A-side "Sunglasses at Night" Released January 21, 1984 Recorded London, 1983 | B-side "At the Dance" Format 7" Vinyl
12" Vinyl Genre New wave, soft rock | |
"Sunglasses at Night" is a song by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was released in January 1984 as the first single from his debut album, 1984's First Offense, and became a hit single in the United States, rising to number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1984. The song combines an unflagging synthesizer hook, characteristic arpeggio, rock guitar and cryptic lyrics. AllMusic has since described it as "an instant classic with its distinctive melody and catchy chorus."
Contents
According to co-producer Phil Chapman, during recording sessions they were working in a studio where the air conditioning-heating vents were above the mixing console that blew air right in their faces while recording the album. Because of that they started to wear sunglasses in the control room. Corey was working on a new song without words and started improvising lyrics that included the line "I wear my sunglasses at night".
Music video
The music video, directed by Rob Quartly, shot at the Don Jail in Toronto, reflects the vision of a "fashion" police state, with scenes of Hart in a prison cell, without sunglasses, being strong-armed by police officers and paraded past various citizens wearing their regulation shades. Near the end of the video, Hart is taken to the office of a female police officer (who releases Hart in the song's end), played by Laurie Brown, who later became the host of The NewMusic as well as a VJ on MuchMusic.
Cover Versions
Considered as one of the new wave influenced classics of the early 1980s the tune inspired several artists and remixers especially from Europe as there are: