This Flight Tonight

Joni Mitchell wrote and released the song on her 1971 album Blue. The song tells of Mitchell's regrets as she leaves her lover on a flight and wishes to return. The track was also released as the B-side of "Carey".{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Joni-Mitchell-Carey/master/344603|title=Joni Mitchell – Carey|year=1971 |publisher=Discogs|access-date=January 10, 2016}}

Mitchell plays guitar and sings, and was the producer, pedal steel guitar is by Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Henry Lewy was the engineer.{{Cite AV media notes|title=Blue|others=Joni Mitchell|year=1971|publisher=Reprise Records|location=US|type=LP liner notes|id=MS 2038}}

{{Infobox song

| name = This Flight Tonight

| cover = Nazareth This Flight Tonight.png

| alt =

| caption = Cover of the 1973 German single

| type = single

| artist = Nazareth

| album = Loud 'n' Proud

| B-side = Called Her Name

| released = October 1973

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Hard rock{{cite web|author=Song Review by Donald A. Guarisco |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/this-flight-tonight-mt0033935355 |title=This Flight Tonight – Nazareth | Listen, Appearances, Song Review |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=4 July 2015}}

| length =

| label = Mooncrest

| writer = Joni Mitchell

| producer = Roger Glover

| prev_title = Broken Down Angel

| prev_year = 1973

| next_title = Love Hurts

| next_year = 1974

| misc = {{External music video|header=Video|{{YouTube|P9uvpr_gm64|"This Flight Tonight" (Austrian TV, 1975)}}}}

}}

Scottish hard rock band Nazareth reworked the song in 1973. Their version, a driving hard-rock arrangement, was a hit in Canada, Germany (where it reached number one) and the UK.{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2C6I4KfgJ1kC&pg=RA1-PA565|page=565 |year=1998|title=The great rock discography |isbn=978-88-09-21522-1 |author=M. C. Strong}}{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LzzCw6xs9roC&pg=PA201 |pages=201–202 |year=2004|title=Smoke on the Water: The Deep Purple Story |isbn=978-1-55022-618-8 |author=Dave Thompson}} It was produced by Roger Glover.{{cite web | url=http://www.discogs.com/Nazareth-This-Flight-Tonight-Called-Her-Name/release/1336123 | title=Nazareth (2)  – This Flight Tonight | date=October 1973 | publisher=Discogs| access-date=27 May 2014}} The single reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1973. The band re-recorded the song in 1991 for the album No Jive.

Writing in The Independent in 2012, Robert Webb said:

The Dunfermline hard-rockers Nazareth loved Blue. You remember them: the gap-toothed vocalist, Dan McCafferty, had hair like a kitchen scourer and a voice to match. They were bad, bad boys. Among the tracks on their 1973 album Loud 'n' Proud, produced by the former Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, is a taut version of "This Flight". "We used to listen to Joni as we were travelling round in the van," recalls Nazareth's bass-player, Pete Agnew. "'This Flight Tonight' was a big favourite."

Mitchell was impressed with the makeover: "When she was recording at A&M, we were just starting an American tour," explains Agnew. "We all happened to be in the studio the day the single was released, so we were introduced to her and told her what we had done. She said, 'What, with a rock band?'" Joni paid the Scottish band the greatest compliment after "This Flight Tonight" became a worldwide hit for them, touching down at No 11 in the UK. "She was playing a gig in London and told the audience: 'I'd like to open with a Nazareth song'!".{{cite web|author=Robert Webb |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/double-take-this-flight-tonight--joni-mitchell--nazareth-138472.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/double-take-this-flight-tonight--joni-mitchell--nazareth-138472.html |archive-date=2022-05-07 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Double Take: 'This Flight Tonight' – Joni Mitchell / Nazareth |work=The Independent |date=13 September 2002|access-date=4 July 2015}}{{cbignore}}

Nancy Wilson revealed that the guitar riff for Nazareth's version of "This Flight Tonight" inspired the riff for the Heart song "Barracuda".{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MR28NW1sLM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/7MR28NW1sLM |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=Heart's Nancy Wilson: We Took 'Barracuda' Riff From Legendary Band |website=YouTube |date=March 5, 2019}}{{cbignore}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Joni Mitchell}}

{{Nazareth}}

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Category:1971 songs

Category:Joni Mitchell songs

Category:Songs written by Joni Mitchell

Category:Nazareth (band) songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Joni Mitchell

Category:1973 singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Roger Glover

Category:Mooncrest Records singles