Set the Night to Music

"Set the Night to Music" is a song written by Diane Warren and recorded by Starship for their LP, No Protection (1987). It became a major hit for Roberta Flack in 1991. Starship's original version became a Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, reaching number nine in the spring of 1988, and also charted minorly in Canada. The song appeared at the end credits of the 1988 fantasy-comedy film Vice Versa starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage.

Cash Box said of the Starship version that "punctuated by lush strings and acoustic guitars, it's as warm and appealing a ballad as they have ever put on record."

Roberta Flack cover
Roberta Flack covered "Set the Night to Music" as a duet with Maxi Priest. The song is the title track to Flack's album Set the Night to Music (1991).

Flack's rendition reached number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number nine in Canada. The song was a bigger Adult Contemporary hit, reaching number two in the U.S. and number one in Canada.

Personnel

 * Roberta Flack – lead vocals
 * Robbie Kondor – keyboards, programming, arrangements
 * Sammy Merendino – drum programming
 * Errol "Crusher" Bennett – percussion
 * Arif Mardin – string arrangements and conductor
 * Gene Orloff – concertmaster
 * Jerry Barnes – backing vocals
 * Katreese Barnes – backing vocals
 * Maxi Priest – lead vocals

Weekly charts

 * Starship


 * Roberta Flack