Nights Are Forever Without You

"Nights Are Forever Without You" is a song written by Parker McGee and first recorded by the soft rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. It was released as the second single from their 1976 album Nights Are Forever, following up on their top 10 hit "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight".

"Nights Are Forever Without You"
Big Tree Records 1976 single cover
Single by England Dan & John Ford Coley
from the album Nights Are Forever
B-side"Showboat Gambler"
ReleasedOctober 1976
GenreSoft rock
Length2:52
LabelBig Tree (US)
Atlantic (UK)
Songwriter(s)Parker McGee
Producer(s)Kyle Lehning
England Dan & John Ford Coley singles chronology
"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight"
(1976)		 "Nights Are Forever Without You"
(1976)		 "It's Sad to Belong"
(1977)

Music and lyrics

Billboard contributor Paul Grein described "Nights Are Forever Without You" as a "twanging country number."[1] Missoulian contributor Sherry Jones described it as a "sentimental ballad of love and loss."[2] Los Angeles Times critic Dennis Hunt described it as a "soft rock [ballad] with lush harmonies."[3] Cash Box said that "an excellent arrangement complements ace harmonies from this winning duo."[4] Record World called it "an extraordinary piece of pop in all its splendor" with "great chording and syncopation."[5]

Reception

Kingston Daily Freeman critic Alan Forray suggested that "Nights Are Forever Without You" would become a blockbuster like "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" and, ignoring some earlier unsuccessful recordings suggested that "never in pop history has a brand new recording act had their first two singles on the top 40 charts at the same time."[6] Los Angeles Times critic Terry Atkinson rated "Nights Are Forever Without You" as one of the two best songs on Night Are Forever, along with "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight."[7] The Leader-Post critic Gary Deane described it as an exception to the blandness of most of the Nights Are Forever album.[8]

The song peaked at No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks and number four on the Easy Listening chart.[9] It charted very similarly in Canada. England Dan's brother Jim Seals had a Top 10 song at the same time with "Get Closer."[10][11][12] Along with "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight," "Nights Are Forever Without You" brought England Dan and John Ford Coley into national prominence after more than a decade of singing together.[13] The duo claimed that the success of this song made them feel more secure after the overnight success of its predecessor.[14]

England Dan and John Ford Coley performed "Nights Are Forever Without You" on The Captain and Tennille TV show on January 24, 1977.[15]

"Nights Are Forever Without You" has been included on several of England Dan and John Ford Coley's compilation albums including 1979's The Best of England Dan and John Ford Coley.[16] Ottawa Citizen critic Bill Provick called it a "highlight" of The Best of England Dan and John Ford Coley, being "easy on the ears without being hard on the stomach."[17] Dan Seals (England Dan) later recorded his solo version on the 1998 album In a Quiet Room II.

Chart history

Cover versions

References
  1. Grein, Paul (September 18, 1976). "Talent in Action". Billboard. pp. 29–30.
  2. Jones, Sherry (December 3, 1998). "Dan Seals". Missoulian. p. E24 – via newspapers.com.
  3. Hunt, Dennis (December 5, 1976). "Dan and Coley: True to Themselves". Los Angeles Times. p. 91 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 9, 1976. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  5. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 9, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  6. Forray, Alan (November 7, 1976). "Record Cues". The Kingston Daily Freeman. p. 28. Retrieved 2020-09-17 – via newspapers.com.
  7. Atkinson, Terry (September 26, 1976). "Pop Album Briefs". Los Angeles Times. p. 52 – via newspapers.com.
  8. Deane, Gary (November 5, 1976). "Cummings clicks". The Leader-Post. p. 14 – via newspapers.com.
  9. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 86.
  10. Baldwin, Lonna (February 7, 1992). "'Golden' Seals Comes to Town". Spokane-Review. p. 4 – via newspapers.com.
  11. Craddock, Van (August 31, 1990). "Happy with Music". Longview News-Journal. pp. 1C, 7C – via nespapers.com.
  12. "Singer Dan Seals schedules concert in Artisia school". Carlsbad Current-Argus. October 18, 1990. p. A-12 – via newspapers.com.
  13. Hofford, Vince (February 8, 1984). "How does an area night club attract a star like 'England Dan'?". Southern Illinoisan. p. 61 – via newspapers.com.
  14. Ross, Bob (December 19, 1979). "Rock Stars Settle in North Country, Expand Their Horizons". Los Angeles Times. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-09-17 – via newspapers.com.
  15. "Highlights". Dayton Daily News. January 22, 1977. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  16. Eder, Bruce. "The Best of England Dan and John Ford Coley". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  17. Provick, Bill (January 18, 1980). "Neil Young Superlatives Justified". Ottawa Citizen. p. 30 – via newspapers.com.
  18. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  19. "Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  20. Sisk, Eileen (2010). Buck Owens: The Biography. Chicago Review Press. p. 371. ISBN 9781556527685.
  21. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Warner Bros. Recordings". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
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