"Because the Night" is a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

song written by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

and

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poe ...

that was first released in 1978 as a single from the

Patti Smith Group Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

album, ''

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

''. This version rose to No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, as well as No. 5 in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, and helped propel sales of ''Easter'' to mainstream success. The song has subsequently been covered by numerous artists, and at least two of these cover versions have been chart hits. A 1992 version of the song by Co.Ro was a hit in several countries in Europe and South America. It reached No. 1 in Spain and the Top 10 in Belgium, France, Greece and Italy. The following year, a live acoustic version was recorded by

10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...

for ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

''. This recording reached No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it the highest charting version of the song in the U.S. In 1987, the song was ranked No. 116 on ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' magazine's list of "The Top 150 Singles of All Time". It remains the best-known song of Smith's catalog. In 2021, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it No. 358 on "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". ''The Independent'' listed the song as one of the ten best new wave singles of 1978.

History

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band recorded "Because the Night" at Atlantic Studios, New York on June 1, 1977, the first day of sessions for ''

Darkness on the Edge of Town ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' is the fourth studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. The album marked the end of a three-year gap between albums brought on by contractu ...

'', though the lyrics only consisted of the song title and some mumbling. Springsteen struggled with the song for almost four months until his engineer,

Jimmy Iovine James Iovine ( ; ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, record executive, and media proprietor best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records. In 2006, Iovine and rapper-producer Dr. Dre founded Beats Electronics, which produces ...

, got involved. At the time, Iovine was also producing the album ''Easter'' for

at the

Record Plant The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...

in New York, where ''Darkness'' was also being recorded. Iovine says, "Now, Bruce was very understanding and very flexible, because he realized that this was my first real break as a producer. Anyway, one night whilst we were lounging around the Hotel Navarro in New York I told Bruce I desperately wanted a hit with Patti, that she deserved one. He agreed. As he had no immediate plans to put 'Because the Night' on an album, I said why not give it to Patti. Bruce replied, 'If she can do it, she can have it.'" Springsteen later admitted he was not satisfied with the song, and he already knew he was not going to finish it since it was "a

other Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

love song". Iovine brought Smith the last recording by Springsteen, from September 27, 1977. Smith added her own lyrics, recorded it, and scored her biggest hit single. The song was first performed live at a Patti Smith concert at

CBGB CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', Kri ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on December 30, 1977 (Smith's 31st birthday), with Springsteen joining on vocals and guitar. Though it was never released on any of Springsteen's studio albums, in concert beginning with his

Darkness Tour Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Darkness Tour was a concert tour of North America that ran from May 1978 through the rest of the year, in conjunction with the release of Springsteen's album ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''. (Like mos ...

Springsteen would often perform the song with his own lyrics. The only two commercially released recordings of a Springsteen version of the song were in the 1986 box set '' Live/1975–85'', in which Smith is listed as co-writer; and the 2010 compilation album '' The Promise'' (using the original recording from the ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' sessions with Smith's lyrics).

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

CO.RO version

In 1992, Italian dance act CO.RO released a version that sold over 660,000 copies. It also samples the

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

song "

Master and Servant "Master and Servant" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 20 August 1984 as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Some Great Reward'' (1984). Its subject matter is BDSM relationships, which caused ...

" and was a hit in Europe, becoming gold record in France and reaching number-one in Spain. Additionally the single peaked within the top 10 in Belgium, France, Greece and Italy. On the

Eurochart Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

, "Because the Night" reached number 15 in February 1993. It was also successful in Brazil, and became a big opening of a

Eurodance Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...

explosion in the 1990s.

Critical reception

The song received favorable reviews from music critics.

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote that it "gets a

rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...

/ pop treatment" and "urgent vocals by Tarlisa swerve around a looped sample from Depeche Mode's "Master & Servant"." He stated that it "ultimately works well and is better than many of the other covers". Alan Jones from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' gave it three out of five. He complimented the song as "actually quite endearing", adding that it combines DM samples with "a maverick bassline and a Smith soundalike. It could click."

Track listing

CD single – Europe (1992) # "Because the Night" (T.L.S. Radio Mix) – 4:32 # "Because the Night" (T.L.S. Mix) – 5:20 # "It's a Love" (T.S.F. Mix) – 3:40 # "Because the Night" (Dub Mix) – 5:20

Charts

10,000 Maniacs version

An acoustic version was recorded by

in 1993 for ''

'', with a few lyrical alterations. The recording gained considerable radio airplay and reached No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. A live version with lead vocalist

Mary Ramsey Mary Ramsey (born December 24, 1963) is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo ...

was also included on their 2016 album '' Playing Favorites''.

Track listing

CD single – US (1993) # "Because the Night" (Live version) – 3:28 # "Stockton Gala Days" (Live version) – 5:25

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Cascada version

In 2008,

Cascada Cascada (, Spanish for "Waterfall", stylized as CASCADA, CASC''A''DA and cascada) is a German dance music act founded in 2004 by singer Natalie Horler and DJs/producers DJ Manian and DJ Yanou. They are best known for their hit singles " Everyti ...

recorded a version which appears on their second album '' Perfect Day''. The music video for the single premiered on YouTube on May 28, 2008. The single was released on July 18, 2008, in Germany.

Track listing

CD single – Germany (2008) # "Because the Night" – 3:26 # "Because the Night" (Original Mix) – 5:32 # "Because the Night" (Mondo Remix) – 5:58 # "Because the Night" (2-4 Grooves remix) – 5:45 # "Because the Night" (The Hitmen remix) – 5:49 # "Because the Night" (Manian Bootleg Cut) – 5:04 # "Because the Night" (Manox remix) – 6:19 CD single - UK (2008) # "Because the Night" – 3:26 # "Because the Night" (Original Mix) – 5:32 # "Because the Night" (Styles & Breeze Remix) – 6:15 # "Because the Night" (Riffs & Rays Remix) – 6:27 # "Because the Night" (Hypasonic Remix) – 5:34 # "Because the Night" (Hitmen Remix) – 5:49 # "Because the Night" (Manox remix) – 6:19

Chart performance

Release history

Garbage and Screaming Females version

In early 2013, Garbage and

Screaming Females Screaming Females is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey comprising Marissa Paternoster on guitar and vocals, Jarrett Dougherty on drums, and Mike Abbate on bass. They released their debut album ''Baby Teeth'' in 2006. The band h ...

recorded a cover of "Because the Night" for an exclusive vinyl release on that year's

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

; an annual celebration of independent record stores. Garbage had released two singles ("

Blood for Poppies "Blood for Poppies" is the 2012 lead single from alternative rock band Garbage's fifth studio album '' Not Your Kind of People'', released to radio worldwide and as the band's Record Store Day single in the United States. Garbage picked "Blood f ...

" and " Battle in Me") to mark the 2012 event, and were keen to release "something special" for the following year. The band decided to record "Because the Night" with Screaming Females following some well-received

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

s of the track at live dates during their North American tour.

Marissa Paternoster Marissa Paternoster (born August 1, 1986) is an artist, singer and guitarist active in New Jersey's New Brunswick, New Jersey music scene, New Brunswick music scene. She is the lead singer and guitarist in the bands Screaming Females and Noun (band ...

of Screaming Females originally suggested covering "Because the Night" live. "We thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to solidify a recording and do something really special for the fans and for all the independent record stores," Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson told ''

''. Screaming Females flew from their base in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

to record the track with Garbage, who had set up two complete sets of instruments in EastWest Studios for the session. Garbage drummer

Butch Vig Bryan David "Butch" Vig (born August 2, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the drummer and co-producer of the alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of the diamond-selling Nirvana album ''Neve ...

told ''

'': "We did it old-school style. They came out to Hollywood and we went into a big tracking room and recorded

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

style... We cut it live and did very few

overdubs Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...

, did everything in a day and it came out pretty great. Marissa plays, I think, a 48-bar

guitar solo A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular m ...

at the end, that girl can shred like Eddie Van Halen, no kidding." Garbage used

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

to raise awareness of the release, and to Record Store Day in general. The band shot a video where they professed their love for independent stores, and stated their earliest memories of shopping in them, while Manson wrote a statement about the importance of the continued existence of these stores, and of vinyl records: "In a world like ours, where we live increasingly isolated lives behind the lonely glow of our computer screens, Record Store Day reminds us all that an independent record store is worth protecting and fighting for. They are a haven and a harbour for all curious and wandering souls." Manson also tipped her hat to

in the run-up to RSD 2013: "She is absolutely, without a doubt, one of my greatest inspirations. When I think I can't do things, I think about her and what she's achieved and what she continues to achieve on her own terms—always. That really inspires me. I don't know if she's aware of the cover we're releasing, or if she's aware that I covered "

Kimberly Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a c ...

" with Angelfish." "Because the Night" was pressed to a "

Coke bottle Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...

-green" 10-inch vinyl and backed with "Love Like Suicide" and a fan

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

of the album's opening track "

Automatic Systematic Habit "Automatic Systematic Habit" is the third and final European radio airplay (fifth overall) single released from alternative rock band Garbage's fifth studio album, '' Not Your Kind of People''. Copies were sent to radio stations across Europe in N ...

". An original Garbage song, "Love Like Suicide" had been previously released as

bonus track An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

exclusive to the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

pressing of ''

Not Your Kind of People ''Not Your Kind of People'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Garbage. It was released on May 11, 2012, through the band's own record label, Stunvolume. The album marks the return of the band after a seven-year hiatus that started ...

''. Manson explained the song's inclusion to MySpace: "We're releasing it now because we wanted to give a nice gift for the fans." The remix of "Automatic..." was produced by Garbage fan Konstantin Khazev and won first prize in an amateur remix competition held through the

Beatport Beatport is an American electronic music-oriented online music store owned by LiveStyle. The company is based in Denver, Los Angeles, and Berlin. Beatport is oriented primarily towards DJs, selling full songs as well as resources that can be used ...

website in 2012. The RSD package was limited to 5,000 units, with the sleeve artwork created by Marissa Paternoster. The release of "Because the Night" in the United Kingdom was delayed due to problems with the record's distributor. The band made a statement via

the evening before Record Store Day: "We are so pissed off and disappointed about this. And so sad that on Record Store Day in the UK our little jewel will not be available for sale." The UK release of "Because the Night" was rescheduled to May 13, 2013. The single debuted at number 100 on the Physical Singles chart, before shooting up to number 4 the following week. On May 7, 2013, Garbage issued a digital single of "Because the Night" in the United States, which was followed a week later by an international digital release. "Because the Night" would later be included on the deluxe edition bonus disc of Garbage's seventh album, '' No Gods No Masters'' and Screaming Females compilation album ''Singles Too''.

Music video

While Garbage and Screaming Females recorded at EastWest Studios,

Sophie Muller Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller (born 31 January 1962) is a British music video director who has directed more than 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 '' Diva'' video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's so ...

shot black and white footage to document the sessions. On March 4, 2013, a teaser video was released to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

featuring clips of the band members. The full music video was subsequently released on April 17; ahead of Record Store Day.

Critical reception

The cover version of "Because the Night" was positively received by contemporary music critics in advance of Record Store Day. ''

'' magazine's Hilary Hughes stated, "...the Garbage/Screaming Females release embodies the shifts brought on by Record Store Day that impact the

music industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...

across the board-and the shaping trends that have fueled Record Store Day's meteoric rise from a community experiment to an international movement," referencing the pairing of artists and the independent label of release. Chris Martins of '' Spin'' wrote, "...the bands gel awesomely. The highlight comes when Paternoster starts to shred. We have a feeling Miss Smith will be proud."

Track listing

*10-inch Record Store Day release (STNVOL-007) # "Because the Night" – 4:55 # "Automatic Systematic Habit" (Costa Cadeu remix) – 4:38 # "Love Like Suicide" – 3:51 *Digital Single # "Because the Night" – 4:55

Release history

Other cover versions

*Glam metal band

Keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

recorded the song in 1986 on their sophomore album, ''

The Final Frontier ''The Final Frontier'' is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 13 August 2010 in Germany, Austria and Finland, 17 August in North America, 18 August in Japan, and 16 August worldwide. At 76&nbs ...

''. * German DJ

Jan Wayne Jan Wayne ( (born Jan Christiansen, January 1974, Husum, Schleswig-Holstein) is a German electronic dance music DJ and producer. Discography Albums *2002 - ''Back Again'' *2003 - ''Gonna Move Ya'' Singles *2001 - " Total Eclipse of the Heart" - ...

released a dance version in 2002 that reached number 14 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, number 2 in Belgium and number one on the

Dutch Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Dutc ...

. * In 2010, Springsteen performed the song on ''

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon. About pag ...

'', accompanied by bandmates

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...

Roy Bittan Roy J. Bittan (born July 2, 1949) is an American musician best known as a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Professor", Bittan joined the E Street Band in 1974. He plays the piano, organ, accordion and synthe ...

and

the Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

. * A cover by

synthwave Synthwave (also called outrun, retrowave, or futuresynth) is an electronic music microgenre that is based predominantly on the music associated with action, science-fiction, and horror film soundtracks of the 1980s. Other influences are drawn fr ...

band

The Midnight The Midnight is an American synthwave band composed of Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Tyler Lyle and Los Angeles-based Danish-born producer, songwriter, and singer Tim McEwan. Origins The band was formed as a result of Lyle and McEwan meeting ...

, featuring

Nikki Flores Nikki Flores (born Brandi Nichole Flores; October 17, 1988) is an American independent pop singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. Career Recording artist Nikki Flores began writing songs and performing at eight years old. Her pare ...

, is included as the last track of the band's EP ''Horror Show'', released on 2021.
AudioPerfecta Cover vs Original – Because the Night
comparison of four versions by Aaron J Edwards (2018)

References

External links

Because the Night by Patti Smith
at AllMusic * {{authority control 1978 singles 1992 debut singles 1993 singles 2008 singles Bruce Springsteen songs Patti Smith songs 10,000 Maniacs songs Songs written by Bruce Springsteen Songs written by Patti Smith Live singles Rock ballads 1970s ballads Eurodance songs Garbage (band) songs Music videos directed by Sophie Muller 1977 songs Song recordings produced by Jimmy Iovine Arista Records singles ZYX Music singles Elektra Records singles Number-one singles in Spain