Working Nights is the debut album by British jazz band Working Week, released by Virgin Records in 1985. The album peaked at No. 23 in the UK Albums Chart in April 1985. Working Nights was re-released in 2012 as a remastered 2-disc Deluxe Set by Cherry Red Records.

Working Week were the brainchild of guitarist Simon Booth and saxophonist Larry Stabbins, who had worked with Booth in his previous band, the Weekend. Stabbins was also one of the leaders of the European improvisational music scene. Julie Roberts joined this album, adding the power and sensitivity of a soul singer. Stabbins and Booth wrote most of the songs, skillfully matching the rhythm to memorable melodies with lyrics that drew inspiration from either politics, such as Booth’s “Venceremos,” which was dedicated to Chilean singer and activist Victor Jara, or the familiar theme of lost love.

The original vinyl release consisted of eight tracks, a set of tunes that still sound intense and compelling 40 years after its release. The bonus tracks included on the Deluxe CD edition are a mix of alternate, live recordings and remixes and are not simply there to fill the CD. The extensive list of guest musicians and singers is a real brain teaser for who is the best and most promising performer of the era, including trumpeters Guy Barker and Harry Beckett, saxophonist Chris Biscoe, trombonist Annie Whitehead and drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo.

These musicians add a real spark to the album’s music. Dave Bitelli’s clarinet on “Venceremos” increases the intensity of the song, Whitehead’s powerful and raw solo literally powers “No Cure, No Pay”, while Beckett adds his own fiery solo on the same track. Stabbins is also an emphatic presence in the front row, showing off his technical and emotional range, with a soprano saxophone solo on “Autumn Boy” and a tenor solo on Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues”.

The guest vocalists are also stars. Tracey Thorn of Everything But The Girl and Robert Wyatt duet on all three versions of “Venceremos,” while Julie Tippetts leads on “Storm Of Light.” These three voices have their own soul, and in contrast to Wyatt’s more raw sound, they’re still full of emotion and commitment. There’s also a fluid, intense rap element from Jalal Mansur of The Last Poets on “Stella Marina.”

From this excellent album I select the cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues.”
 
Tracklist

A1. Inner City Blues 5:43
A2. Sweet Nothing 3:38
A3. Who’s Fooling Who 5:02
A4. Thought I’d Never See You Again 6:23

B5. Autumn Boy 6:32
B6. Solo 4:40
B7. Venceremos 4:42
B8. No Cure No Pay 8:25