I Drove All Night

Critical reception

Billboard described the track as "yearning crystalline pop/rock" and noted the maturity of Lauper’s vocal performance.^[1] New Musical Express praised its "modern European sounds" and pointed to Lauper’s emotive delivery, calling the track an atmospheric "night-time driving" anthem.^[3] Jerry Smith of Music Week called Lauper "American with good ear" and praised her "assured and dramatic display", adding that the "passionate ballad" was "destined to return her to the charts once more".^[4] Tim Nicholson of Record Mirror described the track as "a punchy stab at power-driven west coast rock".^[5]

Edem E. Ephraim and Dennis Fuller of London Boys, reviewing singles for Number One on 26 April 1989, were disappointed by what they saw as a lack of "real Cyndi Lauper touch". They argued that Steinberg and Kelly, "who penned The Bangles Numero Uno 'Eternal Flame'", had created something too simple and suitable for any performer.^[6] Melody Maker offered a sarcastic assessment, calling the song a "typically bland slab of FM" and stating that Lauper’s "pioneering spirit and curious brand of transatlantic feminism add nothing" to it.^[7]

Formats and track listing

• 7-inch and cassette; US and Japanese 3-inch CD

1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
2. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41

• 12-inch; European 3-inch CD; UK CD

1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
2. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41
3. "Boy Blue" (live at Le Zenith) – 5:36

• UK limited-edition picture disc CD

1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
2. "What's Going On" (club version) – 6:35
3. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41
4. "Time After Time" – 3:53

Charts

Release history

Charts

Certifications

Background

In 2003, Chrysler signed Dion to a $14 million deal to endorse their cars. The company was looking for a song to use in the campaign and release as a single. Billy Steinberg knew Dion and had written "Falling into You", the title track of her 1996 album. He sent a copy of Roy Orbison's version of "I Drove All Night" to her record company, who approved it and had Dion record the track with Swedish producer Peer Åström.^[58] She incorporated the song into her Las Vegas show, and it became the centerpiece of the Chrysler campaign. The commercials provided strong exposure for the track and helped boost album sales, but they did not translate into increased car sales.^[59] Chrysler withdrew from the deal after complaints from dealers and disappointing results, although Dion was allowed to keep her $14 million fee.^[58]

In Dion's version, "I Drove All Night" is dance-pop.^[59] It was also described as "a little bit dance-club, a little bit rock and roll".^[60] In the second verse, Dion repeats a line as it appears in Orbison's original recording. Instead of singing "no matter where I go I hear the beating of our heart," she sings "our one heart", which inspired the title of the album on which the song appears.^[59] As in the original, the chorus is repeated twice to close the track.^[59]

Composition

Dion's version of "I Drove All Night" is set in the key of G♯ minor. It uses a moderately fast tempo of 135 beats per minute, and her vocals span from F♯₃ to E₅.^[61]

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as "a tongue-in-cheek, neo-house cover" and selected it as one of the best tracks on the album, alongside the title track and "Have You Ever Been in Love".^[57] Rebecca Wallwork wrote a positive review for Amazon, calling it "the car-commercial-driven tempo".^[62] Jam!'s Darryl Sterdan described it as "a Cher-style eurodisco".^[56] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani expressed a similar view, writing that "she gets the Cher treatment on the blazing cover".^[63] People's Chuck Arnold wrote that Dion "shows surprising restraint for a diva who just had a coliseum custom-built for her".^[64]

Commercial performance

In Canada, the song debuted at number one on the Canadian Hot 100 chart^[65] and spent five consecutive weeks at the top.^[66] "I Drove All Night" was Dion's third airplay-only single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 45.^[67] The commercial single was released five months later and reached number 26 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales.^[68] Several club remixes, created mainly by Hex Hector, helped the song climb to number two on the Hot Dance Club Play.^[67]

In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number 22 on the ARIA Charts on March 16, 2003.^[69] The following week, it fell to number 35 and continued to fluctuate for two more weeks before rising from number 44 to number 43.^[69] It later dropped to number 49, then climbed to number 38 the next week.^[69] The song spent 10 weeks on the chart and was certified gold.^[69][70] In New Zealand, it debuted at number 48 on the RIANZ chart on March 2, 2003.^[71] It climbed to number 46 the following week, then jumped to number 30 in its third week.^[71] After falling to number 32, it held at number 31 for two consecutive weeks.^[71] On April 20, 2003, the song rose to its peak of number 24.^[71] It spent nine weeks on the chart.^[71]

The song was even more successful on the Belgium's Flanders Singles Chart, where it debuted at number 14 on March 8, 2004.^[72] It jumped to number four the following week, then reached number one in its third week.^[72] The song remained in the top ten for 10 consecutive weeks and spent 15 weeks overall on the chart.^[72] It was certified platinum for sales of 50,000 copies.^[73] In Sweden, it debuted at number one on the Swedish Singles Chart on March 20, 2003.^[74] The following week, it fell to number 12, then to number 13 in its third week.^[74] In its fourth week, it rose to number seven, but continued to fluctuate for three more weeks before climbing from number 22 to number 16.^[74] It spent 17 weeks on the chart.^[74] On the Danish Singles Chart, the song debuted at number two, where it stayed for 3 consecutive weeks.^[75] It later fell to number five, then to number six, where it remained for another week.^[75]

In France, although it did not reach the top 20, the song performed steadily on the SNEP chart.^[76] It debuted at number 89, fell to number 94 in its second week, and to number 97 in its third week.^[76] After dropping out of the chart, it re-entered at number 22, its peak position, on April 26, 2003.^[76] It spent 11 non-consecutive weeks on the chart.^[76]

Music video and promotion

The music video, shot in Las Vegas, USA on February 2, 2003, was directed by advertising executive Peter Arnell, with cinematography by Rolf Kestermann and editing by Bee Ottinger.^[77] An arty black-and-white production, it shows Dion performing simple movements, while a couple in another setting appears to be enjoying a dance sequence.^[78] It was included on the UK enhanced CD single of "One Heart". The video was nominated for the MuchMoreMusic Award in 2003.^[79]

Dion appeared in four commercial spots for Chrysler, all scored with tracks from One Heart, including "I Drove All Night". These ads were also directed by Arnell and edited by Ottinger, with Darius Khondji serving as director of photography.^[77]

Dion performed "I Drove All Night" during the A New Day... show, and the track was included on the A New Day... Live in Las Vegas CD in 2004 and the Live in Las Vegas - A New Day... DVD in 2007.^[80][81] The A New Day... Live in Las Vegas bonus DVD, titled One Year...One Heart, included the recording of the song and behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot.^[81]

The song also served as the opening number for the 2008–09 Taking Chances World Tour, preceded by an introduction video using a remix of "I Drove All Night". The audio and footage from this performance were included on the Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert CD/DVD.^[82] In October 2008, the song was included on the My Love: Essential Collection greatest hits album.^[83] Dion also performed the song during her 2017 European tour.

Formats and track listing

Remixes

Charts

Certifications

Release history

Charts