Endless Summer Nights

"Endless Summer Nights" is a song performed by American rock singer Richard Marx, co-written with saxophonist Dave Koz released in January 1988 as the third single from his eponymous debut album. The song peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. pop and Adult Contemporary charts.[2]

"Endless Summer Nights"
Single by Richard Marx
from the album Richard Marx
B-side"Have Mercy"
ReleasedJanuary 16, 1988 (1988-01-16)[1]
Recorded1986
GenreSoft rock
Length4:30 (album version)
4:11 (7" single edit)
LabelManhattan
Songwriter(s)Richard Marx
Dave Koz
Producer(s)
Richard Marx singles chronology
"Should've Known Better"
(1987)		 "Endless Summer Nights"
(1988)		 "Hold On to the Nights"
(1988)

Background and composition

"Endless Summer Nights" was a track from Marx's original demo tapes. It begins with a similar intro beat style as "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette.[3] The lyrics were inspired by a trip to Hawaii that Marx had taken with his then-girlfriend (and future wife), Cynthia Rhodes.[4] According to Marx, he wrote the song as a theme to summer love that does not last when lovers go their separate ways in the fall.[4] In the liner notes of his 1997 Greatest Hits album, Marx commented on the song: "Aside from replacing synthesized bass with the great Nathan East, this recording is the demo that every record company in the business rejected in 1985 and 1986."[3] Marx eventually signed with EMI-Manhattan Records in 1986.[3]

Release and reception

Released in January 1988 as the third single from his debut solo album, "Endless Summer Nights" entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at No. 53, the highest debut of the week.[3] In March and April, the song reached No. 2, where it stayed for two weeks.[5] The single also peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart, behind "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley.[5] Elsewhere, the single reached No. 13 in Sweden, No. 19 in Australia, No. 42 in New Zealand, No. 50 in the United Kingdom, and No. 62 in the Netherlands.[6] The woman in the music video is French model and actress Myrtille Blervaque (born September 1962). Also going by the stage names Blair Valk and Borovnisa Blervaque, she also appeared in the Eddie Money music video for his 1988 top-10 hit "Walk On Water". She got the name Myrtille, which means "blueberry" in French, due to her being a breech baby, as she was suffocating at birth and her face turned purple-blue. Myrtille was married to actor Sam Jones from 1987 to 1990. Jones played the title character in the 1980 film "Flash Gordon" and the title character in the TV series "The Highwayman" from 1987 to 1988.

Track listing
  1. "Endless Summer Nights" [edit] (Marx) – 4:11
  2. "Have Mercy" [live at the Palace in L.A.] (Marx) – 5:30

Credits

Chart performance
Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australia (Australian Music Report)[7] 16
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 62
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 42
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 50
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 2
US Adult Contemporary[5] 2

Year-end charts
Chart (1988) Position
United States (Billboard)[13][14] 31

Other versions

Soul singer Dorothy Moore performed a cover version of "Endless Summer Nights" on her 1988 album Time Out for Me.[15] Smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, who accompanied Marx on his first tour, included his rendition on his eponymous 1990 debut solo album.[16] Jawaiian trio Ekolu recorded a cover of the song on their 2009 album Ekolu Music II: Anthem.[17]

References
  1. "Richard Marx - Endless Summer Nights (Edit)". 45cat.com. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  2. "Richard Marx - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  3. Feldman, Christopher (2000). The Billboard Book of Number Two Singles. New York: Billboard Books. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-8230-7695-6.
  4. Bronson, Fred (July 30, 2005). "All Time Hottest Songs of Summer". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 31. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 35. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  5. "'Endless Summer Nights' - Chart history". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  6. "Richard Marx - 'Endless Summer Nights'". Ultratop. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  7. "Australian ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart – Week Ending 29th May, 1988". ARIA, via imgur.com. Retrieved October 16, 2019. N.B. ARIA licensed the Australian Music Report chart between mid-1983 and June 12, 1988. Only Australian chart data from the commencement of the ARIA-produced chart is archived on australian-charts.com; hence this single's lower peak listed there.
  8. RPM Top Singles peak RPM Magazine
  9. "Richard Marx – Endless Summer Nights" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  10. "Richard Marx – Endless Summer Nights". Top 40 Singles.
  11. "Richard Marx – Endless Summer Nights". Singles Top 100.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  13. "1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 100 (52): Y-20. December 24, 1988.
  14. "Billboard Top 100 – 1988". Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  15. "Time Out for Me - Overview". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  16. Widran, Jonathan. "Dave Koz - Overview". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  17. Berger, John (September 25, 2009). "Touching Tribute". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Black Press). Retrieved October 22, 2009.
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