We've Got Tonight is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Kenny Rogers, released in 1983. It is also his last with Liberty Records before signing with RCA Records.
Overview The title cut, a duet with Sheena Easton, was the debut single and became one of Rogers' signature hits, soaring to No. 1 on the Country chart and No. 2 at Adult Contemporary radio. It also went Top Ten on the Billboard and Cash Box Pop charts.
There were two other singles: "All My Life", which hit #2 Adult Contemporary and #13 on the Country chart. It also reached third place in Canada; "Scarlet Fever", his final single for EMI, was a #5 Country hit but ran out of steam at #94 Pop.
The title of the album comes from its signature track, written by Bob Seger and originating from his album, Stranger in Town. By comparison with Rogers' version, Seger's only reached No. 13 on the Hot 100, making Rogers' version a higher-seller (at the time), five years after it was written.
"You Are So Beautiful" was written by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher and originally appears on the 1974 Preston album The Kids and Me.
Lionel Richie, who by now had been contributing a reasonable number of songs to Rogers, submitted the track "How Long" to this album.
The album hit #3 on the country chart and reached #18 on the main Billboard album chart. It attained Platinum status in both the United States and Canada.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians Kenny Rogers – lead vocals David Foster – keyboards (1, 6) John Hobbs – keyboards (2, 5, 10) Randy Goodrum – keyboards (4) Shane Keister – keyboards (4) Robbie Buchanan – synthesizers (7, 9) Michael Lang – keyboards (7, 9) Clarence McDonald – keyboards (7, 9) Reginald "Sonny" Burke – keyboards (8) Marty Walsh – guitars (1) Tim May – guitars (2, 7, 9) Fred Tackett – guitars (2, 10) Kin Vassy – guitars (2, 3) Billy Joe Walker Jr. – guitars (3) Terry Williams – guitars (3) Richie Zito – guitars (3, 5) Jon Goin – guitars (4) Steve Lukather – guitars (6) Carlos Rios – guitars (7, 9) Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (8, 9) David T. Walker – guitars (8) Nathan East – bass (1, 8) Joe Chemay – bass (2, 5–7, 9) Trey Thompson – bass (3) Jack Williams – bass (4) Emory Gordy Jr. – bass (10) Mike Baird – drums (1, 6) Paul Leim – drums (2, 5, 7, 9, 10), percussion (2) Ress Williams – drums (3) Kenny Malone – drums (4) Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums (8) Gary Herbig – oboe (10) Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangements and conductor (1, 6) Bergen White – string arrangements (4) Sheldon Kurland – strings (4)
Background and guest vocalists Sheena Easton – lead vocals (1) Joe Chemay – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 6) Kin Vassy – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10) Terry Williams – backing vocals (2–8, 10) Randy Goodrum – backing vocals (4) Kenny Rogers – backing vocals (4, 5) Dorothy Newton – backing vocals (5) David Foster – backing vocals (6) Juanice Charmaine – backing vocals (7, 8) Lionel Richie – backing vocals (7) Cindy Fee – backing vocals (10)
Production Kenny Rogers – producer (1–3, 5, 6, 8–10) David Foster – producer (1, 6) Randy Goodrum – producer (4) Brent Maher – producer (4) Lionel Richie – producer (7, 8) James Anthony Carmichael – producer (7, 9) Henry Marquez – art direction Roy R. Guzman – graphic coordinator, sleeve design Matthew Rolston – photography Neiman Marcus – wardrobe Ken Kragen – management
Technical credits Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) Humberto Gatica – engineer (1, 6, 9), mixing (1) Al Schmitt – engineer (1, 6, 8–10), mixing (3) Reginald Dozier – engineer (2, 3, 5, 8, 10), mixing (5) Bob Bullock – mixing (2), engineer (9) Brent Maher – engineer (4) Calvin Harris – engineer (7, 9), mixing (7) Stephen Schmitt – second engineer (1, 4, 5, 10), engineer (3) Larry Ferguson – second engineer (2)
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1983) Peakposition Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 49
Year-end charts Chart (1983) Peakposition US Billboard 200 97 US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 27
Certifications
References
[ We've Got Tonight album page at Allmusic]