Benny Mardones: Into The Night

Today’s One Hit Wonder Wednesday tune could really be called a “Two in One Hit Wonder” as “Into the Night” charted twice for Benny Mardones – once in 1980 at #11 and later in 1989 at #20.

It also charted on the Adult Contemporary charts peaking also at #20. Less than a dozen recordings have ever accomplished the feat of charting in the top 20 twice – although there are numerous examples of songs charting more than once; however, in most instances one of the releases did not perform very well.

The song resurfaced largely because an Arizona radio station, KZZP, featured “Into the Night” on a segment called “Where are they Now?” Following this, KQLZ, Los Angeles program director Scott Shannon added the song to his playlist and stations across the US followed his example . . . and the rest they say is musical history.

The song was featured on Mardones’ second LP “Never Run, Never Hide” as well as on his self-titled fourth album. I remember this song very well – playing it first in current rotation in 1980 at WAMX and as an oldie at WCIR. When it resurfaced in 1989, I was at an oldies station WWNR and our cutoff for oldies was 1975 – so I never played it the second time around.

It was also as song that “Audio Game,” a band of which I was a member in 1982 and 1983, played as well. Keith Fain, our guitarist, had sung the song in a previous ensemble and brought it to us to round out our set list. I enjoyed playing my Wurlitzer electric piano on it. It was great slow dance song. Ah yes memories of the 80s.