Endless Summer Nights
1988 single by Richard Marx
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Endless Summer Nights" is a song performed by American rock singer Richard Marx, released in January 1988 as the third single from his eponymous debut album. The song peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. pop and Adult Contemporary charts.[2]
| "Endless Summer Nights" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Richard Marx | ||||
| from the album Richard Marx | ||||
| B-side | "Have Mercy" | |||
| Released | January 16, 1988[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:30 (album version) 4:11 (7-inch single edit) | |||
| Label | Manhattan | |||
| Songwriter | Richard Marx | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Richard Marx singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and composition
"Endless Summer Nights" was a track from Marx's original demo tapes. It begins with a similar intro beat style as "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette.[3] The lyrics were inspired by a trip to Hawaii that Marx had taken with his then-girlfriend (and future wife), Cynthia Rhodes.[4] According to Marx, he wrote the song as a theme to summer love that does not last when lovers go their separate ways in the fall.[4] In the liner notes of his 1997 Greatest Hits album, Marx commented on the song: "Aside from replacing synthesized bass with the great Nathan East, this recording is the demo that every record company in the business rejected in 1985 and 1986."[3] Marx eventually signed with EMI-Manhattan Records in 1986.[3]
Release and reception
Released in January 1988 as the third single from his debut solo album, "Endless Summer Nights" entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at No. 53, the highest debut of the week.[3] In March and April, the song reached No. 2, where it stayed for two weeks, behind "Man In The Mirror" by Michael Jackson.[5] The single also peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart, behind "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley.[5] Elsewhere, the single reached No. 13 in Sweden, No. 19 in Australia, No. 42 in New Zealand, No. 50 in the United Kingdom, and No. 62 in the Netherlands.[6] The woman in the music video is French model and actress Myrtille Blervaque (born September 1962), also known by the stage names Blair Valk and Borovnisa Blervaque; she also appeared in Eddie Money's music video for his 1988 top-10 hit "Walk On Water". She got the name Myrtille, which means "blueberry" in French, due to her being a breech baby, as she was suffocating at birth and her face turned purple-blue.
Track listing
- "Endless Summer Nights" [edit] (Marx) – 4:11
- "Have Mercy" [live at the Palace in L.A.] (Marx) – 5:30
Credits
- Richard Marx – lead and backing vocals
- Tom Keane – keyboards
- Michael Landau – guitar
- Bruce Gaitsch – guitar
- Nathan East – bass
- John Keane – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Dave Koz – saxophone
Chart performance
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Australian Music Report)[7] | 16 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] | 62 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] | 42 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] | 13 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[12] | 50 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 2 |
| US Adult Contemporary[5] | 2 |
| US Mainstream Rock[5] | 41 |
Year-end charts
Other versions
Soul singer Dorothy Moore performed a cover version of "Endless Summer Nights" on her 1988 album Time Out for Me.[16] Smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, who accompanied Marx on his first tour, included his rendition on his eponymous 1990 debut solo album.[17] Jawaiian trio Ekolu recorded a cover of the song on their 2009 album Ekolu Music II: Anthem.[18]