Black Night (Charles Brown song)
{{other uses|Black Night (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Black Night
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Charles Brown Trio
| B-side = Once There Live a Fool
| released = {{Start date|1951|01}}
| recorded = {{Start date|1950|12|21}}
| studio = Radio Recorders, Los Angeles
| genre = Blues
| length = 3:07
| label = Aladdin
| writer = Jessie Mae Robinson
| producer =
| prev_title = My Baby's Gone
| prev_year = 1950
| next_title = I'll Always Be in Love with You
| next_year = 1951
}}
"Black Night" is a blues song recorded by Charles Brown in 1951. Although the songwriter credit is usually given to Jessie Mae Robinson, "Brown is believed to have written 'Black Night'", according to author Steve Sullivan.
{{cite encyclopedia
| year = 2017
| title = Black Night (1951) – Charles Brown
| editor-last = Sullivan
| editor-first = Steve
| encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings
| location = Lanham, Maryland
| publisher = Rowman & Littlefield
| isbn = 978-1-4422-5448-0
| page = 234
}}
Background
A slow minor-key blues, it is performed in the West Coast blues-style.
{{cite web
| url = https://blues.org/blues_hof_inductee/black-night-by-charles-brown-aladdin-1951/
| author = Blues Foundation
| title = 2005 Hall of Fame Inductees: Black Night, by Charles Brown (Aladdin, 1951)
| website = The Blues Foundation
| date = November 10, 2016
| access-date = February 7, 2017
}} Brown, on vocal and piano, is backed by a small combo with the addition of Maxwell Davis on saxophone.
{{cite AV media notes
| title = Driftin' Blues: The Best of Charles Brown
| others = Charles Brown
| year = 1992
| last = Hannusch
| first = Jeff
| type = Album notes
| location = Hollywood, California
| publisher = Aladdin Records
| id = CDP-7-97989-2
| OCLC =
| page = 5
}}
"Black Night" was Brown's second single to reach number one on Billboard's R&B chart.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=82}} It remained at the top position for 14 weeks, longer than any other single. In 2005, it was inducted into the Blues Foundation Blues Hall of Fame as a "Classic of Blues Recording{{snd}}Single or Album Track".
The song is included on numerous compilations of Brown's music as well as collections of West Coast blues and R&B music.
{{cite web
| url = https://www.allmusic.com/song/black-night-mt0030033849
| title = 'Black Night' – Appears On
| website = AllMusic
| access-date = December 28, 2020
}} In 1971, Brown re-recorded it for his album Blues 'n' Brown (1972).
{{cite web
| url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-brown-mw0000089633
| title = Charles Brown: Blues & Brown – Review
| website = AllMusic
| access-date = December 28, 2020
}}
Cover versions
Many musicians have adapted "Black Night" in a variety of styles and the Blues Foundation notes renditions by: