Released June 1975 Length 2:52 | Format 7" | |
B-side "I Love My Rancho Grande" Recorded 1959 (original)
1975 (hit version) Genre Country, pop, swamp pop | ||
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" is an American country and pop song recorded by Freddy Fender. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop idiom of south Louisiana and southeast Texas that had such a major musical impact on Fender.
Song history
Fender wrote and recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights", a blues ballad, for Duncan Records in 1959, during the early stages of his career. He was in the process of perfecting his mesh of rockabilly and Tejano, and the song showcased his new style. But he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, and in May 1960, he was convicted. The popularity of the song, along with his own popularity, plummeted.
Then, in 1975, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" became a major hit, and Fender's career was rejuvenated. With the help of record producer Huey P Meaux, Fender re-recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." The basic track for this song was engineered by Mickey Moody at Ben Jack's Recording Studio in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Session players included Bruce Ewen on piano, Bill Hamm on guitar, David Hungate on bass, and Bob Ketchum on drums. This time, the song became a major pop and country hit, topping the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in August 1975. On other charts, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The song was a major hit in New Zealand. In 1975, it spent a total of 12 weeks in the number one position in the New Zealand singles charts, making it the longest running number-one single at the time and the third-longest running number-one single of all time.
The song is heard in the background of a party scene depicting George W. Bush's drinking years in Oliver Stone's biographical film W. The song is also heard in the background of a scene from the alien abduction film Fire in the Sky, which was reportedly based on a true story .
The song is also heard in Hancock.
LeAnn Rimes covered the song on her 2011 covers album Lady & Gentlemen. The late Jenni Rivera covered the song on her 2001 album Déjate Amar.