We've Got Tonight (Kenny Rogers album)

We've Got Tonight
Studio album by Kenny Rogers
Released	February 11, 1983
Studio	Lion Share, Los Angeles Creative Workshop, Nashville Hitsville U.S.A., Los Angeles Ocean Way, Los Angeles
Genre	Country
Label	Liberty
Producer	Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, David Foster, Brent Maher, Randy Goodrum, James Carmichael
Kenny Rogers chronology
Love Will Turn You Around (1982) We've Got Tonight (1983) Eyes That See in the Dark (1983)
Singles from We've Got Tonight
"We've Got Tonight" Released: January 24, 1983 "All My Life" Released: April 1983 "Scarlet Fever" Released: June 1983

We've Got Tonight is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Kenny Rogers, released in 1983. It is also his last with Liberty Records before signing with RCA Records.

Overview

The title cut, a duet with Sheena Easton, was the debut single and became one of Rogers' signature hits, soaring to No. 1 on the country charts and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart, reaching No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart. There were two other singles: "All My Life", which peaked at No. 13 on the country charts, though it fared at No. 3 in Canada, and "Scarlet Fever", which is lesser-known but still reached No. 5 and No. 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 No. 13 on the Hot 100, making Rogers' version a higher-seller (at the time), five years after it was written.

"You Are So Beautiful" was written by 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 reasonable number of songs to Rogers, submitted the track "How Long" to this album.

The album hit No. 3 on the country chart and No. 18 on the main Billboard album chart. It attained Platinum status in both the United States and Canada.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"We've Got Tonight" (with Sheena Easton)	Bob Seger	3:49
2.	"Scarlet Fever"	Mike Dekle	4:18
3.	"Farther I Go"	David MacKechnie, Kin Vassy	3:27
4.	"No Dreams"	Randy Goodrum	3:25
5.	"Bad Enough"	Dave Robbins, Jeff Silbar, Van Stephenson	3:14
6.	"All My Life"	Robbins, Silbar, Stephenson	3:49
7.	"How Long"	Lionel Richie	3:51
8.	"Love, Love, Love"	Dick St. Nicklaus	3:28
9.	"What I Learned from Loving You"	James Hooker, Russell Smith	3:50
10.	"You Are So Beautiful"	Bruce Fisher, Billy Preston	2:50

Personnel

• Kenny Rogers – lead vocals, backing vocals (4, 5)
• David Foster – keyboards (1, 6), backing vocals (6)
• John Hobbs – keyboards (2, 5, 10)
• Randy Goodrum – keyboards (4), backing vocals (4)
• Shane Keister – keyboards (4)
• Robbie Buchanan – synthesizers (7, 9)
• Michael Lang – keyboards (7, 9)
• Clarence McDonald – keyboards (7, 9)
• Reginald "Sonny" Burke –keyboards (8)
• Marty Walsh – guitar (1)
• Timothy May – guitar (2, 7, 9)
• Fred Tackett – guitar (2, 10)
• Kin Vassy – guitar (2, 3), backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10)
• Billy Joe Walker Jr. – guitar (3)
• Richie Zito – guitar (3, 5)
• Jon Goin – guitar (4)
• Steve Lukather – guitar (6)
• Carlos Rios – guitar (7, 9)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (8, 9)
• David T. Walker – guitar (8)
• Nathan East – bass (1, 8)
• Joe Chemay – bass (2, 5, 6, 7, 9), backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 6)
• Trey Thompson – bass (3)
• Jack Williams – bass (4)
• Emory Gordy Jr. – bass (10)
• Mike Baird – drums (1, 6)
• Paul Leim – drums (2, 5, 7, 9, 10), percussion (2)
• Ress Williams – drums (3)
• Kenny Malone – drums (4)
• Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums (8)
• Gary Herbig – oboe (10)
• Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangements and conductor (1, 6)
• Bergen White – string arrangements (4)
• Sheldon Kurland – strings (4)
• Sheena Easton – lead vocals (1)
• Terry Williams – backing vocals (2-8, 10), guitar (3)
• Dorothy Newton – backing vocals (5)
• Juanice Charmaine – backing vocals (7, 8)
• Lionel Richie – backing vocals (7)
• Cindy Fee – backing vocals (10)

Production

• Producers – Kenny Rogers (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 & 10); David Foster (Tracks 1 & 6); Brent Maher (Track 4); Randy Goodrum (Track 4); James Carmichael (Track 7, 8 & 9); Lionel Richie (Tracks 7 & 8).
• Engineers – Humberto Gatica (Tracks 1, 6 & 9); Al Schmitt (Tracks 1, 6, 8, 9 & 10); Reggie Dozier (Tracks 2, 3, 5, 8 & 10); Stephen Schmitt (Track 3); Brent Maher (Track 4); Calvin Harris (Tracks 7 & 9); Bob Bullock (Track 9).
• Second Engineer – Stephen Schmitt (Tracks 1, 4, 5 & 10); Larry Ferguson (Track 2).
• Mixing – Humberto Gatica (Track 1); Bob Bullock (Track 2); Al Schmitt (Track 3); Reggie Dozier (Track 5); Calvin Harris (Track 7).
• Tracks 1, 2, 3 & 5-10 recorded at Lion Share Recording (Los Angeles, CA); Track 4 recorded at Creative Workshop (Nashville, TN); Tracks 7 & 9 recorded at Hitsville Studios (Los Angeles, CA).
• Strings on Tracks 1 & 6 recorded at Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles, CA).
• Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 10 mixed at Lion Share Recording; Track 4 mixed at Creative Workshop; Tracks 7 & 9 mixed at Hitsville Studios.
• Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
• Art Direction – Henry Marquez and Roy R. Guzman
• Design – Roy R. Guzman
• Photography – Matthew Rolston
• Management – Ken Kragen

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1983) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [1] 49 Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [2] 19 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [3] 13 US Billboard 200 [4] 18 US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [5] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1983) Peak position Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [6] 64 US Billboard 200 [7] 97 US Top Country Albums ( Billboard ) [8] 27

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [9]	Platinum	100,000^
United States (RIAA) [10]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 256. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
2. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6293a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
3. "Norwegiancharts.com – Kenny Rogers – We've Got Tonight". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
4. "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
5. "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4435". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
7. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
8. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
9. "Canadian album certifications – Kenny Rogers – We've Got Tonight". Music Canada.
10. "American album certifications – Kenny Rogers – Got Tonight". Recording Industry Association of America.

• We've Got Tonight album page at Allmusic