"Nightshift" is a tribute to singers Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, who both died in 1984. Gaye was a Motown star known for love songs like "Let's Get It On" and "Sexual Healing." Wilson was an R&B singer known for his stirring performances and hits like "Lonely Teardrops." Wilson was 49 when he died; Gaye was 44. Both are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This song was conceived as a soul version of "Rock And Roll Heaven," the 1974 Righteous Brothers hit where they picture fallen stars like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin forming a band in heaven. In the Commodores song, Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson are on heaven's nightshift, playing some sweet sounds.
The songwriter Franne Golde was brought in to help with the lyrics. She had recently seen the 1982 movie Night Shift (starring Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton; directed by Ron Howard), which gave her the idea for the title.
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