Help Me Make It Through the Night
{{refimprove|date=September 2023}}
{{for multi|the Sammi Smith album|Help Me Make It Through the Night (Sammi Smith album)|the Hank Crawford album|Help Me Make It Through the Night (Hank Crawford album)}}
{{short description|1970 country song by Kris Kristofferson}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Help Me Make It Through the Night
| type = song
| artist = Kris Kristofferson
| album = Kristofferson
| B-side = Blame it on the Stones
| released = 1970
| recorded = 1969
| studio = Monument Recording, Nashville, Tennessee
| genre = Country
| length = 2:24
| label = Monument
| writer = Kris Kristofferson
| producer = Fred Foster
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|3IM6ETbbtB0|"Help Me Make It Through the Night"|link=no}}|header=Audio|type=song}}
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Help Me Make It Through The Night
| cover = Help_Me_Make_It_Through_The_Night_-_Sammi_Smith.jpg
| type = single
| artist = Sammi Smith
| album = Help Me Make It Through the Night
| B-side = When Michael Calls
| released = November 1970
| recorded = May 6, 1970
| studio = Monument Recording, Nashville, Tennessee
| genre = Country
| label = Mega Records
| writer = Kris Kristofferson
| producer = Jim Malloy
| next_title = I've Got to Have You
| next_year = 1972
}}
"Help Me Make It Through the Night" is a country ballad written and composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album Kristofferson. It was covered later in 1970 by Sammi Smith, on the album Help Me Make It Through the Night. In 1982, Kris did a re-recording with Brenda Lee for the compilation album The Winning Hand. It has been covered since by many other artists from Tammy Wynette and Johnny Cash to Elvis Presley, Joan Baez, Bryan Ferry, Mark Eitzel, and Tyler Childers.
Sammi Smith version
Smith's recording of the song (in May 1970) remains the most commercially successful, and best-known, version in the United States. Her recording ranks among the most successful country singles of all time in terms of sales, popularity, and radio airplay.{{cite web | url=https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/kris-kristofferson-5-songs-wrote-19804050.php | title=5 timeless hit songs written by Kris Kristofferson | date=30 September 2024 }} It topped the country singles chart, and was also a crossover hit, reaching number eight on the U.S. pop singles chart. "Help Me Make It Through The Night" also became Smith's signature song.{{Cite web|url=https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/-60414/sammi-smith-help-me-make-it-through-the-night-2-60544/|title=Sammi Smith, 'Help Me Make It Through the Night'|date=May 26, 2024}}
In May 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 71 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-country-songs-1234986540/sammi-smith-help-me-make-it-through-the-night-2-1235014727/|title =The 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time|magazine = Rolling Stone|date =May 24, 2014}}
Production history
Kris Kristofferson said that he got the inspiration for the song from an Esquire Magazine interview with Frank Sinatra. When asked what he believed in, Sinatra replied, "Booze, broads, or a bible...whatever helps me make it through the night.""[https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/interviews/a28740/kris-kristofferson-interview-0514/ Kris Kristofferson Is Still Living His Epic Life]" by Turk Pipkin, Esquire. May 12, 2014. Accessed October 21, 2024.
During his time as a struggling songwriter, Kris Kristofferson wrote and composed the song while staying with Dottie West and her husband, Bill, at their home on Shy's Hill Road in Nashville's Green Hills neighborhood. When he offered Dottie West the song, she originally claimed it was "too suggestive" for her. Eventually, she would record it before the year was out, and it is included on her album Careless Hands. However, by then, several others had recorded and released versions of it, some garnering great success. Later on, West said that not recording "Help Me Make It Through The Night" when Kristofferson originally offered it to her was one of the greatest regrets of her career.{{fact|date=September 2023}}
In August 2010, eighteen years after comforting Sinéad O'Connor when she was booed at the Bob Dylan: 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, Kristofferson performed "Help Me Make It Through the Night" with her on the Irish talk show Saturday Night with Miriam.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/kris-kristofferson-sinead-o-connor-support-new-york-snl-6500552-Sep2024/|title=The night Kris Kristofferson supported Sinéad O'Connor on stage amid boos in New York|first=Jane|last=Moore|date=September 30, 2024|website=TheJournal.ie}}
Chart performance
= Sammi Smith =
Sammi Smith's recording (made in May 1970) reached number-one on the U.S. country charts and won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. On February 20, 1971, it reached number 8 on Billboard{{'}}s U.S. pop singles chart, and also enjoyed success in Canada. Adult-Contemporary stations took to the song, and it peaked at number 3 on Billboard{{'}}s Easy Listening chart. Additionally, it spent three weeks at number 1 on the Country chart.Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}} The song became a gold record.{{fact|date=September 2023}}
In 1998, the 1970 release of "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Sammi Smith on Mega Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=https://grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award|title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com|website=grammy.com}}
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== Weekly charts ==
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== Year-end charts ==
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= Willie Nelson =
In 1980, Willie Nelson covered the song. His rendition became a hit on the country music charts of both the U.S. and Canada.
| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Chart (1979–80) ! style="text-align:center;"|Peak |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|4|artist=Willie Nelson}} |
| align="left"|Canadian RPM Country Tracks
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
Other charting versions
In 1971, Joe Simon hit #69 on the Hot 100 and #13 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.{{fact|date=September 2023}}
In 1972, a version by Gladys Knight & the Pips reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and was a Top 10 pop hit in the United Kingdom.{{fact|date=September 2023}}
In 1974, John Holt included the song on his album 1000 Volts of Holt. That year, his recording of the song made it into the UK Top Ten.{{fact|date=September 2023}}
In 1975, the French Canadian singer Claude Valade recorded a French version of the song, "Aide-moi à passer la nuit," produced and distributed by London Deram Records. The French-language lyrics were written by Canadian singer-songwriter Christine Charbonneau. The recording was a success and was on the charts (peaking at number 3) for more than six months.{{cite web|url=http://www2.banq.qc.ca/palmares/2010-Franco/Franco-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf |title=Claude Valade Hit Parade, Aide-moi à passer la nuit, in 3rd place for 26 weeks |website=2.banq.qc.ca |access-date=2012-08-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425015559/http://www2.banq.qc.ca/palmares/2010-Franco/Franco-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-25}}
In 2007, it was recorded for a second time in French, with Annie Blanchard recording it on the Musicor Records label, and the song made the Top 20 for 26 weeks, reaching a high of #6.{{cite web|url=http://www2.banq.qc.ca/palmares/2010-Franco/Franco-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf |title=Annie Blanchard, Aide-moi à passer la nuit, Top 20, Charts |website=2.banq.qc.ca |access-date=2012-08-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425015559/http://www2.banq.qc.ca/palmares/2010-Franco/Franco-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-25}}
Television and film appearances
In 2013, American Idol contestant Kree Harrison sang this song during season 12 on "Songs They Wish They Had Written" week.{{cite web|url=https://tasteofcountry.com/kree-harrison-kris-kristofferson-help-me-make-it-through-the-night-american-idol/ |title=Kree Harrison Sings Kris Kristofferson's 'Help Me Make It Through the Night' on 'American Idol'
|last=Whitaker|first=Sterling|website=tasteofcountry.com |date=2013-04-19|access-date=2022-06-04 |archive-url= |archive-date= }}
Parody version
In 1995, Ray Stevens recorded a comedy version of the song for his album 20 Comedy Hits.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.facebook.com/raystevensmusic1707/videos/2769322813124529/ |title=961K views · 29K reactions {{!}} Ray Stevens - "Help Me Make It Through The Night" Music Video {{!}} #MusicMonday Here's the classic Ray Stevens music video for "Help Me Make It Through The Night". The song was originally written & performed by Kris... {{!}} By Ray Stevens {{!}} Facebook |language=en |access-date=2024-10-01 |via=www.facebook.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [{{Allmusic|class=song|id=t675466|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]
{{Kris Kristofferson}}
{{Willie Nelson singles}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Country Song}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Help Me Make It Through the Night}}
Category:Kris Kristofferson songs
Category:Joe Simon (musician) songs
Category:Gladys Knight & the Pips songs
Category:Songs written by Kris Kristofferson
Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
Category:Columbia Records singles