A Night to Remember | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 9, 1989 | |||
Recorded | January 1, 1988 – February 28, 1989 | |||
Studio | The Hit Factory (New York City) [1] | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 39:53 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer |
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Cyndi Lauper chronology | ||||
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Singles from A Night to Remember | ||||
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A Night to Remember is the third studio album by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released on May 9, 1989, by Epic Records. The album was originally set to be released in 1988, under the name Kindred Spirit, but was delayed until 1989 and the songs from the initial project were reworked. Although the album managed to score a top-10 single, it did not enjoy the commercial success of her previous two albums, and was met with mixed-to-poor reviews and in interviews, Lauper refers to it as A Night to Forget. Worldwide, the album has sold more than 1.5 million copies.
The album was originally conceptualized as a project called Kindred Spirit, due for release in October 1988, and was going to include the track "Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China)", but when that song and the film it was featured in, Vibes , were unsuccessful, the album was reworked. [2] The original Kindred Spirit tracklist included 10 songs, eight of which were eventually included on the final album. [2] The two songs that were removed were "Hole in My Heart," which would only appear on Japanese CD editions of A Night to Remember, and "Don't Look Back," written by Lauper and John Turi, which remains unreleased. The songs "A Night to Remember", "Dancing With a Stranger" and "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend" were added to the tracklist later on after the release date was pushed back to 1989, with the other songs being remixed some time between their original 1988 planned release date and their eventual release. [3] Some proof sheets of the original album artwork exist with the alternate title and track listing.[ citation needed ]
"Unabbreviated Love," penned by Lauper, Dusty Micale and Franke Previte, was recorded for the album but only appeared on the B-side of the "My First Night Without You" single. [4]
The photo used in the album's final cover artwork was taken at the intersection of Plymouth and Pearl Streets, just east of the Manhattan Bridge, in Brooklyn, New York. [5]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [6] |
Chicago Tribune | [7] |
Robert Christgau | C+ [8] |
Los Angeles Times | [9] |
Number One | [10] |
Rolling Stone | [11] |
Critically, the album was met with mixed-to-poor reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic website retrospectively gave the album two out of five stars and wrote that with the album Lauper tried "becoming a self-consciously "mature" singer/songwriter" and that the album's songs didn't "always work" except for "I Drove All Night" which made "a lasting impression" and illustrated "what Lauper was attempting to achieve with the record". Chris Heim of the Chicago Tribune pointed out that the album bears the same name as the 1958 film about the Titanic; he gave the album two and a half stars out of five and wrote that the "crisp" and "spunky" production and the "appealing" vocals "can't quite keep this album and its predictable pop love song cargo afloat." Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times singled out Lauper's voice as a strong point, while noting the material was inconsistent. [7] [9] [11] Other reviewers were more harsh: The New York Times criticized A Night to Remember's "anonymous vocals, songs full of submissive cliches and slapdash production", [12] while The Village Voice , in comparing the album to Lauper's previous work, declared "How embarrassing to have placed hope in this woman." [8]
Billboard magazine gave the album a 'spotlight' in its album reviews section for the May 20 1989 issue. Despite this, the album was described as having "somewhat unchallenging settings", though the lead single "I Drove All Night" was marked out as a "solid" start to the album campaign and album track "Like a Cat" was also highlighted as of interest. [13]
In a review for Cyndi's 1997 album Sisters of Avalon , People magazine retrospectively described A Night to Remember as "joyless" and blamed the album for her decline in popularity, stating that the album caused "a large chunk of her considerable following" to move on. [14]
The album sold moderately well but did not enjoy the same commercial success of her two previous albums, [15] despite the success of the album's lead single, "I Drove All Night", which became a Top 10 hit, her last in the U.S.A., earning Lauper a Grammy nomination. In the UK, however, A Night to Remember was Lauper's highest-charting album, peaking at No.9. [16] According to the book St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (Volume 3), the album sold half a million copies in the United States in 1989. [17]
Although the album is called A Night to Remember, Lauper jokingly preferred to call it A Night to Forget, given its poor reviews and disappointing sales, compounded by the problems she encountered with producer and boyfriend David Wolff during the production of the album. [18] Although not certified by RIAA, BPI and others trade associations according to Lauper's official website, the album was certified platinum in Australia and United Kingdom and gold in Germany, Italy and United States. [19] As of November 1989, the album had sold 1.3 million copies worldwide. [20]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro" | Cyndi Lauper |
| 0:27 |
2. | "I Drove All Night" |
| 4:11 | |
3. | "Primitive" |
|
| 3:48 |
4. | "My First Night Without You" |
|
| 3:01 |
5. | "Like a Cat" |
|
| 3:23 |
6. | "Heading West" |
|
| 3:54 |
7. | "A Night to Remember" |
|
| 3:43 |
8. | "Unconditional Love" |
|
| 3:55 |
9. | "Insecurious" |
|
| 3:31 |
10. | "Dancing with a Stranger" |
|
| 4:11 |
11. | "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend" | Warren |
| 4:21 |
12. | "Kindred Spirit" | Lauper |
| 1:16 |
Total length: | 41:00 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China)" | Richard Orange |
| 3:59 |
Total length: | 44:59 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "I Drove All Night" (live at Summer Sonic 2007) | 3:59 |
Total length: | 48:49 |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | "I Drove All Night" | Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance | Nominated |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [43] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [44] | Gold | 100,000 [44] |
Canada (Music Canada) [45] | Gold | 50,000^ |
France (SNEP) [46] | Gold | 100,000* |
Japan (RIAJ) [47] | Platinum | 145,260 [48] |
United States | — | 500,000 [17] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
She's So Unusual is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper, released on October 14, 1983, by Portrait Records. It stands out for its commercial success, achieving four top-five singles—a pioneering achievement for a debut album by a female artist. The album was re-released in 2014 to commemorate its 30th anniversary, and was called She's So Unusual: A 30th Anniversary Celebration. The re-release contains demos and remixes of previously released material, as well as new artwork.
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a single by the American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, written by Robert Hazard. It was released by Portrait Records as Lauper's first major single as a solo artist and the lead single from her debut studio album, She's So Unusual (1983). Lauper's version gained recognition as a feminist anthem and was promoted by a Grammy-winning music video. It has been covered by more than 30 other artists.
True Colors is the second studio album by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released on September 15, 1986, by Portrait Records. The album spawned several commercially successful singles as "True Colors", "Change of Heart", and "What's Going On" reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, with the first two charting within the top five. The album was produced by Lauper herself together with Lennie Petze.
At Last is the seventh studio album by American singer Cyndi Lauper. The album is a collection of covers of jazz standards, in addition to a cover of a contemporary song re-arranged into a jazz song. The album features a duet with Tony Bennett on "Makin' Whoopee" and was co-produced by Lauper with Russ Titelman. The album's longbox was available only at Costco or Sam's Club shops within the first two weeks when it was released. In 2008 Lauper said in an interview with Brazilian newspaper Extra that the album was a special project, with the intervention of the record company and that she does not consider it as a "career album".
The Bridge is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on July 25, 1986. It was Joel's last studio album produced by Phil Ramone as well as the last to feature Joel's long-time bassist Doug Stegmeyer and rhythm guitarist Russell Javors. The album yielded several successful singles, including "A Matter of Trust", "Modern Woman", and "This Is the Time".
Storm Front is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on October 23, 1989. It was Joel's third album to reach No. 1 in the U.S. and features "We Didn't Start the Fire", a fast-paced song that cataloged a list of historical events, trends, and cultural icons from 1949 until 1989.
Chicago 17 is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Chicago, released on May 14, 1984. It was the group's second release for Full Moon/Warner Bros. Records, their second album to be produced by David Foster and their last with founding bassist/vocalist Peter Cetera. As of 2023, it remains Chicago's best-selling album, with over 6.1 million copies being sold in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Four singles were released from the album, all of which peaked in the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The success of the music videos for "Stay the Night", "You're the Inspiration", and "Hard Habit to Break" on MTV propelled Chicago 17 to achieve an RIAA certification of six times platinum.
Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some is a greatest hits album by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released on August 22, 1994, through Epic Records. It contains a collection of singles from the singer's first four studio albums. It also contains three new songs: "(Hey Now) Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "I'm Gonna Be Strong" and "Come On Home", all of which were released as singles. To promote the record, the singer embarked on a worldwide tour. A video album was simultaneously released and contained music videos of fourteen songs.
Hat Full of Stars is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, released in 1993. The album was released 4 years after the singer's third studio album, A Night to Remember, which received unfavorable reviews and had low sales compared to the singer's previous releases. Hat Full of Stars received favorable reviews but was poorly received by the public, receiving gold certifications in Japan and France only.
"Money Changes Everything" is a song by American rock band the Brains from their eponymous debut studio album (1980). Originally released in 1978, the song was reissued as the lead single from the album in 1980, by Mercury Records. Frontman Tom Gray is credited as the sole writer of the song, while production was collectively helmed by the Brains and Bruce Baxter. The song was popularized in 1984 by Cyndi Lauper, who released a cover version of the song as a single from her debut studio album, She's So Unusual (1983).
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American singer Cyndi Lauper has released eleven studio albums, six compilation albums, five video albums and fifty-three singles. Worldwide, Lauper has sold approximately 50 million albums, singles and DVDs. According to RIAA, She has sold 9.5 million certified albums in the United States with She's so Unusual being her biggest seller.
I Remember Yesterday is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. It was released on May 13, 1977, seven months after the release of her previous album. Like her previous three albums, it was a concept album, this time seeing Summer combining the recent disco sound with various sounds of the past. I Remember Yesterday includes the singles "Can't We Just Sit Down ", "I Feel Love", the title track, "Love's Unkind" and "Back in Love Again". "I Feel Love" and "Love's Unkind" proved to be the album's most popular and enduring hits, the former of which came to be one of Summer's signature songs.
Merry Christmas ... Have a Nice Life is the sixth studio album and first Christmas album released by Cyndi Lauper. It combines original compositions by Lauper and collaborator Jan Pulsford with traditional Christmas songs. "Feels Like Christmas" previously appeared on Lauper's 1993 album Hat Full of Stars. The album has sold 26,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album was released for the first time on vinyl, 1,000 pressings, in November 2019.
"Come On Home" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper and released in August 1995 as the third and final single from her greatest hits album, Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some (1994). It peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and at number 39 on the UK Singles chart.
Bring Ya to the Brink is American singer Cyndi Lauper's tenth studio album, released on May 14, 2008 in Japan, and 13 days later worldwide. The album is a collection of dance-oriented songs and features collaborations with Basement Jaxx, Richard Morel, Max Martin and Kleerup, among others. Regarded as one of the singer's best works at the time it was released, the Songwriters Hall of Fame has regarded the album track "High and Mighty" as one of Lauper's key songs. The album received a nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. The song "Set Your Heart" was released as a promotional single in Japan in early 2008, while "Same Ol' Story" was the first official single released on May 6, 2008. "Into the Nightlife" was released as the second single.
Memphis Blues is the eleventh studio album by American singer Cyndi Lauper, containing cover versions of classic blues songs. Regarded as a continuation of her 2008 comeback, the album was a nominee for the Grammy Awards 2010 and was released on her 57th birthday, June 22, 2010. According to the Brazilian daily newspaper O Globo, the album had sold 600,000 copies worldwide by November 2010. Memphis Blues was voted the 7th best album of 2010 by the New York Post, and it went on to become Billboard's biggest selling blues album of 2010. To support the album, Lauper made her biggest tour ever, the Memphis Blues Tour, which had more than 140 shows.
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Detour is the twelfth studio album by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper, containing cover versions of country and western songs. It was released on May 6, 2016, and is the artist's first for Sire Records. The album was recorded in Nashville and produced by Tony Brown. In the United States, the album debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number four on the Billboard Top Country Albums and sold 36,800 copies as of September 2016.
In A Night to Remember (it's also the title of a romantic song) which has sold 1.3 million copies worldwide, Cyndi has two special guest stars: guitarist Eric Clapton and bassist Bootsie Collin.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Cyndi has barely released her third album – A Night to Remember – and it is already certified as gold in Brazil for selling 100,000 copies. Two gold and one platinum record were given to her, yesterday, by the president of the Brazilian CBS, Cláudio Condé.