Song of the Day 6/9: The Pretenders, “I Go to Sleep”
After inconveniencing tens of thousands of New Yorkers so he could watch game 3 of the NBA finals, Donald Trump did what we all wish he’d do more: He fell asleep, an impressive feat considering the decibel level in Madison Square Garden at the time. The right-wing reality-denial machine went into overdrive, but that video reveals he’s semi-conscious at best, showing no reaction to anything happening on the court.
Kinks frontman Ray Davies wrote and demoed this ballad in 1965. Though the band never recorded it, his song publisher shopped it around. Peggy Lee and Cher both released it that year, but Lee’s single didn’t chart. Neither did a version by a British beat band, the Applejacks.
“I Go to Sleep” finally reached the charts inn 1981, when the Pretenders took it to No. 7 in the UK. Chrissie Hynde was in a relationship with Davies at the time, and she sings it with the commitment it needs to be effective.
Davies’ demo was finally released in 1998.
It’s been covered quite a bit – Sia recorded a good version in 2008 – but I’d be crazy to pass up what might be the only chance I’ll ever get to feature a song by the pride of Birmingham, the Applejacks. The band had a couple of British hits, but their popularity was waning by the time they tackled this tune.
