Friday Night Blues

1980 single by John Conlee
"Friday Night Blues"
Single by John Conlee
from the album Friday Night Blues
B-side"When I'm Out of You"
ReleasedMay 3, 1980
GenreCountry
Length3:18
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)Sonny Throckmorton
Rafe Van Hoy
Producer(s)Bud Logan
John Conlee singles chronology
"Baby, You're Something"
(1979)
"Friday Night Blues"
(1980)
"She Can't Say That Anymore"
(1980)

"Friday Night Blues" is a song written by Sonny Throckmorton and Rafe Van Hoy and originally recorded by Throckmorton, whose version of the song went to No. 89 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 1980, released on Mercury Records with "It Always Rains on Me" on the B-side.[1]

Only one month after Throckmorton's version charted, John Conlee released his own rendition of the song, from his album of the same name. Conlee's version charted at No. 2 on Hot Country Songs.[2] Conlee's version of the song was the first credit for session guitarist Brent Rowan, who soon became the only guitarist that Conlee used under the production of Bud Logan.[3]

Content

The title track of his 1980 album, the album's artwork plays off the song's theme: A husband who would rather lie on the couch, watch television and relax after a hard week at work, while his wife is dressed up and wants him to treat her to a Friday night on the town.

The song takes a look at her loneliness and longing for attention from her husband – presumably, he's some sort of businessman who has spent the week on the road making deals – who ignores her when he is at home. Those emotions persist during the week (when he is absent), as she's left to watch daytime television, do typical housework and talk with a neighbor about domestic life, and build to their apex by Friday night ... when she has the "Friday night blues" after she realizes he just wants to stay home and her need for a night out conflicts with his need to de-stress himself on Friday nights.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] 2
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1980) Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] 32

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 420. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. ^ Whitburn, p. 102
  3. ^ Seida, Linda. "Brent Rowan biography". Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  4. ^ "John Conlee Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  5. ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1980". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  • v
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Sonny Throckmorton
Studio albums
  • Last Cheater's Waltz
Singles
  • "I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone)"
  • "Smooth Sailin'"
  • "Last Cheater's Waltz"
  • "Friday Night Blues"
  • v
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  • e
Studio albums
  • Rose Colored Glasses
  • Forever
  • Friday Night Blues
  • With Love
  • Busted
  • In My Eyes
  • Blue Highway
  • Harmony
  • American Faces
Notable singles
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
  • MusicBrainz release group


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