Midnight Blue by Melissa Manchester

Album: Melissa (1975)

Charted: 6

Get the Sheet Music License This Song

Not to be confused with any song of the same or similar name, this was co-written by Manchester with Carole Bayer Sager, who supplied the lyrics, although the Arista demo version credits it to Manchester and Adrienne Anderson. The official release credits it to Manchester/Bayer Sager, and the B-side is "I Got Eyes."

Written in 1973, it was released two years later, and caused George Harrison to retitle his (totally unrelated) song of the same name. The Manchester song was a big hit, and has become a standard. >>
Suggestion credit:
Alexander Baron - London, England
The song is about a relationship that has been through the ringer; the singer is looking to give it another try, approaching it from a different angle: "Think of me as your friend."

Bayer Sager's marriage to record producer Andrew Sager was crumbling, and she poured her emotions into the lyrics. "I hoped Andrew would listen to it and make an effort to help us get whatever it was we had back on track," she wrote in her memoir They're Playing Our Song. "I guess, like my dummy in a ventriloquist act I had as a kid, I was letting my lyrics do the talking for me." (The couple divorced in 1978.)
Other songs Carole Bayer Sager wrote with Manchester include "Just You And I," "Come In From The Rain" and "Home To Myself" - lots of confessional songs from a female perspective. Bayer Sager explained: "I think just by writing about the things we were going through, we were able to tough the hearts of women who were also struggling, so I'm very proud of those songs."
Melissa Manchester released two hitless albums on Bell Records before signing a deal with Arista, which issued her third album, Melissa, which contains "Midnight Blue." The song went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and established Manchester as both a songwriter and artist. Her later accomplishments include co-writing the Kenny Loggins/Stevie Nicks duet "Whenever I Call You "Friend"" and Top 10 singles as an artist with "Don't Cry Out Loud" and "You Should Hear How She Talks About You."

Please sign in or register to post comments.

Comments: 2

Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 19th 1975, Melissa Manchester performed "Midnight Blue" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
At the time of this appearance on 'Bandstand' the song was at #11 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart...
Between 1975 and 1985 she had fourteen Top 100 records; with three making the Top 10, her other two Top 10 records were "Don't Cry Out Loud" (at #10 in 1979) and "You Should Hear How She Talk About You" (at #5 in 1982).
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 4th 1975, Melissa Manchester's debut record on the charts, "Midnight Blue", entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #90; and on August 3rd, 1975 it peaked at #6 (for 1 week) and spent 17 weeks on the Top 100...
And on June 15th, 1975 it reached #1 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
The twenty-eight records that preceded "Midnight Blue" at #1 had all remained in the top spot for just one week...
Ms. Manchester celebrated her 63rd birthday three months ago on February 15th, 2014.

see more comments

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Country Song TitlesFact or Fiction

Country songs with titles so bizarre they can't possibly be real... or can they?

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Long before she was judging contestants on American Idol, Oliver was producing Paula Abdul. Here's how he helped turn this unknown choreographer into a star.

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.