Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
Encyclopedia
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" is an American country
and pop
song recorded by Freddy Fender
. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop
idiom of south Louisiana
and southeast Texas
that had such a major musical impact on Fender.
, for Duncan Records in 1959, during the early stages of his career. He was in the process of perfecting his mesh of rockabilly
and Tejano
, and the song showcased his new style. But he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, and in May 1960, he was convicted. The popularity of the song, along with his own popularity, plummeted.
Then, in 1975, "Before The Next Teardrop Falls
" became a major hit, and Fender's career was rejuvenated. With the help of record producer Huey P Meaux
, Fender re-recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." This time, the song became a major pop and country hit, topping the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
chart in August 1975 and reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100
. It also peaked on what was then called Billboards "Easy Listening" chart at #9.
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America
. http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/search_results.asp
The song is heard in the background of a party scene depicting George W. Bush
's drinking years in Oliver Stone
's biographical film W.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song recorded by Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender , born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, United States, was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados...
. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop
Swamp pop
Swamp rock is a musical genre indigenous to the Acadiana region of south Louisiana and an adjoining section of southeast Texas. Created in the 1950s and early 1960s by teenaged Cajuns and black Creoles, it combines New Orleans-style rhythm and blues, country and western, and traditional French...
idiom of south Louisiana
Acadiana
Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...
and southeast Texas
Southeast Texas
Southeast Texas is a subregion of East Texas located in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The subregion is geographically centered around the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown and Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan areas...
that had such a major musical impact on Fender.
Song history
Fender wrote and recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights", a blues balladBlues ballad
The term blues ballad is used to refer to a specific form of popular music which fused Anglo-American and Afro-American styles from the late 19th century onwards...
, for Duncan Records in 1959, during the early stages of his career. He was in the process of perfecting his mesh of rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
and Tejano
Tejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
, and the song showcased his new style. But he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, and in May 1960, he was convicted. The popularity of the song, along with his own popularity, plummeted.
Then, in 1975, "Before The Next Teardrop Falls
Before the Next Teardrop Falls (song)
"Before the Next Teardrop Falls" is an American country and pop song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters, and most famously recorded by Freddy Fender.-Song history:...
" became a major hit, and Fender's career was rejuvenated. With the help of record producer Huey P Meaux
Huey P Meaux
Huey Purvis Meaux was an American record producer and recording studio owner .Meaux was born in Wright, Louisiana...
, Fender re-recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." This time, the song became a major pop and country hit, topping the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
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...
chart in August 1975 and reaching No. 8 on 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...
. It also peaked on what was then called Billboards "Easy Listening" chart at #9.
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/search_results.asp
The song is heard in the background of a party scene depicting George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's drinking years in Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's biographical film W.
W. (film)
W. is a 2008 American film based on the life and presidency of George W. Bush. It was produced and directed by Oliver Stone, written by Stanley Weiser, and stars Josh Brolin as Bush, with a cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Scott...
Chart performance
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 6 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles | 9 |
See also
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2006.
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006," 2007.