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"Play the Game Tonight" | ||||
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Single by Kansas | ||||
from the album Vinyl Confessions | ||||
B-side | "Play On" | |||
Released | May 1982 | |||
Recorded | 1981–1982 | |||
Genre | Progressive rock, pop rock | |||
Length | 3:26 | |||
Label | Kirshner, Legacy/Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Phil Ehart, Danny Flower, Rob Frazier, Kerry Livgren, Rich Williams | |||
Producer(s) | Kansas, Ken Scott | |||
Kansas singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Play the Game Tonight" on YouTube |
"Play the Game Tonight" is a progressive rock single recorded by Kansas for their 1982 album Vinyl Confessions . It managed to chart at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the 15th single, 10th top 100 hit, sixth top 40 hit, and the third of four Top 20 hits produced by Kansas.
The song was written and produced during the John Elefante period of Kansas and was on the first of two albums to be produced during that period (the other being Drastic Measures). The song has been re-released on several live and compilation albums, including The Best of Kansas , The Ultimate Kansas , Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection , and the Device, Voice, Drum live CD/DVD combo.
The song begins with a slow, mysterious piano intro played by John Elefante, which continues playing as Elefante comes in on vocals, singing the first verse. As the verse progresses to the end, there is an increase in volume leading up to the chorus, where Elefante is backed by Robby Steinhardt, Dave Hope, Kerry Livgren, and Roger Taylor on vocals. The same structure repeats with the second verse and chorus, leading up to a violin solo by Steinhardt, progressing into the third and final chorus. On the album Vinyl Confessions , a follow-up to the song, "Play On", is played near the end of the album.
Cash Box described "Play the Game Tonight" as "a stormy- slice of ornate pop/rock, moving from a quiet 'Dust In The Wind'-type opening to a marching chorus." [1]
The music video depicts, in between the band playing the song, a chess game played by two hooded beings. One is dressed in white and represents Life and all Mankind's accomplishments (a baby developing in a womb and a Moon landing (Apollo 11 ?) is seen in two clippings), while the other wears black and is meant to represent Death and Destruction (as seen by clips of a military landing (war) and a nuclear explosion).[ citation needed ] The pieces in the chess set are characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.[ citation needed ] At the end of the video, the chess piece that is the rook, on the side of the figure in white, makes a move across the board to the king piece of the figure in black; putting him into either check or checkmate, as the camera zooms out and the black figure pauses, before the video fades out.
Kansas
Guest musicians
Chart (1982) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [2] | 35 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [3] | 17 |
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [4] | 4 |
Kansas is an American rock band formed in Topeka, Kansas in 1973. They became popular during the decade initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The band has produced nine gold albums, three multi-platinum albums, one other platinum studio album (Monolith), one platinum live double album, and a million-selling single, "Dust in the Wind". Kansas appeared on the US Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the 1970s and 1980s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. "Carry On Wayward Son" was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No. 1 in 1997.
Point of Know Return is the fifth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1977. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2002.
John Elefante is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. From 1981-1984, he was lead vocalist of the rock group Kansas and is currently touring with several groups that have featured members from classic rock bands. His credits include writing and singing lead vocals on three multi-platinum albums. He produced albums that have earned numerous GMA Dove Awards, four Grammy Awards, and ten Grammy nominations. He has maintained a close working relationship with his brother, Dino, co-writer of several Kansas songs.
Kansas is the debut studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released in 1974 by Kirshner in the United States and Epic Records in other countries.
Masque is the third studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas. The album was released in September 1975, remastered for CD in 2001, and again remastered and reissued on vinyl in 2014. The opening track, "It Takes a Woman's Love ", was remixed for release as a single but was not popular, including additional guest vocals and segments far different from the album version.
Leftoverture is the fourth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1976. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2001. It was the band's first album to be certified by the RIAA, and remains their highest selling album, having been certified 5 times platinum in the United States.
Monolith is the sixth studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released in 1979. The album reached No. 10 on the Billboard album charts, marking their third straight studio album to reach the top ten.
Audio-Visions is the seventh studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released in 1980. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 1996 on Legacy/Epic and again in 2011, as a Japanese import vinyl-replica CD, as well as part of the Sony/Legacy domestic boxed set, Kansas Complete Album Collection 1974-1983, which packages all of the band's original releases on Kirshner and affiliated labels CBS/Columbia.
Vinyl Confessions is the eighth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1982. It includes "Play the Game Tonight", which broke the Top 20 and is Kansas's third highest-charting single, surpassed only by "Carry on Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 1996 on Legacy/Epic and again in 2011.
Drastic Measures is the ninth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1983.
Somewhere to Elsewhere is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 2000. It is Kansas' first album to feature the band's original lineup since 1980's Audio-Visions, along with Billy Greer, who joined the band in 1985. Steve Walsh tracked vocals in his home studio while working on his second solo album Glossolalia and did not join the rest of the band at Kerry Livgren's studio. His contribution were solely vocals. Livgren composed all of the album's tracks, and the hidden track "Geodesic Dome" is his first and only lead vocal on a Kansas song. Somewhere to Elsewhere is Kansas' last studio album to feature both Robby Steinhardt, who left the band in 2006 and died in 2021, and Steve Walsh, who left the band in 2014.
The Best of Kansas is the first compilation by American progressive rock band Kansas. Originally released in 1984, it featured the new "Perfect Lover," written by then-lead vocalist John Elefante and his brother Dino Elefante.
Device – Voice – Drum is a live DVD by American rock band Kansas, released in 2002. The same concert was released as an enhanced double-CD live album. The CD release features the enhanced live track, "Distant Vision".
"Carry On Wayward Son" is a song by American rock band Kansas, released on their 1976 studio album, Leftoverture. Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren, the song became the band's first Top 40 hit, reaching No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977.
"Dust in the Wind" is a song recorded by American progressive rock band Kansas and written by band member Kerry Livgren, first released on their 1977 album Point of Know Return.
Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection is the fifth compilation from the band Kansas, originally released in 2004. Along with two CDs that include tracks from each one of the band's studio albums, the compilation also includes a 16-track companion DVD which features numerous television appearances, videos, and live recordings. The title Sail On comes from a lyric in the band's 1975 song "Icarus ", which is included in the collection.
The Ultimate Kansas is the fourth compilation from the band Kansas. It was originally released in 2002, and focuses solely on their Kirshner period from their debut album Kansas in 1974, up to and including Drastic Measures in 1983. The collection was rereleased in 2008 under the title Essential Kansas 3.0 as part of the Sony/BMG Legacy series of that name, with an additional "bonus disc" with seven additional songs, and featuring "eco-friendly" packaging.
"Point of Know Return" is a song by the progressive rock band Kansas written by Steve Walsh (lyrics), Robby Steinhardt, and Phil Ehart for their 1977 album Point of Know Return.
"People of the South Wind" is a progressive rock single recorded by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren for their 1979 album Monolith.