When The Night Falls

Who Is ‘Black Tie’?  The super-group was formed in 1984 when East Coast Pianist and Executive Producer Rob Perkin approached a long-time friend about doing a unique project. The friend was West Coast Producer Reggie Fisher, known for producing Toto, Los Lobos, T-Bone Burnett, and Ernie Watts. This creative duo got the ball rolling and brought together a group of superb musicians, fronted by three vocalists who each brought a sound that still resonates today:

Billy Swan (whose work in Country and Pop music garnered multiple CMA nominations) was the first to jump into the project with Fisher and Perkin. His hit song “I can help” in 1974 is a classic now and was covered by Loretta Lynn, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, and many more. Swan brought the song “Jerry Lee” to the project and an unmistakable vocal style. This opened the door for the second artist that made ‘Black Tie’ such an exciting project: 

Jimmy Griffin from the band “Bread.” Bread was an American soft rock band from Los Angeles, California. They had 13 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1970 and 1977. Needless to say, Jimmy’s vocal style brought to life several tracks on this debut Black Tie record, including the opening track, “If you gotta make a fool of somebody.” Jimmy Griffin also wrote and performed “You’re my Life” and “Oh My Lover” on the record. 

Who was the third artist in this super-group? Eagles singer Randy Meisner! He couldn’t wait to jump in and be a part of the project. Meisner was a perfect fit, having been a founding member of such greats as Poco, The Original Stone Canyon Band, and of course, The Eagles. 

Black Tie was coming together. But what you might not know about the album “When The Night Falls” is that T-Bone Burnett played a role. The American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan’s band during the 1970s. He has since received multiple Grammy awards for his work in film music. T-Bone Burnett helped produce some of the tracks and also played on the record, contributing two original songs, “1985” and “When The Night Falls”.

Bench Records completed and released “When The Night Falls” in 1986. The band, which included Ernie Watts, David Kemper, David Miner, David Mansfield, and many more artists (including the pianist that created the idea, Rob Perkin), hit the road and toured the East Coast to share their unique sound. It worked like a charm, and “When The Night Falls” was a success. Their single, “Learning The Game” (A Buddy Holly Cover), soared up the Billboard Charts. Black Tie was also fortunate to receive MIRL awards for Single Group and Album Of The Year in 1990/1091.

If you haven’t heard it yet, that’s probably because, until now, there has not been a digital release. But the good news is, AirTime, Inc (in partnership with Bench Records) is releasing the original masters online for the first time in history in 2023. Make sure you follow them on Spotify (or wherever you listen) because the top tunes from the record will be re-mastered and released as Singles soon!

If you want to hold this piece of history in your hands, a limited edition run of collectible CDs is available, but act fast. Turn It Up!