‘Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)’ is a song written by Rod Stewart, and recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama for his 1976 album A Night on the Town. The song, controversial at the time of release, proved to be a massive commercial success and became his second US chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100. It made its debut at number 81 on 2 October 1976 and rose quickly, climbing from number eight to the top of the chart on 13 November 1976, and remained on top for eight consecutive weeks until 8 January 1977. It was the longest stay of any song during 1976, the longest run at the top for a single in the US in over eight years (since the Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ in November 1968), and the longest stay at number one for Rod Stewart in his entire recording career, and the final number one of the US Bicentennial year. The song also peaked at No. 5 in the UK, No. 1 for six weeks in Canada, No. 3 in Australia and charted well in other parts of the world. It was the number 1 song on both Billboard's 1977 year-end chart and the year-end Canadian singles chart. It became the best-selling single of 1977 in the United States. As of 2018, it is the 19th-most popular song in the history of the chart.
According to Dan Peek of America, Stewart's inspiration for ‘Tonight's the Night’ was America's Top 30 hit ‘Today's the Day’: Peek recalls that one evening when he and Stewart were playing together in Peek's home recording studio: "I played 'Today's the Day', the song I had been working on. Rod said that he liked it and that it gave him an idea for a song. Of course, after his recording of 'Tonight's the Night' came out I laughed when I remembered what he'd said. I'm sure I probably smacked my forehead and said: 'Why didn't I think of that?'"
The song features a French spoken part from Britt Ekland who was Stewart's girlfriend at the time. While primarily recorded at Muscle Shoals, the final vocal was recorded at Caribou Ranch studios, where Stewart, Ekland and producer Tom Dowd spent several days. The high-altitude result was a vocal an octave higher than "sea-based" versions. The saxophone solo is by Jerry Jumonville.
The song was originally banned by the BBC and protested by Reverend Jesse Jackson, due to its suggestive lyric: "C'mon angel, my heart's 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." Some radio stations play edits of the song, shortening the coda, as well as the whispers, because they were deemed to be too suggestive for airplay, where the songs could be banned from being played on the air.
Labels – Riva (UK), Warner Bros. (US)
Songwriter – Rod Stewart
Producer – Tom Dowd
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Stay away from my window
Stay away from the doorstep too
And disconnect the telephone line
Relax baby, and draw that blind
[Verse 2]
Kick off your shoes and sit right down
Loosen off that pretty French gown
Let me pour you a good long drink
Ooh, baby, don't you hesitate 'cause
[Chorus]
Tonight's the night
It's gonna be alright
I love you, girl
Nobody gonna stop us now
Yeah
[Verse 3]
C'mon, angel, my hearts on fire
Don't deny your man's desire
You'd be a fool to stop this tide
So why don't you spread your wings and let me come inside 'cause
[Chorus]
Tonight's the night
It's gonna be alright
'Cause I love you, girl
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now
[Interlude]
Ow!
Yeah
[Verse 4]
Ooh baby, when the daylight break
I'll walk you home and ease your aches
If the sun should turn to rain
We'll stay home and do it all again 'cause
[Chorus]
Tonight's the night
It's gonna be alright
'Cause I love you, girl
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now
Ow!