Twilight Is Gone

Background

Continuing the band's commercial decline on both the American and Canadian Country Singles Charts, the single was commercially unsuccessful, just like the True Love album, which failed to chart altogether. The commercial slide began for the band at the beginning of 1991, with "Twilight is Gone" becoming the band's lowest charting single of the time in both America and Canada.

"Twilight is Gone" peaked at #67 on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs. In Canada, the single peaked at #82 on the RPM Country Singles Chart in mid-February 1992. The single lasted a total of six weeks after debuting at a lowly #94 in late January 1992.

The song was written by the band's frontman Chris Hillman and frequent collaborator Steve Hill. It was produced by American country music record producer and pianist Tony Brown, who produced the entire True Love album.

For the True Love album, Curb Records released a press release, which spoke of the song and the lyrics, stating "In "Twilight is Gone," the changes in a relationship that occur after the initial fire has died down are expressed in a quiet ballad."

Release

The single was released in America and Canada only, via Curb Records (under MCA), on 7" vinyl and promotional CD. For the single's release, "Twilight is Gone"'s original three minute and forty second long album version was edited and cut by twenty five seconds, where the new version was dubbed "Edited Version" on both releases of the single.

The 7" vinyl featured the True Love album track "Shades of Blue" as the B-Side, which was written by Hillman and Hill. For the promotional CD single release, "Twilight is Gone" was the only track, which came in a standard CD single case with an insert.

Although the 7" vinyl release featured no artwork, it was issued in a standard MCA Records coloured sleeve, whilst the promotional CD single had an insert that featured some basic artwork, using a patterned brown coloured background and text. This artwork design was also used for the CD version of the previous 1991 single "You Can Go Home".

The single was distributed by UNL Distribution Corp.

Promotion

Unlike the previous single "You Can Go Home", "Twilight is Gone" had no music video and no TV performances of the song were broadcast. Despite this a live performance of the song was professionally recorded at the popular country & western nightclub Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Texas.

Since appearing on YouTube in December 2008, the live performance has gained approximately 9,800 views.

The song was performed before the single’s release in early March 1991 along with the single "Will This Be the Day" on the Arsenio Hall Show.

Track listing

1. "Twilight is Gone" - 3:15
2. "Shades of Blue" - 3:25

1. "Twilight is Gone" - 3:15

Critical reception

In the October 25, 1991, issue of Record-Journal, a review of the True Love album spoke of the song, stating "The best songs provide quiet pleasures that grow with repeated listenings, like the acoustic guitar interplay between Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson on Hillman's ballad "Twilight is Gone"."

In the July 21, 1993, issue of the Los Angeles Times, a review of the Life Goes On album mentioned the song being performed live, stating "The strongest of the band's catalogue tunes, perhaps because it has been heard the least, was "Twilight Is Gone," the saving grace of the otherwise moribund "True Love" album. Supported by Pedersen's aching Dobro tones and Bryson's melodic bass lines, Hillman, Pedersen and Bryson's harmonies were nothing short of thrilling."

Personnel

Additional personnel