Nights in White Satin
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Nights in White Satin" is a song by
the Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...
, written and composed by
Justin Hayward David Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946) is an English musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the rock band the Moody Blues. Hayward became the group's principal lead guitarist and vocalist over the 1967–1974 ...
. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album ''
Days of Future Passed A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two sola ...
''. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number 19 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 ...
and number 103 in the United States in 1968. It was the first significant chart entry by the band since "
Go Now "Go Now" is a song composed by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett and first recorded by Bessie Banks, released as a single in January 1964. The best-known version was recorded by the Moody Blues and released the same year. Bessie Banks version The ...
" and its recent lineup change, in which
Denny Laine Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Hines, 29 October 1944) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, known as a founder of two major rock bands: the Moody Blues, with whom he played from 1964 to 1966, and Wings, with whom he played from 1 ...
and
Clint Warwick Clint Warwick (born Albert Eccles; 25 June 1940 – 15 May 2004) was an English musician known as the original bassist for the rock band the Moody Blues. Life and career Warwick was born in Aston, Birmingham, England. He was drawn to music dur ...
had resigned and both Hayward and John Lodge had joined. When reissued in 1972, the single hit number two in the United States for two weeks on the ''
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 ...
''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
(behind " I Can See Clearly Now" by
Johnny Nash John Lester Nash Jr. (August 19, 1940October 6, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter, best known in the United States for his 1972 hit " I Can See Clearly Now". Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican artists ...
) and hit number one on the ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' Top 100, making it the band's most successful single in the United States. It earned a gold
certification Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
for sales of over a million US copies (platinum certification was not instituted until 1976). It also hit number one in Canada. After two weeks at #2, it was replaced by "
I'd Love You to Want Me "I'd Love You to Want Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lobo. It was released in September 1972 as the second single from his second album '' Of a Simple Man''. The song was Lobo's highest charting hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 c ...
" by Lobo. It reached its highest UK position this year at number 9. Although the song did not enter the official New Zealand chart, it reached #5 on the ''
New Zealand Listener The ''New Zealand Listener'' is a weekly New Zealand magazine that covers the political, cultural and literary life of New Zealand by featuring a variety of topics, including current events, politics, social issues, health, technology, arts, f ...
''s chart compiled from the readers' votes in 1973. The song enjoyed a recurring chart presence in the following decades. It charted again in the UK and Ireland in 1979 reaching #14 and #8, respectively. The song charted again in 2010, reaching number 51 in the British Official Singles Charts. It has also been
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by numerous other artists, most notably
Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance mu ...
,
Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1946) is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 1980 ...
, and Sandra.


Production

Band member Justin Hayward wrote and composed the song at age 19 while touring in Belgium and titled the song after a girlfriend gave him a gift of
satin A satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain weave ...
bedsheets. The song itself was a tale of a yearning love from afar, which leads many aficionados to term it as a tale of
unrequited love Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and pure affection, or may consciously reject it. The Merriam Webster Online Dict ...
endured by Hayward. Hayward said of the song, "It was just another song I was writing and I thought it was very powerful. It was a very personal song and every note, every word in it means something to me and I found that a lot of other people have felt that very same way about it." The
London Festival Orchestra The London Festival Orchestra (LFO) was established in the 1950s as the 'house orchestra' for Decca Records. In 1980 it was incorporated as an independent performing orchestra under Ross Pople. At least in the world of pop music, the orchestra is ...
provided the orchestral accompaniment for the introduction, the final rendition of the chorus, and the "final lament" section, all of which were in the original album version. The "orchestral" sounds in the main body of the song were actually produced by Mike Pinder's
Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
keyboard device, which would come to define the "Moody (Blues)'s signature sound". The song is written in the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: : Changes needed ...
and features the
Neapolitan chord In Classical music theory, a Neapolitan chord (or simply a "Neapolitan") is a major chord built on the lowered ( flatted) second (supertonic) scale degree. In Schenkerian analysis, it is known as a Phrygian II, since in minor scales the chord is b ...
(F).


Single releases

The two single versions of the song were both stripped of the orchestral and "Late Lament" poetry sections of the LP version. The first edited version, with the songwriter's credit shown as "Redwave", was a hasty-sounding 3:06 version of the LP recording with very noticeable chopped parts. However, many versions of the single are listed on the labels at 3:06, but in fact are closer to the later version of 4:26. Some versions, instead of ending cold as most do, segue briefly into the symphonic second half ("Late Lament") and, in fact, run for 4:33 (but are also listed on the label as 3:06). For the second edited version (with the song's writing credited to Hayward), the early parts of the song were kept intact, ending early at 4:26. Most single versions were backed with a non-LP B-side, "Cities". Although it only had limited commercial success on its first release, the song has since garnered much critical acclaim, ranking number 36 in
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
's "Sold on Song Top 100" list. ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said that the "intense mood of the funk orchestration serves up an atmosphere that penetrates to the very core of this depressed love ballad" and praised the "terrific instrumental break and a searing vocal."


"Late Lament"

The spoken-word poem heard near the six-minute mark of the album version of the song is called "Late Lament". Drummer
Graeme Edge Graeme Charles Edge (30 March 1941 – 11 November 2021) was an English musician, songwriter and poet, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the English band the Moody Blues. In addition to his work with the Moody Blues, Edge worked as ...
wrote the verses, which were recited by keyboardist
Mike Pinder Michael Thomas Pinder (born 27 December 1941) is an English rock musician, and is a founding member and original keyboard player of the British rock group the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's ninth album '' ...
. On ''Days of Future Passed,'' the poem's last five lines bracket the album and also appear at the end of track 1 (" The Day Begins"). While it has been commonly known as part of "Nights in White Satin" with no separate credit on the original LP, "Late Lament" was given its own listing on the two-LP compilation ''
This Is The Moody Blues ''This Is The Moody Blues'' is a two LP (later two CDs) compilation album by the Moody Blues, released in late 1974 while the band was on a self-imposed sabbatical. Though all of the songs were previously released on albums (with the exception ...
'' in 1974 and again in 1987 (without its parent song) on another compilation, '' Prelude.'' Both compilations feature the track in a slightly different form than on ''Days of Future Passed,'' giving both spoken and instrumental tracks an echo effect. The orchestral ending is kept intact, but mastering engineers edited out the gong (struck by Mike Pinder) that closes the track on the original LP as it relates to the closing of the original album (with Side 1 beginning with the gong fading in) and not the track alone. From 1992 through the early 2000s, the Moody Blues toured with shows backed by live orchestras. When with orchestral accompaniment, they often took the opportunity to include "Late Lament" in the performance of "Nights in White Satin". On these occasions, Edge recited it himself, since Pinder had left the band.


Personnel

*
Justin Hayward David Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946) is an English musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the rock band the Moody Blues. Hayward became the group's principal lead guitarist and vocalist over the 1967–1974 ...
– 12-string acoustic guitar, lead vocals *
Ray Thomas Raymond Thomas (29 December 1941 – 4 January 2018) was an English multi-instrumentalist, flautist, singer, founding member and composer in the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. His flute solo on the band's 1967 hit single "Night ...
– flute, backing vocals *
Mike Pinder Michael Thomas Pinder (born 27 December 1941) is an English rock musician, and is a founding member and original keyboard player of the British rock group the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's ninth album '' ...
Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
, backing vocals,
narration Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...
(on "Late Lament"),
gong A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...
* John Lodge – bass, backing vocals *
Graeme Edge Graeme Charles Edge (30 March 1941 – 11 November 2021) was an English musician, songwriter and poet, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the English band the Moody Blues. In addition to his work with the Moody Blues, Edge worked as ...
– drums, backing vocals, percussion ;Additional personnel * Peter Knight and the
London Festival Orchestra The London Festival Orchestra (LFO) was established in the 1950s as the 'house orchestra' for Decca Records. In 1980 it was incorporated as an independent performing orchestra under Ross Pople. At least in the world of pop music, the orchestra is ...
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
l
arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
s


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Sandra version

A
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of "Nights in White Satin" was released by the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
singer Sandra on her sixth studio album ''
Fading Shades ''Fading Shades'' is the sixth studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 12 June 1995 by Virgin Records. Background Sandra recorded ''Fading Shades'' while pregnant with twins and was having to sit during the recording sessions. The al ...
'' (1995). Her version was produced by
Michael Cretu Michael Cretu ( ro, Mihai Crețu, ; born 18 May 1957) is a Romanian-German musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained worldwide fame as the founder and musician behind the musical project Enigma, which he formed in 1990. Cret ...
. The song was released as the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
off ''Fading Shades'' in the spring of 1995 and failed to match the success of Sandra's previous singles. The song only reached #86 in Germany, becoming her least successful lead single there to date, and #34 in New Zealand, where it remains her only charting single. It fared much better in Israel where it peaked at number 1, and was a Top-20 hit in Finland, and a top 10
airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
hit in Poland. The
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
, directed by Angel Hart, showed only
close-up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long s ...
s of Sandra's face as she was
pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occur ...
at the time. A still from the video was later used on the ''Fading Shades'' album cover. The music video was released on Sandra's 2003
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
''The Complete History''.


Formats and track listings

* CD
maxi single A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. The first maxi singles Mungo Jerry's first single, " In the Summertime" was t ...
# "Nights in White Satin" (Radio Edit) — 3:35 # "Nights in White Satin" (Club Mix) — 6:05 # "Nights in White Satin" (Techno Mix) — 5:29 # "Nights in White Satin" (Jungle Mix) — 6:09 # "Nights in White Satin" (Dub Version) — 4:02 * 12" maxi single :A1. "Nights in White Satin" (Club Mix) — 6:05 :A2. "Nights in White Satin" (Techno Mix) — 5:29 :B1. "Nights in White Satin" (Jungle Mix) — 6:09 :B2. "Nights in White Satin" (Dub Version) — 4:02


Charts


Elkie Brooks Version

* Elkie Brooks recorded the song for her 1982 album ''
Pearls II ''Pearls II'' is an album by English singer Elkie Brooks, released in 1982. Background The sequel to Brooks' popular ''Pearls (Elkie Brooks Album), Pearls'' album, A&M decided to play it safe by keeping Gus Dudgeon as producer. Another set of ...
'' *7 Single UK and
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
:A. Nights In White Satin 4:35 :B. Lilac Wine (Live Recording) 6:08 *7 Single Promo :A. Nights In White Satin 4:35 :B. Lilac Wine (Live Recording) 6:08 *7 Single
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
:A. Nights In White Satin 4:37 :B. Thank You For The Light 3:31 *7 Single
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
:A. Nights In White Satin 4:35 :B. Lilac Wine (Live Recording) 6:08


Other cover versions

* Italian band
Nomadi Nomadi (or I Nomadi, meaning "Nomads") is an Italian band formed in 1963 and still present on the music scene. Career Origins In 1961, Beppe Carletti and Leonardo Manfredini formed the group I Monelli (‘Urchins’). In 1962, Carletti met Franco ...
released a version of the song as a single in 1968 with the title ''Ho difeso il mio amore'' reaching #20 in the Italian chart. The lyrics of this version differ significantly from the original. * German singer
Juliane Werding Juliane Werding (born 19 July 1956 in Essen) is a German singer and alternative therapy practitioner ('' Heilpraktiker''). Her recordings include "Am Tag, als Conny Kramer starb" and "Nacht voll Schatten" in 1983 (German cover of Mike Oldfiel ...
covered the song in German as "Wildes Wasser" for her 1973 album ''Mein Name ist Juliane''. The single reached #40 in Germany. *
Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance mu ...
recorded the song as "Knights in White Satin" for a 1976 album of the same name. His cover reached #44 on the Walloon singles chart in Belgium. Moroder also recorded another version with Joe Bean Esposito for the 1983 album ''Solitary Men''. * Los Angeles punk rock band
the Dickies The Dickies are an American punk rock band formed in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, in 1977. One of the longest tenured punk rock bands, they have been in continuous existence for over 40 years. They have consistently balanced catchy mel ...
recorded a cover of the song for their 1979 LP '' Dawn of the Dickies''. Released as a single, it charted in the top 40 on the
UK singles charts 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- ...
. *
Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatra ...
recorded the song as "Nights in White Satin" for a 1995 "One More Time" studio Album. * The group
Il Divo Il Divo (; ) are a multi-national classical crossover vocal group. The male quartet, which originated in the United Kingdom in December 2003, consists of tenors Urs Bühler, David Miller, and Sébastien Izambard. It also included bariton ...
released their cover "Nights in White Satin (notte di luce)" on the 2006 album '' Siempre''. Their version reached #81 in Switzerland. * A cover by the Dutch singer Erwin Nyhoff reached the top 5 in the Netherlands in 2012. * A cover by American singer Jennifer Rush in her 1995 album ''Out of my hands'' produced by Jürgen Fritz. * Rachael Leahcar recorded a cover of the song for her debut album '' Shooting Star'' (2012). The song reached #43 in Australia. *
Olav Stedje Olav Stedje (Born 8 June 1953 in Sogndal, Norway) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, known for a number of soft rock recordings, six silver albums and three attempts in Melodi Grand Prix. Career Stedje debuted as a solo singer within the band ...
and Ole Brum's orchestra covered the song in Norwegian as "Snøkvite blomar" for their 1977 album ''Heime igjen''.


Theme park attraction and other uses

The work was reinterpreted as the focus of Nights in White Satin: The Trip, a
dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain Animatronics, animation, sound, music and Special effect#Live special effects, special e ...
at the Hard Rock Park theme park in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its y ...
, U.S.A. The attraction, which included 3D-
black light A blacklight, also called a UV-A light, Wood's lamp, or ultraviolet light, is a lamp that emits long-wave (UV-A) ultraviolet light and very little visible light. One type of lamp has a violet filter material, either on the bulb or in a separat ...
and fibre-optic lighting effects and purpose-made films, was developed by
Sally Corporation Sally Corporation is a dark ride and animatronic manufacturing company based in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. The company serves amusement parks, attractions, museums, and retail clients worldwide. It offers complete design/build service ...
and Jon Binkowski of Hard Rock Park. Riders entered through a bead curtain and were provided with 3D glasses. The attraction operated as "The Trip" for the single 2008 season the park operated as Hard Rock Park, but was rethemed as "Monstars of Rock" with the sale and retitling of the park as
Freestyle Music Park Freestyle Music Park, formerly called Hard Rock Park, was a short-lived, music-themed amusement park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Built on , the park was located at the intersection of US 501 and the Intracoastal Waterway. It included part of ...
; "park officials said the experience will be similar but the presentation will be changed." Freestyle Music Park would cease operations after its only season as such in 2009. ''Nights in White Satin'' was the title of a 1987 film directed by Michael Barnard, and starring
Kip Gilman Kenneth David Gilman (born November 18, 1946) is an American television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Dr. Hank Kaplan in the American sitcom television series ''Nurses''. Gilman was born in Revere, Massachusetts. He began his care ...
and Priscilla Harris. The Moody Blues recording of the song was featured prominently in the soundtrack, particularly during a rooftop dance sequence.


See also

* List of ''Cash Box'' Top 100 number-one singles of 1972


References


External links


Lyrics of this song
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nights in White Satin 1960s ballads 1967 singles 1967 songs 1972 singles 1979 singles 1995 singles Cashbox number-one singles Deram Records singles Elkie Brooks songs Eric Burdon songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Number-one singles in France Pop ballads Proto-prog songs Rock ballads RPM Top Singles number-one singles Sandra (singer) songs Song recordings produced by Michael Cretu Songs about nights Songs written by Justin Hayward Symphonic rock songs The Moody Blues songs The Shadows songs Virgin Records singles