"Into the Night" by Benny Mardones

Song#:  0211
Date:  06/14/1980
Debut:  78
Peak:  11
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Pop, Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  This is one of those rare songs that hit the pop chart twice with the same exact artist and recording. Mardones's second album featured this single and upon release it peaked just outside of the Top 10. His follow-up singles and album failed to make the chart and that, along with an increasing cocaine and alcohol issues, forced his label to drop him and he basically disappeared. Mardones was fortunate enough to get clean a few years later and it was just in time. Based on a "Where Are They Now?" radio segment, "Into the Night" got picked up into rotation by famous DJ Scott Shannon and soon other stations followed suit. The results was the song getting back on the pop chart in 1989 and resurrecting Mardones' career. Unfortunately, he was unable to follow-up the song for a second time, but he continued to record and perform.

ReduxReview:  I had not heard of this song until it's re-issue in 1989. I immediately bought it. It's a solid song with a great (but over-dramatic) vocal.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  This song was inspired by a family Mardones knew where the father abandoned the mother and three kids - one of them a 16-year-old girl. Some folks at pop radio stations thought the song was about an actual relationship with a 16-year-old and refused to play it. His label had to send out a mass mailing to radio stations explaining what the song was really about. After that, it started to get added. Over on R&B stations, they initially though Mardones was black, based on his voice. When they discovered he wasn't, they stopped playing the song. It was a tough climb for this track, but despite the problems it manged to make it up the chart - twice.

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