Running with the Night

"Running with the Night" is the second single released from American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie's multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning 1983 album, Can't Slow Down. Richie co-wrote the song with songwriter Cynthia Weil and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael.

"Running with the Night"
Single by Lionel Richie
from the album Can't Slow Down
A-side"Running with the Night"
B-side"Serves You Right"
ReleasedNovember 1983
Genre
Length4:05 (single version)
6:02 (album version)
LabelMotown
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Lionel Richie singles chronology
"All Night Long (All Night)"
(1983)		 "Running with the Night"
(1983)		 "Hello"
(1984)

Recording

The electric guitar solo on "Running with the Night" was played by Steve Lukather, best known as a member of the rock band Toto.[2] Lukather sat down in the studio and the engineer played the basic tracks of the song, for him to hear for the first time, so he could plan his part. As the music played, he jammed along on his instrument. At the conclusion of the tune, he said to the engineer, "Okay, I'm ready for a take." The producer replied, "That was a take."[3] Some adult contemporary stations edited out Lukather's guitar solo.[2] Singer Richard Marx added backing vocals on the track as a session singer; he had also lent his vocals to Richie's "All Night Long (All Night)" and "You Are".

Reception

Released as the follow-up single to Richie's hit "All Night Long (All Night)", "Running with the Night" became another Billboard Hot 100 top ten for the singer, peaking at #7 in early 1984.[4] The song also reached the top ten on two other Billboard charts that year, topping out at #6 on both the adult contemporary and R&B charts.[2] "Running with the Night" also made the top ten on the UK Singles Chart, reaching #9 in January 1984.[5]

In its contemporary review of the single, Cash Box said that "Richie presents a dramatic, smooth, mid-tempo tale of tripping the light fantastic, and he once again proves his ability to synthesize a melting pot of styles."[6] In a positive retrospective review Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote "he even adds a bit of rock with the sleek nocturnal menace of 'Running With the Night,' one of the best songs here. He doesn't swing for the fences like Michael did in 1982; he makes safe bets, which is more in his character."[7]

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Bob Giraldi. It begins at a wedding reception, and focuses on a bridesmaid (Sheila E.) who sits alone. It then cuts to Richie and a group of men who pair up with women, except for Richie. They dance through streets and then crash the wedding reception during which Richie then pairs up with the lonely bridesmaid. The wedding guests and Richie's company then dance together.

Charts

Samples
  • Rihanna sampled this song on "Push Up On Me", a track from her 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad. Both Richie and Weil are given songwriter credit.

References
  1. Coffman, Tim (March 1, 2022). "10 Amazing Rock Songs By Pop Artists". WhatCulture. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  2. Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 279.
  3. GuitarPlayer Steve Lukather Bonus Interview Outtakes August 2013
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 529.
  5. Official Charts Company info from Official Charts Company Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  6. "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 26, 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  7. "Running with the night review". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  8. "Lionel Richie – Running with the Night" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  9. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  10. "Lionel Richie – Running with the Night" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  11. "Radio 2 Top 30 : 21 januari 1984" (in Dutch). Top 30. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4468." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  13. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4436." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  14. "CHART NUMBER 1413 – Sunday, February 05, 1984". 1050 CHUM. Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-07.
  15. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Lionel Richie". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 215. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  16. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Running with the Night". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  17. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 1, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  18. "Lionel Richie – Running with the Night". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  20. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  21. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  22. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  23. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 4, 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Lionel Richie – Running with the Night" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  25. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9638." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  26. "Volume 96 No. 51, DECEMBER 22. 1984" (PDF). Billboard. New York, NY, USA. 22 December 1984. p. TA-19. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  27. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  28. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  29. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 2012-09-30. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
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