A Kenny Rogers Retrospective: 1969-1983

A Retrospective: 1967-1983 Kenny Rogers

A Brief History: Country singer Kenny Rogers was born on August 21, 1938 in Houston, Texas. He died on March 20, 2020 at age 81. He was one of the best-selling artists of all time with more than 100 million records sold worldwide. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013, but was one of music’s most successful crossover artists, finding huge success on the country, pop, and adult contemporary charts in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. He started his career in the late ‘50s with the Scholars, then worked with jazz singer Bobby Doyle, and was part of the folk ensemble the New Christy Minstrels from 1966-1967. He and several members of the latter group formed the First Edition in 1967, with whom Rogers recorded through 1976 before embarking on a solo career. The Studio Albums (with the First Edition): The First Edition (1967) 1969 (1969) Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (1969) Something’s Burning (1970) Backroads (1972) The Studio Albums (solo): Love Lifted Me (1976) Kenny Rogers (1977) Daytime Friends (1977) Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West, 1978) Love or Something Like It (1978) The Gambler (1978) Classics (with Dottie West, 1979) Kenny (1979) Gideon (1980) Share Your Love (1981) Love Will Turn You Around (1982) We’ve Got Tonight (1983) Compilations: TG Ten Years of Gold (1978) 80 Greatest Hits (1980) 20 20 Greatest Hits (1983) The above compilations are spotlighted on this page. The snapshots of the studio albums will indicate all songs featured on any of these compilations, noted with the codes above. Appearing after song titles are the songwriters in italicized parentheses, running times in brackets, and when relevant, the date the song was released as a single and its peaks on various charts. Click for codes to singles charts. The First Edition (1967): Just Dropped in to See What Condition My Condition Was In (Mickey Newbury) [3:24] (2/3/68, 5 US, 5 CB, 3 HR) 1969 (1969): But You Know I Love You (Mike Settle) [3:16] (1/11/69, 19 US, 15 CN, 17 HR, 18 AC) TG Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (Mel Tillis) [2:53] (6/7/69, 6 US, 7 CN, 9 HR, 6 AC, 39 CW, 2 UK) TG, 80, 20 Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (1969): Reuben James (Barry Etris, Alex Harvey) [2:41] (9/20/69, 26 US, 14 CB, 17 HR, 29 AC, 46 CW) TG, 80, 20 Something’s Burning (1970): Something’s Burning (Mac Davis) [4:19] (2/7/70, 11 US, 5 CB, 7 HR, 8 UK) TG, 20 Backroads (1972): Today I Started Loving You Again (Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens) [3:10] (7/14/73, 69 CW) TG Love Lifted Me (1976): Love Lifted Me (Preston Ross, Howard Smith) [3:49] (12/13/75, 97 US, 19 CW, 99 AU) TG, 20 While the Feeling’s Good (Roger Bowling, Freddie Hart) [4:02] TG Kenny Rogers (1977): Lucille (Roger Bowling, Hal Bynum) [3:41] (1/29/77, 5 US, 6 CB, 7 HR, 12 RR, 10 AC, 12CW, 11 UK, 111 CN, 7 AU, sales: 1 million, airplay: 2 million) TG, 80, 20 Daytime Friends (1977): Daytime Friends (Ben Peters) [3:14] (7/30/77, 28 US, 28 CB, 36 HR, 13 AC, 11 CW, 39 UK, 21 CN, 69 AU) TG, 20

Ten Years of Gold Kenny Rogers

Released: January 1978 Recorded: 1967-1977 Charted: February 4, 1978 Peak: 33 US, 12 CW, -- UK, 23 CN, 68 AU Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, -- UK, 5.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: country

Tracks: (1) Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (2) Reuben James (3) But You Know I Love You (4) Something’s Burning (5) Just Dropped in to See What Condition My Condition Was In (6) Lucille (7) Daytime Friends (8) While the Feeling’s Good (9) Love Lifted Me (10) Today I Started Loving You Again Total Running Time: 34:29

Rating: 3.857 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About Ten Years of Gold: The first five cuts on the album were actually re-recordings of songs Rogers originally did with the group the First Edition. The chart dates and figures, however, are for the original releases. Today I Started Loving You Again is the only original First Edition song on the album. Four of the songs (Lucille, Daytime Friends, While the Feeling’s Good, and Love Lifted Me) are the original solo hits from Rogers in 1976 and 1977. Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West, 1978): Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West) (John Dyes, Jeffrey M. Tweel) [3:00] (2/18/78, 44 AC, 12 CW) 80 Love or Something Like It (1978): Love or Something Like It (Steve Gassmeyer, Rogers) [2:51] (6/3/78, 32 US, 38 CB, 41 HR, 12 AC, 11 CW, 36 CN) 20 The Gambler (1978): The Gambler (Don Schlitz) [3:32] (10/28/78, 16 US, 13 CB, 18 HR, 21 RR, 3 AC, 13 CW, 22 UK, 8 CN, 25 AU) 80, 20 She Believes in Me (Steve Gibb) [4:11] (3/31/79, 5 US, 7 CB, 4 HR, 11 RR, 12 AC, 12 CW, 42 UK, 8 CN, 34 AU, sales: 1 million) 80, 20 Classics (with Dottie West, 1979): Til I Can Make It on My Own (with Dottie West) (George Richey, Billy Sherrill, Tammy Wynette) [3:19] (7/7/79, 3 CW) 20 Kenny (1979): You Decorated My Life (Debbie Hupp, Bob Morrison) [3:37] (9/8/79, 7 US, 7 CB, 5 HR, 3 RR, 2 AC, 12 CW, 12 CN, 61 AU) 80, 20 Coward of the County (Roger Bowling, Billy Edd Wheeler) [4:18] (11/17/79, 3 US, 11 CB, 11 HR, 6 RR, 5 AC, 13 CW, 12 UK, 13 CN, 6 AU, sales: 1 million, airplay: 2 million) 80, 20 Gideon (1980): Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer (with Kim Carnes) (Carnes, Dave Ellingson) [3:39] (3/21/80, 4 US, 4 CB, 4 HR, 2 RR, 2 AC, 3 CW, 3 CN, 38 AU) 80, 20 You Were a Good Friend (Kim Carnes, Dave Ellingson) [3:54] (11/19/83, 20 CW) 20

Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers

Released: September 23, 1980 Recorded: 1977-1980 Peak: 12 US, 111 CW, 40 UK, 3 CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): 12.0 US, -- UK, 15.6 world (includes US and UK) Genre: country

Tracks: (1) The Gambler (2) Lady (3) Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer (with Kim Carnes) (4) Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town (5) She Believes in Me (6) Coward of the County (7) Lucille (8) You Decorated My Life (9) Reuben James (10) Love the World Away (11) Every Time Two Fools Collide (with Dottie West) (12) Long Arm of the Law Total Running Time: 42:35

Rating: 4.308 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About Greatest Hits: This 12-track compilation is Rogers’ best-seller, moving more than 12 million copies in the U.S. It covers just three years of his career, but they were the years when he established himself as one of the most dominant crossover artists ever by regularly charting on the country (seven #1’s), pop (seven top 10’s, including a #1), and adult contemporary charts (nine top 10’s, including two #1’s). Three songs (Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town, Reuben James, Lucille) overlap with Ten Years of Gold. Of the other nine, two are brand new (Lady, Long Arm of the Law). The collection also features Love the World Away, which was on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, but hadn’t been featured on a Rogers’ album. Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: Love the World Away (Bob Morrison, J. Wilson) [3:11] (6/13/80, 14 US, 17 CB, 8 HR, 15 RR, 8 AC, 4 CW, 25 CN) 80 Lady (Lionel Richie) [3:54] (9/26/80, 16 US, 14 CB, 15 HR, 15 RR, 14 AC, 11 CW, 12 UK, 2 CN, 16 AU, sales: 16 million, airplay: 2 million) 80, 20 Long Arm of the Law (Roger Bowling, Billy Edd Wheeler) [4:17] () 80 Share Your Love (1981): I Don’t Need You (Rick Christian) [3:27] (6/5/81, 3 US, 5 CB, 5 HR, 3 RR, 16 AC, 12 CW, 2 CN, 64 AU, airplay: 2 million) 20 Through the Years (Steve Dorf, Marty Panzer) [4:21] (12/26/81, 13 US, 12 CB, 10 HR, 5 RR, 12 AC, 5 CW, 92 AU) 20 Love Will Turn You Around (1982): Love Will Turn You Around (David Malloy, Rogers, Thom Schuyler, Even Stevens) [3:40] (7/3/82, 13 US, 12 CB, 10 RR, 12 AC, 11 CW, 12 CN, 96 AU) 20 We’ve Got Tonight (1983): We’ve Got Tonight (with Sheena Easton) (Bob Seger) [3:51] (1/21/83, 6 US, 10 CB, 10 RR, 2 AC, 11 CW, 28 UK, 4 CN, 11 AU) 20 Scarlet Fever (Mike Dekle) [3:57] (7/30/83, 94 US, 5 CW) 20

20 Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers

Recorded: 1969-1983 Charted: November 12, 1983 Peak: 22 US, 16 CW, -- UK, 29 CN, 2 AU Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, -- UK, 5.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: country

Tracks: (1) Lucille (2) Lady (3) Love Lifted Me (4) We’ve Got Tonight (with Sheena Easton) (5) Scarlet Fever (6) Love or Something Like It (7) She Believes in Me (8) Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town (9) Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer (with Kim Carnes) (10) You Were a Good Friend (11) The Gambler (12) Through the Years (13) Daytime Friends (14) You Decorated My Life (15) Til I Can Make It on My Own (with Dottie West) (16) Reuben James (17) Coward of the County (18) I Don’t Need You (19) Something’s Burning (20) Love Will Turn You Around Total Running Time: 72:51

Rating: 4.236 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings)

About 20 Greatest Hits: This retrospective of Rogers’ career from 1969 to 1983 offers a more complete picture than either of its predecessors. Six of the songs from Ten Years of Gold show up here. Nine of the songs from Greatest Hits are featured, with three of those also being on Ten Years of Gold. That leaves eight more cuts, of which three are from the eras already covered by the first two compilations. That means this set only adds five songs from 1981 to 1983, including I Don’t Need You, Through the Years, Love Will Turn You Around, and We’ve Got Tonight. Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia for Kenny Rogers First posted 12/5/2020; last updated 3/20/2024.

Sept. 22, 1980: Les Misérables opened in France

First posted August 11, 2008. Last updated September 4, 2018.

Les Misérables (cast/soundtrack) Claude-Michel Schönberg/ Alain Boublil / Herbert Kretzmer (composers)

Opened in France: Sept. 22, 1980 Opened in London: October 8, 1985 Opened on Broadway: March 12, 1987 London Cast Album Charted: April 11, 1987 Broadway Cast Album Charted: June 20, 1987 Highlights Soundtrack Released: Dec. 21, 2012 Deluxe Soundtrack Released: January 25, 2013 Sales (in millions): US: 4.0 B, 1.0 L, 0.53 S UK: 0.45 B IFPI: -- World (estimated): 7.2 B+L+S Peak: US: 117 B, 106 L, 11-S UK: 14-S Canada: 2 S Australia: 3 S L London cast recording B Broadway cast recording B soundtrack

Quotable: “One of the premiere theater events of the 1980s” – Sarah Erlewine, All Music Guide

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Genre: show tunes

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Album Tracks – London Cast Album:

Disc 1:

1. Overture/ Work Song
2. Valjean Arrested/ Valjean Forgiven
3. What Have I Done?
4. At the End of the Day
5. I Dreamed a Dream
6. Lovely Ladies
7. Who Am I?
8. Come to Me
9. Confrontation
10. Castle on a Cloud
11. Master of the House
12. Thénardier Waltz
13. Stars
14. Look Down
15. Little People
16. Red and Black
17. Do You Hear the People Sing?

Disc 1:

1. I Saw Him Once
2. In My Life
3. A Heart Full of Love
4. Plumet Attack
5. One Day More!
6. On My Own
7. The Attack
8. A Little Fall of Rain
9. Drink with Me
10. Bring Him Home
11. Dog Eats Dog
12. Javert’s Suicide: Solilquy
13. Turning
14. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
15. Wedding Chorale
16. Beggars at the Feast
17. Finale

Notes: “Upon These Stones (Building the Barricade)” was added to the Broadway version (both before and after “On My Own”) and the order of songs was slightly different. “Javert at the Barricade” was also added – in between “The Attack” and “A Little Fall of Rain.”

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Album Tracks – Soundtrack:

1. Look Down (Convicts, Javert, Valjean) ^H,D
2. The Bishop (Bishop of Digne) ^H,D
3. Valjean's Soliloquy (Valjean) ^H,D
4. At the End of the Day (Poor, Foreman, Workers, Factory Women, Fantine, Valjean) ^H,D
5. The Runaway Cart (Valjean, Javert)
6. The Docks (Lovely Ladies) (Sailors, Old Woman, Fantine, Crone, Whores, Pimp, Toothman) ^D
7. I Dreamed a Dream (Fantine) ^H,D
8. Fantine's Arrest (Bamatabois, Fantine, Javert, Valjean) ^D
9. Who Am I? (Valjean) ^D
10. Fantine's Death (Fantine, Valjean) ^D
11. The Confrontation (Javert, Valjean) ^H,D
12. Castle on a Cloud (Young Cosette, Mme. Thénardier) ^H,D
13. Master of the House (Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Inn Patrons) ^H,D
14. The Well Scene (Valjean, Young Cosette) ^D
15. The Bargain (Valjean, Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier) ^D
16. The Thénardier Waltz of Treachery (Thénardier, Valjean, Mme. Thénardier, Young Cosette) ^D
17. Suddenly (Valjean) ^H,D
18. The Convent (Valjean) ^D
19. Stars (Javert) ^D
20. Paris/Look Down (Gavroche, Beggars, Enjolras, Marius, Students) ^D
21. The Robbery (Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Éponine, Valjean) ^D
22. Javert's Intervention (Javert, Thénardier) ^D
23. Éponine's Errand (Éponine, Marius)
24. ABC Café/Red and Black (Students, Enjolras, Marius, Grantaire, Gavroche) ^H,D
25. In My Life (Cosette, Valjean, Marius, Éponine) ^D
26. A Heart Full of Love (Marius, Cosette, Éponine) ^H,D
27. The Attack on Rue Plumet (Thénardier, Thieves, Éponine, Valjean)
28. On My Own (Éponine) ^H,D
29. One Day More (Valjean, Marius, Cosette, Éponine, Enjolras, Javert, Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Cast) ^H,D
30. Do You Hear the People Sing? (Enjolras, Marius, Students, Beggars) ^D
31. Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones) (Enjolras, Javert, Gavroche, Students) ^D
32. Javert's Arrival (Javert, Enjolras) ^D
33. Little People (Gavroche, Students, Enjolras, Javert) ^D
34. A Little Fall of Rain (Éponine, Marius) ^D
35. Night of Anguish (Enjolras, Marius, Valjean, Javert, Students)
36. Drink With Me (Grantaire, Marius, Gavroche, Students) ^H,D
37. Bring Him Home (Valjean) ^H,D
38. Dawn of Anguish (Enjolras, Marius, Gavroche, Students) ^D
39. The Second Attack (Death of Gavroche) (Gavroche, Enjolras, Students, Army Officer) ^D
40. The Sewers (Valjean, Javert) ^D
41. Javert's Suicide (Javert) ^H,D
42. Turning (Parisian women) ^D
43. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (Marius) ^H,D
44. A Heart Full of Love [Reprise] (Marius, Cosette, Valjean, Gillenormand) ^D
45. Valjean's Confession (Valjean, Marius) ^D
46. Suddenly [Reprise] (Marius, Cosette) ^D
47. Wedding Chorale (Chorus, Marius, Thérnardier, Mme. Thérnardier) ^D
48. Beggars at the Feast (Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier) ^D
49. Valjean's Death (Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, Marius, Bishop of Digne) ^H,D
50. Do You Hear the People Sing? [Reprise] / Epilogue (cast) ^H,D

^H on the highlights edition soundtrack
^D on the deluxe edition soundtrack

Notes: The film contains every song from the original stage musical with the exception of "I Saw Him Once" and "Dog Eats Dog", although many songs have been partially or extensively cut. "The Attack on Rue Plumet" and "Little People" were especially shortened. In addition, the Bishop sings with Fantine during "Valjean's Death" instead of Eponine, as was in the stage musical. "Stars" was also moved to before "Look Down", which echoes the original 1985 London production. The lyrics of some songs were also changed to suit the changes in setting or narrative to the stage musical. In addition to the cuts, a new song, "Suddenly" was added, new music was composed for the battle scenes, and the order of several songs changed from the stage musical. Several major pieces, primarily as "Who Am I?", "Stars", and the two "Soliloquy" pieces are performed in a different key than most recordings. ^WK-S

Review: Les Misérables first opened in France, but really became a sensation after its debuts in London (Barbican Theatre, October 8, 1985) and on Broadway (Broadway Theatre, March 12, 1987). CM It went on to win eight Tony awards, including Best Musical. The story drew on “Victor Hugo’s classic novel of a student uprising in early-19th-century France provides a compelling story line that continues to thrill audiences all over the world.” DH “The story chronicles the life of Jean Valjean, a simple Frenchman arrested as a youth for stealing a loaf of bread. After serving five years for that crime, as well as an additional 14 for attempted escape, Valjean is released on parole. Upon changing his name and eluding his parole officer, he becomes the surrogate father of a young girl and a Mayor as the French Revolution sets in. As the war rages, he finds that he cannot change the man he is.” SE-B “Les Miserables is typical of theater in the ‘80s, with extravagant effects and large, full-cast numbers. The beautiful score is full of emotion and humor, including” SE-B “beautiful ballads (Bring Him Home, I Dreamed a Dream) and rousing anthems (One Day More, Do You Hear the People Sing?),” DH as well as “such memorable and noteworthy songs as Look Down, …Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, and the ubiquitous On My Own.” SE-B “The original London cast recording is considered by many to be superior to various other releases of Les Miz.” SE-L They were “joined by Patti LuPone and Michael Ball.” SE-L Wilkinson and Ruffelle took their roles to Broadway. “The original Broadway cast recording contains some very fine performances, particularly by… [Colm] Wilkinson…and… [Frances] Ruffelle,” SE-B who worked on the London and Broadway productions as “the heroic Valjean and…the despondent Eponine” SE-B respectively. The effort to turn the production into a movie musical “was mired in ‘development hell’ for over ten years, as the rights were passed on to several major studios, and various directors and actors considered.” WK-S In 2012, it was finally turned into a film starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Russel Crowe. It won Golden Globes for Best Musical or Comedy, Best Actor (Jackman), and Best Supporting Actress (Hathaway). It received eight Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Actor, and won Best Supporting Actress for Hathaway. WK-S Review Sources: SE-B Sarah Erlewine, All Music Guide (Broadway cast) SE-L Sarah Erlewine, All Music Guide (London cast) DH David Horiuchi, Amazon.com (Broadway cast) CM Cameron Mackintosh, LesMis.com WK-S Wikipedia (soundtrack)

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Awards:

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Bob Marley & The Wailers released Uprising

Uprising Bob Marley & the Wailers

Released: June 10, 1980 Peak: 45 US, 41 RB, 6 UK, 36 AU Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.1 UK, 5.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: reggae

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Coming in from the Cold Real Situation Bad Card We and Dem Work Zion Train Pimpers Paradise Could You Be Loved (5/80, 5 UK, 56 RB) Forever Loving Jah Redemption Song (10/80, --) Total Running Time: 35:53 The Players: Bob Marley (vocals, guitar) Aston “Family Man” Barrett (bass) Carlton “Carlie” Barrett (drums, percussion) Tyrone Downie (keyboards) Alvin “Seeco” Patterson (percussion) Junior Marvin (electric guitar) Al Anderson (lead guitar) Earl “Wire” Lindo (keyboards) Carlton “Santa” Davis (drums) Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Griffiths (backing vocals)

Rating: 4.012 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

About the Album: After Marley collapsed during a jog in Central Park, he was diagnosed with cancer. He succumbed less than a year after the release of Uprising, making it the last studio album released in his lifetime. “Prophetically, it also contains some of the band's finest crafted material, as if they were cogent that this would be their final outing. The album's blend of religious and secular themes likewise creates a very powerful and singular quest for spirituality in a material world. Although it is argued that an album's graphic design rarely captures the essence of the work inside, the powerful rebirthing image of a rock solid Marley emerging with his arms raised in triumph could not be a more accurate visual description of the musical jubilation within.” AMG “Musically, the somewhat staid rhythms often synonymous with reggae have been completely turned around to include slinky and liquid syncopation. Work, Pimper's Paradise, and the lead-off track Coming in from the Cold are all significant variations on the lolloping Rasta beat. The major difference is the sonic textures that manipulate and fill those patterns. The inventive and unique guitar work of Al Anderson — the only American member of the original Wailers — once again redefines the role of the lead electric guitar outside of its standard rock & roll setting. Zion Train is awash in wah-wah-driven patterns creating an eerie, almost ethereal backdrop against Marley's lyrics, which recollect images from Peter Tosh's ‘Stop That Train’ all the way back on Marley & the Wailers' international debut Catch a Fire.” AMG There’s also “the album’s vibrant single Could You Be Loved” QM and, most notably, Redemption Song, which is “the final track on the original pressing of Uprising.” AMG “The stark contrast from the decidedly electric and group-oriented album to this hauntingly beautiful solo acoustic composition is as dramatic as it is visionary.” AMG “Never has an artist unknowingly written such a beautiful and apropos living epitaph;” AMG “this simple folk song, reminiscent of Bob Dylan, sounds like a farewell: ‘All I ever had…these songs of freedom.’” QM Notes: The 2001 "Definitive Remaster" version of Uprising contains the band version of "Redemption Song" and the 12" mix of "Could You Be Loved."

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Bob Marley AMG All Music Guide review by Lindsay Planer QM Q Magazine (7/04) review by Paul Elliott. No longer online. First posted 3/26/2008; last updated 5/10/2021.