Cinderella – Night Songs (1986, Mercury Records)
1. “Night Songs” … 4:03
2. “Shake Me” … 3:44
3. “Nobody’s Fool” … 4:49
4. “Nothin’ for Nothin'” … 3:33
5. “Once Around the Ride” … 3:22
6. “Hell on Wheels” … 2:49
7. “Somebody Save Me” … 3:16
8. “In From The Outside” … 4:07
9. “Push Push” … 2:52
10. “Back Home Again” … 3:30
Band:
Tom Keifer – Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Jeff LaBar – Guitar
Eric Brittingham – Bass
Fred Coury – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Jon Bon Jovi – Backing Vocals (“Nothing for Nothin'” and “In From the Outside”)
Barry Bennedetta – Guitar
Jeff Paris – Keyboards
Jody Cortez – Drums
Jim Drnec – Drums
Produced by: Andy Johns
Wow, check out that cover. These guys were trying REALLY hard to fit in with the rest of the 80s glam bands. As for sound, they were doing that too. It’s still sounds like the Cinderalla I’m familiar with (Keifer’s voice is unmistakable) but with less hard rockin’ blues and more hair metal.
This is a solid debut from one of the 80s most underrated hard rock bands. It’s not the generic hair metal release that I’ve seen others try to peg it as. A few songs (“Night Songs”, “Somebody Save Me”, “In From the Outside”) show what the band would later become on Long Cold Winter and Heartbreak Station.”Nobody’s Fool” was the band’s biggest hit, and it’s good, but it’s been used soooooo many times on 80s rock compilations, I think I could go the rest of my life without hearing it and be okay.
Mercury labelmate Jon Bon Jovi sings backing vocals for two songs. In addition to that, he helped the band get noticed by Mercury and Bon Jovi took the band out on their Slippery When Wet tour. This no doubt helped propel Night Songs to the triple platinum status that it has attained.
Highlights: “Night Songs”, “Shake Me”, “Nobody’s Fool”, “Nothin’ for Nothin'”, “Somebody Save Me”, “In From the Outside”