Midnight Confessions

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title: "Midnight Confessions" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1968-singles", "the-grass-roots-songs", "1968-songs", "abc-records-singles", "dunhill-records-singles"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Confessions" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Midnight Confessions
cover	The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions single.JPG
type	single
artist	The Grass Roots
album	Golden Grass
B-side	Who Will You Be Tomorrow
released
recorded	1968 in Los Angeles, California
*Blue-eyed soul<ref name	"AllMusic Erlewine"
*R&B{{Cite web	last
length
label	ABC/Dunhill
writer	Lou Josie
producer	Steve Barri
prev_title	Feelings
prev_year	1968
next_title	Bella Linda
next_year	1968
::

| name = Midnight Confessions | cover = The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions single.JPG | alt = | type = single | artist = The Grass Roots | album = Golden Grass | B-side = Who Will You Be Tomorrow | released = | recorded = 1968 in Los Angeles, California | studio = | venue = | genre =

• Blue-eyed soul
• R&B | length = | label = ABC/Dunhill | writer = Lou Josie | producer = Steve Barri | prev_title = Feelings | prev_year = 1968 | next_title = Bella Linda | next_year = 1968

"Midnight Confessions" is a song written by Lou T. Josie and originally performed by the Ever-Green Blues. American rock band The Grass Roots later made it famous when they released it as a single in 1968. Though never released on any of the group's studio albums, it was on their first compilation album, Golden Grass, and has since been included on many of their other compilations.

The Grass Roots version became the band's biggest charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the Top 5 of both the U.S. and Canadian pop singles charts.

Background and recording

The lyrics describe a man who is infatuated with a married woman, knows he can never have her, and is relegated to confessing his love for her audibly, but alone. The original recording of "Midnight Confessions" was a demo by the Evergreen Blues Band, whose manager – Lou Josie – wrote the song. The demo contained a horn section and caught the attention of record producer/engineer Steve Barri, who was looking to produce a song for the Grass Roots that was a "West Coast" version of a Motown-style production. The Grass Roots track was produced/engineered by Steve Barri with the horn section's arrangement by Jimmie Haskell. The instrumentation was recorded by the group of Los Angeles studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, as were many hits by the Grass Roots.{{cite book | first= Kent | last= Hartman | year= 2012 | title= The Wrecking Crew | publisher= St. Martin's Press | location= New York | pages= 169–172 | isbn= 978-0-312-61974-9 | url-access= registration | url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780312619749/page/169

Personnel

Per the Wrecking Crew's Facebook page.

The Grass Roots

• Rob Grill – lead and backing vocals

• Warren Entner – lead and backing vocals

• Creed Bratton – backing vocals

• Rick Coonce – backing vocals Additional musicians

• Ben Benay – electric guitar

• Mike Deasy – electric guitar

• Carol Kaye – bass

• Don Randi – piano

• Larry Knechtel – organ

• Hal Blaine – drums

• Emil Richards – percussion

• Plas Johnson – saxophone

• John Audino – trumpet

• Bud Childers – trumpet

• Tony Terran – trumpet

• Richard Hyde – trombone

• Harold Diner – trombone

• Edward Kusby – trombone

Release and reception

"Midnight Confessions" was released as a single by the ABC/Dunhill record label in late June 1968. It was the Grass Roots' first to feature a horn section and was therefore a departure from the group's previous singles; the band members worried that this would preclude it from becoming a hit. However, it was well received and became their biggest hit in the United States, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 2, 1968, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, with sales of over one million units, on December 3, 1968. The single also did well in Canada, peaking at #4 on the RPM 100 singles chart.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1968) | Peak position | |---|---| | Australia KMR | 18 | | Canada RPM Top Singles | 4 | | South Africa (Springbok Radio) | 9 | | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 | | U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 5 | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1968)	Rank
Canada	34
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	19
U.S. Cash Box	30
::

Notable cover versions

• Patti Drew (c. 1968)
• Phyllis Dillon (c. 1968-71)
• Carolyne Mas (1980)
• Karla DeVito (US Billboard #109, 1981)
• Fastbacks (1984)
• Rock City Angels (1989)
• Carol Lynn Townes (1993)
• Ron Dante of The Archies (1999)
• Paul Revere & the Raiders (2000)
• Lou Josie, solo album Me and Mother Music (2002)

References

References

1. (June 29, 1968). "Spotlight Singles: Top 60 Pop Spotlight".
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Grass Roots - ''The Complete Original Dunhill/ABC Hit Singles'' (2014) Review".
3. Eder, Bruce. "The Grass Roots {{!}} Biography, Albums, Streaming Links".
4. Whitburn, Joel. (2010). "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits". [[Billboard (magazine).
5. Everett, Todd. (1996). "All Time Greatest Hits". [[MCA Records]].
6. "The Wrecking Crew".
7. "Royalty Check - Midnight Confessions".
8. link. (2007-06-26 . [[Recording Industry Association of America]]. Type in "Grass Roots" under ''Artist'' to see search results.)
9. (October 28, 1968). "The ''RPM'' 100". [[RPM (magazine).
10. (17 July 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada".
11. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989".
12. [Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002]
13. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
14. "Top 100 Hits of 1968/Top 100 Songs of 1968".
15. (1968-12-28). "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1968". cashboxmagazine.com.
16. Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004

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