Saturday Nite

{{About|the Earth, Wind & Fire song|other uses|Saturday Night (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Saturday Nite

| cover = EWF - Saturday Nite.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Earth, Wind & Fire

| album = Spirit

| B-side = Departure

| released = 1976

| recorded = 1976

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = R&B, funk

| length = 4:03 (album version)
3:42 (7" Version)

| label = Columbia

| writer =

| producer = Maurice White

| prev_title = Getaway

| prev_year = 1976

| next_title = On Your Face

| next_year = 1977

}}

"Saturday Nite" is a song by R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire which was issued as a single in 1976 by Columbia Records.{{cite work|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Saturday Nite|date=1976|publisher=Columbia Records}} The song reached numbers 4 and 21 on Billboard Hot Soul Songs and Hot 100 charts, respectively.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/earth-wind-fire/chart-history/bsi/|title= Earth, Wind & Fire: Saturday Nite (Hot Soul Songs)|publisher=billboard.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/earth-wind-fire/chart-history/hsi/|title= Earth, Wind & Fire: Saturday Nite (Hot 100)|publisher=billboard.com}} "Saturday Nite" also rose to No. 17 on the UK Singles chart - their first hit in the United Kingdom.{{cite web|title=Earth Wind & Fire - Full Official Chart History|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16058/earth,-wind-and-fire/|website=Official Charts Company|accessdate=20 January 2016}}

Overview

"Saturday Nite" was written by Maurice White with Philip Bailey and Al McKay. The single's b-side is a tune called Departure. Both songs came from EWF's 1976 studio album Spirit.

Critical reception

Blues and Soul called Saturday Nite a "gem".{{cite work|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Saturday Nite|issue=218|date=February 1, 1977|publisher=Blues and Soul}} Cashbox noted that "shouting 1,2,3,4 - horns come wailing in followed by a snappy synthesizer. The vocals are full, the group utilizes a winning variety of vocal styles, funky and smooth".{{cite work|url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox38unse_24|title=Singles|page=[https://archive.org/details/cashbox38unse_24/page/n36/mode/1up/search/Saturday 36]|issue=24|volume=38|date=November 13, 1976|publisher=Cashbox Magazine}}

Music Week also described Saturday Nite as "easy-paced, and much more of a two hander, with the wonderful Maurice White..trading vocals with (Philip) Bailey, while the backing track is powerful and brassy."{{cite work |title=Product Reissues |page=53 |date=September 26, 2014 |publisher=Music Week |id={{ProQuest|1693679438}} }} Record World said it is "in an uptempo groove that is fine for any nite."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=November 13, 1976|page=1|accessdate=2023-03-03|title=Hits of the Week|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/76/Record-World-1976-11-13.pdf}}

Samples

"Saturday Nite" was sampled by the Spice Girls on their 1996 single "Say You'll Be There".{{cite work|title=Spice Girls: Say You'll Be There|date=October 1996|publisher=Virgin Records}}