What About Me? (Kenny Rogers album)
What About Me? | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September, 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1984 | |||
Studio | Lion Share Recording (Los Angeles, CA); Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles, CA); Sunset Sound (Hollywood, CA); The Lighthouse (Hermosa Beach, CA). | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 40:03 | |||
Label | RCA Nashville | |||
Producer | Kenny Rogers, David Foster | |||
Kenny Rogers chronology | ||||
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Singles from What About Me | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
What About Me? is the sixteenth studio album by Kenny Rogers, released by RCA Nashville (see 1984 in music).
The album's title track, "What About Me?", is sung in trio with R&B singer James Ingram and Rogers' former New Christy Minstrels bandmate turned solo star Kim Carnes, which is a love song that reached number one on the AC charts and was also a pop and country hit.[1], giving co-writer Richard Marx his first number one hit as a writer. Elsewhere on the album is "Two Hearts, One Love" by Byron Hill,[2] "The Stranger" (a story song in the vein of Rogers' previous hits such as "The Gambler" and "Lucille"), "The Night Goes On" (a R&B influenced ballad) and "Crazy" (a song Rogers co-wrote with Richard Marx which is in the style of "Through the Years") that also charted and gave Rogers yet another number-one hit and Marx his second number one hit as a writer.
This album continued Rogers' long Platinum streak, quickly selling over a million copies.[3]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "What About Me?" (with Kim Carnes and James Ingram) | Kenny Rogers, David Foster, Richard Marx | 4:23 |
2. | "The Night Goes On" | Paul Gordon, Tom Keane | 4:35 |
3. | "Dream Dancin'" | Laura Allan, Robbie Long | 4:25 |
4. | "Two Hearts One Love" | Mike Dekle, Byron Hill | 3:36 |
5. | "I Don't Want to Know Why" (with Cindy Fee) | Guy Thomas | 4:06 |
6. | "Didn't We?" | Graham Lyle, Troy Seals | 3:55 |
7. | "Somebody Took My Love" | Richard Marx, David Pomeranz | 3:52 |
8. | "Crazy" | Rogers, Richard Marx | 3:43 |
9. | "The Stranger" | Dolly Parton | 3:46 |
10. | "Heart to Heart" | Richard Feldman, Jimmy Scott[4] | 3:42 |
Personnel
- Kenny Rogers – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Erich Bulling – keyboards, synthesizer programming
- Jimmy Cox – keyboards
- David Foster – keyboards, arrangements
- John Hobbs – keyboards
- Tom Keane – keyboards
- Randy Kerber – keyboards
- Marcus Ryle – keyboards, synthesizer programming
- Dann Huff – guitar
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
- Michael Landau – guitar
- Fred Tackett – guitar
- Kin Vassy – guitar, backing vocals
- Billy Joe Walker Jr. – guitar
- Dennis Belfield – bass guitar
- Joe Chemay – bass guitar
- Nathan East – bass guitar
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar
- Ed Greene – drums
- John Robinson – drums
- Sheila E. – percussion
- Steve Forman – percussion
- Michael Temple – percussion
- Gary Herbig – saxophone
- Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangements and conductor (3, 5, 8)
- Kim Carnes – lead and backing vocals (1)
- James Ingram – lead and backing vocals (1)
- Kenny Cetera – backing vocals
- Cindy Fee – backing vocals, lead vocals (5)
- Portia Griffin – backing vocals
- Richard Marx – backing vocals
- Herb Pedersen – backing vocals
- Kenny Rogers II – backing vocals
- Terry Williams – backing vocals
Production
- Producers – Kenny Rogers (Tracks 1, 3-6, 9 & 10); David Foster (Tracks 1, 2, 7 & 8).
- Production Assistant – Debbie Caponetta
- Engineered and Mixed by Humberto Gatica
- Additional Engineers – Mark Attel, Steve Crimmel, Reggie Dozier, Larry Ferguson, Tom Fouce, John Guess, Paul Lani, David Leonard, Laura Livingston, Steve Schmitt and Steve Shelton.
- Mastered by Wally Traugott at Capitol Mastering (Hollywood, California).
- A&R – Marge Meoli
- Art Direction – John Coulter
- Photography – Mario Casilli and Reid Miles
- Management – Ken Kragen
Chart performance
Chart (1984) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 9 |
U.S. Billboard 200 | 31 |
Australian (Kent Music Report) Albums | 30[5] |
Canadian RPM Top Albums | 26 |
UK Albums Chart | 97 |
Further utilization
The song "The Night Goes On" was used as a love theme for the Eden Capwell and Cruz Castillo characters on the Santa Barbara TV series.[6]
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Rand Ruggeberg Songwriter's Market - Page 161 - 1986 - "Byron Hill ..... are "Pickin' Up Strangers," released on Johnny Lee's Lookin' for Love album, and "Two Hearts One Love," a pop song on Kenny "
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r93956/charts-awards
- ^ "Jimmy Scott Discography". Jimmy Scott. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ http://www.cybercom.net/~jima/misc/songs.html