On the Wings of a Nightingale
"On the Wings of a Nightingale" is a song written and composed by Paul McCartney and recorded by the Everly Brothers in 1984 for their album EB 84, which Dave Edmunds produced.
| "On the Wings of a Nightingale" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Everly Brothers | ||||
| from the album EB 84 | ||||
| B-side | "Asleep" | |||
| Released | August 1984 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:34 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Paul McCartney | |||
| Producer(s) | Dave Edmunds | |||
| The Everly Brothers singles chronology | ||||
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Background
Paul McCartney had written the song specifically for the Everly Brothers and played guitar on the recording.[1] The track was included as the first track on the duo's 1984 album EB 84. "On the Wings of a Nightingale" become their most popular song since 1970 and reached number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Music video
The video made to accompany the song shows the brothers rescuing a classic car (specifically, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible) from a junk yard, restoring it (in a series of shots that compress an unknown number of weeks, or months, into 35 seconds of video time) to drivable condition, then finally taking it out for a spin.
Charts
| Chart (1984–85) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop)[2] | 12 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 10 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 39 |
| Germany[3] | 50 |
| Netherlands[4] | 3 |
| New Zealand[5] | 48 |
| South African Singles Chart[6] | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 50 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles[7] | 49 |
Cover versions
The Spongetones recorded a version for their 2000 Odd Fellows album.[8] Apple Jam also recorded three versions for their 2012 On the Wings of a Nightingale EP.
McCartney's own version still exists, strictly as a demonstration recording; it remains unreleased as of 2020.
References
- Grow, Kory (January 8, 2014). "Paul McCartney Pays Tribute to 'Hero' Phil Everly". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- "The Everly Brothers - on the Wings of a Nightingale - ultratop.be". Ultratop.
- "The Everly Brothers - on the Wings of a Nightingale - ultratop.be". Ultratop.
- "The Everly Brothers - on the Wings of a Nightingale - ultratop.be". Ultratop.
- "The Everly Brothers - on the Wings of a Nightingale - ultratop.be". Ultratop.
- http://rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(E).html Retrieved 6 January 2014
- Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
- "Odd Fellows". Amazon. 2000.
