Midnight -

Midnight was an American hard-rock band from Chicago that self-released the 1977 album Into the Night, reissued in 2015 on Drag City. Bassist John Falstrom notched sporadic jazz credits in later decades.

Members: Dave Hill (lead vocals, keyboards), Frank Anastos (guitar, backing vocals), John Falstrom (bass), Scott Marquart (drums)

Background

Midnight originated as Midnight Express in Chicago’s south suburbs in 1974, when singer-keyboardist Dave Hill, guitarist-singer Frank Anastos, and drummer Scott Marquart formed the group through connections at Melody Mart in Homewood. Hill and Anastos attended Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, while Marquart studied at Homewood-Flossmoor High School in nearby Flossmoor.

Bassist John Falstrom joined in June 1975 after the breakup of his prior trio Pearl and completed the four-piece lineup. His first performance with Midnight Express took place at a town picnic in a Midlothian forest preserve that month, where covers dominated a set that also included original songs.

Through 1975, the group played house parties and high schools around south-suburban Chicago. Midnight Express expanded into nightclubs and college engagements in 1976 while increasing the share of original material.

The members graduated from high school in June 1977 and concentrated on their own songs. Before the album sessions, the quartet shortened the name to Midnight and used a fan’s $2,000 backing to book two studio days and finance a 500-copy pressing.

Into the Night

Midnight self-released their singular album, Into the Night, in early 1978 as a 500-copy private pressing.

The album contains nine originals group-written by Anastos, Hill, Falstrom, and Marquart. Hill co-wrote “Train of Thought” with lyricist Rick Goggin.

“Train of Thought” barrels through a raw riff and coarse lead. “Into the Pit” grinds on a bare-boned figure before a fiery guitar solo. “Crazy Little Mama” swerves through a lean organ passage. “Smoke My Cigarettes” lurches from a sludgy blues figure into an upbeat jam.

“Time Will Tell” smolders through slower, sustained chord changes. “Into the Night” stomps through darkened chord figures. “Future Comes Our Way” surges through thunderous accents. “Auto-Kinetic Illusion” careens across a fast-struck riff.

A1. “Train of Thought” (4:02) – Hill, Rick Goggin
A2. “Into the Pit” (3:28)
A3. “Crazy Little Mama” (3:24)
A4. “Smoke My Cigarettes” (3:00)
A5. “Time Will Tell” (6:08)

B1. “Into the Night” (5:04)
B2. “What’s the Story” (4:46)
B3. “Future Comes Our Way” (2:31)
B4. “Auto-Kinetic Illusion” (4:06)
B5. “Suicidal Ways” (2:27)

Midnight self-produced the album across two days in September or October 1977 at A-K Sound Recording Studio in Orland Park, Illinois, with engineer and studio owner Al Kitlica. They cut all ten basic tracks live in eight hours. Overnight, they added vocals and solo overdubs, then completed the final mix on day two.

Kitlica also co-produced It’s for You, a 1977 album by southeastern Missouri trio Missouri Dirt.

Photographer Jack Grigas shot the cover image in the basement at the Anastos family home. The front sleeve presents a high-contrast monochrome portrait of the quartet against a black field beneath gold blackletter text.

Drag City and Galactic Zoo Disk reissued Into the Night in July 2015 on LP and digital formats. For the remaster, Falstrom provided unopened original copies in lieu of the long-lost session reels.

Postlude

Midnight continued to perform after the private release and opened for the Hounds at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom. They recorded additional material at several Chicago-area studios, including three songs from a 1979 Columbia College session.

Marquart left in August 1980 after the group stopped live work to concentrate on new material; Hill and Anastos then departed, ending Midnight. Falstrom later recovered the Columbia College masters and issued the three-song Through the Dawn EP in 2012 as an archival release.

Anastos and Falstrom formed the Big Boppers in 1989 while teaching at Melody Mart. The bassist later combined Chicago-area performance and instruction with the bass textbook EADG 4.

Discography: