Late in the Evening
{{Infobox song
| name = Late in the Evening
| cover = Late in the Evening.jpg
| alt =
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = Paul Simon
| album = One-Trick Pony
| B-side = How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns
| released = {{Start date|1980|07}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{Flat list|
}}
| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=02}}
| label = {{Flat list|
}}
| writer = Paul Simon
| producer = {{Flat list|
- Paul Simon
- Phil Ramone
}}
| chronology = Paul Simon
| prev_title = Stranded in a Limousine
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = One-Trick Pony
| next_year = 1981
| misc= {{External music video|{{YouTube|IIwi6DTP7pw|"Late in the Evening"}}}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Billboard
| rev1Score = (favourable){{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1980/BB-1980-08-09.pdf|title=Review: Late in the Evening – Paul Simon|magazine=Billboard|date=9 August 1980|access-date=24 May 2020|volume=85|number=32|page=70|via=American Radio History|issn=0006-2510}}
| noprose = yes
|
}}
"Late in the Evening" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his fifth studio album, One-Trick Pony (1980), released on Warner Bros. Records. His first single release for Warner, "Late in the Evening" was released in July 1980 and became a hit on several charts worldwide. In the U.S., the song hit number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, the song was a top 20 hit in the Netherlands, Belgium, and New Zealand.
The song has received praise for Simon's lyrics, the horn interlude, and the famous drum beat, referred to as a 'groove' by drummer Steve Gadd. Gadd devised the distinctive drum part by using two pairs of drumsticks – one in each hand – in order to give the impression of two drummers playing together, as he has demonstrated in drum clinics.{{cite AV media |url-status = live |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/YDefyvUi6OI |archive-date = 2021-12-11| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDefyvUi6OI |title = Steve Gadd - In the Evening Groove |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Gadd plays a New York City–style Cuban Mozambique drum groove.Walden, Rupert M. 1987. "Gadd's Mozambique" Modern Drummer Magazine, Nov. p. 42 Simon performed the song twice with Art Garfunkel during their 1981 reunion concert in Central Park in New York City.
Release and reception
"Late in the Evening" performed on singles charts in several territories worldwide. In the U.S., the single premiered on the Billboard Hot 100 at position 46 on August 9, 1980,{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1980-08-09|title=Music: Top 100 Songs|access-date=August 16, 2015|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=August 9, 1980}} rising over the following weeks to a peak of number six on September 27, 1980. It spent sixteen weeks on the chart in total. It had also peaked at number seven on the magazine's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart two weeks earlier, where it also spent sixteen weeks.{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=Paul Simon|chart=Adult Contemporary}} |title=Paul Simon – Chart history |access-date=August 16, 2015 |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923150541/http://www.cmc.dk/ |archive-date=September 23, 2010 }} In Canada, it first premiered on the magazine's RPM{{'s}} all-genre singles chart, the RPM 100, on August 23 at number 87,
{{cite journal| url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0224b&type=2&interval=24&PHPSESSID=vdgegn2uut8ca27r4m28m6md35| title= RPM: 100 Singles|volume=33|number=22|date=August 23, 1980| journal = RPM| publisher = Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada| format = PDF| access-date = August 16, 2015}} eventually peaking at number 19 on October 25. It debuted on the magazine's "Adult Oriented Playlist" chart on September 6, 1980, at number 39,
{{cite journal| url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0232&type=2&interval=24&PHPSESSID=vdgegn2uut8ca27r4m28m6md35| title= RPM: Adult Oriented Playlist|volume=33|number=24|date=September 6, 1980| journal = RPM| publisher = Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada| format = PDF| access-date = August 16, 2015}} later peaking at number two on October 25.
In the United Kingdom, the song premiered on the UK Singles Chart on August 31, 1980, at number 74,{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19800831/7501/|title= Archive Chart: 1980-08-31 |publisher=UK Singles Chart|access-date=August 13, 2015}} and rose over two weeks to a peak of number 58 on September 14, 1980. It performed better in the Netherlands, peaking at number 11, in Belgium at number 15, and in New Zealand at number 19. Nearby in Australia, the song fared better than its UK performance, peaking at position 34.
Billboard described the hook consisting of a "percussive and bass duet" as being "irresistible."{{cite news|title=Top Single Picks|newspaper=Billboard Magazine|date=August 9, 1980|access-date=July 8, 2020|page=70|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1980/BB-1980-08-09.pdf}} Record World said that it's highlighted by "spirited brass, percussion & guitars."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=August 9, 1980|accessdate=2023-02-20|title=Hits of the World|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/80/Record-World-1980-08-09.pdf}}
Personnel
- Paul Simon – vocals
- Steve Gadd – drums
- Tony Levin – bass guitar
- Eric Gale – electric guitar
- Hugh McCracken – acoustic guitar
- Ralph MacDonald – cowbell, temple blocks
- Dave Grusin – horn arrangements
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
{{col-2}}
= Year-end charts =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| Chart (1980)
! Position |
|---|
| scope="row" | Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1980|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980|publisher=Dutch Top 40|accessdate=August 19, 2021}}
|align="center"|80 |
{{col-end}}
Notes
{{Reflist|group=note}}
=References=
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
=Sources=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last=Bennighof|first=James|title=The Words and Music of Paul Simon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ShBhKL-9SLIC|year=2007|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-99163-0}}
- {{cite book |first=Marc |last=Eliot | title= Paul Simon: A Life | publisher= John Wiley and Sons | year= 2010 | isbn= 978-0-470-43363-8 | url= https://archive.org/details/paulsimonlife0000elio |url-access=registration }}
- {{cite book|last=Kingston|first=Victoria|title=Simon & Garfunkel: The Biography|year=2000|publisher=Fromm International|isbn=978-0-88064-246-0}}
{{refend}}
External links
- {{YouTube|ilzvuie7Bks|Paul Simon - Late in the Evening}}
{{Paul Simon songs}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Paul Simon
Category:Song recordings produced by Paul Simon