Rod Stewart's eleventh studio album entitled Tonight I'm Yours was released in time for Christmas shopping in November of 1981.
After experimenting with disco sounds on 1978's Blondes Have More Fun and to a lesser extent on 1980's Foolish Behaviour, Rod decided to change his sound to compete with the times and rock out like he hadn't for awhile. Also, (apart from guitarist Jim Cregan) Rod has a new band lineup on this album as bass player Phil Chen, guitarist Gary Grainger were fired after the Foolish Behaviour tour. Then during the Tonight I'm Yours sessions, drummer Carmine Appice left midway through recording to join Ted Nugent's band. This then left Rod and Cregan with new members drummer Tony Brock, bass player Jay Davis and guitarist Robin LeMesurier. The result was Rod's freshest album since Foot Loose and Fancy Free.
We open with the title track which was the album's second single. It has the energy of his rockers with an electronic, hard-edged new wave beat and featured ex-Doobie Bros guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Linda Lewis as the screaming female voice at the end. The song was released as a single and was a huge hit here in the US. Next is his cover of Ace's 1975 hit "How Long" which he does a great job. Paul Carrack would be happy. Next is the album's best rocker "Tora Tora Tora" which does sound like a track from The Faces period. Next is another rocker "Tear it Up" and sounds like early rock but a great song. The first side ends with "Only A Boy" which is a great number and a breather from the practically fast paced first half.
Side Two starts with his take on Bob Dylan's "Just Like A Woman" recorded like a ballad but at least Rod can sing Dylan better than Dylan ever could (Dylan great writer but voice less to be desired). We then pick up the pace with another rocker "Jealous" which is a great faster paced number. Next is the first of two true ballads on this album which is "Sonny" and a great song. The song does pick up a bit before ending like it began. Next is the album's biggest hit which was the up-tempo New Wave sounding rocker "Young Turks" which reached #5 in the fall of 1981 on the US singles charts. What a great song which is a sad tale of two runaway teen lovers Patty and Billy. Who could forget the classic video directed by Russell Mulcahy which featured a pre-Valley Girl/Pee Wee's Big Adventure Elizabeth Daily (E.G. Daily) as Patty. We close the album with the beautiful ballad "Never Give Up on a Dream" (co-written by Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin) about (and dedicated to the memory of) Canadian runner Terry Fox (same first name as mine), who sadly passed away from cancer around the time this album was recorded.
Tonight I'm Yours was a huge triumph and (until 1988's Out of Order) his biggest album of the 1980s going Platinum immediately and peaked at #11 on the Billboard album chart.
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