Tag: After Midnight

We had Cream not long ago so we will progress to Eric today. I will say I did like Eric more with Cream.

This song was not an Eric Clapton-written song…it was written by the great J.J. Cale. Cale seemed to have an aversion to fame but he was thankful to hear Eric cover his song at the time. He said “I was dirt poor, not making enough to eat and I wasn’t a young man. I was in my thirties, so I was very happy. It was nice to make some money.” 

It was a much-needed windfall to an artist struggling in obscurity, and already into his 30s. He landed a deal on Leon Russell and Denny Cordell’s Shelter label and thought he had finished recording his first album for them, Naturally, when Cordell suggested he revisit this composition and share its limelight. When his album Naturally came out in 1971 it got played thanks in part to Clapton covering this song a year before.

J.J. Cale’s version of After Midnight on the album peaked at #42 on the Billboard 100 and I could not find it charting in Canada. His song Crazy Mama peaked at #22 on the Billboard 100.

After Midnight was on Clapton’s self-titled debut album released in 1970. The album had some Clapton classics on it. Blues Power, After Midnight, and Let It Rain. The producer was Delaney Bramlett of the band Bonnie and Delaney that Clapton and George Harrison had played and toured with off and on. I like the album although I think it does sound a bit thin…no fault of Clapton.

The song peaked at #18 on the Billboard 100, #10 in Canada, and #17 in New Zealand in 1970.

Clapton released another, more mellow version of “After Midnight” in 1988 on his greatest hits compilation Crossroads. It was released as a single but did not chart. This 1988 version was used in commercials for Michelob beer. It’s odd that he would let them use it since he was in rehab in 1987 to get off of alcohol. Which to his credit he has supposedly been off of it since.

Eric Clapton:  “I wanted to go in the other direction and try to find a way to make it minimal, but still have a great deal of substance,” he told NPR. “That was the essence of J.J.’s music to me, apart from the fact that he summed up so many of the different essences of American music: rock and jazz and folk, blues. He just seemed to have an understanding of it all.”

After Midnight

After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down
After midnight, we’re gonna chug-a-lug and shout
We’re gonna stimulate some action
We’re gonna get some satisfaction
We’re gonna find out what it is all about
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down

After midnight, we’re gonna shake your tambourine
After midnight, it’s all gonna be peaches and cream
We’re gonna cause talk and suspicion
We’re gonna give an exhibition
We’re gonna find out what it is all about
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down

After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down

After midnight, we’re gonna shake your tambourine
After midnight, it’s all gonna be peaches and cream
We’re gonna cause talk and suspicion
We’re gonna give an exhibition
We’re gonna find out what it is all about
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down

After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang down