The Story Behind "Midnight Train to Georgia"

[mjzee]

As Gladys Knight's recording of "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" climbed the charts in 1973, she asked Jim Weatherly, the song's composer, for another love song. He sent along "Midnight Train to Georgia," which Cissy Houston had recorded a year earlier.

Envisioning a seductive, punchy instrumentation behind her, Ms. Knight turned to producer Tony Camillo for an Al Green feel. Within weeks of its release 40 years ago in August, Ms. Knight and the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia" reached No.1 on the pop and R&B charts—earning a Grammy in 1974. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Recently, Ms. Knight, 69, Mr. Weatherly, 70, Ms. Houston, 79, and Mr. Camillo, 74, talked about the song's evolution—from a phone call with Farrah Fawcett to Ms. Knight's famed ad-libs.

More here:

WSJ

[paul secor]

The Pips doing "Midnight Train" without Gladys: (go to 52 seconds)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdN27HzoyO4

[Dan Gould]

Thanks for posting the article.

[David Gitin]

As Gladys Knight's recording of "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" climbed the charts in 1973, she asked Jim Weatherly, the song's composer, for another love song. He sent along "Midnight Train to Georgia," which Cissy Houston had recorded a year earlier.

Envisioning a seductive, punchy instrumentation behind her, Ms. Knight turned to producer Tony Camillo for an Al Green feel. Within weeks of its release 40 years ago in August, Ms. Knight and the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia" reached No.1 on the pop and R&B charts—earning a Grammy in 1974. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Recently, Ms. Knight, 69, Mr. Weatherly, 70, Ms. Houston, 79, and Mr. Camillo, 74, talked about the song's evolution—from a phone call with Farrah Fawcett to Ms. Knight's famed ad-libs.

More here:

WSJ

I loved reading about the evolution of the song. Thank you!