"I Drove All Night" is a song written and composed by American songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, originally intended for Roy Orbison. Orbison recorded the track in 1987, the year before his death, although his version was not released until 1991. Before that, Cyndi Lauper recorded the song and issued it as a single from her album A Night to Remember. Her version became a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1989, and it was also her final top 40 entry on the American pop charts. Lauper continues to perform the song regularly in her live concerts.

The track was later covered by Canadian singer Celine Dion in 2003; her version topped the Canadian Singles Chart and reached number seven on the US Adult Contemporary chart. Another 2003 version, recorded by the country music band Pinmonkey, also reached the top 40 on the US Hot Country Songs chart.

Cyndi Lauper version

"I Drove All Night" was recorded by American singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper for her third solo album, A Night to Remember (1989). Lauper said she wanted to record the track because she liked the idea "of a woman driving, of a woman in control". The song became a top-10 hit in the United States, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was also successful internationally. It was her eighth and final US top-10 single to date, as well as her 10th and final top-40 entry. The recording earned a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. The music video, directed by Lauper and Scott Kalvert, includes the opening lines from the song "Kindred Spirit", shots of an antique car, Lauper’s energetic dancing, and projected film images on her body.

Critical reception

Billboard described the track as "yearning crystalline pop/rock" and noted the maturity of Lauper’s vocal performance. New Musical Express praised its "modern European sounds" and pointed to Lauper’s emotive delivery, calling the track an atmospheric "night-time driving" anthem. Jerry Smith of Music Week called Lauper "American with good ear" and praised her "assured and dramatic display", adding that the "passionate ballad" was "destined to return her to the charts once more". Tim Nicholson of Record Mirror described the track as "a punchy stab at power-driven west coast rock".

Edem E. Ephraim and Dennis Fuller of London Boys, reviewing singles for Number One on 26 April 1989, were disappointed by what they saw as a lack of "real Cyndi Lauper touch". They argued that Steinberg and Kelly, "who penned The Bangles Numero Uno 'Eternal Flame'", had created something too simple and suitable for any performer. Melody Maker offered a sarcastic assessment, calling the song a "typically bland slab of FM" and stating that Lauper’s "pioneering spirit and curious brand of transatlantic feminism add nothing" to it.

Formats and track listing

  • 7-inch and cassette; US and Japanese 3-inch CD
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
  2. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41
  • 12-inch; European 3-inch CD; UK CD
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
  2. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41
  3. "Boy Blue" (live at Le Zenith) – 5:36
  • UK limited-edition picture disc CD
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
  2. "What's Going On" (club version) – 6:35
  3. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41
  4. "Time After Time" – 3:53

Charts

Weekly charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+

! scope="col"| Chart (1989)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Canada Retail Singles (The Record)

| 12

|-

! scope="row"| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)

| 16

|-

! scope="row"| European Airplay (Music & Media)

| 2

|-

! scope="row"| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)

| 17

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media)

| 12

|-

!scope="row"|Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)

|6

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)

| 10

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Quebec (ADISQ)

| 9

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| US Cash Box Top 100

| 5

|-

! scope="row"| US Top 40 (Gavin Report)

| 7

|-

! scope="row"| US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio & Records)

| 9

|-

|}

Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+

! scope="col"| Chart (1989)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Australia (ARIA)

| 55

|-

! scope="row"| Canada Top Singles (RPM)

| 90

|-

! scope="row"| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)

| 76

|-

! scope="row"| European Airplay (Music & Media)

| 23

|-

! scope="row"| France (SNEP)

| 82

|-

! scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC)

| 77

|-

! scope="row"| US Top 40 (Gavin Report)

| 85

|-

! scope="row"| US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio & Records)

| 84

|}

Release history

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format

! scope="col"|

|-

! scope="row"| United Kingdom

| April 24, 1989

|

|

|-

! scope="row"| United States

| April 25, 1989

| Contemporary hit radio

|

|}

Roy Orbison version

Jeff Lynne sampled Roy Orbison's 1987 recordings for the 1992 posthumous album King of Hearts, which included "I Drove All Night". However, Orbison's version first appeared on the 1991 Super Mario World-themed compilation Nintendo: White Knuckle Scorin.

Released as a single in June 1992, the track became a significant hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number seven on the UK Singles Chart, matching the peak of Lauper's version three years earlier. King of Hearts and "I Drove All Night" were generally well received in the United States, returning Orbison to the Billboard charts and earning a Grammy Award.

A music video was produced for the single, starring Jason Priestley and Jennifer Connelly, intercut with archive footage of Orbison. The video also includes subtle background references to the Mario series and the compilation's theme.

The song is also featured in the film Paperback Hero, starring Hugh Jackman.

Charts

Weekly charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+

! scope="col"| Chart (1992)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"| Australia (ARIA)

| 132

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)

| 25

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| UK Airplay (Music Week)

| 3

|}

Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+

! scope="col"| Chart (1992)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC)

| 54

|-

! scope="row"| UK Airplay (Music Week)

| 33

|}

Certifications

Celine Dion version

"I Drove All Night" was recorded by Celine Dion for her eighth English-language studio album, One Heart (2003), and released as the lead single on February 24, 2003. The song appeared in a promotional advertisement for Chrysler. The music video for "I Drove All Night", directed by Peter Arnell, was released in February 2003. It was included on the United Kingdom enhanced double A-side single "One Heart" / "I Drove All Night". The track was commercially successful, reaching number one for five weeks in Canada, and also topping the charts in Belgium's Flanders and Sweden.

Background

In 2003, Chrysler signed Dion to a $14 million deal to endorse their cars. The company was looking for a song to use in the campaign and release as a single. Billy Steinberg knew Dion and had written "Falling into You", the title track of her 1996 album. He sent a copy of Roy Orbison's version of "I Drove All Night" to her record company, who approved it and had Dion record the track with Swedish producer Peer Åström. She incorporated the song into her Las Vegas show, and it became the centerpiece of the Chrysler campaign. The commercials provided strong exposure for the track and helped boost album sales, but they did not translate into increased car sales. Chrysler withdrew from the deal after complaints from dealers and disappointing results, although Dion was allowed to keep her $14 million fee. In the second verse, Dion repeats a line as it appears in Orbison's original recording. Instead of singing "no matter where I go I hear the beating of our heart," she sings "our one heart", which inspired the title of the album on which the song appears.

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as "a tongue-in-cheek, neo-house cover" and selected it as one of the best tracks on the album, alongside the title track and "Have You Ever Been in Love". Rebecca Wallwork wrote a positive review for Amazon, calling it "the car-commercial-driven tempo". Jam!'s Darryl Sterdan described it as "a Cher-style eurodisco". Slant Magazines Sal Cinquemani expressed a similar view, writing that "she gets the Cher treatment on the blazing cover". Peoples Chuck Arnold wrote that Dion "shows surprising restraint for a diva who just had a coliseum custom-built for her".

Commercial performance

In Canada, the song debuted at number one on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and spent five consecutive weeks at the top. "I Drove All Night" was Dion's third airplay-only single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 45. The commercial single was released five months later and reached number 26 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales. Several club remixes, created mainly by Hex Hector, helped the song climb to number two on the Hot Dance Club Play. The following week, it fell to number 35 and continued to fluctuate for two more weeks before rising from number 44 to number 43. In New Zealand, it debuted at number 48 on the RIANZ chart on March 2, 2003. It climbed to number 46 the following week, then jumped to number 30 in its third week. It jumped to number four the following week, then reached number one in its third week. In Sweden, it debuted at number one on the Swedish Singles Chart on March 20, 2003. The following week, it fell to number 12, then to number 13 in its third week. It later fell to number five, then to number six, where it remained for another week. It debuted at number 89, fell to number 94 in its second week, and to number 97 in its third week. An arty black-and-white production, it shows Dion performing simple movements, while a couple in another setting appears to be enjoying a dance sequence. It was included on the UK enhanced CD single of "One Heart". The video was nominated for the MuchMoreMusic Award in 2003.

Dion appeared in four commercial spots for Chrysler, all scored with tracks from One Heart, including "I Drove All Night". These ads were also directed by Arnell and edited by Ottinger, with Darius Khondji serving as director of photography. The A New Day... Live in Las Vegas bonus DVD, titled One Year...One Heart, included the recording of the song and behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot. In October 2008, the song was included on the My Love: Essential Collection greatest hits album. Dion also performed the song during her 2017 European tour.

Formats and track listing

  • Australian CD single
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:00
  2. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector extended vocal import mix) – 7:53
  3. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector dub import mix) – 7:53
  4. "Ten Days" – 3:37
  • Canadian CD single
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:00
  2. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector extended vocal import mix) – 7:53
  3. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector dub import mix) – 7:53
  • European CD single
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:00
  2. "I Drove All Night" (UK radio edit) – 3:37
  • European CD maxi-single
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:00
  2. "I Drove All Night" (UK radio edit) – 3:37
  3. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector extended vocal import mix) – 7:53
  • French CD single
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:00
  2. "I Drove All Night" (UK radio edit) – 3:37
  3. "I'm Alive" (Humberto Gatica mix) – 3:30
  4. "Je t'aime encore" – 3:24
  • UK CD single #1
  1. "One Heart" – 3:24
  2. "I Drove All Night" – 4:00
  3. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector extended vocal import mix) – 7:53
  4. "I Drove All Night" (video) – 3:58
  • UK CD single #2
  1. "One Heart" – 3:24
  2. "I Drove All Night" – 4:00
  3. "All by Myself" – 5:12
  4. "One Heart" (video) – 3:25
  • US CD single
  1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:00
  2. "I Know What Love Is" – 4:28

Remixes

  1. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector UK radio edit) – 3:37
  2. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector extended vocal import mix) – 7:53
  3. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector dub import mix) – 7:53
  4. "I Drove All Night" (Hex Hector UK radio mix a capella) – 3:25
  5. "I Drove All Night" (Chris "The Greek" Panaghi radio edit) – 3:49
  6. "I Drove All Night" (Chris "The Greek" Panaghi club mix) – 6:06
  7. "I Drove All Night" (Chris "The Greek" Panaghi instrumental) – 6:06
  8. "I Drove All Night" (Everbots Fasha radio mix) – 3:58
  9. "I Drove All Night" (Everbots Fasha mix) – 7:45
  10. "I Drove All Night" (GW-1 radio remix) – 4:01
  11. "I Drove All Night" (GW-1 remix) – 7:03
  12. "I Drove All Night" (Junior Vasquez earth anthem mix) – 10:05
  13. "I Drove All Night" (Original 3 remix) – 3:48
  14. "I Drove All Night" (Polarbabies in Prague radio mix) – 3:11
  15. "I Drove All Night" (Polarbabies in Prague club mix) – 6:23
  16. "I Drove All Night" (Seismic Crew extended mix) – 4:36
  17. "I Drove All Night" (Starrie Knights extended mix) – 4:09
  18. "I Drove All Night" (Wayne G heaven radio edit) – 4:17
  19. "I Drove All Night" (Wayne G heaven anthem mix) – 7:41
  20. "I Drove All Night" (alternative mix) – 4:00

Charts

Weekly charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+

! scope="col"| Chart (2003)

! scope="col"| Peak<br>position

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)

| 1

|-

! scope="row"| Czech Republic (Rádio Top 50)

| 1

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)

| 25

|-

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"| Greece (IFPI)

| 7

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)

| 2

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Poland (Polish Airplay Charts)

| 3

|-

! scope="row"| Portugal (AFP)

| 9

|-

! scope="row"| Quebec Radio Songs (ADISQ)

| 2

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)

| 32

|}

Year-end charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+

! scope="col"| Chart (2003)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)

| 27

|-

! scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)

| 92

|-

! scope="row"| Romania (Romanian Top 100)

| 6

|-

! scope="row"| Sweden (Hitlistan)

| 38

|-

! scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)

| 24

|-

! scope="row"| US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)

| 82

|}

Certifications

Release history

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format

! scope="col"| Label

! scope="col"|

|-

! scope="row"| United States

| January 21, 2003

|

| Epic

|

|-

! scope="row"| Denmark

| February 24, 2003

| rowspan="2"| CD

| Columbia

|

|-

! scope="row"| Australia

| March 3, 2003

| Epic

|

|}

Pinmonkey version

In 2002, American country music band Pinmonkey covered the song on their self-titled album. According to group member Chad Jeffers, the idea of recording a country version came from his girlfriend, who was a fan of Cyndi Lauper's rendition. To ensure their cover sounded distinct, the band intentionally avoided listening to Lauper's version, instead basing their arrangement on an acoustic performance sung by Jeffers. The cover was issued as the album's second promotional single in 2003 and peaked at number 36 on Hot Country Songs. In Billboard, Deborah Evans Price wrote that the band members "capably make it their own. Reynolds' vocals effectively convey the emotional urgency in the lyric, and Worley's production lets the band flaunt the smoother side of the group's country rock chops".

Charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+

! scope="col"| Chart (2003)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)

| 36

|}

See also

  • List of Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 1989
  • List of number-one singles of 2003 (Canada)
  • List of number-one singles of the 2000s (Sweden)
  • List of Ultratop 50 number-one singles of 2003
  • List of UK top-ten singles in 1992

References