Charlie Rich – Midnight Blues

When I was growing up, I remember watching music shows from Nashville, and I saw this white haired man constantly. That white haired guy was Charlie Rich. I never knew much about his older music, but I am really getting into it.

After a stint in the Air Force, Rich started writing his own songs and playing around Memphis, the city that ended up shaping him more than anything else. Memphis in the 1950s was a blend of blues, country, gospel, and early rock and roll, and Rich fit right into the middle. He wasn’t a purist of any genre; he was a blender, and that would become his signature for the rest of his career.

His big break came when he walked into Sun Records, though it wasn’t exactly instant stardom. Sam Phillips didn’t quite know what to do with him because Rich didn’t fit the Sun mold. He wasn’t a raw rocker like Jerry Lee Lewis, and he wasn’t a rockabilly guy like Carl Perkins. He was smoother, jazzier, more complicated.

Before he became the “Silver Fox” singing Behind Closed Doors, he was a studio guy down in Memphis, searching for the sound that matched his style. Midnight Blues, recorded in 1960 for Sun, captures that in-between phase perfectly, smoky, late-night melancholy set to a subtle shuffle.

Some singers have a pain in their voice, such as Richard Manuel of the Band. Charlie Rich’s early Sun Records is like that as well. What always blows me away with Rich is that he could sound both heartbroken and confident at the same time. This song has a little bit of everything in it. He had one of those voices that could blend into anything, from country to soul, jazz, or blues.

He would go on to have nine country number ones in the 1970s. Lonely Weekends was his first US hit. It hit #27 on Cash Box in 1960.

Midnight Blues

Midnite, you know you’re doing me wrongMidnite, doing me wrongKeeping me up all night longAll night, all night longEverytime I feel a little bit freeI hear those blues, midnite bluesCommence to calling meMidnite, why don’t you leave me aloneLeave me, leave me aloneI’m trying my best to make a happy homeHappy, happy homeEverytime I feel a little bit freeI hear those blues, midnite bluesCommence to calling meI just can’t help to feel a little bit ashamedEverytime I hear you call my nameI’m blaming you for all the bad things I’ve doneBlame you for what I’ve doneStill I will admit that every once in a while it was fun

Yeah but midnite, don’t keep me running aroundDon’t keep running aroundI made up my mind, I’m gonna settle downAh ha, settle downEverytime I feel a little bit freeI hear those blues, midnite bluesBlues, midnite bluesI hear those blues, midnite bluesCommence to calling meThat blues is a calling meMidnite blues is a calling me

…

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

39 thoughts on “Charlie Rich – Midnight Blues”

  1. Pingback: Charlie Rich – Midnight Blues – MobsterTiger

      1. He burned John Denvers winning ballot at the CMA awards. He said it wasn’t personal but that is pretty personal to me. Plus he won the award the year earlier and wasn’t nominated for anything.

        Liked by 2 people

  3. Love this man’s voice and music. My oldest sister and I shared a room, and when “Behind Closed Doors” came out, she had the album. I used to make fun of her about it, but secretly I liked it. She used to play it so much, I knew the words to all the songs too. She was old enough to remember “Mohair Sam” and other older songs of his. Later on, I looked into his older material and found a treasure trove. If you really want to hear pain in his voice, listen to “Feel Like Going Home” (especially the solo demo version). Very good.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

      3. I dont pay any attention. The only charts that matter are my ear charts. Just to bad some of these deserving artists didnt get compensated for their work . I’m guessing Charlie was in for the long run. A talented guy.

        Liked by 2 people

  13. The 2nd one is a quality production. It’s hard not to think of Elvis, but he has his own kind of sass. Difficult to link this song with Behind Closed Doors. Didn’t he also do a song Most Beautiful Girl or something close.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. I love the angst in that song. “I woke up this morning, realized what I had done. I stood alone in the cold grey dawn, knew I’d lost my morning sun. I lost my head and I said some things. Now comes the heartache that the morning brings….” The melody is precious.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. It really is and his piano playing is great as well. This part of his career was looked over.
        Oh you wanted to know what Randy was talking about…
        At the 1975 CMA Awards, Charlie Rich, the previous year’s Entertainer of the Year, shocked the audience by setting fire to the card with John Denver’s name after announcing him as the new winner. The incident, widely seen as a protest against the growing pop influence in country music, was likely fueled by both alcohol and medication, which Rich claimed was a poor combination.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Yea…he should have just voiced his concerns lol…not set something on fire…but…saying that…I get where he was coming from but I don’t think that was the best way of doing it! He REALLY wouldn’t like today’s bro country.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment