"
Give Me the Night" is a song recorded by American jazz and R&B musician
George Benson, released in June 1980 by
Warner Bros. as the first single from his 18th studio
album of the same title (1980). It was written by
Heatwave's keyboard player
Rod Temperton and produced by
Quincy Jones.
Patti Austin provides the backing and
scat vocals that are heard throughout, and one of Benson's fellow jazz guitarists,
Lee Ritenour, also performs on the track.
The song was a commercial success, and was Benson's first single to hit number one on the US
Billboard Soul Singles chart, where it spent three weeks. It also peaked at number four on the US
Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it his most successful pop entry. It also peaked at number two on the
Billboard Hot Disco Singles chart and at number seven in the
UK Singles Chart, where it ties with "
In Your Eyes" as his highest charting single.
The music video for "Give Me the Night" featured Benson performing the song both on stage with a band and on roller skates on the
Venice Beach Boardwalk in Los Angeles under the sunset skies. In a 2024 interview with
Spin, Benson saw the roller skaters nearby and asked his manager where his roller skates are. His manager was hesitant in order for Benson to not injure himself.
Benson insisted on filming the music video in roller skates and playing guitar simultaneously: "Nobody here can beat me skating, that’s why. Your problem is that you think about falling. When I skate, I’m just thinking about skating. That doesn’t mean I never fall. I just never think about it. I just skate."
George Benson - Give Me The Night