Midnight to Six Man

"Midnight to Six Man" is a song written by guitarist Dick Taylor and lead vocalist Phil May, initially recorded by their band the Pretty Things. By 1965, the band had established themselves in the UK with R&B hits on the Record Retailer chart. However, Taylor and May had begun writing songs together by that summer. The release of a single was hindered by touring and drummer Viv Prince, who was fired and replaced by Skip Alan. "Midnight to Six Man" was written prior to a gig in Gravesend, Kent and recorded during a nightly session at IBC Studios upon their return to London in November 1965.

Musically, "Midnight to Six Man" is a blues rock song with elements of R&B, featuring a call and response chorus and a "bluesy guitar". Lyrically, the song revolves around the band's visit to nightclubs in London. Record producer Glyn Johns augmented the Pretty Things with session musicians Nicky Hopkins on piano and Margo Lewis of Goldie and the Gingerbreads on organ.

Fontana Records released "Midnight to Six Man" in the UK in conjunction with their second studio album Get the Picture? on 17 December 1965, the B-side was "Can't Stand the Pain". Although the band had high hopes for the song, it was a commercial failure, stalling at number 46 on the Record Retailer chart in January 1966. Upon release, the single received primarily positive reviews in the press, with most critics praising lyrics but criticizing the apparent lack of melody. Retrospectively, "Midnight to Six" man has been considered one of the Pretty Things' best songs and has been referenced in other media.