It’s That Time of Night: 4 Magnificent “Midnight” Songs

What is it about midnight that draws the attention of songwriters? That’s a question for sociologists to tackle, we suppose. All we know is that there have been plenty of songs that have invoked that specific time of day in the title.

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Many of these songs became big hits and/or classic tracks. Here are four of those “midnight” masterpieces, even as we acknowledge you can probably come up with plenty more.

“After Midnight” by Eric Clapton

It’s telling that Eric Clapton chose a J.J. Cale song for his first-ever solo single. Clapton showed an affinity for the Oklahoman songwriting legend throughout his career, and he’d also try to cultivate Tulsa-style grooves in his solo work time and again. Cale first released “After Midnight” in 1966. Clapton, while preparing his solo debut, was informed of Cale’s work by Delaney Bramlett of Delaney & Bonnie fame. He turbo-charged the pace of “After Midnight” from Cale’s slower original. Clapton later re-recorded the song in the 80s, giving it a corporate rock feel so that it would fit into a Michelob commercial. We’ll go with the frenetic 1970 take over that slicker version every time.

“Midnight Rider” by Gregg Allman

When you have a song in your head that you think is pretty special, you might want to get it down on tape as quickly as possible. Gregg Allman surely felt that way when he came up with “Midnight Rider”. The song came to him while he was staying in a cabin in Idlewild, Georgia. However, the nearby studio was locked up for the night, and he couldn’t convince anyone to open it up for him because of the late hours. He and a roadie named Robert Kim Payne smashed a window so that Allman could make a recording of it. That bit of breaking and entering not only led to one of The Allman Brothers’ classic anthems but also to a song that Allman would re-record for a solo hit.

“Midnight Confessions” by The Grass Roots

Don’t be confused by the title, which sounds like it should have adorned a straight-to-video thriller from the 90s. “Midnight Confessions” came from a songwriter named Lou Josie, who was out in front of a group named Evergreen Blues Band. When a producer named Steve Barri heard the demo for the song, he jumped at the chance to introduce it to The Grass Roots. Why? Because he sensed that a horn-filled song, a la what was common in Motown productions, would work well in a pop-rock setting. He was right about that, as “Midnight Confessions” helped jump-start a horn-drenched trend that was solidified by bands like Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears.

“Midnight Train To Georgia” by Gladys Knight & The Pips

This became Gladys Knight’s signature song, but it made the rounds before it reached her. Jim Weatherly originally wrote it as “Midnight Train To Houston”. In a crazy twist, he was allegedly inspired by something that Farrah Fawcett told him when she was dating Lee Majors, who played college football with Weatherly. Cissy Houston recorded the song before Knight and changed the location in the title (but kept everything else). But Knight’s take proved definitive for several reasons. The horns add the perfect musical commentary to the bittersweet tale. Knight’s powerful ad-libs at the end of the song are a thrill. And The Pips’ “woo-woo” responses added the perfect touch.

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