Tonight (Iggy Pop song)
| "Tonight" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Tumble and Twirl" |
"Tonight" is a song written by David Bowie and Iggy Pop for the latter's second solo album, Lust for Life, released in 1977 (1977 in music). The song was later made into the title track for Bowie's own album Tonight.
Song details
Bowie re-recorded the song with guest vocalist Tina Turner in 1984 for his album of the same name. The song was recorded as a duet but the single was only credited to Bowie. The original spoken word introduction of the 1977 version, establishing that the lyric is addressed to a lover dying of a heroin overdose, was excised from Bowie’s version because Bowie regarded the introduction as an "idiosyncracy" of Iggy Pop that did not match his own personal vocabulary.[1] Bowie also stated that he didn't want to "inflict" that part of the song on Tina Turner, either.[1]
Chart performance
The reggae-flavoured song reached only #53 in the UK singles charts (the first ‘current’ Bowie single to miss the top 40 since "Be My Wife" in 1976).
UK Chart Run: 58-{53}-59-64-94R(3)->5 weeks in the Top 100.
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Report Singles Chart | 70 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 22 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 21 |
| German Singles Chart | 39 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 24 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 23 |
| UK Singles Chart | 53 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 53 |
Track listing
7" version: -
- "Tonight" (Bowie, Pop) – 3:43
- "Tumble and Twirl" (Bowie, Pop) – 4:56
12" version: -
- "Tonight (Vocal Dance Mix)" (Bowie, Pop) - 4:29
- "Tumble and Twirl (Extended Dance Mix)" (Bowie, Pop) – 5:03
- "Tonight (Dub Mix)" (Bowie, Pop) – 4:18
Production credits
- Producers:
- David Bowie
- Hugh Padgham
- Derek Bramble
- Musicians:
- David Bowie: Vocals
- Tina Turner: Vocals
- Carlos Alomar: Guitar
- Derek Bramble: Bass, Synthesizer
- Carmine Rojas: Bass
- Sammy Figueroa: Percussion
- Omar Hakim: Drums
- Guy St Onge: Marimba
Tonight (Live)
| "Tonight" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "River Deep, Mountain High" (Live) |
Bowie would perform the song live with Turner at the latter's 23 March 1985 concert at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. This version was included on Turner's live album Tina Live in Europe three years later, and also released as a single in 1988, then becoming a number one hit in Poland and the Netherlands.
Chart performance (Live version)
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium Singles Chart[2] | 3 |
| Dutch Top 40 [3] | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 21 |
| Polish Singles Chart[2] | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart [4] | 17 |
| UK Singles Chart | 53 |
Cover versions
- Herman van Veen - A Dutch version called "De Laatste Dans".
References
- Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5
- ^ a b Murray, Charles Shaar (25 October 1984), "Let's Talk, A Conversation with David Bowie", Rolling Stone magazine (433): 14, 18, 74
- ^ a b "Song Artist Tina Turner". Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 4, 1989". Retrieved 2008-04-06.
- ^ "lescharts.com chart information for "Tonight Live"". Retrieved 2008-04-06.