1983 Lionel Richie – All Night Long (All Night) (US:#1 UK:#2)
“All Night Long (All Night)” is a hit single by American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, Can’t Slow Down, it combined Richie’s soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance music, pop-inspired approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard charts (pop, R&B and adult contemporary). Richard Marx contributed backing vocals as an unknown until his 1986 debut album appeared.
In the UK, the song was kept off of the top spot by Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.
The song lyrics were written primarily in English, but Richie has admitted in at least one press interview that “African” lyrics in the song, such as “Tom bo li de say de moi ya,” and “Jambo jumbo,” were in fact made-up gibberish of his own invention. Richie has described these portions of the song as a “wonderful joke,” written when he discovered that he lacked the time to hire a translator to contribute the foreign-language lyrics he wished to include in the song.
Album
Can’t Slow Down is the second solo album by American recording artist Lionel Richie. It was released on October 11, 1983, by Motown Records. The album reached #1 on the Billboard album chart. It also spent 59 consecutive weeks inside the Top 10 (including the entire year of 1984) and a total of 160 weeks […]
Musicians
| Bass | Abraham Laboriel Sr |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Darrell Jones |
| Guitar | Tim May |
| Synthesizer | Greg Phillinganes |
| Synthesizer | Lionel Richie |
| Synthesizer | David Cochrane |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
*Vocals (Chant) – Brenda Harvey-Richie, Calvin Harris, Deborah Joyce Richie, Deborah Thomas, Diane Burt, Dr. Lloyd Byron Greig, James Anthony Carmichael, Janice Johnson, Jeanette Hawes, Lionel Richie, Richard Marx, Suzanne Stanford
Vocals (Vocal Sound Effects) – Melinda Joyce Chatman
Voice (Chant) – David Cochrane, Melinda Joyce Chatman
Voice (Hoopa Hollers) – Alison Maxwell, Billy Nelson, Carlos Rios, Darrell Jones, David Egerton, David Malvin, Gabrielle Greig, Greg Phillinganes, Jerry Montes, John Michael Montes, Marilyn Ammons, Melinda Joyce Chatman, Randy Stern, Rejauna Lynn Green, Ruth Diaz, Sally Greig, Sandy Dent-Crimmel, Sheldon J. Cohn, Sue Ann Butler, Susan Wood, Suzanne Stanford, Sylvia Genauer, Tanya Greig, Wilbert Terrell
Arranged by Jerry Hey, uncredited but confirmed by himself.
Produced By
Lionel Richie
James Anthony Carmichael
Songwriters
Lionel Richie
Charts
US:#1
UK:#2