Obscure Joe Jackson Cover Song

Cafe Society
1

Maybe one of you Dopers can help me out. Remember in the late 80’s when Michelob ran those Ridley-Scott directed series of commercials under the theme “the Night Belongs to Michelob”? Sure you do - they invariably had a helicopter-shot view of a skyline dominated by mirrored buildings - lovingly captured by the director of Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator. One of them had Ol’ Blue Eyes singing “The Way you Look Tonight” to some waif-like hottie.

Here’s the challenge: another one of them - I only saw it a couple of times myself - had Joe Jackson doing a cover of any old fifties/sixties tune called “Nighttime” (it was also covered by the J. Geils Band on “Love Stinks”). Just to refresh your memory, the first verse goes like this:

Get up in the morning kick the covers from my bed
Sunlight in my eyes playin’ tricks with my head
Work like a dog at my job every day
Tryin’ to get some money so’s that I can go in play in the

Nighttime - it’s the right time
the Nighttime - it’s the right time
I wanna beeee with yoouuuuuuuu - in the Nighttime (etc…)

I would love to get a copy of JJ’s version of this song. I tried his official website and there’s no record of him doing it. I suppose there is a chance that it was someone else - it has been over 10 years - but I remember distinctly hearing the song and saying - “wow that’s Joe Jackson”.

Can anyone offer any help?

Thanks, WordMan

2

Why do I think George Thoroughgood and the Delaware Destroyers did this? Yet another cover?

3

Yes, George and the Destroyers did a cover of it also.

I can’t find anything recorderd of JJ doing it either. But I do remember the commercials though
.

4

And we finally have an answer.

Apparently, this song was originally done by The Strangeloves and was written by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer.

Things I learned from this search. “Night Time” was also done by Bauhaus.

5

Oops, sorry. Make that a partial answer. I found out who wrote it, not who did the Michelob version.

As you were…

6

I must have the Bauhaus version! Anyone know of an album it’s on?

7

So I started this thread in 2001. Didn’t get an answer and promptly forgot it.

For some reason, tonight I thought about the song again. So I Googled “YouTube Michelob Joe Jackson” - and I found it! Link to mobile version:

I haven’t heard it in 25 years, but it was exactly as I remembered it - pretty funny, and featuring the supermodel Tatiana Patitz (sp?) as a bonus.

What’s really funny is that when I did the search, the 2nd or so result was the commercial clip; the 5th or so result? This SDMB thread - I couldn’t even remember if I started a thread and there it was…

8

Moderator Action

Let’s shuffle this zombie over to Cafe Society (just in time for Halloween too).

Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society.

9

I just realized: I first posted this the day before 9/11. Surreal.