Maps of Music

Always Got Tonight (2002)

Where the lyrics of Always Got Tonight take you, and where it was really made.

The album's title track is not the lead single: 'American Boy' is the main theme of the Showtime series The Chris Isaak Show, which Isaak starred in.

Key places

Recorded at Henson Recording Studios (2002)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — Discogs lists Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles among the album's recording locations. The pin is set at city-center level, not at the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Always Got Tonight is the eighth studio album by Chris Isaak
• Released in 2002 on Reprise Records
• Twelve tracks; all composed by Chris Isaak except 'Cool Love', written with John Shanks
• Lead single: 'Let Me Down Easy'
• 'American Boy' is the main theme of The Chris Isaak Show on Showtime, a series in which Isaak starred during its first season
• The album came out while Isaak was known for the series, which made it a companion to his acting work

Background

• After finishing their concert commitments, Isaak and his band turned to other projects
• Guitarist Hershel Yatovitz described a TV project tied to Silvertone, a dramatic sitcom created by writers of Northern Exposure
• John Shanks took over as producer, replacing Isaak's usual collaborator Erik Jacobsen
• Isaak compared the new working relationship with Shanks to a fresh romance

Recording

• Recording sessions moved between several US cities, from San Francisco to Vancouver
• Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles is recorded as one of the album's recording locations
• Additional musicians include Abraham Laboriel, Jamie Muhoberac, Jimmy Pugh, John Shanks, Lenny Castro, Matt Eakle, Patrick Warren, Paul Bushnell and Steve Ferrone
• Backing vocals by Millie Seeboth and Minnie Driver
• Patrick Warren arranged the strings on 'Cool Love'

Cover

• Additional photos and art came from the private collections of Chris Isaak and Stephen Walker

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Christopher Joseph Isaak, born June 26, 1956, in Stockton, California.
• After college he formed his first band, Silvertone, a rockabilly group; the name came from the Silvertone guitar brand popular in the 1950s.
• The group remained his permanent backing band.

Members

• Original Silvertone members included James Calvin Wilsey (guitar), Jamie Ayres (bass), and John Silvers (drums).
• Ayres and Silvers were later replaced by Rowland Salley (bass) and Kenney Dale Johnson (drums).

Career

• Signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1985 and released the debut album Silvertone to critical acclaim.
• Known for a reverb-heavy rockabilly revivalist style and a wide vocal range; often compared to Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and Duane Eddy.
• His breakthrough and signature song is "Wicked Game" (1989 album Heart Shaped World), which became a national top 10 hit in 1991.
• Other international hits include "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying".
• Has released 13 studio albums over four decades.
• Worked closely with director David Lynch, who used his music in several films; Isaak acted in Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
• Starred in the sitcom The Chris Isaak Show (2001-2004) and hosted the talk show The Chris Isaak Hour (2009).

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released in 2002 on Reprise Records as Chris Isaak's eighth studio album
• Lead single 'Let Me Down Easy' promoted the record
• Isaak and the band went on their first national tour since 1999 to promote the album
• 'American Boy' tied the record to The Chris Isaak Show on Showtime, in which Isaak starred during the first season
• Twelve tracks, with only 'Cool Love' co-written by another writer, John Shanks

Records

• Sales: according to Nielsen SoundScan in August 2006, the album had sold 340,000 copies in the United States alone

Sources: es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Hershel Yatovitz described a TV project tied to Silvertone: a dramatic sitcom created by writers of Northern Exposure, with a first broadcast date set for December 2000 and one-hour episodes
• After the concert commitments, Isaak's band spread out to separate projects, and the recording sessions moved from city to city across the country
• The recording sessions moved from San Francisco to Vancouver during the making of the album
• Notes on the release credit that additional photos and art came from the private collections of Chris Isaak and Stephen Walker
• Minnie Driver is credited with backing vocals alongside Millie Seeboth

Sources: es.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · en.wikipedia.org

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