Own the Night

Album: Miami Vice (1985)
Charted: 57
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This high-energy single was featured on the 1985 soundtrack to the hit TV series Miami Vice. The song is about someone from a major city who's unwilling to settle for struggling from paycheck to paycheck and wants to "own the night." Miami Vice was a cop show that often featured glamorous criminals, so in that context Chaka could be singing from the perspective of someone willing to resort to crime to get what she wants. The song was a modest hit, peaking at #57, but remains a favorite of fans from the show. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
  • The song was originally recorded by the disco singer George McRae, peaking at #59 on the Billboard dance chart in 1984. His version can be found on the Gold Mountain album Own The Night.
  • This was written by:

    American singer-songwriter Franne Golde whose other credits include The Commodores' "Nightshift" which received a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year, and the Pussycat Dolls international hit single "Stickwitu."

    Mary Dean Lauria, who also co-penned Diana Ross' "Little Bright Star" for the Motown Christmas Gift album. She is also an actress, and her credits include voicing characters in Heavy Traffic (1973) and Hey Good Lookin' (1982).

    Self-taught musician Marti Sharron, who was living in Los Angeles and trying to break into the music business when she co-wrote "Jump (For My Love)" a pop and R&B hit in 1984 for the Pointer Sisters. She went on to write for the likes of Philip Bailey, Anita Baker, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and the Backstreet Boys before passing away at the age of 56 in 2007.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Intentionally Atrocious

Intentionally AtrociousSong Writing

A selection of songs made to be terrible - some clearly achieved that goal.

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.