They Only Come Out at Night
They Only Come Out at Night is the third studio album by Edgar Winter and the first by the Edgar Winter Group. A commercial hit, the album reached the #3 slot on the Billboard 200 chart and also features two of the band's biggest songs: "Frankenstein" (#1 on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Free Ride" (#14 on that same chart). Musically, besides the country track "Round & Round," the album features a mixture of mostly blues rock and boogie woogie induced rock in a generally carefree and upbeat sound. The album eventually sold two million copies.
| They Only Come Out at Night | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1972 | |||
| Recorded | August–September 1972 | |||
| Genre | Rock, hard rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 34:47 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Rick Derringer | |||
| The Edgar Winter Group chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[2] |
In 2006, the album was reissued on Super Audio CD by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab as well as the 2008 Quadraphonic rendition was reissued by SBME Sony BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group) Music Entertainment. In the same year, it was featured in the video game Prey.
Writer Stephen King mentioned the album (specifically its cover artwork) in his 1975 novel 'Salem's Lot.
The album is mentioned in the song "I Love My Dad" by Sun Kil Moon on their 2014 album Benji.
The Australian cassette issue of the album in 1973 transposes "Undercover Man" and "Frankenstein" (i.e. Frankenstein ends side A instead of side B) and has a wholly different cover: a photo of the band posing against a black background.[3] The American cassette follows the same track order as the Australian issue, but retains the original cover.
The album was certified gold April 30, 1973 and multi-platinum on November 21, 1986 by the RIAA. The single "Frankenstein" was certified gold June 19, 1973 by the RIAA.[4]
Besides being a commercial success, the album has received many highly positive critical reviews. Writing for AllMusic, critic Michael B. Smith praised the "party" and "sing-along" feel of the album. He remarked, "While this album will forever be remembered for spawning the huge hit singles 'Frankenstein' and 'Free Ride,' there's plenty more to appreciate on this stellar release."[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hangin' Around" | Edgar Winter, Dan Hartman | 3:02 |
| 2. | "When It Comes" | Winter, Hartman | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Alta Mira" | Winter, Hartman | 3:08 |
| 4. | "Free Ride" | Hartman | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Undercover Man" | Winter | 3:49 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Round & Round" | Winter | 4:00 |
| 7. | "Rock 'n' Roll Boogie Woogie Blues" | Winter, Barbara Winter, Ronnie Montrose | 3:25 |
| 8. | "Autumn" | Hartman | 3:00 |
| 9. | "We All Had a Real Good Time" | Winter, Hartman | 3:05 |
| 10. | "Frankenstein" | Winter | 4:44 |
| Total length: | 34:47 | ||
Personnel
- Edgar Winter – organ, ARP 2600 synthesizer, piano, clavinet, marimba, saxophone, timbales, vocals, liner notes
- Ronnie Montrose – lead guitar, 12 string guitar, mandolin
- Rick Derringer – slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, bass, vocals, claves, producer
- Dan Hartman – bass guitar, ukulele, percussion, maracas, lead vocals on "Free Ride"
- Randy Jo Hobbs – bass on "Free Ride" and "We All Had a Real Good Time"
- Johnny Badanjek – drums on "Free Ride" and "We All Had a Real Good Time"
- Chuck Ruff – drums, congas, vocals
- Bill Szymczyk – technical director
- Steve Paul – organic director
Notes
- Smith, Michael B. They Only Come Out at Night at AllMusic. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=4872615
- https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=Edgar%20Winter