Give Me the Night (album)

Give Me the Night
Give Me the Night
Studio album by George Benson
Released	August 9, 1980
Recorded	1980
Studio	Cherokee, Hollywood, California; Kendun Recorders, Burbank, California;
Genre	Soul; funk; jazz; R&B;
Length	42:21
Label	Warner Bros., Qwest
Producer	Quincy Jones
George Benson chronology
Singles from Give Me the Night
	"Give Me the Night"; Released: June 1980; "Love X Love"; Released: September 1980; "What's on Your Mind"; Released: 1980; "Turn Out the Lamplight"; Released: 1980;

Give Me the Night is a 1980 album by American jazz guitarist and singer George Benson.

Producer Quincy Jones released the album on his start-up label Qwest Records, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Records.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	^[2]

Give Me the Night charted at number one on both the Top Soul Albums and Jazz Albums charts, as well as number three on the Billboard Pop Albums charts. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA two months after its release.^[3]

The album's success was closely associated with its title track lead single, which rose to the top spot on the Soul Singles chart.

The album earned Benson three wins at the 1981 Grammy Awards, including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, while "Moody's Mood" received Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male and "Off Broadway" received Best R&B Instrumental Performance. Quincy Jones and Jerry Hey also won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for "Dinorah, Dinorah."

Track listing

Side one

"Love X Love" (Rod Temperton) – 4:45
"Off Broadway" (Temperton) – 5:23
"Moody's Mood" (Eddie Jefferson, James Moody) – 3:24 (featuring Patti Austin)
"Give Me the Night" (Temperton) – 5:01

Side two

"What's on Your Mind" (Glen Ballard, Kerry Chater) – 4:02
"Dinorah, Dinorah" (Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins) – 3:39
"Love Dance" (Ivan Lins, Gilson Peranzzetta, Paul Williams) – 3:18
"Star of a Story (X)" (Temperton) – 4:42 (*)
"Midnight Love Affair" (David "Hawk" Wolinski) – 3:31
"Turn Out the Lamplight" (Temperton) – 4:43 (**)

(*) Originally recorded in 1978 as "The Star of a Story" by Heatwave, of which Temperton was a member.

(**) Originally recorded in 1976 by Heatwave.

Personnel

George Benson - guitar, lead and backing vocals
Herbie Hancock, Richard Tee - electric piano, synthesizer
Clare Fischer - synthesizer, acoustic piano, electric piano
Michael Boddicker - synthesizer
Lee Ritenour - guitar
Greg Phillinganes, George Duke - keyboards, synthesizer
Louis Johnson, Abe Laboriel - bass guitar
Carlos Vega, John Robinson - drums
Paulinho Da Costa - percussion
Jerry Hey - trumpet
Kim Hutchcroft, Larry Williams - saxophone, flute
Patti Austin - lead and backing vocals
Jim Gilstrap, Diva Gray, Jocelyn Allen - backing vocals
Patrice Rushen - backing vocals
Bruce Swedien - recording engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for *Give Me the Night*
Chart (1980–1981)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[4]	9
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[5]	18
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[6]	2
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[7]	8
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[8]	30
UK Albums (OCC)^[9]	3
US Billboard 200^[10]	3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[11]	1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for *Give Me the Night*
Chart (1980)	Position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[4]	37
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[12]	10
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[13]	49
UK Albums (OCC)^[14]	18

Certifications

Certifications for *Give Me the Night*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[15]	Platinum	50,000^{^}
Japan	—	74,750^[16]
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[17]	Platinum	15,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[18]	Platinum	300,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[19]	Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Ginell, Richard S.. George Benson: Give Me The Night > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 23. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
^ "American album certifications – George Benson – Give Me the Night". Recording Industry Association of America.
^ ^a ^b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – George Benson – Give Me The Night" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "Charts.nz – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "George Benson | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "George Benson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "George Benson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "Top Selling Albums of 1980". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "Alben 1980 Norwegen" (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "Alben 1980 UK" (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts – No. 341. Mount Martha, Melbourne, Victoria: Moonlight Publishing. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
^ "New Zealand album certifications – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
^ "British album certifications – George Benson – Give Me The Night". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "American album certifications – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

External links

George Benson-Give Me The Night at Discogs

[1] Ginell, Richard S.. George Benson: Give Me The Night > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 September 2011.

[RSJRG-2] Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 23. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

[3] "American album certifications – George Benson – Give Me the Night". Recording Industry Association of America.

[Kent-4] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[ac_Netherlands_George_Benson-5] "Dutchcharts.nl – George Benson – Give Me The Night" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[ac_New_Zealand_George_Benson-6] "Charts.nz – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[ac_Norway_George_Benson-7] "Norwegiancharts.com – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[ac_Sweden_George_Benson-8] "Swedishcharts.com – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[ac_UK_George_Benson-9] "George Benson | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[ac_Billboard200_George_Benson-10] "George Benson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[ac_BillboardRandBHipHop_George_Benson-11] "George Benson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[12] "Top Selling Albums of 1980". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[13] "Alben 1980 Norwegen" (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[14] "Alben 1980 UK" (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[15] Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts – No. 341. Mount Martha, Melbourne, Victoria: Moonlight Publishing. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[JPCB-16] Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.

[New_ZealandGeorge_BensonGive_Me_The_NightalbumCertRef-17] "New Zealand album certifications – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.

[United_KingdomGeorge_BensonGive_Me_The_NightalbumCertRef-18] "British album certifications – George Benson – Give Me The Night". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

[United_StatesGeorge_BensonGive_Me_The_NightalbumCertRef-19] "American album certifications – George Benson – Give Me The Night". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

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v t e George Benson
Discography
Studio albums	The New Boss Guitar of George Benson It's Uptown The George Benson Cookbook Giblet Gravy Shape of Things to Come Goodies Tell It Like It Is The Other Side of Abbey Road Beyond the Blue Horizon White Rabbit Body Talk Bad Benson Good King Bad Benson & Farrell Breezin' In Flight Livin' Inside Your Love Give Me the Night In Your Eyes Pacific Fire I Got a Woman and Some Blues 20/20 While the City Sleeps... Collaboration Twice the Love Big Boss Band That's Right Standing Together Absolute Benson Irreplaceable Givin' It Up Songs and Stories Guitar Man Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole Walking to New Orleans
Live albums	In Concert-Carnegie Hall Weekend in L.A.
Compilations	Space The George Benson Collection The Greatest Hits of All The Very Best of George Benson: The Greatest Hits of All The Essential George Benson
Singles	"This Masquerade" (1976) "Breezin'" (1976) "The Greatest Love of All" (1977) "On Broadway" (1978) "Love Ballad" (1979) "Give Me the Night" (1980) "Love X Love" (1980) "What's on Your Mind" (1980) "Never Give Up on a Good Thing" (1981) "Turn Your Love Around" (1981) "Inside Love (So Personal)" (1983) "Lady Love Me (One More Time)" (1983) "Feel Like Makin' Love" (1983) "In Your Eyes" (1983) "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" (1985) "Shiver" (1986) "Teaser" (1986) "Let's Do It Again" (1988)