Today’s song is ‘We’ve Got Tonight’. This was the fourteenth studio album by Kenny Rogers and was released in 1983. It is also his last with ‘Liberty Records’ before moving to ‘RCA Nashville’.
The title cut, a duet with Sheena Easton, was the debut single and became one of Rogers' signature hits, soaring to Number1 on the country charts and Number 2 on the ‘Adult Contemporary Chart’, and reaching Number 6 on the ‘Hot 100 Chart’.The title of the album comes from its signature track, written by Bob Seger and originating from his album, ‘Stranger in Town’. By comparison with Rogers' version, Seger's only reached Number 13 on the ‘Hot 100 Chart’, making Rogers' version better-known, five years after it was written.
The album hit Number 3 on the country charts and Number 18 on the ‘Billboard 200 Chart’. Despite lower rankings than many of his earlier releases, the album was still certified platinum in both the US and Canada.
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I was 41 years of age when this song was released and had recently separated from my wife 18 months earlier. I had fallen in love again with a lovely lady called Fiona and over the following years, we would have two children, William and Rebecca. My life and emotions were tested during these early years with Fiona when my first wife wouldn’t allow me access or any form of contact with my first two children, James and Adam, for two full years following an acrimonious separation and divorce which she initiated.
Without the support and ongoing love and understanding of Fiona during this period, my life would literally have proved unbearable. Fiona supported me both emotionally and financially during these times when money was scarce, but looking back, I would have to say that these were happy years as a loving couple.
I have always been an emotional man with strong physical needs and fortunately, I found myself in love with a woman of similar ilk. We both loved country and western music and Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gale, John Denver etc were favourite singers of ours whom we listened to often together.
Our relationship came to the end of its natural shelf life after both of our children had grown into adulthood, gone to university and flew the nest, Fiona felt the time to be right in her life to make a big career change and so she took up a high powered role as Head Counsellor in two of Northern Ireland's universities. For almost two years we lived apart and her return visits to the matrimonial abode became less frequent. By the time she indicated that she wanted a separation, we had both probably mentally prepared for a formal ending of our relationship. I won't deny that I felt sad for a few months but I eventually realised that the decision Fiona had initiated was right for both of us.
We separated after 28 years in the most civilised and amicable of ways and have remained friends ever since. We still keep each other informed about our two children and have fruitful parental telephone discussions from time to time as the need necessitates. We are ex-partners but remain good friends who recognise each other as good individuals and loving parents.
This song reminds me of those early years and romantic nights in our union that Fiona and I shared. As the song says, ‘We had tonight, who needs tomorrow’. True happiness always involves the ability to ‘live in and for the moment’ and that is why we were both able to emotionally move on with our lives without souring the better part of our shared relationship when we parted.
Love and peace Bill xxx