David Bowie's Tonight, released September 24, 1984 on EMI Records, followed the massive commercial success of Let's Dance and represents Bowie's most compromise-driven period, a blue-eyed soul and reggae-inflected record that leans heavily on covers and Iggy Pop collaborations. Of the nine tracks, only 'Loving the Alien' and 'Blue Jean' are wholly original Bowie compositions; the rest are covers or co-writes with Iggy Pop dating back to their Berlin-era partnership. Covers include Brian Wilson and Tony Asher's 'God Only Knows' (Beach Boys), Leiber and Stoller's 'I Keep Forgettin',' and several Iggy Pop songs including 'Tonight,' 'Don't Look Down,' and 'Neighborhood Threat.' Tina Turner duets with Bowie on the title track. Tonight reached the top five in the UK and number eleven in the US, but is generally regarded as one of the weaker entries in Bowie's catalog, his authorship score on this album is the lowest of any original Bowie release due to the cover-heavy tracklist.
Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loving the Alien | David Bowie | David Bowie | David Bowie, Derek Bramble |
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| 2 | Don't Look Down | Iggy Pop, James Williamson | Iggy Pop, James Williamson | David Bowie, Hugh Padgham |
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| 3 | God Only Knows | Brian Wilson, Tony Asher | Brian Wilson, Tony Asher | David Bowie, Hugh Padgham |
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| 4 | Tonight | David Bowie, Iggy Pop | David Bowie, Iggy Pop | David Bowie, Derek Bramble |
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| 5 | Neighborhood Threat | David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Ricky Gardiner | David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Ricky Gardiner | David Bowie, Derek Bramble |
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| 6 | Blue Jean | David Bowie | David Bowie | David Bowie, Hugh Padgham |
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| 7 | Tumble and Twirl | David Bowie, Iggy Pop | David Bowie, Iggy Pop | David Bowie, Derek Bramble |
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| 8 | I Keep Forgettin' | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Gil Garfield | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Gil Garfield | David Bowie, Hugh Padgham |
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| 9 | Dancing with the Big Boys | David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Carlos Alomar | David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Carlos Alomar | David Bowie, Derek Bramble |
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