Overnight Success is a 1975 studio album by Neil Sedaka. It was released in the UK and throughout Europe on the Polydor label, and Australia on the Rainbow label. Later that same year, in the US, most of this album was issued under the title The Hungry Years, with two songs from the British album replaced on the American album.
âÂÂThe Hungry YearsâÂÂ, one of Sedaka's most frequently requested non-single tracks, marked Sedaka's reunion with his long-time collaborator Howard Greenfield after having broken off their partnership in 1973. Sedaka and Greenfield would again work together more regularly in the late 1970s.
âÂÂThe Queen of 1964â reached #35 in the UK in March 1975. The Captain and TennilleâÂÂs 1976 cover of âÂÂLonely Night (Angel Face)â hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold. "Bad Blood", with uncredited backing vocals by Elton John, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975, and remained in that position for three weeks before being replaced by Elton John's single "Island Girl". It was the most successful individual commercial release in Sedaka's career.
Piano: Neil Sedaka <br> Guitar: Steve Cropper, Dean Parks <br> Bass: Leland Sklar <br> Drums: Nigel Olsson <br> Percussion: Milt Holland <br> Keyboards: David Foster <br> Horns: Chuck Findley, Jim Horn, Dick Hyde, Jackie Kelso Strings (arrangements): Artie Butler, Richard Carpenter <br> Backing Vocals: Donny Gerrard, Gail Haness, Ann Orson, Brian Russell, Brenda Russell
All the tracks from the British album were included in the Varese Sarabande 1998 re-issue of the American album The Hungry Years; hence, although the re-issue contains the track listing of the American album, the British songs "Goodman Goodbye" and "The Queen Of 1964" were included as two of the four bonus tracks.
See also The Hungry Years
In April 2012, the album Overnight Success was re-issued by BGO Records in combination with the album The Tra-La Days Are Over on CD.