The Rhythm of the Night — Corona
A reworked Say When! song, an uncredited session singer and a Brazilian frontwoman: the story of Corona’s 1993 Eurodance hit and its 5:31 club mix.
- Produced by Francesco Bontempi (Lee Marrow); released in Italy on 5 November 1993 on DWA.
- Sung by Giovanna Bersola (Jenny B), uncredited; Brazilian singer Olga Souza was the face of Corona.
- No. 1 in Italy for eight weeks, No. 2 in the UK, No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
“The Rhythm of the Night” is one of the defining Eurodance records. Corona released it in Italy in November 1993; within a year it had reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 11 in the US. Behind the hit sit an older pop song, a session singer nobody saw and a frontwoman who did not sing it.
Built on “Save Me”
Corona was the project of the Italian producer Francesco “Checco” Bontempi, also known as Lee Marrow. The music and some of the lyrics of “The Rhythm of the Night” came from “Save Me”, a 1987 single by Say When!, written by Pete Glenister and Mike Gaffey. An out-of-court settlement made them co-writers, next to Bontempi, Annerley Gordon (Ann Lee) and Giorgio Spagna.
The voice and the face
The vocal belongs to Giovanna Bersola, known as Jenny B. She was not credited on the single and does not appear in the video. The face of Corona was Olga Souza, a Brazilian singer and model who fronted the group on stage. The video, directed by Giacomo de Simone, shows her performing among fairground carousels in Viareggio. On the rest of the first album, the Welsh singer Sandy Chambers took over the vocals.
The club mix
The original CD single carried two main versions: a radio edit of 4:24 and a club mix of 5:31. At just over five and a half minutes, the club mix gives DJs the longer version to work with. A stack of remixes followed: the Space remix (6:29), the new extended remix (7:34), the Lee Marrow remix (6:30), the Mephisto remix (4:41) and the RBX E.U.R.O. mix (5:05).
From Italy to the world
DWA released the 12-inch in Italy on 5 November 1993. It spent eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 there between February and April 1994. Australia followed in July, and WEA released it in the UK on 30 August 1994. It peaked at No. 2 in the week of 18 September and stayed 19 weeks in the top 100. In the US it reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the Dance Club Play chart. It also went to No. 8 in Germany and No. 1 on the French dance chart, and was certified double Platinum in the UK.
The album The Rhythm of the Night followed in April 1995, with three more UK hits: “Baby Baby” (No. 5), “Try Me Out” (No. 6) and “I Don’t Wanna Be a Star” (No. 22).
A long afterlife
The song turned up in the film Beau Travail (1999) and in Grand Theft Auto V. Cascada covered it in 2012, Bastille folded it into “Of the Night” in 2013, and Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin sampled the chorus on “Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)” in 2019. Rolling Stone placed it at No. 68 of its 200 greatest dance songs in 2022. For more Italian dance hits, read about “Ride on Time” by Black Box and “L’amour toujours” by Gigi D’Agostino.
FAQ
Who sang The Rhythm of the Night?
Giovanna Bersola, known as Jenny B, who was not credited. The Brazilian singer Olga Souza fronted Corona on stage and in the video.
Is The Rhythm of the Night a cover?
It is based on “Save Me”, a 1987 single by Say When!. After an out-of-court settlement its writers, Pete Glenister and Mike Gaffey, became co-writers.
How long is the Club Mix of The Rhythm of the Night?
The club mix on the CD single runs 5:31, against 4:24 for the radio edit.
Which song samples The Rhythm of the Night?
Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin sampled its chorus on “Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)” in 2019.
