Just For Tonight by Vanessa Williams

Album: The Comfort Zone (1991)

Charted: 26

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Songfacts®:

In this song, Williams knows it is over with her man, but she wants one more night with him so she can remember their better days.

The song was written by Cynthia Weil and Keith Thomas. Weil wrote a series of hits with Barry Mann, including "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "(Walking) In the Rain." Thomas, who produced the track, also worked on Amy Grant's album Heart In Motion and co-wrote her hits "Baby Baby" and "I Will Remember You."
This was the fourth single from Williams' album The Comfort Zone, following her #1 hit "Save The Best For Last." It petered out at #26 on the Hot 100, but made #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Comments: 4

Larry from New York City, NyThe song is as beautiful as she is.
Annabelle from Eugene, OrThe 1991 version clocked in at 4 minutes and 30 seconds. By early 1992, when the song was at peak popularity, a DJ at the local Los Angeles smooth jazz radio station 94.7 KTWV (The Wave) received a copy of the original 1991 release, and he called Vanessa Williams to say there was an element missing in the song. The DJ asked for a more laid-back version of the song that was a bit more jazzy in a smooth way.

In April of 1992, a new version of the song was released, this time under the title, "Just For Tonight (single remix)." This version included the original vocalizations and Vanessa's famous high-note intro from the 1991 version. Although the vocal tracks stayed the same, the instrumentation was slightly different from the original. The late jazz saxophonist Art Porter was brought in to play on the 1992 version of this song, which clocked in at 5 minutes and 14 seconds.

A month later on May 23, 1992, a DJ at the local Los Angeles pop station KOST 103.5 received a copy of the new single remix. Once he played it, he thought it too long for pop stations to play. In 1993, Vanessa's record company released yet another version of this song, under the title "Just For Tonight (single edit)." The edited version clocked in at 4 minutes and 14 seconds.
Dave from Cardiff, WalesVanessa finally broke into the UK Top 10 in 1992 with "Save The Best For Last", but is otherwise still next to unknown in the UK
Annabelle from Eugene, OrAlthough the credit for the lyrics was given to Keith Thomas, the lyrics were actually penned by Vanessa Williams as part of a farewell note she had written to Herbie Hancock in 1990. This bittersweet ballad was inspired by a tabloid rumor that Vanessa was caught having an affair with another man. However, in March of 1991, shortly after this song was professionally written, the tables had turned, when Vanessa had fallen in love with her manager, Ramon Harvey. When Vanessa took the lyrics to Bob Thomas, a local California bus driver, he immediately sent her to a printing company owned by his younger brother, Keith. After Keith typed and printed the lyrics, he suggested to Vanessa that she put these lyrics to music. The next day, Keith sent Vanessa to the home of the then husband-and-wife team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were songwriting partners - Barry Mann wrote lyrics, while Cynthia Weil wrote music. When Vanessa handed the lyrics over to Cynthia, they both sat down and began to think things over. Within two hours, Cynthia had composed a sweet and beautiful but sad melody for the song that would become "Just For Tonight."

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