Until the Night

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"Until the Night"
Single by Billy Joel
from the album 52nd Street
B-side	"Root Beer Rag"
Released	March 1979
Recorded	1978
Genre	Blue-eyed soul soft rock
Length	6:35
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Billy Joel
Producer(s)	Phil Ramone
Billy Joel UK singles chronology
"Honesty" (1979) "Until the Night" (1979) "All for Leyna" (1980)

"Until the Night" is a song written by Billy Joel for his 1978 album, 52nd Street. The song, which Joel has confirmed was inspired by the Righteous Brothers, is an example of Joel's penchant for evoking the hit sounds of the 1960s which would be the basis for his 1983 album, An Innocent Man.

Although passed over for single release in the US, "Until the Night" was issued as the second single from 52nd Street in the UK - following "My Life" - in March 1979 and reached #50 on the UK Singles Chart.^[1]

Various versions of the single are in existence, with different B-sides, namely "Root Beer Rag", "Big Shot", and "Just The Way You Are" (all on CBS label).

"Until the Night" is also included on the 2005 Billy Joel four-CD and one-DVD compilation entitled My Lives (in reference to the song "My Life").

Personnel[]

• Billy Joel – acoustic piano, vocals
• Richie Cannata – organ, saxophones, clarinet
• Steve Khan – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Hugh McCracken – nylon string guitar
• Doug Stegmeyer – bass, backing vocals
• Liberty DeVitto – drums
• David Freidman – orchestral chimes and percussion
• Robert Freedman – horn and string orchestration

Cover Versions[]

As "In der Nacht", "Until the Night" was recorded by Czech singer Helena Vondráčková for her 1979 album Doch in der Nacht, which comprised German-language renderings of Billy Joel songs: "In der Nacht" was issued as the album's single (with "Ein Engel, der weiss, was er will" - originally "She's Always a Woman"- as the B-side).

Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers recorded "Until the Night" for his 1980 album Sweet Thunder.

Johnny Contardo, former vocalist of Sha Na Na , recorded the song for his 1980 debut solo album Changeover.

Chart positions[]

References[]

Sources[]

• 52nd Street copyright 1978, Sony Entertainment Inc.
• My Lives, copyright 2005, Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

External links[]

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics