On the Wings of a Nightingale

"On the Wings of a Nightingale" is a song written and composed by Paul McCartney[1] and recorded by the Everly Brothers in 1984 for their album EB 84, which Dave Edmunds produced.

"On the Wings of a Nightingale"
Single by The Everly Brothers
from the album EB 84
B-side	"Asleep"
Released	August 1984 (1984-08)
Genre	Pop
Length	2:34
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Paul McCartney
Producer(s)	Dave Edmunds
The Everly Brothers singles chronology
"Not Fade Away" (1973) "On the Wings of a Nightingale" (1984) "The First in Line" (1985)

Music video

The video shot to accompany the selection shows the brothers rescuing a classic car (specifically, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible) from a junk yard, restoring it (in a series of shots that compress an unknown number of weeks, or months, into 35 seconds of video time) to drivable condition, then taking it out for a spin.

Distinctions

"On the Wings of a Nightingale" is the most popular of the duo's songs recorded since 1970 and the final Everly Brothers single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Chart performance

Chart (1984-85)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	50
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles	9
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles[2]	49
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks	10
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	39
South African Singles Chart[3]	6

Cover versions

The Spongetones recorded a version for their 2000 Odd Fellows album.[4] Apple Jam also recorded three versions for their 2012 On the Wings of a Nightingale EP.

McCartney's own version still exists, strictly as a demonstration recording; it remains unreleased as of 2020.

References

1. "Odd Fellows (sub-section Editorial Reviews)".
2. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
3. http://rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(E).html Retrieved 6 January 2014
4. "Odd Fellows".