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Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

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"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"
Single by Freddy Fender
from the album Before the Next Teardrop Falls
B-side"I Love My Rancho Grande"
ReleasedJune 1975
Recorded1959 (original)
1975 (hit version)
Genre
Length2:52
LabelABC-Dot Records 17558
Songwriter(s)Wayne Duncan, Freddy Fender and Huey Meaux
Producer(s)Huey Meaux
Freddy Fender singles chronology
"Before the Next Teardrop Falls"
(1975) 		"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"
(1975) 		"Since I Met You Baby"
(1975)

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" is an American country and pop song recorded by Freddy Fender. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop idiom of south Louisiana and southeast Texas that had such a major musical impact on Fender.[2]

Song history

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Fender wrote and recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights", a blues ballad, for Duncan Records in 1959, during the early stages of his career. He was in the process of perfecting his mesh of rockabilly and Tejano, and the song showcased his new style. But he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, and in May 1960, he was convicted.[3]

Fender also recorded a Spanish-language version, entitled "Noches y dias perdidos".[4]

In August 1971, the Texas-based band, Sir Douglas Quintet, released "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," this group being best known for their 1965 hit, "She's About a Mover." Fender thanks his friend Doug Sahm of the band prior during the introduction of his re-recorded hit.

Then, in 1975, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" became a major hit for Fender, and his career was rejuvenated. With the help of record producer Huey P. Meaux, Fender re-recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." The basic track for this song was engineered by Mickey Moody at Ben Jack's Recording Studio in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Session players included Bruce Ewen on piano, Bill Hamm on guitar, David Hungate on bass, and Bob Ketchum on drums. This time, the song became a major pop and country hit, topping the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in August 1975.[5] On other charts, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.[6]

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was certified gold for sales of one million units by the Recording Industry Association of America.[7]

The song was a major hit in New Zealand. In 1975, it spent a total of 12 weeks in the number one position in the New Zealand singles charts, making it the longest running number-one single at the time and the third-longest running number-one single of all time.

Fender later re-recorded the song in the 1980s; this version has added synthesizers and a gated snare drum.

He would record it again as a member of the Texas Tornados in the early 1990s. This version would also appear on the soundtrack to the 1993 film version of "The Beverly Hillbillies."

The song is heard in the background of a party scene depicting George W. Bush's drinking years in Oliver Stone's biographical film W. The song is also heard in the background of a scene from the alien abduction film Fire in the Sky, which was reportedly based on a true story .

It is also heard in Hancock. It also is heard in the 2021 TV series Reservation Dogs.

In 2012, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[8]

Chart performance

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Cover versions

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Charley Crockett - on his 2016 album, In The Night.[22][23] French singer Mireille Mathieu recorded in 1975 a French cover called "Inutile de nous revoir".

LeAnn Rimes - on her 2011 covers album Lady & Gentlemen. Jenni Rivera covered the song on her 2001 album Déjate Amar.

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24] Gold 75,000^
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (July 16, 2019). "The Number Ones: Freddy Fender's "Before The Next Teardrop Falls"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 23, 2023. He crossed over again with "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights," a new version of the rockabilly song he recorded in 1960.
  2. ^ Shane K. Bernard, Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1996), pp. 64, 65, 102, 105.
  3. ^ "Freddy Fender - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  4. ^ sandraluz51 (21 June 2012). "Freddy Fender Noches y días Perdidos Audiofoto". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 14 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 120.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 90.
  7. ^ "Recording Industry Association of America". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 2007-05-19. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
  8. ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com.
  9. ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  10. ^ "Australian Chart Books". Australianchartbooks.com.au. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  11. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - October 25, 1975" (PDF).
  12. ^ "RPM Country Playlist - September 13, 1975" (PDF).
  13. ^ "RPM AC - September 6, 1975" (PDF).
  14. ^ "FREDDY FENDER - WASTED DAYS AND WASTED NIGHTS (SONG)". charts.nz. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  15. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  16. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 9/27/75". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. ^ "australian-charts.com - Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  18. ^ "RPM Top 200 Singles of 1975 - December 27, 1975" (PDF).
  19. ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  21. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1975". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  22. ^ Doug Freeman. "Honky-Tonk Soul Man Charley Crockett Makes His Move". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  23. ^ "Charley Crockett - In The Night". Discogs.com. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Freddy Fender – Wasted Days and Wasted Nights". Music Canada. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  25. ^ "American single certifications – Freddy Fender – Wasted Days". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
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