Music of the night: #15 "Help Me Make it Through the Night" Sammi Smith (1971)

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“Help Me Make it Through the Night” is one of Kris Kristofferson’s best known songs and appears on his 1970 album “Kristofferson.” However it was Sammi Smith’s 1971 cover that was a major crossover hit (#8 Billboard Hot 100 and #1 country) and winning Grammys for Best Song (songwriter Kristofferson) and Best Country Music Female Performance. Smith was a Southern Californian who went to Texas and eventually impressed Johnny Cash who helped her get signed to Columbia Records. “Help Me Make it Through the Night” was her debut album. The gold single sold over two million copies and Smith was a one hit mainstream wonder. She was considered outlaw country (she was associated with Waylon Jennings etc) and enjoyed a number of country hits before drifting out of the music scene. Sammi Smith died at 61 in 2005. The song contains suggestive lyrics and perhaps that is part of its appeal in being relentlessly covered by the likes of Elvis, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Dottie West, Charley Pride, Glen Campbell, Skeeter Davis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Olivia Newton-John, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams and Johnny Cash-June Carter duet. Kristofferson thanks them all for the royalty checks.