Help Me Make It Through the Night

Infobox Song
Name = Help Me Make It Through the Night


Artist = Kris Kristofferson
Album = Kristofferson
A-side = "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
B-side =
Released = 1970
Format =
Recorded = 1969
Genre = Country
Length = 2:24
Label =Monument
Writer = Kris Kristofferson
Producer =Fred Foster
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Type = studio
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next_no = "Help Me Make It Through the Night" is a country music ballad composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album "Kristofferson".

It was also recorded in 1971 by country singer Sammi Smith. Her version ranks among the most successful country singles of all time in terms of sales, popularity and radio airplay. Many other American singers would record the song throughout the 1970s and early 1980s: The most successful version after Smith's was recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1972.

Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, have also covered this song in a duet. The recording is found on the 2006 compilation "Duets", released by Sony BMG. In this version, Johnny Cash inserts "June" before the line "tonight I need a friend" as a sign of affection for his wife.

Kristofferson's original lyrics speak of a man's yearning for sexual intimacy, yet they were controversial in 1971 because they were sung by a woman: "I don't care what's right or wrong, I don't try to understand / Let the devil take tomorrow, Lord tonight I need a friend."

Sammi Smith's recording would reach no. 1 on the U.S. country charts. On February 20, 1971, it reached no. 8 on Billboard's U.S. pop singles chart, and also enjoyed success in Canada, Great Britain, and Germany. In 1972, the Gladys Knight & the Pips' version reached #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.

Later in 1971, Joan Baez also recorded the song, including it on her "Blessed Are..." album. (In her 1987 memoir, Baez disclosed that she'd had an affair with Kristofferson around this same time.) Peggy Lee also recorded the song that year for her album "Where Did They Go".

In 1974, John Holt covered the song on his album "1000 Volts of Holt". That year, his cut of "Help Me Make It Through the Night" from the album made it into the UK Top Ten.

In 1990, country novelty musician Ray Stevens produced a parody of the song, not only playing the song to a more upbeat tempo but interspersing each line with mocking jokes of those lines (i.e., the first line, "Take the ribbon from your hair," is followed by a ripping sound followed by a woman yelling).

In Austria, a well-known German language version of the song was recorded by STS. Its title in German was "Gö, du bleibst heit nocht bei mir".

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:kbfyxqrald0e All Music Guide review]