Night Nurse (Gregory Isaacs song)

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"Night Nurse"
Gregory Isaacs-Night Nurse.jpg
Single by Gregory Isaacs
from the album Night Nurse
Released1982
GenreReggae
Length7:00
LabelMango, Island
Songwriter(s)Gregory Isaacs, Sylvester Weise
Producer(s)Gregory Isaacs, Flabba Holt

"Night Nurse" is a song by Jamaican reggae artist Gregory Isaacs, released as a single in 1982 after signing to Island Records. It is the title track of his 1982 album of the same name, which was a top 40 hit on the UK Albums Chart. At the time, "Night Nurse" was hugely popular in the clubs and received heavy radio play.[1] A cover version in 1997 by Sly and Robbie featuring Simply Red became a hit single in the UK. BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Chris Goldfinger picked "Night Nurse" as one of his favourites in 1996, adding, "Gregory has a unique voice and singing style. I love the lyrics. Gregory is always my all-time favourite."[2]

Sly and Robbie version[]

"Night Nurse"
Sly and Robbie featuring Simply Red-Night Nurse.jpg
Single by Sly and Robbie featuring Simply Red
from the album Friends and Blue
Released1997
GenreReggae
Length3:54
LabelEastWest
Songwriter(s)Gregory Isaacs, Sylvester Weise
Producer(s)Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare
Sly and Robbie singles chronology
"Boops (Here to Go)"
(1987) 		"Night Nurse"
(1997) 		"Superthruster"
(1999)
Simply Red singles chronology
"Angel"
(1996) 		"Night Nurse"
(1997) 		"Say You Love Me"
(1998)
Music video
"Night Nurse" on YouTube

"Night Nurse" was covered by Jamaican duo Sly and Robbie featuring English band Simply Red. It was released as a single in 1997 and appears on Sly and Robbie's album Friends, as well as Simply Red's album Blue. The song reached No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1997, and remained on the chart for 8 weeks.[3] It is Sly and Robbie's second biggest hit in the United Kingdom, after 1987's "Boops (Here to Go)" at No. 12. It also became Simply Red's sixteenth non-consecutive top 20 hit in the UK.

The song also reached No. 44 in New Zealand,[4] and No. 84 in Germany.[5]

Critical reception[]

Gene Armstrong from Arizona Daily Star described the song as "a hip-hop interpration", "with heady strings striating the percolating reggae riddims."[6] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Simply Red's Mick Hucknall presents a great rendition of Gregory Isaacs' gem "Night Nurse", the first single from Sly & Robbie's latest set, "Friends". Still steeped in Isaacs' vivid lyrical imagery (the track still plays like a classic love story that never made it to the screen), the song will be opened up to newer, younger audiences by Hucknall's pop influence. Dedicated Isaacs fans will also appreciate the authenticity Sly & Robbie impose on the track, as well as the various updated slants."[7] Music & Media commented, "Although the production is very much a state of the art high tech job, they have managed to retain the rootsy feel that made the original so great in the first place."[8]

Track listings[]

UK/Europe CD1 single

  1. "Night Nurse" (Radio Mix) - 3:54
  2. "Night Nurse" (Dub with Vocal Mix) - 3:53
  3. "Night Nurse" (Jah Wobble Radio Mix) - 3:46
  4. "Night Nurse" (Jah Wobble 12" Mix) - 8:22

UK CD2 single

  1. "Night Nurse" (Sly and Robbie Radio Mix) - 3:53
  2. "Night Nurse" (Sly and Robbie Dub Mix) - 3:53
  3. "Night Nurse" (On-U Sound 12" Mix) - 4:57
  4. "Night Nurse" (On-U Sound Dub the Patient Mix) - 4:56
  5. "Night Nurse" (Groove Corporation Intellectual Beauty Mix) - 6:43
  6. "Night Nurse" (Groove Corporation Zionic Man Mix) - 6:44
  7. "Night Nurse" (Delano Dancehall Mix) - 4:42

Charts[]

Chart (1997) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 35
Germany (Official German Charts) 84
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 44
Scotland (Official Charts Company) 31
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 13

References[]

  1. ^ "Our Top 25 Caribbean Recording Artiste of All Time". DaMajority. October 5, 2018.
  2. ^ "Jock On His Box" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). June 8, 1996. p. 5. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "SLY & ROBBIE FEATURING SIMPLY RED | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com.
  4. ^ "charts.org.nz - Sly And Robbie feat. Simply Red - Night Nurse". charts.nz.
  5. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de.
  6. ^ Armstrong, Gene (June 13, 1998). "Tracks". p. D. Arizona Daily Star.
  7. ^ Flick, Larry (April 25, 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 69. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  8. ^ "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. September 20, 1997. p. 19. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  9. ^ "Music & Media: Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. October 4, 1997. p. 13. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
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