How Rod Stewart Stole “Tonight’s the Night” from America
Next May 10th the 79 year old Rod Stewart will be in concert at the Unipol Forum in Assagonear Milan. Among the songs that he will almost certainly propose to the public there will also be “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”his 1976 hit which has lyrics that leave little to the imagination. “C’mon, angel, my hearts on fire / Don’t deny your man’s desire / You’d be a fool to stop this tide / Spread your wings and let me come inside.”
The lyrics to the song were so prurient that the song was initially banned by the BBC and several other radio stations. A ban later lifted when
“Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”
rose to the top of the sales chart, remaining in first position for eight consecutive weeks, from November 1976 to January 1977, marking the longest stay of a song at number one since
“Hey Jude”
of the
Beatles
in 1968. The song naturally drove the album
“A Night
on the Town”
pushing it to number two on the chart in the United States and to number one in many countries around the world.
Originally, according to what was reported by
Dan Peek
member of
America
who passed away in 2011, the song was much more innocent, it was one of the many love songs that are written every day. It happened that one evening Peek showed Stewart a song he was working on.
This is what Peek wrote in his 2004 memoir, ‘An American Band’: “I played ‘Today’s the Day,’ the song I was working on. Rod said he liked it and that it gave him an idea for a song. Of course, after “Tonight’s the Night” came out, I laughed when I remembered what he said to me. I’m sure I patted myself on the forehead and said, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?'”
The song of
Dan Peek
produced by
George Martin
was released on the album of
America
from 1976
“Hideaway”
. It was a very heartfelt but also more reserved song, in the style of the American trio: “Hold me close, you turn nighttime into day / And you’re the brightest star that lights my way.” The song was well received and reached number 23 on the singles chart in the United States.
What we have read above is the version of events presented by Peek,
Rod Stewart
about how it was born
“Tonight’s the Night
(Gonna Be Alright)”
has a totally different memory. “One afternoon I was at work with Steve Cropper at Muscle Shoals, strumming a little,” Stewart told the Star Tribune in 2014. “Someone said that. I wish I could give a more complex explanation. But it was more luck what judgment.” The French words at the end of the song are spoken by his girlfriend at the time
Rod Stewart
the Swedish actress
Britt Ekland
.
However she was born
“Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”
the relationships between Peek and Stewart were always characterized by friendship, so much so that Peek always remembered his meetings with Stewart with great affection. In an interview he once said, “Those were the golden years of rock ‘n’ roll in Hollywood. Those are some of the precious moments.”