Studio Album · No. 16
Tonight Songwriting Credits by David Bowie
Produced by David Bowie, Hugh Padgham, Derek Bramble · Engineered by Hugh Padgham
Holds writing credit on 6 of 9 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 6 / 9 documented
Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether David Bowie carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
David Bowie wrote only two of the nine songs alone, "Loving the Alien" and "Blue Jean," making Tonight his least self-authored album to that point. He co-wrote "Tumble and Twirl" and "Dancing with the Big Boys" with Iggy Pop, and leaned heavily on covers: three Iggy Pop songs (the title track, "Don't Look Down," and "Neighborhood Threat"), the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," and Leiber and Stoller's "I Keep Forgettin'." The reliance on outside material reflected a period where Bowie admitted he was short on new original songs.
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 9 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Loving the Alien
#19
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieDerek Bramble | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 2 |
Don't Look Down
|
Iggy PopJames Williamson | Iggy PopJames Williamson | David BowieHugh Padgham | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 3 |
God Only Knows
|
Brian WilsonTony Asher | Brian WilsonTony Asher | David BowieHugh Padgham | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 4 |
Tonight
#53
|
David BowieIggy Pop | David BowieIggy Pop | David BowieDerek Bramble | David Bowie (Vocals)Tina Turner (Vocals) |
| 5 |
Neighborhood Threat
|
David BowieIggy PopRicky Gardiner | David BowieIggy PopRicky Gardiner | David BowieDerek Bramble | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 6 |
Blue Jean
#6
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | David BowieHugh Padgham | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 7 |
Tumble and Twirl
|
David BowieIggy Pop | David BowieIggy Pop | David BowieDerek Bramble | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 8 |
I Keep Forgettin'
|
Jerry LeiberMike StollerGil Garfield | Jerry LeiberMike StollerGil Garfield | David BowieHugh Padgham | David Bowie (Vocals) |
| 9 |
Dancing with the Big Boys
|
David BowieIggy PopCarlos Alomar | David BowieIggy PopCarlos Alomar | David BowieDerek Bramble | David Bowie (Vocals) |