TS: Rolling Stones, "Miss You" vs Wings' "Goodnight Tonight"

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"Miss You" is the clear winner, but on a roadtrip this weekend I heard the Wings track and was rather surprised by its oddness. It's more dub than disco, with all kinds of production flourishes: flamenco guitar, vocoder madness, Linda harmonies, and that fabulous McCartney strolling bassline, perhaps too foregrounded in the mix as if to say "LOOK AT ME PLAYING DISCO BASS. WOO!"

I'm shocked this was a Top Five hit.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

And that is why "Goodnight Tonight" wins.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

I couldn't hum "Goodnight Tonight" even if you put a loaded gun to my temple.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

And this is why "Miss You" wins EVERY. DAMN. TIME.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:51 (twenty years ago)

I found a cassette of an old John Peel show, where he playes "Miss You". And basically says "Ah, if only they'd packed it in after "Satisfaction"...

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

OT, but the Concretes' cover of Miss You is absolutely brilliant.

― Mitya (mitya), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

"Goodnight Tonight" is smashing fun, with a far more interesting melody throughout. It's also less wimpy about just going whole-hog into being something danceable and light instead of Mick straining to still sound rough and tough in some ridiculous way. Frankly, "Miss You" has always struck me as repetitive and exhausted-sounding. "Goodnight Tonight" by a disco mile.

― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:45 (twenty years ago)

Miss You! the "Puerto Rican girls that's just DYYYYYYAN to MEEEETCHA!" line rulez over all. Disco Stones 4-eva!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:50 (twenty years ago)

As far as McCartney goes, I'd rather listen to "Check My Machine" than "Goodnight Tonight," but that's just me. I'm crazy that way.

I don't know, I find Mick's vocals on "Miss You" rather subtle and unforced, actually, especially compared to his singing on some other -Some Girls- tracks ("Far Away Eyes," for example). On the other hand, "Emotional Rescue" (the other Stones disco hit) definitely fits the bill as repetitive and exhausted-sounding.

― James, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:56 (twenty years ago)

I'd rather listen to "Check My Machine" than "Goodnight Tonight" too, but I'd rather listen to "Goodnight Tonight" than "Miss You," which was the question at hand...

― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

I think this is the first time I've agreed with Alfred 100% - "Miss You" is the better song, but production-wise, "Goodnight Tonight" is just plain WEIRD (those bizarre flanger-noises!), and I stated as much in some other McCartney thread several months ago, after hearing the song for the first time in 20 years. And yeah, that bassline, man...right up there with Bernard Edwards.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

"Miss You" demolishes "Goodnight Tonight" in this fight. The only way this match-up could be any more lopsided would be if this thread was TS: "Miss You" vs "C-Moon"

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

No. a lopsided thread would have been:

TS: "Undercover of the Night" vs "Give Ireland Back To The Irish"

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

Well, I love "Ireland" and "C Moon" (I've been tinkering on a relatively loyal cover of the latter for the last week or so), so it's clear where the lines of this battle are drawn. Actually, it's odd to me to see "C Moon" ranked lower than "Goodnight Tonight" - what's the logic here? "Goodnight Tonight" is maybe a little weirder (has anyone ever deciphered the vocoder part? "Oh Ja, Jawohl?"), but "C Moon" has better lyrics (or at least more memorable ones) and those great McCartney II-esque tinny delay horns...

― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

has anyone ever deciphered the vocoder part? "Oh Ja, Jawohl?"

I thought he said "Oh shit."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

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