CoronaVinyl Day 197 (F): Night Shift by Foghat

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "F," and I have more F options than I thought I did.  I'm going with British rockers Foghat's sixth studio album, 1976's Night Shift.

Back during my high school football days, a few of my teammates and I were talking about music, either during practice or in the locker room.  One guy said something about "foe got," and the rest of us were like, "Foe got?  What the fuck are you talking about?," and then we figured out he was talking about Foghat.  Then again, this same guy also later revealed that he smoked weed before games so that he didn't feel the hits as much.  Such is the life of a fullback in a triple option offense.  Regardless, I can't see the name Foghat without thinking "foe got" in my head.

Formed by three former members of Savoy Brown in 1971, Foghat quickly gained acclaim with their 1972 cover of Muddy Waters's "I Just Want to Make Love to You," which only peaked at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100, but managed to get a lot of FM airplay and gave the band a good start (and the live version of the song would reach #33 in 1977).  In addition to that song, they're probably best known for 1975's "Slow Ride," which reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and is featured at the end of Dazed and Confused), and "Fool For the City," which went to #45 in 1976.

Foghat is one of those bands that was a staple on classic rock radio when I was growing up, and I have always liked what I've heard, but for whatever reason, I haven't attempted to venture past the few of their songs I know.  This was the first time I've listened to Night Shift, and I quite enjoyed it.  It's full of great '70s hard rock.  The album was produced by Dan Hartman, formerly of Edgar Winter Group, who went on to a successful producing and songwriting career, scoring a solo hit in 1984 with "I Can Dream About You," among various other successes.  My copy of the album must be an early pressing because it lists the producer as "Don" Hartman.  Later pressings apparently corrected the typo.  Making matters more confusing and maddening, this is another album where the song listing on the back of the album cover is not in the proper order, and there is a song listed on the album cover that is not actually on the album ("New Place to Call Home").

Anywho, Night Shift went to #36 on the Billboard album chart, and two songs from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100.  "Drivin' Wheel" went to #34, and "I'll Be Standing By" reached #67.

The band continued pretty decent success through the end of the '70s before changing their sound and going through a bunch of lineup turnover.  They continued in various forms (like many bands, sometimes with competing versions of the band), and have released albums even well into the last decade.

For some reason, the Spotify version of the album does not include one song on the album. 

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Drivin' Wheel"

Their biggest hit from this album is a really solid, driving (pun intended, motherfuckers!) hard rock song.  Apparently, it has been featured on several driving-themed video games, which makes sense.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Night Shift"
The title track has kind of a '70s Deep Purple vibe to it, so I can obviously appreciate that.