THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

558-Nazareth-This Flight Tonight.

1973-Number 11 single.

Best Bit-At 2.17. Joni Mitchell was so impressed with Nazareth’s version of her song, that when she was playing a gig in London, she told the audience,’I’d like to open with a Nazareth song.’

Nazareth were formed in 1968, in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom, by Dan McCafferty, (1946-2022) (vocals) Manny Charlton, (1941-2022) (guitar) Pete Agnew, (bass) and Darrell Sweet (1947-1999) (drums.) McCafferty, Agnew and Sweet had all previously been members of the semi-professional local group ‘The Shadettes,’ while Charlton had played in the bands ‘Mark V.’ and ‘The Red Hawks.’ At the time of writing, Nazareth still tour and record as a quartet, with only Pete Agnew, (the only surviving original member) remaining from the original lineup, in total there have been 12 official members come and go. The group took their name from the opening line from the song ‘The Weight,’ by ‘The Band’ (see also best songs 629.)

The discography of Nazareth who are a ‘Hard Rock,’ ‘Heavy Metal,’ and ‘Blues Rock’ group, includes 25 studio Albums released between 1971-2022, and 50 singles released between 1972-1994, there are also 15 official compilation Albums, and eight live Albums available. In the UK, seven of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Broken Down Angel’ from 1973, charting the highest at Number 9, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, their only chart entry remains their cover of the Everly Brothers 1960 original recording of ‘Love Hurts,’ which made Number 8 in 1974, that song also reached Number 1 in Canada, South Africa, and the Netherlands. ‘This Flight Tonight’ which stalled at Number 117 on Billboard, did find great success in Germany, where it went all the way to Number 1.

‘This Flight Tonight’ was the first of two singles released from ‘Loud ‘n’ Proud,’ the fourth studio Album from Nazareth, from November 1973, the song was written by Joni Mitchell, (see also best songs 637 and 299) and produced by Roger Glover (see also best songs 976-550 and 89.) The original recording of ‘This Flight Tonight’ had first appeared on Joni Mitchell’s 1971 Album ‘Blue,’ it was later issued as the ‘B’ side to her 1971 single ‘Carey.’ Nazareth had been big fans of the Album ‘Blue,’ and thought that ‘This Flight Tonight’ would make a good ‘Rock’ cover. Pete Agnew has said,’We used to listen to Joni as we were travelling round in the van, This Flight Tonight was a big favourite.’ Agnew has gone on to say that after the group met Joni Mitchell she told them how impressed she was,’We all happened to be in the studio the day the single was released, so we were introduced to her, and told her what we had done. She said, ‘What, with a Rock band?’ Nancy Wilson of the American Rock group ‘Heart,’ has admitted that the guitar riff for Nazareth’s version of ‘This Flight Tonight’ had inspired the riff for the Heart song ‘Barracuda,’ which reached Number 11 in America on Billboard in 1977.

‘This Flight Tonight’ was produced by Roger Glover, ((see also best songs 976-550 and 89) who was born Roger David Glover, on November 30th, 1945, in Brecon, Wales. Glover was a member of the English Rock group ‘Deep Purple’ between 1969-1973, during their most commercially successful period, playing bass, and appearing on five of their studio Albums. Since parting with Deep Purple he has produced Albums and singles for other many other artists, including Status Quo, and David Coverdale, he was the producer of three consecutive Nazareth Albums between 1973-1974. From 1979-1984, he was the bassist, lyricist and producer, for Ritchie Blackmore’s band, ‘Rainbow,’ working on four of the group’s studio Albums. Glover has also issued eight solo Albums between 1974-2011.

‘This Flight Tonight’ was written by Joni Mitchell about her romantic relationship with the American singer/songwriter James Taylor. As she is on an aeroplane flight, she contemplates the relationship, and decides that she wants to return to him. Other songs on the ‘Blue’ Album also refer to their romance.

‘I’m drinkin’ sweet champagne, got the headphones up high, can’t numb you, can’t drum you out of my mind. They’re singin’ Goodbye baby, baby bye-bye, ooh! love is blind.’