"Walkin' After Midnight" | ||||
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Single by Patsy Cline | ||||
from the album Patsy Cline | ||||
B-side | "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)" | |||
Released | February 11, 1957 | |||
Format | 78 rpm | |||
Recorded | November 8, 1956 Bradley Film and Recording Studios |
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Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:32 | |||
Label | Decca | |||
Writer(s) | Alan Block, Donn Hecht | |||
Producer(s) | Paul Cohen | |||
Patsy Cline singles chronology | ||||
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"Walkin' After Midnight" is a song written by Alan Block and Donn Hecht and recorded by American country music artist Patsy Cline. The song was originally given to pop singer Kay Starr; however, her label rejected it. The song was left unused until Hecht rediscovered it when writing for Four Star Records. Originally Cline was not fond of "Walkin' After Midnight", but after making a compromise with her label she recorded it.
In January 1957, Cline performed the song on an episode of the CBS television program, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. It garnered a strong response from viewers and was therefore rush-released as a single February 11, 1957. "Walkin' After Midnight" became Cline's first major hit single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard country music chart and No. 12 on its pop chart. Although the song was her only hit until 1961, the single version sold over one million copies and is often included on authoritative lists of the all-time greatest songs in country music.
Alan Block and Donn Hecht wrote the song in 1954, a few years before Cline recorded it. According to Hecht, after securing a songwriting contract with Four Star Records, his assignment was to pick an artist from the label whom he could compose a song for. Hecht was impressed by Cline's vocals and realized her voice was best suited to pop music. Among his catalog of pop-styled songs was "Walkin' After Midnight", originally intended for traditional pop artist Kay Starr, and written in the key of B-flat. Starr's record label had rejected the original version, and it was left unused for years. Hecht pawned his furniture, had a demo made with singer Lynn Howard, and played the demo for Cline's producer, who then played it to Cline over the telephone. Her first reaction to "Walkin' After Midnight" was negative; however, Hecht and Four Star owner Bill McCall came to an agreement with her. The compromise was that Cline would record it as long as she could also record "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)", a song she favored. "Walkin' After Midnight" was then recorded at the Bradley Film and Recording Studios on November 8, 1956 and was produced by Paul Cohen, along with "A Poor Man's Roses", "The Heart You Break May Be Your Own", and "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down".