“Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo?” by Devo (1978)
Release Date: August 28, 1978 Produced by Brian Eno, David Bowie (additional co-producer) Genre: New Wave, Electronic, Punk Rock Label: Warner Bros, Virgin
In 1977, David Bowie and Iggy Pop received a tape of Devo demonstration songs from the wife of Michael Aylward, guitarist in another Akron, Ohio band, Tin Huey. Both Iggy and Bowie, as well as Brian Eno and Robert Fripp, expressed interest in producing Devo's first release. At Devo's New York debut show in 1977, Bowie proclaimed that "this is the band of the future, I'm going to produce them in Tokyo this winter." Eventually, Eno was chosen to produce the album in Germany. Bowie was busy filming "Just a Gigolo," but helped Eno produce the record during weekends. Eno paid for the flights and studio cost for the band, confident that the band would be signed to a record contract. In return for his work on the album, Eno asked for a share of any subsequent deals.
Brain Eno envisioned many sides of Devo after he first heard their music, he stated, 'What I saw in them always happens when you encounter something new in art - you get a feeling of being slightly dislocated, and with that are emotional overtones that are slightly menacing as well as alluring. This induced a stiffening effect because with Devo you have something that makes your body move in a new way."
The album quickly became a cult sensation in part because of it's highly stylized visuals - videos, album art and costumes which made the band members look alike. The album was a touchstone in the development of American new wave. It was one of the first pop album to use the synthesizer as a prominent feature in their music. Devo was pivotal in the explosion of synth-pop that would soon follow.
Devo’s quirky version of The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” was the second single from the album and chart debut and was originally from their “Be Stiff” EP released in 1977. Music History professor, Theo Cateforis had recognized that Devo's rendition of the Rolling Stones classic was a satirical contradiction of African American and Caribbean rhythms in a sense a parody of the nervous bodily awkward "whiteness" of the white male man machine torn between discipline and the urges of the flesh.
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1978)
Their first single from the album was “Mongoloid” also from the “Be Stiff” EP.
"Jocko Homo," one of the album's several highlights was written in an unnerving and unusual 7/8 time which keeps the rhythm quirky on a level that outstrips any sort of quirky rhythms delivered by The Talking Heads or XTC.
Mark Mothersbaugh was a student at Kent State when he received a religious pamphlet from afraid titled "Jocko Homo" in which it debunked the theory of evolution. This was right after the students had been killed on campus at Kent State. The song was written based on a series of discussions Mothersbaugh and his bandmates had. They decided that what was happening to the planet and what they were seeing in the news was not evolution but more appropriately de-evolution. Hence the name Devo (which is short for de-evolution).
Release Date: February 4, 1977 Produced by Fleetwood Mac, Ken Caillat, Richard Dashut Genre: Soft-Rock, Pop-Rock, Pop, Classic Rock Label: Warner Brothers
Singles: “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” “You Make Lovin’ Fun”
Singles Certifications: “Go Your Own Way”: Silver (UK), Gold (US), “Dreams”: Silver (UK), Gold (US)
Other Charting Tracks: "The Chain" #81 (UK), #93 (Ireland), #6 (US Rock Digital Tracks), "Songbird" #115 (UK), "Never Going Back Again" #35 (US Rock Digital Tracks) Best Tracks: All Tracks
By the time "Rumours" was released Fleetwood Mac had been in existence for near ten years and they did achieve success in the UK with four top ten hits and top ten top albums. But once 1971 rolled around the hits dried up for this British band lead by John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. What was the next move? They added a female vocalist, Christine mcVie (John's wife) and American guitarist, songwriter and singer Bob Welsh, who had been gaining a name with his band Head West. But not much really came of this new collaboration - although they were gaining a steady popularity in the US. Finally it was the end of 1974 and Bob Welch left the band. The band was in peril - they lost a bit of direction. It was New Year's Eve 1974 (going into 1975) that American's Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band. Lindsey Buckingham's and Stevie Nicks' influence was felt instaneously after joining. The album "Fleetwood Mac" was released in the summer of 1975 and was the band's first major worldwide hit. Though "Fleetwood Mac" was highly successful, it was the next album "Rumors" that went way over the top. It far surpassed all expectations.
When it came time for the band to record "Rumors" they were falling apart. 1975's "Fleetwood Mac" was such a huge success but with that success came turmoil. John and Christine's marriage ended, they began having problems in the summer of 1973 and as their music grew more successful the stress on their marriage also grew. Lindsey Buckingham's and Stevie Nicks' romantic relationship also ended. Their new found success and wealth led to heavy consumption of alcohol and drugs as well as deep misunderstandings. If that wasn't enough Mick Fleetwood and Stevie ended up having an affair - this just complicated things much further. With all this going on the challenges of recording an album seemed all the more heightened. Stevie Nicks had commented, "It took thirteen months to record and it took every bot of inner strength we had. It was very hard on us." Maybe it was all this drama that made "Rumours" the great album it is. The songs were brutally honest with the most personal and touching lyrics the band has written in their entire career - prior to and after "Rumors." As well the performances (both vocal and instrumentally) are deep and to the soul. The record has an inbred soul about it that soak right into your very being.
Christine McVie said, "We refused to let let our feelings derail our commitment to the music." In the end their commitment paid off with one of the most successful albums of the decade and of all-time. The album spent 31 non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the US albums chart and has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. The album won the Album of The Year Grammy Award along with being nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It also won two American Music Awards and one Juno.
When it came time to edit the album and test running orders for side one and two once again drama arose. Seeing that in 1976/1977 vinyl albums were limited to around 20 minutes per side some songs had to be eliminated and/or cut down in length. One such song to be eliminated was Stevie Nicks' "Silver Springs." The original version was over six minutes long and it was decided the song was too long for the album. This was done without Stevie's knowledge. Ken Caillat and Lindsey Buckingham later took Stevie out to the studio parking lot to break the news. To appease her they told her they were replacing the song with "I Don't want To Know," a song she had written a few years earlier. Nicks was furious with this news as she really loved "Silver Springs" and felt it was one of her best works.
Two months before "Rumours" was released Lindsey Buckingham's "Go Your Own Way" was released as a single and the band chose "Silver Springs" as it's b-side, hoping this would make Stevie happy. Instead it added insult to injury. Nicks' "masterpiece" had been relegated to b-side status and at that the a-side, written by Buckingham, was less than complimentary to her with lines such as "you can go your own way" and "shacking up is all you want to do."
The release of "Go Your Own Way" saw an excited anticipation coming from Fleetwood Mac fans around the world. Fans got their first glance of what was just around the corner. This was the first Fleetwood Mac hit to be written by Lindsey Buckingham and to feature his lead vocals. In recording the drum parts for the song Lindsey Buckingham envisioned a pattern to similar to Charlie Watts' drum fills on the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man." Buckingham passed this idea to drummer Mick Fleetwood. In the studio Fleetwood did his best to mimic what he heard. But the result was far from what Watts had played. Despite the quirky rhythm and disoriented style Buckingham felt Mick's drum work was a perfect fit for the song. Mick credited his dyslexia for the eclectic drum patterns.
"Go Your Own Way" was Buckingham's message song to Stevie Nicks. In short he was telling her "go ahead date other men and live your miserable life. Buckingham was not one to mince words. He was pretty forward about how he felt and made it known to Stevie.
Lindsey Buckingham wrote or co-wrote four songs on the album and sang or shared lead vocals on six songs. Buckingham's voice was heard on the album more than anybody else's. He had the fortune of having the first single release and the opening track on the album. "Second Hand News," which began it's life as an acoustic demo titled "Strummer," saw "Rumours" beginning the tale of the break-up of the Nicks-Buckingham romance. Stevie Nicks commented that Lindsey's songs may have been a bit on the angry side, but they were honest. The first lyrics, "I know there's nothing to say, someone has taken my place," set the mood for the song. The aggressive drum beat symbolizes the songs angst. Buckingham wanted to infuse a slight disco beat similar to the chugging rhythms he heard in the Bee Gees' 1975 hit "Jive Talking'." Buckingham tried several different way to replicate that sound. He ended up pounding on the seat of a naugahyde chair in the studio and discovered the perfect time and sound for the song.
Lindsey Buckingham's "Second Hand News" was followed by Stevie Nicks' "Dreams," which in many ways was an answer to songs to the Buckingham song. Maybe Nicks' motive was not as intentional. In an effort to not rock the boat anymore than it had already been shaken Buckingham pretty much kept "Second Hand News" a secret from Stevie - until the last minute. Stevie's message wasn't quite as "in your face" as Lindsey's was. Stevie said she was trying to be philosophical and he was just plain mad. She used quite a bit of symbolism in her phrasing, but the message still came across loud and clear. In the opening line Stevie says, "Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom." Makes one wonder was it Mr. Buckingham that originate this breakup? Stevie follows it up with, "Well who am I to keep you down?" Possibly the split was a mutual agreement.
"Dreams" (1977)
Despite the fact that Stevie Nicks' presence and voice with Fleetwood Mac was a major driver of the success for both "Fleetwood Mac" and "Rumors," her participation was actually very low. She was the only band member that did not play an instrument on the album. She experienced a fair amount of down time between her parts. In the meantime Stevie would walk over to an unused studio down the hall from the Record Plant studio Fleetwood Mac recorded their sessions. This studio had been built for Sly Stone. Nicks would take her crocheting, electric piano, books and art as sources of stimulation. As she sat on a big black velvet bed that was set up that studio with red wall surrounding her, she wrote "Dreams," within ten minutes. Nicks often called "Go Your Own Way" and "Dreams" twin songs as they both chronicled the struggle to untangle their toxic romantic partnership from their wildly successful professional one.
"Dreams" was the second song on the album and became the second single. Where "Go Your Own Way" was a huge and memorable hit, "Dreams" was an even bigger hit sailing quickly to #1 and has the status of being Fleetwood Mac's only hit to top the US charts (the song their first of two #1 hits in Canada). This had to have been a great source of vindication for Stevie in that her song connected with more music listeners than Lindsey's did and though in many ways she was overshadowed by Christine McVie it was Stevie that wrote and sang the band's biggest hit.
The Buckingham/Nicks drama continued with the next song "Never Going Back Again." The lyrics were sparse in this song but once again in Lindsey Buckingham's style they were to the point. Basically he was talking about eh hurt and pain he experienced in love and that he will never go down that road again. The song was used as the b-side to "You Make Loving fun" on the UK pressing of the single.
"Don't Stop," the album's third single release was written and sung by Christine McVie (she shared the lead vocals with Lindsey Buckingham). This song ended up being her biggest hit and may possibly be Fleetwood Mac's best known song overall. "Don't Stop" already a huge hit and known worldwide gained even more notoriety when US President Bill Clinton used the song as his campaign theme during his 1992 presidential campaign and was prominently featured at the 1992 Democratic national Convention. When Clinton won he convinced the group (who had disbanded) to reunite and perform at his inaugural ball in January 1993.
"Don't Stop" (1977)
"Don't Stop" reflects Christine's views after her eight year marriage to Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie ended. She took an optimistic approach realizing that yesterday's gone so keep on moving forward - don't stop thinking about tomorrow - don't stop it'll soon be here - don't you live in the past. This was a healthy song with a good healthy outlook about what the future has in store if you just keep on going forward and letting go of the past. This message she said was more directed to John to let him know that time will heal the wounds. Christine commented, "I'm definitely not a pessimist."
"Rumours" originally was going to be named "Yesterday's Gone" after the line in the song "Don't Stop." John McVie came up with the title "Rumours" after realizing there was a lot of talk going around in Hollywood about the personal drama Fleetwood Mac was experiencing.
Next up we find "Go Your Own Way" which was discussed earlier in this post. Nicks however commented, "I very much resented him (Lindsey Buckingham) telling the world that 'packing up, shacking' with other men was all I wanted to do.
The delicately penned Christine McVie tune "Songbird" closed side one of "Rumors" with a sense of beauty and feeling of passion. Though it was not released as a single "Songbird" is one of the most emotionally powerful songs on the album. Christine McVie was reaching inside for a state of mind that was missing in Fleetwood Mac at the moment. They were a unit that was able to produce a product but were lacking in the side of a true emotional bond and devotion to the heart and soul of the people with which they worked and had once loved. The professionalism was there, the angst was there, the love of the art was there... but the love of each was missing. Christine McVie wrote "Songbird" to recapture that love.
Christine said that during the recording of "Rumors", "Songbird" held Fleetwood Mac together during their hard times. Once they heard the song, they reflected on how much they had been through together and how much love they shared.
Christine wrote the song during a time of solitude in about thirty minute when she woke up at 3:30 in the morning with the idea in her head. She said it was alike gift from an angel. It's as if the song was a short and gentle prayer of love - love that she wished upon those around her and for herself. During the recording session, producer Ken Caillat wanted to capture the song's warmhearted melancholic energy and felt the song needed the ambience of a concert hall. The song was recorded in a one-night session in Berkeley at the University of California's Zellerbach Auditorium. Ken Caillat decided the song needed to remain as McVie played it for him initially - with a stripped down production - McVie's voice and her piano. In order to set the mood Caillat ordered a nine-foot Steinway piano to be set up in the auditorium and as a surprise for Christine had requested a bouquet of roses to placed on Christine's piano with three colored spotlights to illuminate them from above. When Christine arrived the house lights were dimmed so all she could see were the flowers and piano. She nearly broke into tears then started to play.
"Songbird" charted on the US Rock Digital Tracks chart in 2011 most likely due to a cover version done on the popular TV program "Glee."
Flipping the record over we find "The Chain" opening Side Two. "The Chain" is the only song that is written by all five members of the band - Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. The song was a complicated undertaking as it was based on instrumentation from an unreleased Christine McVie demo called "Keep Me There" and a recording by Stevie Nicks which were both recut and heavily remixed and blended into the song. John McVie added his solo using a fretless bass guitar. The song was a combination of varying sources. Finally the lyrics came. Stevie brought some lyrics to the studio for the song which she felt would work really well. Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham liked what he saw and went to work to piece it together. Lindsey arranged and made a song out of all the bits and pieces the band had recorded over the past several months. The band ended up calling it "The Chain" because it was a bunch of pieces linked together.
"The Chain" (1977)
"The Chain" charted in 2009 in both the UK and Ireland after it had been reinstated as the BBC Formula One theme.
"You Make Loving Fun" was the fourth and last single released from "Rumors." Despite the fact that the album had already sold millions of copies throughout the US, "You Make Loving Fun" was still a huge hit and sold well reaching #9 in the US and #7 in Canada. The song was another one of Christine McVie's uplifting tunes. She wrote it about her boyfriend at the time, Curry Grant, who was the lighting director for Fleetwood Mac. In order to avoid any emotional flair up Christine told then husband John McVie that the song was about her dog. John later found out it was about Grant, with whom Christine was having an affair.
The next track "I Don't Want To Know" was written by Stevie Nicks in 1974 before joining Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham and Nicks never recorded the Buddy Holly influenced song officially but did perform it live in concert a few times.
The story of "I Don't Want To Know" begins with the song "Silver Springs. Written by Stevie Nicks "Silver Springs" was left off the album due to the fact, that at over six minutes, it was simply too long. Back in the seventies on a vinyl album you could fit only about 22 minutes of music per side. In order to include "Silver Springs" the band would have had to cut at least 30 seconds off of all the other songs on the album. The band and producers really wanted to see the song included on the album but it was not feasible. Instead without Stevie's knowledge it was decided to include "I Don't Want To Know." They were hoping to please Nicks by including another of her songs. Instead she was upset that she had been kept in the dark until the last minute. The news was broken to her when it was time to record the vocals.
"Silver Springs" was used for the b-side of the album's first single "Go Your Own Way" and received some attention and airplay at that point.
Christine McVie had a gift for writing songs that tug at those heart strings and "Oh Daddy" is one of those wonderfully beautiful songs. This poignant song was written about Mick Fleetwood and his wife Jenny Boyd, who had just gotten back together. The band's nickname for Mick was "The Big Daddy" as he was the only father in the band, with two daughters. Stevie Nicks wrote the lines, "and I can't walk away from you baby, if I tried." In 1979 Natalie Cole recorded an effectively moving rendition of the song.
Listening to "Rumours" in it's entirety back in 1977 was an experience, it was a journey through life and emotion. Each song brought out different sorts of emotions. There was pain, hurt, anger, joy, love, beauty and more pain. But more fulfilling than even the journey of emotions was the music itself, the fine tuned musicianship, the powerful vocals and the energy brought forth through the music. Each song built from the one before it. There was not one loser in the bunch. And here we are at the end of this exceptional album. We have just finished listening to ten excellent songs and we are now at the last song of the album. Will expectations are high - will Fleetwood Mac impress or will the album end on an even keel - not really impressing but also not really disappointing?
This brings us to "Gold Dust Woman," the end of the album. It's hard to top ten top rate songs but Fleetwood Mac did it - they truly saved the best for last. I feel the two biggest prizes in an album are the opening track and the closing track. The opener sets the mood of the album and the closing track leaves the lasting impression. The two newest members had those honors - Lindsey Buckingham had the opener while Stevie Nicks got the closing. This is not to play down any of the other songs because they are all equally great but there is usually a reason for the choices of opening and closing songs (anyway in albums that are carefully crafted - and it is evident that "Rumours" was a carefully crafted album).
"Gold Dust Woman" was written by Stevie Nicks and she also sings the soulful lead vocal. The song was inspired by Los Angeles and the hardships of living in such a metropolis. The lyrics focus on her cocaine addiction. The song is built on a free jazz frame in which each musician in which each musician develops their own progressions in the song.
In a 2017 Rolling Stone Magazine review of "Rumours" Andrew Unterberger wrote, "Nicks has openly admitted that she has no idea what Rumors' mystical closing track is even about, which is probably one of the reasons it's played such a large part in building the frontwoman's own gypsy-woman mythology. With it's reset-like production, guitar riffs spilling from everywhere like sand through the song's fingers, and Stevie's uniquely possessed vocals, Gold Dust Woman is as alluring and enigmatic as it's singer - a note of anti-closure for the LP to end on, the mysteries of love and life forever unknowable."
Now the album is over and we ponder do we play it again or neatly tuck it back in it's case and reminisce on each great tune. Ah why not let's play it again... it really is that great.
Larson came to public attention singing backup for Neil Young on American Stars 'n Bars and Comes a Time. Her first charting single was Young's composition "Lotta Love" which reached #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.
Eddie Van Halen appears uncredited on guitar on "Can't Get Away From You". Michael McDonald and Linda Ronstadt are both credited for providing backing vocals.
There were three singles released from the album, the first was her breakthrough, which to this day remains he biggest hit. “Lotta Love” was written by Neil Young and was first featured on Neil’s 1978 album “Comes A Time” which featured Nicolette Larson singing backing vocals. Nicolette’s version of the song was released shortly after Young’s version. Nicolette took Neil’s simple down home song and turned it into an upbeat sparkling song that contains this tone of optimism about it. A 12” single disco mix of the song was released to favorable response from dance club DJs and the song was played in clubs throughout North America. Having been a worldwide hit it looked as if Nicolette was well on her way to worldwide superstardom. Alas the following singles did not fare as well. She had a few subsequent minor hits but nothing that took storm, as did “Lotta Love.”
"Lotta Love"
The second single “Rhumba Girl” received minor airplay in the US and Canada but did not catch on like the former hit. “Rhumba Girl” was written by Jesse Winchester is a Canadian-American singer/songwriter he has had several hits in Canada including 1970’s “Yankee Lady” and 1981’s “Say What” which was a hit in both the US and Canada. The third single “Give A Little” came and went before anybody could notice it.
A soulful rendition of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” is a true album highlight which should have been released as a single. Larson proves with this song that she was a gifted vocalist that could tackle most any genre of song.
Release Date: September 1972 Produced by Michael Cuscuna Chart Positions: #138 (US) Certifications: Gold (US) Singles: “Too Long At The Fair”
“Give It Up” was the second album release for the 22-year-old Bonnie Raitt. Her first album, a straight up blues affair titled “Bonnie Raitt,” released in 1971 failed to chart but managed to capture the attention of several music luminaries of the time.
Transitioning to her second album Raitt strengthened her recognizable style. When she went into the studio to record “Give It Up” Raitt had a new advantage from the attention she garnered with her first album. She hired producer Michael Cuscuna, a musician with a strong background in jazz. Along with recording Bonnie Raitt, Cuscuna’s also produced several albums throughout the 70s for jazz musician Dave Brubeck. Cuscuna’s brought in notable musicians such as Paul Butterfield (Butterfield Blues Band), Eric Kaz (songwriter of “Love Has No Pride” and several other hits), and Dave Holland (prolific jazz musician).
“Give It Up” maintained Raitt’s R&B and blues background melding it with a contemporary Californian soft-rock and folk sound.
“Too Long At The Fair” was released as a promo single in the US, Canada and the UK to promote the album. Early in the 1970s Bonnie Raitt's manager, Dick Waterman, dropped into Passim (Club 47) in Cambridge, attempting to get a booking for Raitt. While Waterman and the club owner were discussing the booking, he heard Joel Zoss sing "Too Long at the Fair." After the show Waterman introduced himself and asked for a tape of the song to play for Raitt. Raitt recorded the song along with another Zoss composition “I Gave My Love A Candle” which appeared on her 1973 album “Takin’ My Time.”
The title track, “Give It Up or Let Me Go,” written by Bonnie Raitt, opens with Raiit’s blues filled acoustic guitar and quickly works into a New Orleans Dixieleand Jazz celebration.
"Give It Up Or Let Me Go"
Eric Kaz’s “Love Has No Pride” closes the album. Raitt’s somber folksy blues rendition gave life to a song which was recorded a year later by Linda Ronstadt for her 1973 album “Don’t Cry Now.” Ronstadt released the song as a single and achieved minor chart success with it.
Release Date: June 18, 1976 Produced by Tom Dowd Genres: Rock, Pop, Classic Rock, Adult Contemporary Chart Positions: #1 (UK, Australia, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden), #2 (US), #5 (Netherlands), #23 (Japan), #29 (Germany) Certifications: 6xPlatinum (Australia), 2xPlatinum (US, Canada), Platinum (UK)
Singles: “Tonight’s The Night” (#1 US, Canada), #2 (Brazil, Ireland, New Zealand), #3 (Australia), #4 (France), #5 (Netherlands), (UK), #6 (Norway), #7 (Sweden, Holland), #13 (Belgium), #26 (Germany), #2 (US Adult Contemporary)
“The Killing Of Georgie” ##2 (UK), #7 (Canada), #9 (France), #24 (Holland), #25 (Netherlands), #30 (US), #36 (Germany), #38 (Australia)
“The First Cut Is The Deepest” #1 (UK, Germany, Netherlands), #4 (Ireland), #5 (New Zealand), #10 (France), #21 (US), #3 (US Adult Contemporary) Singles Certifications: "Tonight's The Night" Gold (US, Canada), "The First Cut Is The Deepest" Silver (UK)
A Night on the Town is Rod Stewart's seventh album, released in 1976. The cover art is based on Pierre-Auguste Renoir's painting Bal du moulin de la Galette, with Stewart inserted in the centre in period costume. Stewart performed "Big Bayou" regularly with The Faces during their final US tour the previous year, although the version found on "A Night On The Town" was based on the one Ronnie Wood released on his 1975 solo album, Now Look.
“A Night On The Town” was a star-studded event with guest players such as Eagles band-member Joe Walsh on guitar, David Lindley (“Mercury Blues”) on guitar, legendary record producer and songwriter David Foster (known for his 1985 hit “Love Theme from St. Elmos Fire) playing keyboards, R&B and Blues musician Booker T. Jones on keyboards, Tower of Power on horns and Arif Mardin composing the strings arrangement. Producer Tom Dowd produced many other popular acts of the time including Kenny Loggins, Chicago, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meatloaf, J. Geils Band, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, The Eagles as well as many jazz greats such as Charles Mingus, Herbie Mann, Ornette Coleman, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and a host of others.
The first single release “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” shot up the charts instantly and was a huge hit throughout the world. This was his comeback hit in the US. His previous Top 15 US hit was 1972’s “You Wear It Well.” The song was 1977’s #1 song in the US and Canada.
According to Dan Peek of America, Stewart's inspiration for "Tonight's the Night" was America's Top 30 hit "Today's the Day": Peek recalls that one evening when he and his guest Rod Stewart were playing together in Peek's home recording studio: "I played 'Today's the Day', the song I had been working on. Rod said that he liked it and that it gave him an idea for a song. Of course after his recording of 'Tonight's the Night' came out I laughed when I remembered what he'd said. I'm sure I probably smacked my forehead and said: 'Why didn't I think of that?'"
The song features a French spoken part from Britt Ekland who was Stewart's girlfriend at the time. Some listeners have interpreted the song as an incestuous pedophile's successful seduction of his daughter. Stewart's persona explicitly refers to his partner as his "virgin child," and among her French comments at the end, she asks, "What is Mama going to say?" The song was partially banned in some parts of the UK because of its suggestive lyrics. Later the ban was dropped due to public demand.
“The Killing of Georgie” was the album’s second single release. This was a personal song to Rod. The song tells the story of a gay man who was killed in New York City. A two-part song, Part I was the more popular hit and was blended into the more melancholy and sombre Part II. The song's lyrics tell the tale of a friend of the narrator's, a gay man, the eponymous Georgie. The song follows Georgie through his life. When Georgie reveals his sexuality to his parents his father asks, "How can my son not be straight, after all I've said and done for him?" Georgie, cast out by his parents, leaves home and heads for New York City where he becomes successful and popular in Manhattan's upper class, "the toast of the Great White Way". The narrator visits him in Summer 1975, when Georgie tells him he's in love; the narrator is pleased for him. Georgie attends the opening night of a Broadway musical, but has no interest in lingering afterward so he leaves "before the final curtain call" and heads crosstown. He is attacked near East 53rd Street by a New Jersey gang of thieves that was waiting in a car on a "darkened side street" and one thief inadvertently kills him. The narrator remembers Georgie's advice on living life to the full while young, before it ends. The song ends with the narrator begging Georgie to stay.
The year of Georgie's death is given as 1975 purely for the purposes of the song's rhyme. The murder of the individual on which the song is based occurred in 1974.
"The Killing of Georgie"
In the May 1995 issue of Mojo, Stewart explained: "That was a true story about a gay friend of The Faces. He was especially close to me and Mac. But he was knifed or shot, I can't remember which. That was a song I wrote totally on me own over the chord of open E." The switchblade knife in the song's lyrics implies that Georgie was stabbed to death.
When he was asked about writing a song with a gay theme, Stewart said, "It's probably because I was surrounded by gay people at that stage. I had a gay PR man, a gay manager. Everyone around me was gay. I don't know whether that prompted me into it or not. I think it was a brave step, but it wasn't a risk. You can't write a song like that unless you've experienced it. But it was a subject that no one had approached before. And I think it still stands up today."
The third and final single from “A Night On The Town,” “The First Cut Is The Deepest” was released in the UK as a double a-side coupled with “I Don’t Want To Talk About It.” In the US the song was released with “Balltrap” as its b-side. “The First Cut Is The Deepest” was written by Cat Stevens and was first recorded by P.P. Arnold in May 1967. P.P. Arnold did a good amount of recording with Small Faces in 1967 and also recorded a duet with Rod Stewart the same year. Stevens released his version a few months later on his album “New Masters.”
Album highlight “Pink Flamingo” was recorded in 1966 by Manfred Mann and was a #1 hit in the UK and Top 30 hit in the US for them.
Written by Rod Stewart, “Fool For You” takes him back to his early 70s days with a sound similar to “Maggie Mae” and “You Wear It Well.” "Fool for You" is a melodic and heart-breaking tale of a man realizing he's involved with a woman who lives in a world in which he will never belong. He feels his out of his league and can never make her happy so he's breaking off the relationship (by letter, of course) with great sadness as he is still very much in love.(He's even leaving her his records!
