Black Night

"Black Night"
"Black Night"
Single by Deep Purple
B-side	"Speed King" (UK); "Into the Fire" (US);
Released	5 June 1970
Recorded	May 1970
Studio	De Lane Lea Studios
Genre	Hard rock; boogie rock; heavy metal;
Length	3:28
Label	Harvest (UK); Warner Bros. (US);
Songwriter(s)	Ritchie Blackmore; Ian Gillan; Roger Glover; Jon Lord; Ian Paice;
Producer(s)	Deep Purple
Deep Purple singles chronology

"Black Night" is a song by English hard rock band Deep Purple, released as a single in June 1970 and later included on the 25th Anniversary version of their 1970 studio album, Deep Purple in Rock. It became a hit in August 1970 following the succes of that album, peaking at No. 1 on UK New Musical Express and Melody Maker charts, while reaching No. 2 on the Official UK Singles charts, and remains Deep Purple's highest charting UK single. It also topped the charts in Switzerland, and is one of only two singles from the band to chart in Ireland, peaking at No. 4, thus making it the group's only Irish Top 10 hit.

Writing process and recording

Once Deep Purple in Rock had been completed, EMI asked for a suitable single to be recorded to help promote the album. Though Roger Glover states that Ricky Nelson's 1962 hard rocking arrangement of the George Gershwin song "Summertime" was the basis for the Mk II Deep Purple single "Black Night,"^[4] it is also similar to Blues Magoos's 1966 psychedelic hit song "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet."^[5] In the BBC documentary Heavy Metal Britannia, keyboardist Jon Lord supports Glover's statement about the song's origin, stating "Black Night was nicked from the bass line in Ricky Nelson's Summertime" and then proceeds to play the bassline riff on his grand piano.^[6]

Live performances

"Black Night" made its way into the setlist soon after release, generally as the first encore. It was not played in full after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left the band in 1973, but snippets were often played by Ritchie Blackmore as part of his improvisations. On the reformation of Deep Purple in 1984, it returned as part of the main set list. The song is featured on many Deep Purple live albums.^{[citation needed]}

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Black Night"
Chart (1970–71)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[7]	14
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[8]	4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[8]	6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)^[8]	1
Canada (RPM)^[9]	67
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	34
Ireland (IRMA)	4
Italy (Musica e dischi)^[10]	16
Netherlands (Singles Top 100)^[8]	8
Norway (VG-lista)^[8]	2
South Africa (Springbok)^[11]	6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[8]	1
UK Singles (OCC)	2
US Billboard Hot 100^[12]	66
West Germany (Official German Charts)^[8]	2

Personnel

Ian Gillan – vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Roger Glover – bass
Ian Paice – drums
Jon Lord – organ

References

^ Olivier Richard. CAMION BLANC: LA SOURIS DEGLINGUEE Histoire d'un groupe de rock'n'roll. CAMION BLANC. p. 9. ISBN 978-2-35779-476-4.
^ Dickson, Jamie (2015). "Deep Purple - "Black Night". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 264.
^ Eddie Trunk (2011). Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Abrams. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-61312-142-9.
^ "The Making of Black Night". Rumba Magazine. 1993. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
^ Smith, Sid (18 April 2007). "Deep Purple in Rock Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
^ BBC-Heavy Metal Brittania: at the 42:30 timeframe of the programme
^
Australian chart peaks:
- Top 100 (Kent Music Report) singles and albums peaks to 26 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. p. 97. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ARIA Chart singles and album peaks (top 50 from 26 June 1988; top 100 from January 1990) to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- For "King of Dreams""Bubbling Down Under". 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Deep Purple – Black Night". hitparade.ch.
^
Canadian singles:
- "Hush" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- "Kentucky Woman" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- "River Deep – Mountain High" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- "Emmaretta" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- "Black Night/Speed King" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- "Smoke on Water" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- "Woman from Tokyo" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- "Might Just Take Your Life" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
- "King of Dreams" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
^ "Top Annuali Singoli 1971". Hit Parade Italia.
^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs (A-B)". rock.co.za.
^ "Chart History: Deep Purple". Billboard.

Sources

Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. London: Rough Guides. ISBN 1-85828-201-2.

[1] Olivier Richard. CAMION BLANC: LA SOURIS DEGLINGUEE Histoire d'un groupe de rock'n'roll. CAMION BLANC. p. 9. ISBN 978-2-35779-476-4.

[Dickson_2015-2] Dickson, Jamie (2015). "Deep Purple - "Black Night". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 264.

[3] Eddie Trunk (2011). Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Abrams. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-61312-142-9.

[4] "The Making of Black Night". Rumba Magazine. 1993. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2010.

[5] Smith, Sid (18 April 2007). "Deep Purple in Rock Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 10 January 2015.

[6] BBC-Heavy Metal Brittania: at the 42:30 timeframe of the programme

[AUS-7] Australian chart peaks:
Top 100 (Kent Music Report) singles and albums peaks to 26 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. p. 97. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

ARIA Chart singles and album peaks (top 50 from 26 June 1988; top 100 from January 1990) to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.

For "King of Dreams""Bubbling Down Under". 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.

[8] Top 100 (Kent Music Report) singles and albums peaks to 26 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. p. 97. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[9] ARIA Chart singles and album peaks (top 50 from 26 June 1988; top 100 from January 1990) to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.

[10] For "King of Dreams""Bubbling Down Under". 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.

[:0-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Deep Purple – Black Night". hitparade.ch.

[CAN-9] Canadian singles:
"Hush" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

"Kentucky Woman" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

"River Deep – Mountain High" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

"Emmaretta" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

"Black Night/Speed King" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

"Smoke on Water" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

"Woman from Tokyo" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

"Might Just Take Your Life" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 26 August 2016.

"King of Dreams" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 26 August 2016.

[13] "Hush" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

[14] "Kentucky Woman" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

[15] "River Deep – Mountain High" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

[16] "Emmaretta" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

[17] "Black Night/Speed King" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

[18] "Smoke on Water" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

[19] "Woman from Tokyo" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 23 August 2016.

[20] "Might Just Take Your Life" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 26 August 2016.

[21] "King of Dreams" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved 26 August 2016.

[10] "Top Annuali Singoli 1971". Hit Parade Italia.

[11] "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs (A-B)". rock.co.za.

[12] "Chart History: Deep Purple". Billboard.

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v t e Deep Purple
Ian Paice Roger Glover Ian Gillan Don Airey Simon McBride Jon Lord Ritchie Blackmore Rod Evans Nick Simper David Coverdale Glenn Hughes Tommy Bolin Joe Lynn Turner Joe Satriani Steve Morse
Studio albums	Shades of Deep Purple The Book of Taliesyn Deep Purple Deep Purple in Rock Fireball Machine Head Who Do We Think We Are Burn Stormbringer Come Taste the Band Perfect Strangers The House of Blue Light Slaves and Masters The Battle Rages On... Purpendicular Abandon Bananas Rapture of the Deep Now What?! Infinite Whoosh! Turning to Crime =1
Live albums	Concerto for Group and Orchestra Made in Japan Made in Europe Last Concert in Japan Deep Purple in Concert Live in London Nobody's Perfect Scandinavian Nights In the Absence of Pink: Knebworth '85 Gemini Suite Live Come Hell or High Water King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: Deep Purple in Concert California Jamming Mk III: The Final Concerts Live at The Olympia '96 Total Abandon: Australia '99 In Concert with The London Symphony Orchestra Live at the Rotterdam Ahoy This Time Around: Live in Tokyo Live in Paris 1975 Inglewood: Live in California Perks and Tit Live in Europe 1993 Live at Montreux 1996 Live in Montreux 69 Live in Denmark 1972 Live at Montreux 2006: They All Came Down to Montreux Live at Montreux 2011 Phoenix Rising Live in Verona
Compilation albums	Purple Passages Mark I & II 24 Carat Purple Powerhouse The Deep Purple Singles A's and B's When We Rock, We Rock, and When We Roll, We Roll The Mark II Purple Singles Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple The Anthology Knocking at Your Back Door: The Best of Deep Purple in the 80's Smoke on the Water: The Best Of 30: Very Best of Deep Purple Shades 1968–1998 The Very Best of Deep Purple Days May Come and Days May Go Smoke on the Water & Other Hits The Soundboard Series Listen, Learn, Read On Winning Combinations: Deep Purple and Rainbow The Early Years The Platinum Collection BBC Sessions 1968–1970
Singles	"Hush" "Kentucky Woman" "River Deep – Mountain High" "Hallelujah" "Black Night" "Strange Kind of Woman" "Fireball" "Never Before" "Highway Star" "Smoke on the Water" "Woman from Tokyo" "Burn" "Perfect Strangers" "Knocking at Your Back Door" "Call of the Wild" "Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming" "Vincent Price"
Other songs	"Mandrake Root" "Child in Time" "The Mule" "Space Truckin'" "Maybe I'm a Leo" "When a Blind Man Cries" "Mistreated" "Soldier of Fortune" "Vavoom: Ted the Mechanic"
Video albums	Concerto for Group and Orchestra Live in California 74 Deep Purple Rises Over Japan Come Hell or High Water Live at Montreux 1996 Total Abandon: Australia '99 In Concert with The London Symphony Orchestra Classic Albums: Deep Purple – The Making of Machine Head Live in Concert 72/73 Live at Montreux 2006 Around the World Live History, Hits & Highlights '68–'76 Phoenix Rising Live at Montreux 2011 Live in Verona
Concert tours	Deep Purple European Tour Rapture of the Deep tour The Songs That Built Rock Tour The Long Goodbye Tour
Related bands	The Artwoods The Outlaws The Flower Pot Men Episode Six Trapeze Zephyr James Gang Dixie Dregs Captain Beyond Warhorse Ian Gillan Band Gillan Rainbow Blackmore's Night Whitesnake Coverdale–Page Paice Ashton Lord Black Sabbath Gary Moore Yngwie Malmsteen Hughes Turner Project Living Loud WhoCares Black Country Communion
Related articles	Discography Members Purple Records Funky Junction Deep Purple Tribute Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head The Purple Album Rock Aid Armenia Green Bullfrog Bogus Deep Purple
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