So Cold the Night

"So Cold the Night"
Single by the Communards
from the album Communards
B-side"When the Walls Come Tumbling Down"
Released17 November 1986 (1986-11-17)[1]
Recorded1986
StudioMilo Studios, London
Genre
Length
  • 4:39 (single version)
  • 5:45 (album version)
LabelLondon
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mike Thorne
The Communards singles chronology
"Don't Leave Me This Way"
(1986) 		"So Cold the Night"
(1986) 		"You Are My World '87"
(1987)

"So Cold the Night" is a song by British synth-pop duo the Communards released in November 1986 as the final single from their debut album Communards. It was their second top-ten hit, peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.[2]

Release and reception

"So Cold the Night" was released with the B-side "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down", also written by the duo, and was dedicated to Nelson Mandela.[3] The 12-inch single was released with the additional B-side "Never No More".[4] A remix of "So Cold the Night" was released as a 12-inch single in December 1986.[5] It was a double A-side single with "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down" and "The Multimix", a medley remix of "Don't Leave Me This Way", "So Cold the Night" and "Disenchanted".[6]

Reviewing for Record Mirror, Jane Wilkes wrote "clandestine meetings and hi-NRG Balkan folk music engage for this Somerville/Coles composition. Their cover versions have always maintained an ambiguity, whereas their own songs place you right in the picture regarding their sexual/political stance".[7]

Track listing

7": London / LON 110

  1. "So Cold the Night" – 4:39
  2. "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down" – 4:20

7": London / LONDJ 110 (promo)

  1. "So Cold the Night" – 3:45
  2. "So Cold the Night" (Full Length) – 4:40

12": London / LONX 110

  1. "So Cold the Night" – 9:12
  2. "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down" – 4:22
  3. "Never No More" – 2:58

12": London / LONXR 110

  1. "So Cold the Night" – 8:34
  2. "The Multimix" – 8:00
  3. "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down" – 4:21

12": London / LONX 110 (promo)

  1. "So Cold the Night" – 9:12
  2. "So Cold the Night" (Instrumental) – 9:12

12": London / LDSX 235 (Canada)

  1. "So Cold the Night" (Remixed Club Version) – 8:45
  2. "So Cold the Night" (7" Version) – 3:45
  3. "So Cold the Night" (Instrumental) – 9:45

Cassette: London / LONCS 110

  1. "So Cold the Night"
  2. "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down"
  3. "Never No More"
  4. "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Son of Gotham City)

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "So Cold the Night"
Chart (1986–1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 90
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 13
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 7
Europe (Hot 100 Singles)[11] 13
France (SNEP)[12] 17
Germany (GfK)[13] 14
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 44
Spain (Promusicae)[18] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[2] 8

Year-end charts

1987 year-end chart performance for "So Cold the Night"
Chart (1987) Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[20] 82
Europe (Hot 100 Singles)[21] 57
France[22] 77
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[23] 99
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 91

Certifications and sales

In France, the single reportedly sold at least 150,000 copies.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Communards". Smash Hits. 19 November – 2 December 1986. p. 56. Retrieved 17 February 2022 – via Flickr.
  2. ^ a b "Communards: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  3. ^ Communards - So Cold The Night, retrieved 17 February 2022
  4. ^ Communards - So Cold The Night, retrieved 17 February 2022
  5. ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 December 1986. p. 29. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  6. ^ Communards - So Cold The Night (Remix), retrieved 17 February 2022
  7. ^ "Singles" (PDF). Record Mirror. 22 November 1986. p. 10. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 72. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Communards – So Cold the Night" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  10. ^ "Communards – So Cold the Night" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. ^ European Hot 100 Singles
  12. ^ "Communards – So Cold the Night" (in French). Les classement single.
  13. ^ "Communards – So Cold the Night" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  14. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – So Cold the Night". Irish Singles Chart.
  15. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Communards" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  16. ^ "Communards – So Cold the Night" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. ^ "Communards – So Cold the Night". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  19. ^ "Communards – So Cold the Night". Swiss Singles Chart.
  20. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1987" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  21. ^ "European Charts of the Year 1987 > Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. 26 December 1987. p. 34. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  22. ^ a b "TOP – 1987". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  24. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2022.