"Midnight Confessions" is a song written by Lou T. Josie and originally performed by the Ever-Green Blues. American rock band The Grass Roots later made it famous when they released it as a single in 1968. Though never released on any of the group's studio albums, it was on their first compilation album, Golden Grass, and has since been included on many of their other compilations.

The Grass Roots version became the band's biggest charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the Top 5 of both the U.S. and Canadian pop singles charts.

Background and recording 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 Los Angeles studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, as were many hits by the Grass Roots. Rob Grill and Warren Entner shared lead vocals, with Grill singing the verses and Entner, the choruses.

Personnel Per the Wrecking Crew's Facebook page.

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

Ben Benay – electric guitar Mike Deasy – electric guitar 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

Release and reception "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.Gold & Platinum Searchable Database . 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.

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1968)PeakpositionAustralia KMR 18Canada RPM Top Singles4South Africa (Springbok Radio)9U.S. Billboard Hot 100[Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002]5U.S. Cash Box Top 100 5

Year-end charts Chart (1968)RankCanada 34U.S. Billboard Hot 10019U.S. Cash Box30

Notable cover versions 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)

References

External links