Blue Night
Studio album by
Percy Sledge
Released1994, France
1995, United States
RecordedMarch 1994
StudioCherokee (Hollywood)
GenreSoul, R&B
LabelSky Ranch[1]
Pointblank/Virgin Records[2]
ProducerBarry Goldberg, Saul Davis
Percy Sledge chronology
It Tears Me Up: The Best of Percy Sledge
(1992)		 Blue Night
(1994)		 Shining Through the Rain
(2004)

Blue Night is an album by the American soul singer Percy Sledge, released in 1994.[3][4] Sledge considered it his first album since the early 1970s.[5]

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best Contemporary Blues Album" category.[6]

Production

Recorded in Los Angeles in March 1994, the album was produced by Barry Goldberg and Saul Davis.[1][2] Steve Cropper, Bobby Womack, and Mick Taylor contributed guitar parts to the album.[7]

Blue Night's liner notes were penned by Jerry Wexler.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[9]
The Indianapolis Star[10]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide[11]
USA Today[12]

The Ottawa Citizen thought that Sledge's "story songs are told from an adult perspective, unflinching and real as rain."[13] USA Today wrote that Sledge breathes "emotional fire into the Temptations' 'I Wish It Would Rain', Otis Redding's 'I've Got Dreams to Remember' and James Carr's 'These Ain't Raindrops'."[12] Marc D. Allan, of The Indianapolis Star, considered the album "easily the best record I've heard this year," writing that "the music is live and passionate, with a minimum of strings and clutter in the arrangements but enough horns and female backing vocals to punctuate the lyrics."[10]

The Guardian noted that "Steve Cropper leads the simpatico, understated accompaniment to complete a polished update of steamy, old-style southern soul."[14] The Vancouver Sun determined that Blue Night "might be better considered as urban blues than soul/R&B."[15] The Irish Times wrote: "Gravelled by age and experience, this guy just breathes in the direction of lyrics and potential sap turns to music poetry of the most potent kind."[16]

In a retrospective article, Rolling Stone praised Sledge's cover of Fats Domino's "Goin' Home", writing that "goosed along by slide guitar from former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, [it] shows that if Sledge wanted to, he could've rocked as hard as any other Louisiana R&B singer."[17] MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide called Sledge "emotionally centered and nothing less than inspiring."[11]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Got Away with Love"Pat Robinson, Rocky Burnette4:15
2."Love Comes Knockin'"David Malloy, Gregg Sutton3:42
3."Why Did You Stop"Carla Olson4:40
4."I Wish It Would Rain"Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, Roger Penzabene3:12
5."Blue Night"Hasse Huss, Mikael Rickfors4:48
6."These Ain't Raindrops"Quinton Claunch2:48
7."Your Love Will Save the World"Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb3:47
8."First You Cry"Buddy Flett, David Egan3:56
9."Going Home Tomorrow"Alvin E. Young, Antoine Domino 
10."The Grand Blvd."Carla Olson, George Green5:40
11."I've Got Dreams to Remember"Joe Rock, Otis Redding, Zelma Redding4:09

References

  1. 1 2 "Percy Sledge records again". Edmonton Journal. 20 Aug 1994. p. B4.
  2. 1 2 3 Morris, Chris (Apr 22, 1995). "Sledge looks for comeback with Virgin's 'Blue Night'". Billboard. 107 (16): 11.
  3. ↑ "Percy Sledge Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  4. ↑ "Percy Sledge obituary". the Guardian. April 15, 2015. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  5. ↑ Herndon, David (16 June 1995). "RAVE ON When Percy Sledge Loves a Song". Newsday. p. B25.
  6. ↑ "Percy Sledge". GRAMMY.com. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  7. ↑ Buckley, Peter (September 29, 2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021 – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ "Blue Night - Percy Sledge | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29 – via www.allmusic.com.
  9. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 522.
  10. 1 2 Allan, Marc D. (9 June 1995). "Sledge hammers out 11 outstanding tracks". The Indianapolis Star. p. D7.
  11. 1 2 MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 519.
  12. 1 2 Gundersen, Edna (13 June 1995). "Sledge's beautiful `Blue'; Glass' imaginative `Beast'". USA Today. p. 7D.
  13. ↑ Ward, Bruce (28 Feb 1995). "Sledge's soul as sound today as it was in '60s". Ottawa Citizen. p. B8.
  14. ↑ Spencer, Neil (20 Nov 1994). "POP RELEASES". The Guardian. The Observer Review Page.
  15. ↑ Armstrong, John (16 Mar 1995). "RECORDINGS". Vancouver Sun. p. C8.
  16. ↑ "POPULAR". The Irish Times. SOUND & VISION. 24 Feb 1995. p. 14.
  17. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (April 15, 2015). "Percy Sledge: 10 Essential Tracks". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
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