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, [a] 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. [3] The original Kindred Spirit tracklist included 10 songs, eight of which were eventually included on the final album. [3] 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. [4] The song "My First Night Without You" was previewed in October 1988 at CBS UK's annual conference, and the album was still known as Kindred Spirit at the time. [5] By March 1989, the album's title had changed to A Night to Remember and was initially announced for an April release with this title. [6] 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. [7]
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. [8]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Chicago Tribune | [10] |
Robert Christgau | C+ [11] |
Los Angeles Times | [12] |
Number One | [13] |
Rolling Stone | [14] |
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. [10] [12] [14] 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", [15] while The Village Voice , in comparing the album to Lauper's previous work, declared "How embarrassing to have placed hope in this woman." [11]
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. [16] Music & Media gave a positive review of the album, calling it "wayward, girlish pop aimed firmly at the charts" as well as "clever and sophisticated", [17] and named it one of its "albums of the week". [18]
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. [19]
The album sold moderately well but did not enjoy the same commercial success of her two previous albums, [20] 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. [21] 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. [22]
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. [23] 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. [24] As of November 1989, the album had sold 1.3 million copies worldwide. [25]
Despite not yet being a single, "Primitive" did receive airplay in Greece beginning in June 1989. [29] "Insecurious" received radio adds in the United Kingdom in July 1989, but never became a single despite this. [30] Soon after the album's release in Japan, "Unconditional Love" began receiving airplay on the radio station J-Wave in May 1989. [31]
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) [54] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [55] | Gold | 100,000 [55] |
Canada (Music Canada) [56] | Gold | 50,000^ |
France (SNEP) [57] | Gold | 100,000* |
Japan (RIAJ) [58] | Platinum | 145,260 [59] |
United States | — | 500,000 [22] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her album She's So Unusual (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achieve four top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100—"Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time After Time", "She Bop", and "All Through the Night"—and earned Lauper the Best New Artist award at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985. Her success continued with the soundtrack for the motion picture The Goonies (1985) and her second record True Colors (1986). This album included the number-one single "True Colors" and "Change of Heart", which peaked at number three. Her cover of the Marvin Gaye song "What's Going On" was a moderate hit in 1987. In 1989, Lauper saw success with "I Drove All Night" and in 1993, had her first dance club hit with "That's What I Think".
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.
"I Drove All Night" is a song written and composed by American songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and originally intended for Roy Orbison. Orbison recorded the song in 1987, the year before his death, but his version was not released until 1991. Before that, Cyndi Lauper recorded the song and released it as a single for her A Night to Remember album. Her version became a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1989 and was also her final top 40 hit on the American pop charts. Lauper still regularly performs the song in her live concerts. The song has also been covered by Canadian singer Celine Dion, whose version topped the Canadian Singles Chart and reached number 7 on the US Adult Contemporary chart in 2003.
"My First Night Without You" is the second single released from Cyndi Lauper's third album A Night To Remember (1989).
"Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China)" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper for her 1988 film Vibes. It was written by Richard Orange, formerly of the band Zuider Zee. The track saw the light of day on an official CD, as of 2003, with the release of the 3-CD compilation, The Great Cyndi Lauper. It can be found on the following albums: Best Movie Album in the World...Ever! (3 CDs), True Colors: The Best of Cyndi Lauper (2 CDs), 36 All-time Favorites (3 CDs), Monster Hits 1988/Hits of 1988 and Cyndi Lauper Japanese Singles Collection Greatest Hits (audio track on CD and music video on DVD).
"What's Going On" is a song by American singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, released in 1971 on the Motown subsidiary Tamla. It is the opening track of Gaye's studio album of the same name. Originally inspired by a police brutality incident witnessed by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, the song was composed by Benson, Al Cleveland, and Gaye and produced by Gaye himself. The song marked Gaye's departure from the Motown Sound towards more personal material. Later topping the Hot Soul Singles chart for five weeks and crossing over to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, it would sell over two million copies, becoming Gaye's second-most successful Motown song to date. It was ranked at number 4 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of all Time in 2004 and 2010.
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.
"Time After Time" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper from her debut studio album, She's So Unusual (1983). It was released as the album's second single in March 1984, by Epic and Portrait Records. Written by Lauper and Rob Hyman, who also provided backing vocals, the song was produced by Rick Chertoff. It was written in the album's final stages, after "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "She Bop" and "All Through the Night" had been written or recorded. The writing began with the title, which Lauper had seen in TV Guide, referring to the 1979 film Time After Time.
"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).
"True Colors" is a song written by American songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. It was both the title track and the first single released from American singer Cyndi Lauper's second studio album of the same name (1986). Released in mid-1986, the song spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, being Lauper's second and last single to occupy the top of the chart. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
"Change of Heart" is a song by American singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper, released on November 11, 1986 as the second single from her second album, True Colors (1986). It went gold in the US, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by singer-songwriter Essra Mohawk. Popular remixes by Shep Pettibone were also released. A music video was produced for the song, filmed in Trafalgar Square in London. It features Lauper and her tour band performing the song in front of a large group of people. The Bangles sang background vocals on the original recording. A live version of the song was released on Lauper's live album/DVD, To Memphis, with Love.
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.
"All Through the Night" is a song written and recorded by Jules Shear for his 1983 album Watch Dog. It was produced by Todd Rundgren.
"Le monde est stone" is a song written and produced by Michel Berger and Luc Plamondon for the 1978 Canadian-French musical Starmania. It was originally performed by Fabienne Thibeault and released on the Starmania album in 1978. The English-language version of the song with lyrics by Tim Rice, titled "The World Is Stone", was recorded by American singer Cyndi Lauper and released on the Tycoon album in 1992. Celine Dion recorded "Le monde est stone" for her 1991 album, Dion chante Plamondon.
"Heading West" was the third single from Cyndi Lauper's album A Night to Remember released worldwide. It was not released as a single in North America.
The Essential Cyndi Lauper is a compilation by American pop singer Cyndi Lauper. It was released as part of Sony BMG's The Essential series in 2003. The album has sold 15,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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.
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.