“In The Heat Of The Night”
Song by Ray Charles
Ray Charles was commissioned to perform the theme song for the 1967 movie In The Heat Of The Night. The result was the first song on the soundtrack LP, and a single was released on ABC Records as well. But fans will need both discs, for they are two completely different versions of “In The Heat Of The Night”.
The Movie In The Heat Of The Night
The movie starred Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. The film, a pissed-off and in-your-face exploration of race in America, won five Oscar awards and featured several iconic scenes of Poitier as a black Philadelphia cop in Mississippi as part of a murder investigation. It has become a classic of cinema.
The music for the movie was composed by Ray’s longtime cohort Quincy Jones. The song’s lyrics were written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
The LP Version of “In The Heat Of The Night”
The recording of the title song that appears on the full-length soundtrack LP is shorter than the single, at only 2:30. It begins with Ray singing, and features the Raelets cooing coolly throughout; the ladies occasionally sing the title line as well. The song is dense and swamped in a kind of sticky, uncomfortable gospel. The swirling performance makes it really feel like it’s a hot night; there’s trouble all around and it’s going to be nearly impossible to break free from it.
Ray’s singing is pained and heartfelt – in a word, exquisite. He occasionally allows his voice to slip into a falsetto for a few words. It was a technique he’d been experimenting with quite enthusiastically in 1967 (check out several tracks on the album Listen from that year for more). On “In The Heat Of The Night” the falsetto effect is used sparingly, and thus movingly and effectively. With lines like “seems like a cold sweat sweeping across my brow” and “stars with evil eyes stare from the skies”, nothing less than Ray’s remarkable and emotional voice would do.
Front cover of the In The Heat Of The Night soundtrack LP.
By the end he assures us – because, what’s the alternative to hope? – that there “must be an ending to it all; hold on, it won’t be long. Just you be strong and it’ll be all right in the heat of the night”. Such a range of feeling, all in a three-minute song. Ray would have been number one on your list too, if this were your movie.
The 45 Version of “In The Heat Of The Night”
The single version of the song is a completely different take, and it’s longer. Musically it is very similar to the LP, however. The main difference in the single is that there is a 45-second intro not on the LP. It makes for a more complete listening experience, to be honest. The LP version just jumps in with both feet and disappears too quickly. At almost a minute longer, the single “In The Heat Of The Night” is, well, something you could put on a turntable and play like a regular song.
Both versions of “In The Heat Of The Night” are spectacular, full of drama and longing, despair and hope against hope. Things look dim but fortunes just have to turn around. Don’t they…?
The soundtrack LP was released on United Artists Records, while the single was on Ray’s usual ABC Records.
Single releases
“In The Heat Of The Night”
b/w
“Something’s Got To Change”
Listen to “In The Heat Of The Night”
Get your own “In The Heat Of The Night” on 45 or MP3 from Amazon. Or get the out-of-print complete ABC singles 5xCD box set.