"Tonight It's You" is a song by American rock band

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American Rock music, rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, ...

, which was released in 1985 as the lead single from their eighth studio album '' Standing on the Edge''. It was written by

Rick Nielsen Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, inclu ...

Robin Zander Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a ...

Jon Brant Jonathan Edward "Jon" Brant (born February 20, 1955 in Chicago) is an American musician and business owner, best known as the bass player for the band Cheap Trick from 1982 to 1987. Brant was a founding member of the Chicago band D'Thumbs with ...

and Mark Radice, and produced by Jack Douglas. "Tonight It's You" reached No. 44 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' Top Rock Tracks Chart. "Tonight It's You" was released by Epic Records in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan. For its release as a single, a remixed and edited version of the LP version of "Tonight It's You" was created.

Promotion

A music video was filmed to promote the single, which was directed by

Just Jaeckin Just Jaeckin (8 August 1940 – 6 September 2022) was a French film director, photographer, and sculptor. Early life Jaeckin was born in Vichy, Allier, French State during the Second World War, but left with his mother and father for England. ...

and produced by Joey Nardelli. It achieved heavy rotation on MTV. The band also performed both "Tonight It's You" and "Little Sister" on the US TV show ''Nighttime'', hosted by Dick Clark.

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' described "Tonight It's You" as "power pop produced to Who-ish proportions". In the UK, Mike Gardner of ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...

'' praised it as a "stylish pop/rock tickler that goes in acceptable fashion straight for the commercial jugular" and one which represented a "return to something like form" for the band. In a review of ''Standing on the Edge'', ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' commented, "'Tonight It's You' is gorgeous Top Forty mischief, reminiscent of the Raspberries' 1973 neo-operatic nugget, '

Overnight Sensation ''Overnight Sensation'' is the thirteenth studio album by British rock band Motörhead. It was released on 15 October 1996 via Steamhammer, their second on the label. It is their first studio album to not feature guitarist Würzel, and retu ...

'. Zigzagging through the Sixties British Invasion like a runaway train, Cheap Trick plows into Rubber Soul folk-pop, jingle-jangle Merseybeat and orchestral guitar metal recalling the Move's classic 1970 album, ''Shazam''. Cascading acoustic guitars decorate axeman Rick Nielsen's wall of monster fuzz while singer Robin Zander wails in front of sheetmetal harmonies. The cumulative effect is like three or four hit songs vacuum-packed into one." In a retrospective review of the album, Mike DeGagne of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

described the song as "silvery-sounding" and the "only highlight" from ''Standing on the Edge''. ''Billboard'', in a review of the 1996 compilation ''

Sex, America, Cheap Trick ''Sex, America, Cheap Trick'' is a 1996 box set by the rock band Cheap Trick. It includes 17 previously unreleased songs (among them the earliest studio recording of the 1979 hit "I Want You to Want Me"), as well as the band's biggest hits. A co ...

'' praised it as a "Beatlesque gem". John M. Borack, in his 2007 book ''Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide'', included "Tonight It's You" as one of Cheap Trick's best twenty songs. He stated, "Sure, it sounds a bit dated now and seems, in retrospect, to have been a calculated effort to get the boys back on the pop charts in '85... but still, that chorus... heavenly, I tell ya. Zander sings it like he means it, too."

Track listing

;7" single #"Tonight It's You" (Single Re-Mix/Edit) - 3:30 #"Wild Wild Women" - 4:14 ;7" Single (US promo) #"Tonight It's You" (Single Re-Mix/Edit) - 3:30 #"Tonight It's You" (Single Re-Mix/Edit) - 3:30 ;12" single (UK release) #"Tonight It's You (Album Version)" - 4:47 #"Wild Wild Women" - 4:14 #"I Want You to Want Me" - 3:09 #"If You Want My Love" - 3:35 ;12" Single (US promo) #"Tonight It's You" - 4:19 #"Tonight It's You" (Single Re-Mix/Edit) - 3:30

Chart performance

Personnel

;Cheap Trick *

- lead vocals, rhythm guitar *

- lead guitar, backing vocals *

- bass, backing vocals * Bun E. Carlos - drums, percussion ;Additional personnel * Jack Douglas - producer * Mark Radice - additional keyboards, backing vocals * Paul Klingberg - keyboards, recording engineer *

Tony Platt Tony Platt is an English sound engineer and record producer, best known for his work with a diverse mix of artists, including, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Bob Marley, Iron Maiden, Shy, Buddy Guy, Foreigner, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sparks, Jaz ...

- mixing

References

{{Authority control 1985 songs 1985 singles Cheap Trick songs Epic Records singles Song recordings produced by Jack Douglas (record producer) Songs written by Rick Nielsen Songs written by Robin Zander Songs written by Jon Brant Songs written by Mark Radice