You know that feeling when the sky starts to turn that weird, perfect shade of orange-pink? It’s not quite night, but the sun is definitely checking out. Most people call it "golden hour." But if you grew up with a certain kind of soul music playing in the house, you know it as something else entirely. You know it as the Frankie Beverly Golden Time of the Day.
Honestly, it’s more than just a song. It’s a whole mood.
Frankie Beverly, who we sadly lost in September 2024, didn’t just write a track about a sunset. He wrote an anthem for the moment you finally exhale. But here is the thing—most people think the song is just about the weather or the time of day. They’re missing the deeper "sermon" Frankie was low-key preaching.
The Philosophy Behind the Glow
The track dropped in 1978 on the album of the same name. By that point, Frankie and his band, Maze, were already becoming the "Black Grateful Dead." They didn't need pop charts. They didn't need Grammy trophies (and crazy enough, Frankie never won one). They had the cookout. They had the family reunion.
The first verse of Golden Time of the Day sets the scene: "There's a time of the day when the sun is going down." Simple, right? You can almost feel the humidity breaking. But look at the second verse. This is where Frankie flips the script.
He sings, "There’s a time in your life when you find who you are."
Basically, the "golden time" isn't just about 6:30 PM in July. It’s about that lightbulb moment of self-discovery. It’s about identity. Frankie was obsessed with the idea of finding peace within yourself. He was a deeply spiritual man who didn’t feel the need to shout about it. He just let the groove do the heavy lifting.
Why This Song Hits Different in 2026
Even now, two years after his passing, this track feels remarkably current. Maybe it’s because our lives are so loud and digital. Frankie’s music—and this song specifically—is the literal opposite of a TikTok notification. It’s slow. It’s intentional.
The song runs about five and a half minutes, which is an eternity by today’s standards. But it needs that time to breathe. You can’t rush the sunset, and you can’t rush the feeling Frankie was trying to bottle up.
- The Production: It’s that signature Maze sound. Clean, "silky" soul.
- The Vocals: Frankie wasn't a screamer. He had this velvety, conversational baritone that felt like he was talking directly to you.
- The Impact: It’s been sampled and covered, but nothing touches the original 1978 recording.
Interestingly, Marvin Gaye was the one who discovered them when they were still called "Raw Soul." He told them to change their name to Maze. He saw that they had this "peaceful" vibe that was different from the aggressive funk of the era.
The Cookout Anthem Nobody Talks About Enough
Everyone talks about "Before I Let Go." We get it. It’s the "Black National Anthem." It makes you want to do the Electric Slide. But Golden Time of the Day is the song you play when the party is winding down.
When the charcoal is cooling off and the kids are finally quiet, that’s when this song does its best work. It’s the sound of community. It’s the sound of "we’re going to be okay."
People forget that Frankie Beverly and Maze were one of the few bands that could sell out arenas for 40 years without a single Top 40 pop hit. Think about that. They were "ours." They belonged to a community that didn't care what the mainstream radio stations in New York or LA were playing.
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What You Should Do Next
If you haven't sat down and really listened to the lyrics of the Golden Time of the Day album lately, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Don’t just put it on as background noise.
- Find a quiet spot around sunset.
- Turn off your phone (seriously).
- Put on the title track.
- Pay attention to that transition from the first verse to the second.
The "golden time" is a reminder that even when things get dark—and the sun is going to go down—there is a beauty in the transition. It’s about finding your "bright shining star" in the middle of the mess.
If you want to dive deeper into the Maze catalog, skip the "Greatest Hits" for a second and listen to the full Golden Time of the Day LP. Tracks like "Travelin' Man" and "I Wish You Well" give you a much better picture of Frankie's genius as a producer and writer. He wasn't just a singer; he was the architect of a feeling that hasn't faded in nearly 50 years.