Nite Flights (album)
Encyclopedia
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. Received positive reviews, specifically for Scott's work, the album was released as an LP
in 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
.
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. "Shutout", "Fat Mama Kick", "Nite Flights" and "The Electrician" were also released as Shutout E.P. in 1978.
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.
The Walker Brothers
The Walker Brothers were an American 1960s and 1970s pop group, comprising Scott Engel , John Walker , and Gary Leeds...
. 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. Received positive reviews, specifically for Scott's work, the album was released as an LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in 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
Hipgnosis
Hipgnosis was a British art design group that specialized in creating cover art for the albums of rock musicians and bands, most notably Pink Floyd, T.Rex, The Pretty Things, UFO, 10cc, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Scorpions, Yes, The Alan Parsons Project, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, ELO and XTC...
.
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
Scott Walker (singer)
Scott Walker, born Noel Scott Engel on January 9, 1943 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and the former lead singer of The Walker Brothers. Despite being American born, Walker's chart success has largely come in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums...
—his first original material since his 1970 solo album 'Til The Band Comes In
'Til The Band Comes In
'Til The Band Comes In is a Scott Walker album, released in 1970. As a compromise with his record company, the first 10 tracks are self-penned, the remainder are cover versions.- Track listing :- Personnel :* Alan Clayson – liner notes...
, 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. "Shutout", "Fat Mama Kick", "Nite Flights" and "The Electrician" were also released as Shutout E.P. in 1978.
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
Nite Flights received mixed to positive reviews by the majority of critics. Scott Walker's songs have consistently been singled out as greatly superior to Gary and John's songs.Track listing
Personnel
- Scott WalkerScott Walker (singer)Scott Walker, born Noel Scott Engel on January 9, 1943 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and the former lead singer of The Walker Brothers. Despite being American born, Walker's chart success has largely come in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums...
- vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards - Gary Leeds - vocals, drums, percussion
- John MausJohn Walker (musician)John Joseph Maus , known professionally as John Walker, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the founder of The Walker Brothers, who had their greatest success in the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom.-Early life and career:John Maus was born in New York City, the...
- vocals, guitar - Mo FosterMo FosterMo Foster is a British session musician, playing primarily jazz, jazz-fusion and rock bass guitar. He is also a music producer and songwriter/composer. In over 40 years as a musician Foster has played on and produced countless albums, singles, and film soundtracks...
- bass - Ronnie RossRonnie RossAlbert Ronald "Ronnie" Ross was a jazz baritone saxophonist.Ross moved to England in 1946 and began playing tenor saxophone in the 1950s with Tony Kinsey, Ted Heath, and Don Rendell. During his tenure with Rendell he switched to baritone saxophone...
- soprano saxophone - Alan SkidmoreAlan SkidmoreAlan Skidmore is a tenor saxophonist of jazz and blues music, son of the saxophonist Jimmy Skidmore.-As a sideman:...
- tenor saxophone - Big Jim SullivanBig Jim SullivanBig Jim Sullivan is an English musician, whose career started in 1959. He is best known as a session guitarist. In the 1960s and 1970s, Sullivan was one of the most "in-demand" studio musicians in the UK, and performed in more than one thousand charting singles over his career...
- rhythm guitar - Les Davidson - guitar
- Frank Gibson - drums
- Dill Katz - bass
- Katie Kissoon - background vocals
- Dave MacRae - Conductor, Orchestration
- Chris Mercer - saxophone
- Morris PertMorris PertMorris David Brough Pert was a Scottish composer, drummer/percussionist, and pianist who composed in the fields of both contemporary classical and jazz-rock music...
- percussion - Peter Van HookePeter Van HookePeter Van Hooke was drummer in the English band Mike + The Mechanics as well as having drummed for Cliff Richard, Van Morrison's band, Headstone, and Ezio. During the 1980s he successfully co-produced many of Tanita Tikaram's hits.Van Hooke grew up in Stanmore, Middlesex and attended Mill Hill...
- drums - Dennis Weinreich - recorder, background vocals, engineer, mixing
- Joy Yates - background vocals
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 |