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On a Night Like This (Bob Dylan song)

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"On a Night Like This" is a song written by Bob Dylan and recorded in November 1973. It first appeared on Dylan's 14th studio album, Planet Waves, as the opening track.[1] It was also released as the lead single from the album and reached #44 on the Billboard Hot 100[2] The song later appeared on several Dylan compilation albums including Biograph, in 1985, and Dylan (three-disc version), in 2007.[3][4]

"On a Night Like This"
Single by Bob Dylan
from the album Planet Waves
B-side"You Angel You"
ReleasedMarch 1974
RecordedNovember 8, 1973
StudioThe Village Recorder, West Los Angeles, California
GenreRoots rock
Length2:57
LabelAsylum
Songwriter(s)Bob Dylan
Producer(s)Rob Fraboni
Bob Dylan singles chronology
"A Fool Such as I"
(1973) 		"On a Night Like This"
(1974) 		"Something There Is About You"
(1974)

Recording

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The song was written in New York a month before the first recording session at the Village Recorder. Dylan and The Band recorded the song ten times,[5] the tenth being used on the album. Dylan plays his harmonica solo in the key of F. [6] As of 2021, Dylan has never performed the song live in concert.[7]

Lyrics and music

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According to Dylan, "On a Night Like This" was not a typical song for him to write, saying that it "comes off as sort of like a drunk man who's temporarily sober."[8] Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin found the song a disappointing start to Planet Waves.[9] However, he did acknowledge some positive features: that "playing swings" and that Dylan is in good voice.[9] He also acknowledges some clever lyrics. For example, he sees in the lines:

Build a fire, throw on logs
And listen to it hiss
And let it burn, burn, burn, burn

a clever take on Jack Kerouac's use of the phrase "burn, burn, burn" in On the Road in which Dylan's meaning is the opposite of Kerouac's.[9] He also finds amusement in Dylan's reference to Fats Domino and Dylan's own "The Man in Me" in the lines:

Let the four winds blow
Around this old cabin door[9]

Author Oliver Trager noted the "rustic" feel resulting from the "twangy, loose musicianship" and that song produces visceral effects in allowing the listener to feel the window frost and smell the burning wood described in the song.[8] Trager particularly praises Dylan's harmonica and Garth Hudson's accordion playing.[8]

Reception

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Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine rates the song's "unassuming nature" as a "virtue".[10] Billboard described the song as "a spunky tune about reminiscences and things that sure feel right" and stated that Dylan's vocal performance sounded strained.[11] Cash Box called it a "lively track" saying "strong, usual vocal by the master is backed by even stronger musical representation by The Band with a heavy concentration on harp."[12] Record World called it a "jaunty gem" and said that the "vocals have a touch of 'old' Dylan about them" and that "the accompaniment can't be beat."[13] PopMatters critic David Pike rated it one of the "41 essential pop/rock songs with accordion," calling it "a rollicking, zydeco-tinged workout with an intense outro duet for Garth Hudson’s accordion and Dylan’s harmonica."[14]

Personnel

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Credits for the Planet Waves and single release, adapted from the Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track book.[6]

Musicians

Technical

  • Producers: Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Rob Fraboni
  • Sound Engineer: Rob Fraboni

Cover versions

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Los Lobos recorded a version of the song for the soundtrack of the 2003 film Masked and Anonymous.[15] Buckwheat Zydeco covered the song on his 1987 album On a Night Like This.[16] Jimmy Fallon also played "On a Night Like This" with Buckwheat Zydeco on the last night of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Williamson, N. The Rough Guide to Bob Dylan (1st ed, 2004), p. 218, ISBN 1-84353-139-9
  2. ^ "Planet Waves awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
  3. ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Biograph". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  4. ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Dylan [2007]". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  5. ^ "Still On The Road: 1973 Recording Sessions". www.bjorner.com. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  6. ^ a b Margotin, Philippe (2015). Bob Dylan : all the songs : the story behind every track. Jean-Michel Guesdon (First ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1-57912-985-9. OCLC 869908038.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ "On a Night Like This | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  8. ^ a b c Trager, O. (2004). Keys to the Rain. Billboard Books. p. 467. ISBN 0823079740.
  9. ^ a b c d Heylin, C. (2009). Revolution in the Air. Chicago Review Press. p. 447. ISBN 9781556528439.
  10. ^ Erlewine, S. T. "Planet Waves". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
  11. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. February 9, 1974. p. 55. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  12. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 9, 1974. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  13. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. February 9, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  14. ^ Pike, David (May 26, 2022). "41 Essential Pop/Rock songs with Accordion". PopMatters. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  15. ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Masked and Anonymous". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-05-26.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ Greenberg, A. "On a Night Like This". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  17. ^ "Buckwheat Zydeco » Buckwheat Zydeco Kicks Off Final Fallon Show". Buck.wjlabs.net. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
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