Right Time of the Night
Encyclopedia
"Right Time of the Night" is the title of a song written by Peter McCann
and recorded by American
singer Jennifer Warnes
The song was introduced on Warnes' 1976 self-titled album.
who in 1972 released a single version of "Right Time of the Night" by a pre-stardom John Travolta
.
The tracks intended to comprise the completed Jennifer Warnes album which Warnes presented to her label Arista Records
did not include "Right Time of the Night". Arista president Clive Davis
would later tell Billboard
: "if a [singer such as] Jennifer Warnes submits an album which is great but lacks a hit single I and my a&r staff will say: 'Listen you need a hit. Because you're not really going to break off FM airplay...So we gave her 'Right Time of the Night'." Warnes had recorded the original tracks for the Jennifer Warnes album with producer Jim Price
; for Warnes' recording of "Right Time of the Night" Davis brought in Jim Ed Norman to produce, with Norman also producing "I'm Dreaming" which was another track added to Warnes' album on the basis of its having hit potential. Warnes would recall: "Clive picked 'I'm Dreaming' and 'Right Time of the Night', and he brought in Jim Ed Norman, who arranges strings for the Eagles, to give those songs very explicit tracks." "Right Time of the Night" was remixed by Val Garay
.
The second verse of the song as written by McCann was rewritten for Warnes' recording as it was felt the original lyric had too masculine a resonance. Warnes wrote a new lyric for the second verse herself which McCann rejected to eventually write a new second verse for Warnes' version himself. Prior to the release of Warnes' version of "Right Time of the Night", Bette Midler
expressed an interest in recording the song but asked that the bridge
be reworked, a stipulation McCann was still working on when Warnes' version reached the charts at which point work on a Midler version was dropped.
Released at the end of 1976, "Right Time of the Night" debuted on the 29 January 1977 edition of the Billboard Hot 100
at #81, Warnes' first appearance on the chart in a nine year recording career. The track entered the Top 40 on the Hot 100 dated 26 February 1977 to eventually peak at #6 on for two weeks that May. A #1 Adult Contemporary
hit, "Right Time of the Night" also became the first Arista release to reach the C&W chart
where it peaked at #17.
"Right Time of the Night" also featured on 1977 album releases by Reba McEntire
- on her self-titled debut album
- and Lynn Anderson
(I Love What Love Is Doin' to Me
). Mary Mason
recorded "Right Time of the Night" in medley
with the Marmalade
hit "Baby Make It Soon"; introduced on Mason's Angel of the Morning album, the track "Right Time of the Night/Baby Make It Soon" was released as a single in the UK in 1978.
Peter McCann
Peter McCann is an American singer and songwriter, who later resided in Nashville, Tennessee. As a staff writer with ABC Music he wrote the song "Right Time of the Night", which was a Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit for Jennifer Warnes in May 1977...
and recorded by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
The song was introduced on Warnes' 1976 self-titled album.
Background
"Right Time of the Night" came to the fore in 1976 when Peter McCann recorded his composition for his self-titled album. McCann had in fact written the song several years previously; he was then working as a staff writer for ABC RecordsABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
who in 1972 released a single version of "Right Time of the Night" by a pre-stardom John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
.
The tracks intended to comprise the completed Jennifer Warnes album which Warnes presented to her label Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
did not include "Right Time of the Night". Arista president Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
would later tell Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
: "if a [singer such as] Jennifer Warnes submits an album which is great but lacks a hit single I and my a&r staff will say: 'Listen you need a hit. Because you're not really going to break off FM airplay...So we gave her 'Right Time of the Night'." Warnes had recorded the original tracks for the Jennifer Warnes album with producer Jim Price
Jim Price
Jim Price may refer to:*Jim Price , former NFL tight end*Jim Price , former Detroit Tigers catcher and current sportscaster*Jim Price , manager of the New York Gothams...
; for Warnes' recording of "Right Time of the Night" Davis brought in Jim Ed Norman to produce, with Norman also producing "I'm Dreaming" which was another track added to Warnes' album on the basis of its having hit potential. Warnes would recall: "Clive picked 'I'm Dreaming' and 'Right Time of the Night', and he brought in Jim Ed Norman, who arranges strings for the Eagles, to give those songs very explicit tracks." "Right Time of the Night" was remixed by Val Garay
Val Garay
Val Garay is a record producer and engineer who has worked with Kim Carnes, The Motels, Marty Balin, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Armatrading, Dolly Parton, Pablo Cruise, James Taylor, Queensrÿche, Cock Robin, Dramarama, EZO, Ringo Starr, Linda Ronstadt, Sarah Brightman, Nicolette Larson, and Reel Big Fish,...
.
The second verse of the song as written by McCann was rewritten for Warnes' recording as it was felt the original lyric had too masculine a resonance. Warnes wrote a new lyric for the second verse herself which McCann rejected to eventually write a new second verse for Warnes' version himself. Prior to the release of Warnes' version of "Right Time of the Night", Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
expressed an interest in recording the song but asked that the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
be reworked, a stipulation McCann was still working on when Warnes' version reached the charts at which point work on a Midler version was dropped.
Released at the end of 1976, "Right Time of the Night" debuted on the 29 January 1977 edition of the 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...
at #81, Warnes' first appearance on the chart in a nine year recording career. The track entered the Top 40 on the Hot 100 dated 26 February 1977 to eventually peak at #6 on for two weeks that May. A #1 Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
hit, "Right Time of the Night" also became the first Arista release to reach the C&W chart
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
where it peaked at #17.
"Right Time of the Night" also featured on 1977 album releases by Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
- on her self-titled debut album
Reba McEntire (album)
Reba McEntire is Reba McEntire's first studio album. It featured her first single I Don't Wanna Be A One Night Stand, as well as a cover of the Jennifer Warnes hit "Right Time of the Night". It was re-issued on CD in 1993...
- and Lynn Anderson
Lynn Anderson
Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
(I Love What Love Is Doin' to Me
I Love What Love Is Doin' to Me
I Love What Love Is Doin' to Me is the name of a 1977 country music studio album by Lynn Anderson. The album featured three single releases for Anderson, the first being the title track which peaked at #22 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles. "He Ain't You" reached No. 19 and the last single, "We...
). Mary Mason
Mary Mason
Mary Mason is a British singer who scored a minor hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1977 with a medley of Chip Taylor's "Angel of the Morning" / "Any Way You Want Me", reaching #27 and spending six weeks in the chart. Earlier in the year, Mason took part in the A Song For Europe contest, with the song...
recorded "Right Time of the Night" in medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
with the Marmalade
Marmalade (band)
Marmalade were a successful Scottish pop rock group, from the east end of Glasgow, originally formed in 1961 as "The Gaylords", later "Dean Ford and The Gaylords". In 1966, they changed the group name to 'The Marmalade'. The most successful period for the band, in terms of UK chart success, was...
hit "Baby Make It Soon"; introduced on Mason's Angel of the Morning album, the track "Right Time of the Night/Baby Make It Soon" was released as a single in the UK in 1978.
Chart performance of Right Time of the Night by Jennifer Warnes
| Chart (1976/1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Top Singles |
33 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 18 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 17 |
Credits
- Backing Vocals - Doug Haywood
- Bass - Michael Bowden
- Drums - Matt Betton Jr.
- Guitar - John Leslie Hug , Kenny Edwards
- Guitar [Steel] - Doug Livingston
- Keyboards - Brian Whitcomb
- Producer - Jim Ed Norman
- Strings - Jimmy Getsoff , Ray Kelley