1983 Kenny Rogers – We’ve Got Tonight
We’ve Got Tonight is the tenth solo studio album by Kenny Rogers, released in 1983. It is also his last with Liberty Records before moving to RCA Nashville.
The title cut, a duet with Sheena Easton, was the debut single and became one of Rogers’ signature hits, soaring to #1 on the country charts and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart, reaching #6 on the Hot 100 chart. There were two other singles: “All My Life”, which peaked at #13 on the country charts, though it fared at #3 in Canada, and “Scarlet Fever”, which is lesser-known but still reached #5 and #4 in the US. and Canada, respectively.
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 #13 on the Hot 100, making Rogers’ version better-known, five years after it was written.
One song on the album that never became a single but still became one of Rogers’ signature songs is the powerful “You Are So Beautiful”. This track was placed at the end of the album as a tribute to his legions of female fans, and stands today as one of the songs that Kenny is known for. The song was written by Dennis Wilson, 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 large number of songs to Rogers, submitted the track “How Long” to this album. The album hit #3 on the country charts and #18 on the Billboard 200 charts. Despite lower rankings than many of his earlier releases, the album was still certified platinum in both the US and Canada.
Tracks
1 We’ve Got Toninght (Bob Seger) 3:43
2 Scarlet Fever (Mike Dekle) 3:57
3 Farther I Go (David MacKechnie, Kin Vassy) 3:22
4 No Dreams (Randy Goodrum) 3:24
5 Bad Enough (Dave Robbins, Jeff Silbar, Van Stephenson) 3:12
6 All My Life (Dave Robbins, Jeff Silbar, Van Stephenson) 3:39
7 How Long (Lionel Richie) 3:52
8 Love, Love, Love (Dick St Nicklaus) 3:10
9 What I Learned From Loving You (James Brown Jr, Russell Smith) 3:44
10 You Are So Beautiful (Billy Preston, Bruce Fisher) 2:53
Musicians
1 We’ve Got Toninght
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Mike Baird |
Guitar | Marty Walsh |
Keyboards | David Foster |
Vocals | Sheena Easton |
2 Scarlet Fever
Bass | Joe Chemay |
Drums | Paul Leim |
Guitar | Fred Tackett |
Guitar | Kin Vassy |
Guitar | Tim May |
Keyboards | John Hobbs |
Percussion | Paul Leim |
Background Vocals | Joe Chemay |
Background Vocals | Kin Vassy |
Background Vocals | Terry Williams |
3 Farther I Go
Bass | Trey Thompson |
Drums | Ress Williams |
Guitar | Billie Walker |
Guitar | Kin Vassy |
Guitar | Richie Zito |
Guitar | Terry Williams |
4 No Dreams
Bass | Jack Williams |
Drums | Kenny Malone |
Guitar | John Goin |
Keyboards | Randy Goodrum |
Keyboards | Shane Keister |
Background Vocals | Randy Goodrum |
Background Vocals | Terry Williams |
5 Bad Enough
Bass | Joe Chemay |
Drums | Paul Leim |
Guitar | Richie Zito |
Keyboards | John Hobbs |
Background Vocals | Joe Chemay |
Background Vocals | Kin Vassy |
Background Vocals | Terry Williams |
6 All My Life
Bass | Joe Chemay |
Drums | Mike Baird |
Guitar | Steve Lukather |
Keyboards | David Foster |
Background Vocals | David Foster |
Background Vocals | Joe Chemay |
Background Vocals | Terry Williams |
7 How Long
Bass | Joe Chemay |
Drums | Paul Leim |
Guitar | Carlos Rios |
Guitar | Tim May |
Keyboards | Clarence McDonald |
Keyboards | Mike Lang |
Synthesizer | Robbie Buchanan |
Background Vocals | Juanice Charmaine |
Background Vocals | Kin Vassy |
Background Vocals | Lionel Richie |
Background Vocals | Terry Williams |
8 Love, Love, Love
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Leon Chancler |
Guitar | David T. Walker |
Guitar | Paul Jackson |
Keyboards | Reginald Burke |
Background Vocals | Juanice Charmaine |
Background Vocals | Kin Vassy |
Background Vocals | Terry Williams |
9 What I Learned From Loving You
Bass | Joe Chemay |
Drums | Paul Leim |
Guitar | Carlos Rios |
Guitar | Paul Jackson |
Guitar | Tim May |
Keyboards | Clarence McDonald |
Keyboards | Mike Lang |
Synthesizer | Robbie Buchanan |
10 You Are So Beautiful
Bass | Emory Gordy |
Drums | Paul Leim |
Guitar | Fred Tackett |
Piano | John Hobbs |
Oboe | Gary Herbig |
Background Vocals | Cindy Fee |
Background Vocals | Kin Vassy |
Background Vocals | Terry Williams |
Liner Notes
Producer – Kenny Rogers (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10)
Producer – David Foster (Track 1)
Producer – Randy Goodrum (Track 4)
Producer – Brent Maher (Track 4)
Producer – James Anthony Carmichael (Tracks 7, 9)
Producer – Lionel Richie (Tracks 7, 8)
Arranged By (Strings) – Jeremy Lubbock (Tracks 1, 6)
Arranged By (Strings) – Bergen White (Track 4)
Conductor (Strings) – Jeremy Lubbock (Tracks 1, 6)
Engineer – Al Schmitt (Track 1)
Engineer – Humberto Gatica (Tracks 1, 6, 9)
Engineer – Reginald Dozier (Tracks 2, 3, 5, 8, 10)
Engineer – Stephen Schmitt (Track 3)
Engineer – Brent Maher (Track 4)
Engineer – Al Schmitt (Tracks 6, 8, 9, 10)
Engineer – Calvin Harris (Track 7)
Engineer – Bob Bullock (Track 9)
Engineer – Calvin Harris (Track 9)
Engineer (2nd) – Stephen Schmitt (Tracks 1, 4, 5, 10)
Engineer (2nd) – Larry Ferguson (Tracks 2)
Mastered By – Doug Sax
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica (Track 1)
Mixed By – Bob Bullock (Tracks 2, 10)
Mixed By – Al Schmitt (Track 3)
Mixed By – Reginald Dozier (Track 5)
Mixed By – Calvin Harris (Track 7)
Art Direction – Henry Marquez
Art Direction (Graphic Coordination) – Roy Guzman
Design (Sleeve) – Roy Guzman
Photography By – Matthew Rolston