A Night to Remember (Cyndi Lauper album)

A Night to Remember is the third studio album by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper. According to the book St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (Volume 3), the album sold half a million copies in the United States in 1989.[8]

A Night to Remember
Studio album by Cyndi Lauper
Released	May 9, 1989
Recorded	January 1, 1988–February 28, 1989
Studio	The Hit Factory (New York City)[1]
Genre	Pop rock
Length	39:53 (43:51 in Japan)
Label	Epic EK-44318
Producer	Cyndi Lauper Lennie Petze Phil Ramone Eric "E.T." Thorngren
Cyndi Lauper chronology
The Best Remixes (1989) A Night to Remember (1989) Hat Full of Stars (1993)
Singles from A Night to Remember
"I Drove All Night" Released: April 16, 1989 "My First Night Without You" Released: July 3, 1989 "Heading West" Released: August 22, 1989 "A Night to Remember" Released: October 24, 1989 "Primitive" Released: June 18, 1990 "Unconditional Love" Released: February 6, 1991 (promo only)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Chicago Tribune	[3]
Robert Christgau	C+[4]
Los Angeles Times	[5]
The New York Times	(Not Favorable)[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]

Background

The album was originally conceptualized as a project called Kindred Spirit, due for release in October 1988, and was going to include the track "Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China)", but when that song and the film it was featured in, Vibes, were unsuccessful, the album was reworked.[9] The original Kindred Spirit tracklist included 10 songs, eight of which were eventually included on the final album.[9] The two songs that were removed were "Hole in My Heart," which would only appear on Japanese CD editions of A Night to Remember, and "Don't Look Back," written by Lauper and John Turi, which remains unreleased. The songs "A Night to Remember", "Dancing With a Stranger" and "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend" were added to the tracklist later on after the release date was pushed back to 1989, with the other songs being remixed some time between their original 1988 planned release date and their eventual release.[10] Some proof sheets of the original album artwork exist with the alternate title and track listing.

"Unabbreviated Love," penned by Lauper, Dusty Micale and Franke Previte, was recorded for the album but only appeared on the B-side of the "My First Night Without You" single.[11]

The album's final cover artwork was taken at the intersection of Plymouth and Pearl Streets, just east of the Manhattan Bridge, in Brooklyn, New York.[12]

Reception

The album sold moderately well but did not compare to the multi-platinum sales of her two previous albums, despite the success of the album's lead single, "I Drove All Night", which became a Top 10 hit, earning Lauper a Grammy nomination. In the UK, however, A Night to Remember was Lauper's highest charting album, peaking at No.9.[13]

Critically, the album was met with mixed-to-poor reviews, with Rolling Stone, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times all singling out Lauper's voice as a strong point, while noting the material was inconsistent.[3][5][7] Other reviewers were more harsh: The New York Times criticized A Night to Remember's "anonymous vocals, songs full of submissive cliches and slapdash production",[6] while The Village Voice, in comparing the album to Lauper's previous work, declared "How embarrassing to have placed hope in this woman."[4]

Although the album is called A Night to Remember, Lauper jokingly preferred to call it A Night to Forget, given its poor reviews and disappointing sales, compounded by the problems she encountered with producer and boyfriend David Wolf⁠ during the production of the album.[14]

As of November 4, 1989 the album had sold 1,3 million copies worldwide.[15]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Cyndi Lauper	Cyndi Lauper, Lennie Petze	0:27
2.	"I Drove All Night"	Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg	Lauper, Petze	4:11
3.	"Primitive"	Lauper, Kelly, Steinberg	Lauper, Petze	3:48
4.	"My First Night Without You"	Lauper, Kelly, Steinberg	Lauper, Petze	3:01
5.	"Like a Cat"	Christina Amphlett, Kelly, Steinberg	Lauper, Petze	3:23
6.	"Heading West"	Lauper, Kelly, Steinberg	Lauper, Petze	3:54
7.	"A Night to Remember"	Lauper, Dusty Micale, Franke Previte	Lauper, Petze	3:43
8.	"Unconditional Love"	Lauper, Kelly, Steinberg	Lauper, Petze	3:55
9.	"Insecurious"	Lauper, Diane Warren, Desmond Child	Lauper, Petze	3:31
10.	"Dancing With a Stranger"	Lauper, Previte, Paul Chiten	Lauper, Eric Thorngren	4:11
11.	"I Don't Want to Be Your Friend"	Warren	Lauper, Petze, Phil Ramone	4:21
12.	"Kindred Spirit"	Lauper	Lauper, Petze	1:16
Total length:				41:00

Bonus track (Japan, 1996 reissue)[16]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Hole in My Heart (All the Way to China)"	Richard Orange	Orange	3:59

Exclusive track (2008/2013 Japanese remaster)

No.	Title	Length
14.	"I Drove All Night" (live at Summer Sonic 07)	3:59

• In 2013, the 2008 Japanese remaster was reissued on BSCD2 format, with the same 2008 track listing.[17]
• Tracks 13 and 14 are bonus tracks on the 2008 Japanese remastered mini-LP version, as well as its 2013 reissue.[18]
• Track 14 recorded at Japan Summer Sonic Festival, either Osaka (August 11, 2007) or Tokyo (August 12, 2007).

Personnel

Rick Derringer – guitar Cyndi Lauper – dulcimer, arranger, vocals, background vocals, producer, art direction Paul Pesco – guitar Gary Wright – engineer Angela Clemmons-Patrick – background vocals Gordon Grody – background vocals Larry Blackmon – background vocals Bobby Bandiera – guitar Bootsy Collins – bass guitar Jeff Bova – arranger, keyboards Jimmy Bralower – arranger, drum programming Eric Clapton – guitar (track 9)[19] Dave Dale – guitar Rockin' Dopsie (Alton Jay Rubin) – accordion Steve Ferrone – drums Neil Jason – bass guitar Tomi Jenkins – background vocals Tom Kelly – background vocals Bakithi Khumalo – bass guitar Nathan Leftenant – background vocals Tim Leitner Gary Lyons – engineer George Marino – mastering John McCurry – guitar, coral sitar Dave McNair – mixing

Rob Newhouse – guitar Lennie Petze – arranger, producer Joe Pirrera – assistant engineer Franke Previte – background vocals Phil Ramone – producer George Recile – triangle, frottoir Frank Simms – background vocals George Simms – background vocals David Spinner – background vocals Carole Steele – percussion Billy Steinberg – arranger T.M. Stevens – bass guitar Eric "ET" Thorngren – arranger, producer, engineer Richard Travali – synthesizer John Turi – keyboards, saxophone David Wolff – executive producer Peter Wood – keyboards Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – bass guitar Stacy Drummond – art direction Chip Simons – photography Joe Bellia – drum machine David Tabatsky Tommy Mandel – keyboards Leigh Foxx – bass Craig Vogel – engineer

Accolades

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1990	"I Drove All Night"	Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance	Nominated

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1989) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[20] 17 Canadian Albums (RPM)[21] 37 Canadian Albums (The Record)[22] 34 Chilean Albums[23] 6 European Albums (Top 100)[24] 20 French Albums (SNEP)[25] 15 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[26] 21 Italian Albums (Hit Parade)[27] 18 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[28] 3 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[29] 11 South African Albums (RISA)[30] 29 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 32 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 18 UK Albums (OCC)[33] 9 US Billboard 200[34] 37 Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[35] 10

Year-end charts Chart (1989) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[36] 56 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] 75 French Albums (SNEP)[38] 48 Italian Albums (Hit Parade)[27] 83 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[39] 83

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[40]	Gold	35,000^^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[15]	Gold	100,000[15]
Canada (Music Canada)[41]	Gold	50,000^^
France (SNEP)[42]	Gold	153,400[43]
Japan (RIAJ)[44]	Platinum	145,260[45]
United States (RIAA)[46]	{{{award}}}	500,000[8]
^^shipments figures based on certification alone

External links

• A Night to Remember at discogs; click "more images" for publishing

References

1. Cyndi Lauper – A Night to Remember at Discogs
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Cyndi Lauper: A Night to Remember" at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
3. Heim, Chris (May 18, 1989). "Cyndi Lauper A Night To Remember (Epic)". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
4. Christgau, Robert (June 27, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
5. Boehm, Mike (May 14, 1989). "CYNDI LAUPER "A Night to Remember."". articles.latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
6. Parales, Jon (May 14, 1989). "HOME ENTERTAINMENT/RECORDINGS; RECENT RELEASES". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
7. Guterman, Jimmy (June 15, 1989). "Cyndi Lauper: A Night to Remember". Rolling Stone. Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
8. Tom & Sara Pendergast, (1999). St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, Volume 3. St. James Press. ISBN 1-55862-400-7 (set) ISBN 1-55862-403-1 (v.3)
9. https://web.archive.org/web/20031206181954/http://www.cyndilauper.com/album_det.php?shname=ks
10. https://web.archive.org/web/20031005121123/http://www.cyndilauper.com/album_det.php?id=27
11. "My First Night Without You (single)". discogs.com. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
12. http://www.musicalmaps.com.au/search/label/anighttoremember
13. Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. p. 584. ISBN 9781843531050. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
14. Nick Duerden (April 4, 2014). "Cyndi Lauper interview: She's still having fun". Retrieved September 18, 2014.
15. Lima, Irlam Rocha (November 4, 1989). "Cyndi Lauper aterrissa em SP". Correio Braziliense (in Portuguese): 3. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
16. "Cyndi Lauper – Japanease CD A Night to Remember". Retrieved September 18, 2014.
17. "Blu-spec CD – A Night to Remember". sonymusicshop.jp. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
18. "Japan remastered Mini-LP version". sonymusicshop.jp. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
19. http://www.whereseric.com/eric-clapton-discography/eric-clapton-guest-appearance-recordings-studio-all-recordings-ordered-54
20. "Australiancharts.com – Cyndi Lauper – A Night to Remember". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
21. "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 50, No. 11, July 10 1989". RPM. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
22. Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
23. https://web.archive.org/web/20031206181942/http://www.cyndilauper.com/album_det.php?shname=antr
24. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
25. "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
26. "Cyndi Lauper - Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
27. "Gli album più venduti del 1989" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
28. シンディ・ローパーのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
29. "Charts.nz – Cyndi Lauper – A Night to Remember". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
30. "South African Divas Albums". Geo Cities. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
31. "Swedishcharts.com – Cyndi Lauper – A Night to Remember". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
32. "Swisscharts.com – Cyndi Lauper – A Night to Remember". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
33. "Cyndi Lauper | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
34. "Cyndi Lauper Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
35. Kimberley, Christopher (2000). Zimbabwe Albums Chart Book: 1973–1998. Harare.
36. "The 100 biggest selling albums in Australia for 1989". ARIA. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
37. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
38. "Les Albums (CD) de 1989 par InfoDisc" (in French). InfoDisc. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
39. "1989年 アルバム年間TOP100" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
40. The ARIA Report. 1. ARIA. January 14, 1990. p. 19.
41. "Canadian album certifications – Cyndi Lauper – A Night To Remember". Music Canada.
42. "French album certifications – Lauper C. – A Night To Remember" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
43. "Les Albums Or". infodisc.fr (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on November 24, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
44. "RIAJ > The Record > April 1996 > Page 5 > Certified Awards (February 1996)" (PDF). Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
45. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
46. "American certifications". Recording Industry Association of America.