
| Japan | 4 |
| Austria | 4 |
| Italy | 5 |
| Sweden | 5 |
| Finland | 6 |
| Australia | 7 |
| France | 31 |
Covers
Texan punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Dicks
The Dicks
The Dicks are an American punk rock band from Austin, Texas, originally formed in 1980. They initially disbanded in 1986 before reforming in 2004...
covered this song on the B-side of their 1980 debut single "Hate the Police
Hate the Police
"Hate the Police" is the debut release and 7" single from the American hardcore punk band The Dicks, released in 1980.The record was released on the band's own Radical Records imprint ....
" under the title "All Night Fever".
In 2008, Australian singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Tina Arena
Tina Arena
Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena is an Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre actress. She has won several awards, most notably 6 ARIA Awards and in both 1996 and 2000 she received the World Music Award for the world's best selling Australian artist...
performed a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Night Fever" for the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
film Disco
Disco (movie)
Disco is a French movie directed by Fabien Onteniente, which was released on 2 April 2008, with Franck Dubosc as "Didier Travolta" in the main role.The main subject of this movie is the rebirth of disco music at the mid-2000s in a town of France...
.