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For other uses, see Here Comes the Weekend (disambiguation).

1988 song by the Moody Blues

"Here Comes the Weekend" is a song written by John Lodge that was first released by the Moody Blues on their 1988 album Sur la Mer. It was also released as a commercial single in Australia and as a promotional single in the U.S. Although it was not released as a commercial single in the U.S., it reached #50 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

Music and lyrics

"Here Comes the Weekend" is more of a pure rock song than some of the other songs on Sur La Mer.[1] Evelyn Erskine of The Ottawa Citizen noted the raucous rhythm and nearly cacophonus horns" and said "It comes as close to beer hall boogie as a pompous orchestral-rock outfit are likely to get."[2] Music journalist Geoffrey Freakes said that it "moves at an energetic lick driven by frenetic acoustic guitar, a boogie woogie rhythm and...exhilarating keyboard runs."[3]

The theme of the song is similar to that of the Easybeats` "Friday on My Mind" and Elton John`s "Saturday Night`s Alright for Fighting", with the singer looking forward to the weekend.[1] In this song the singer is lonely during the week but is waiting for Friday so he can be with his love.[1] Portage Daily Register critic Jim Roach said that "The lyric extols the coming of the weekend, but the music makes it sound almost like something to be feared."[1][4] Richmond Times-Dispatch critic Clarke Bustard described it as a "predictable let`s-party lyric grafted oddly onto what sounds like the chase scene from a horror movie sound track."[5]

Freakes called it "a typically nostalgic offering from Lodge that harks back to the singalong U.K. pop songs of the early 1970s, but with a 1980s makeover.[3]

Reception

The song received largely negative to mixed reviews. People magazine said that it "sounds like what two fat, 50-year-old songwriters in the Brill Building would come up with, trying to appeal to the teen market."[1] Daily Press critic Joseph Pryweller criticized the lyrics, sarcastically referring to the "profound refrain" of "Friday night, it`s alright, alright."[6] Orlando Sentinel critic Bill Henderson said that the song shows "how sad it is when former trendsetters adopt corporate rock-think."[7] Post-Star critic Mike Curtin said that it "should have the cathartic kick of Elton John`s `Saturday Night`s Alright for Fighting`; instead the gloomy chord structure counteracts any feeling of Friday night revelry."[1][8] Hartford Courant critic Frank Rizzo called it "the group at its worst – as blatantly commercial and manipulative as a cola commercial.[1][9] Austin American-Statesman critic Michael MacCambridge complained that it sound like "Jethro Tull imitating the Beatles for a Michelob commercial.[10] Pittsburgh Press critic Peter B. King objected to the fact that the "synthesized string parts and choral-style vocals seem to work against the rawness rock thrives on."[11] Los Angeles Times critic Guy Aoki said it has "an otherwise invigorating groove" but "is marred by its weak chorus lyric."[1]

There were some positive reviews. Waterloo Region Record critic Neil Randall called it a "sharp John Lodge rocker."[12] Southtown Star critic John Everson preferred it to Sur La Mer`s hit single "I Know You`re Out There Somewhere", saying it "[tosses] in some frantic horns and a peppy, percolating bass, to make a great Friday afternoon jam."[13]

The Naples Daily News writer Vic DeRobertis criticized Tony Visconti`s production on the song, saying:

Every record producer should be required to listen to this tune to learn what not to do in a studio. The track is so hideously overproduced it hurts your ears. Scads of keyboard tracks wind around a throbbing bass line, interspersed with drums that sound as if they were recorded in an empty garage. There is so much going on that it`s impossible to appreciate the song for what it is – a melody with some words.[14]

On the other hand, Roach said that "The production is stupendous with what sounds like about a hundred saxophones backing up the guitars and a maniacal piano."[1][4]

Single release

"Here Comes the Weekend" was one of the more popular songs from Sur La Mer on album oriented radio stations in the U.S.[1] On August 19, 1988, after the first single from Sur La Mer, "I Know You`re Out There Somewhere", but before the second single "No More Lies" was released, Polydor released a promotional single of "Here Comes the Weekend" to radio stations.[1] Unusually for a promotional single, the record did not have a mono version of the song on one side with a stereo version on the other.[1] Instead, it had another song from the album which was also receiving significant airplay, "River of Endless Love", on the b-side.[1] This was possibly because the record company was not sure which song would perform better.[1] "Here Comes the Weekend" would eventually reach #50 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.[1][15]

The single of "Here Comes the Weekend" on the a-side with "River of Endless Love" on the b-side was released commercially in Australia but was not successful.[1]

Live performances

"Here Comes the Weekend" was in the Moody Blues` live concert setlist during the late 1980s.[3] During those performances, keyboardist Patrick Moraz would play the "saxophone" solo on a keytar.[3]