Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" is an American country and pop song recorded by Freddy Fender. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop idiom of south Louisiana and southeast Texas that had such a major musical impact on Fender.[1]

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"
Single by Freddy Fender
from the album Before the Next Teardrop Falls
B-side"I Love My Rancho Grande"
ReleasedJune 1975
Recorded1959 (original)
1975 (hit version)
GenreCountry, pop, swamp pop
Length2:52
LabelABC-Dot Records 17558
Songwriter(s)Wayne Duncan, Freddy Fender and Huey Meaux
Producer(s)Huey Meaux
Freddy Fender singles chronology
"Before the Next Teardrop Falls"
(1975)		 "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"
(1975)		 "Since I Met You Baby"
(1975)

Song history

Fender wrote and recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights", a blues ballad, for Duncan Records in 1959, during the early stages of his career. He was in the process of perfecting his mesh of rockabilly and Tejano, and the song showcased his new style. But he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, and in May 1960, he was convicted.[2]

Fender also recorded a Spanish-language version, entitled "Noches y dias perdidos".[3]

In August 1971, the Texas-based band, Sir Douglas Quintet, released "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," this group being best known for their 1965 hit, "She's About a Mover." Fender thanks his friend Doug Sahm of the band prior during the introduction of his re-recorded hit.

Then, in 1975, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" became a major hit for Fender, and his career was rejuvenated. With the help of record producer Huey P. Meaux, Fender re-recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." The basic track for this song was engineered by Mickey Moody at Ben Jack's Recording Studio in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Session players included Bruce Ewen on piano, Bill Hamm on guitar, David Hungate on bass, and Bob Ketchum on drums. This time, the song became a major pop and country hit, topping the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in August 1975.[4] On other charts, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.[5]

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was certified gold for sales of one million units by the Recording Industry Association of America.[6]

The song was a major hit in New Zealand. In 1975, it spent a total of 12 weeks in the number one position in the New Zealand singles charts, making it the longest running number-one single at the time and the third-longest running number-one single of all time.

Fender later re-recorded the song in the 1980’s; this version has added synthesizers and a gated snare drum.

The song is heard in the background of a party scene depicting George W. Bush's drinking years in Oliver Stone's biographical film W. The song is also heard in the background of a scene from the alien abduction film Fire in the Sky, which was reportedly based on a true story .

The song is also heard in Hancock.

LeAnn Rimes covered the song on her 2011 covers album Lady & Gentlemen. Jenni Rivera covered the song on her 2001 album Déjate Amar.

Chart performance

Cover version

Charley Crockett recorded a cover of this song on his 2016 album, In The Night.[15][16]

Filmography

1998 |data-sort-value=Rush

References
  1. Shane K. Bernard, Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1996), pp. 64, 65, 102, 105.
  2. "Freddy Fender - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  3. sandraluz51 (21 June 2012). "Freddy Fender Noches y días Perdidos Audiofoto". YouTube. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 120.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 90.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-05-19. Retrieved 2017-09-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Australian Chart Books". Australianchartbooks.com.au. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  8. "FREDDY FENDER - WASTED DAYS AND WASTED NIGHTS (SONG)". charts.nz. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  9. "Cash Box Top 100 9/27/75". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  10. "australian-charts.com - Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  11. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  12. "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  13. "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  14. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1975". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. Doug Freeman. "Honky-Tonk Soul Man Charley Crockett Makes His Move". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  16. "Charley Crockett - In The Night". Discogs.com. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
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