Midnight Confessions

The lyrics describe a man who is infatuated with a married woman, knows he can never have her, and is relegated to confessing his love for her audibly, but alone. The original recording of "Midnight Confessions" was a demo by the Evergreen Blues Band, whose manager – Lou Josie – wrote the song. The demo contained a horn section and caught the attention of record producer/engineer Steve Barri, who was looking to produce a song for the Grass Roots that was a "West Coast" version of a Motown-style production. The Grass Roots track was produced/engineered by Steve Barri with the horn section's arrangement by Jimmie Haskell. The instrumentation was recorded by the group of LA studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, as were many hits by the Grass Roots.{{cite book

| first= Kent

| last= Hartman

| year= 2012

| title= The Wrecking Crew

| publisher= St. Martin's Press

| location= New York

| pages= [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780312619749/page/169 169–172]

| isbn= 978-0-312-61974-9

| url-access= registration

| url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780312619749/page/169

}}{{cite AV media notes |title=All Time Greatest Hits |others=The Grass Roots |year=1996 |first=Todd |last=Everett |type=CD liner |publisher=MCA Records |id=MCAMD-11467}} Rob Grill and Warren Entner shared lead vocals, with Grill singing the verses and Entner, the choruses.

Per the Wrecking Crew's Facebook page.{{Cite web|title=The Wrecking Crew|url=https://www.facebook.com/WreckingCrewFilm/photos/a.406252518022/10153692332723023/?type=3|access-date=2021-05-06|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}}{{unreliable source|date=November 2024}}

The Grass Roots

• Rob Grill – lead and backing vocals
• Warren Entner – lead and backing vocals
• Creed Bratton – backing vocals
• Rick Coonce – backing vocals

Additional musicians

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• Ben Benay – electric guitar
• Mike Deasy – electric guitar
• Carol Kaye{{cite web |title=Royalty Check - Midnight Confessions |url=http://www.carolkaye.com/www/library/photogallery/index.htm |website=Carol Kaye}} – bass
• Don Randi – piano
• Larry Knechtel – organ
• Hal Blaine – drums
• Emil Richards – percussion
• Plas Johnson – saxophone
• John Audino – trumpet
• Bud Childers – trumpet
• Tony Terran – trumpet
• Richard Hyde – trombone
• Harold Diner – trombone
• Edward Kusby – trombone

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"Midnight Confessions" was released as a single by the ABC/Dunhill record label in late June 1968. It was the Grass Roots' first to feature a horn section and was therefore a departure from the group's previous singles; the band members worried that this would preclude it from becoming a hit. However, it was well received and became their biggest hit in the United States, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 2, 1968, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, with sales of over one million units, on December 3, 1968.[https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH Gold & Platinum Searchable Database] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |date=2007-06-26 }}. Recording Industry Association of America. Type in "Grass Roots" under Artist to see search results. The single also did well in Canada, peaking at #4 on the RPM 100 singles chart.{{cite journal |date=October 28, 1968 |title=The RPM 100 |journal=RPM Weekly |volume= 10 |issue= 8 |page=5 |format=PHP |accessdate=March 25, 2011 |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5807&type=2&interval=20&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3}}

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• Patti Drew (c. 1968)
• Phyllis Dillon (c. 1968-71)
• Carolyne Mas (1980)
• Karla DeVito (US Billboard #109, 1981)Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004
• Fastbacks (1984)
• Rock City Angels (1989)
• Carol Lynn Townes (1993)
• Ron Dante of The Archies (1999)
• Paul Revere & the Raiders (2000)
• Lou Josie, solo album Me and Mother Music (2002)

{{Reflist}}

• {{YouTube|w369aBf5SF4|The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions}}

{{The Grass Roots}}

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Category:1968 singles

Category:The Grass Roots songs

Category:1968 songs

Category:ABC Records singles

Category:Dunhill Records singles