Another Night (Real McCoy song)


"Another Night" is a multi platinum-selling crossover hit by the German Eurodance and pop music project Real McCoy. The single is featured on their hit album, Another Night, which was the U.S. release of the project's second album, Space Invaders. The song was written and produced in Germany by Juergen Wind and Frank Hassas in 1993 under the producer team name Freshline.
In 2008, "Another Night" was ranked at number 91 in Billboard Magazine's Top 100 Songs of the First 50 Years of the Hot 100. Ten years later, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Hot 100, "Another Night" ranked at position 117.

Background and release

"Another Night" was originally released in Europe in the Summer of 1993 through Hansa Records. At first the single was only a minor hit Europe. It had peaked at No.18 in Germany but had barely managed to make the Top 100 in other countries in Europe. Thanks to the promotional efforts of BMG Canada, the single suddenly reached No.1 on the Canadian charts in the Spring of 1994. The success of the single in Canada caught the attention of Arista Records CEO Clive Davis who at the time had become interested in bringing another European music project to the U.S. market after becoming successful with the Swedish pop group Ace of Base. Once a new deal was finalized between Arista and BMG, the project name was shortened to Real McCoy and an all new release of the single was quickly planned for Summer 1994. Thanks to the promotional efforts of Arista in 1994, "Another Night" quickly reached No.3 in the U.S. charts and remained on the U.S. chart for over 45 weeks. It was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.The single also achieved Platinum sales in Australia and Silver status in the United Kingdom.

Composition, vocals and lyrics

While singer Patricia "Patsy" Petersen stars in the music videos for the single, the actual vocals on the track were recorded with studio singer Karin Kasar. German rapper Olaf Jeglitza wrote and performed the rap vocals on the single. "Another Night" was originally inspired by Roni Griffith's 1981 song "Desire", the Coca-Cola theme tune and Captain Hollywood Project's 1992 song "More and More." The song lyrics tell the story of a woman who longs to be with the anonymous individual she encounters every night in her dreams. The rap vocals represent the man's voice in the woman's head, saying the things she wants to hear and promising to fulfill her desires. However, each dawn brings pain to the vocalist, as she realizes "when the night is gone, I'll be alone."

Critical reception

from Billboard described "Another Night" as a "instantly infectious and jaunty li'l rave/NRG jumper that may initially remind some of "What Is Love" by Haddaway. A close spin, however, reveals a frothy confection that stands on its own pop merits. Nicely contrasted male/female duet vocals kick lovely, as do peppy remixes by the Berman Brothers and Armand Van Helden. Already wooing folks aboard, single has the strength to keep the glow of summer parties lingering for a long time to come." Matt Stopera and Brian Galindo from BuzzFeed noted that "this song is everything great about '90s dance songs combined into one song. So good." David Balls from Digital Spy described it as "some of the finest Eurodance of the 1990s." David Browne from Entertainment Weekly said it is "a swooshing glop of diva-on-a-downer voice, Eurotrash synths, and rapping." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote that "those of you into catchy, high-energy, pop creations from groups like the Captain Hollywood Project or Culture Beat will love this track." Rachel Cohen from The Heights picked it as the best dance track of the album, with "Run Away". She described it as "fast-paced and energetic". noting that it has "a distinct beat and sound". Howard Cohen from Herald-Journal called it a "infectious tune, bubbling with strobe-like keyboards and melody". Robbie Daw from Idolator described "Another Night" as a "marriage of memorable pop choruses sung by a charismatic female and gruff rhymes delivered by a tough-guy rapper, all laid over a thumping beat." Wendi Cermak from The Network Forty noted it as a "great dance record". The magazine also compared it to "Rhythm Is a Dancer" by Snap!. Stephen Yang from The Rice Thresher noted the "sugary catchy beats and glitzy synthesizers". Milo Miles from Salon Magazine said that the song "incorporate swank Philly-soul melodies in the manner of M People." In 2018, Stacker ranked it at number-one in their list of "Best pop songs of the last 25 years", noting "Another Night" as "the #1 pop song of the modern era."

Chart performance

"Another Night" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 77 on the week ending August 27, 1994. On the week ending November 12, 1994, the single reached its peak position of number three. The song also brought the group the distinction of having the longest run at number three, or any place that is not number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed on the chart for 45 weeks.
In 2017, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Mainstream Top 40/Pop Songs chart, Billboard magazine released a list of the 100 best-performing pop airplay songs since the chart's beginning in 1992. "Another Night" topped the list.

Accolades

Music video

Two music videos were filmed for the single's release.

US version

In the US version of the music video for the single, Jeglitza is Real McCoy, the DJ of a pirate radio station which is powered by four men with handcycle-mounted generators. Petersen is driving around town on her moped, mounting posters promoting McCoy's radio broadcasts while listening to the broadcast on a boombox. She is attracted to McCoy's voice and image, but has apparently never met him. As McCoy leaves his hidden studio after another night's broadcast, he walks by Petersen on her moped; recognizing him, she turns for a quick moment, and then rides on. This version was directed by Nigel Dick.

European version

The European version of the film is inspired by the film Metropolis. It features two alien robot characters, one male and one female. They communicate with each other by videophone, their conversation intercut with dance sequences from black-and-white movies of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as color snippets of Jeglitza and Petersen performing the lyrics to the song. The robots are also able to view each other directly, the male with a binocular headset and the female with a telescope. As the song progresses, the stiff movements of the robots become more fluid and dance-like. At the end of the video, the two robots meet, dance, and walk away together, arm in arm.

Official versions

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Canada Dance 10
Netherlands 310
US Billboard Hot 10063

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

ChartPosition
US Mainstream Top 40 1

Certifications