It's Your Night

It's Your Night is the debut album by American singer-songwriter James Ingram, released by Qwest Records/Warner Records on July 27, 1983. The album was commercially successful, as it peaked at number 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart and reached number 10 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. It was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in early 1984, making this his highest-charting album and only RIAA-certified album.

The aforementioned album and its parent singles were nominated for quadruple Grammy Awards for both 1984 and 1985, with "Yah Mo B There", a duet with singer Michael McDonald, winning for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.

It was his first on Qwest Records, which was run by Quincy Jones.

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Quincy Jones.

Personnel

• James Ingram – lead vocals, synthesizers (1, 2, 8), synth bass (1), arrangements (1, 2), backing vocals (2, 8), keyboards (8)
• Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (1–3, 8)
• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards (1, 4), synthesizers (1, 4, 6), acoustic piano (6)
• Mark Vieha – synthesizers (1), arrangements (1)
• Craig Hundley – synthesizer programming (1, 4–6), synthesizers (4)
• Quincy Jones – arrangements (1–3, 7, 9), African voices (2), electric piano (3)
• Michael McDonald – synthesizers (2), arrangements (2), lead and backing vocals (2)
• Rod Temperton – synthesizers (2, 6), arrangements (2)
• Robbie Buchanan – keyboards (3), synthesizers (3, 8), arrangements (3)
• Don Dorsey – synthesizers (3)
• David Paich – synthesizers (3, 7, 9), arrangements (7)
• David Foster – keyboards (5), synthesizers (5), acoustic piano (9), arrangements (9)
• Ian Underwood – synthesizer programming (5, 6)
• Jimmy Smith – organ (6), synthesizers (6)
• Steve Porcaro – synthesizer programming (7, 9)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (1, 4, 8, 9)
• Larry Carlton – guitars (3)
• George Doering – guitars (9)
• Louis Johnson – bass guitar (1, 8)
• Abe Laboriel – bass guitar (7)
• Nathan East – bass guitar (9)
• Harvey Mason – drums (1)
• John Robinson – drums (2, 4, 5, 7, 8)
• Raymond Calhoun – drums (3)
• Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums (9)
• Paulinho Da Costa – percussion (2, 4, 5, 8)

• Steve Ray – fingerpopper (8)
• Ernie Watts – tenor saxophone solo (4)
• Larry Williams – saxophones (4, 6)
• Tom Scott – lyricon (5), saxophones (6), lyricon solo (8)
• Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (4, 6)
• Gary Grant – trumpet (4, 6), flugelhorn (4)
• Jerry Hey – trumpet (4, 6), flugelhorn (4)
• Johnny Mandel – arrangements (9)
• Ollie E. Brown – backing vocals (1)
• Zane Giles – backing vocals (1)
• Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (1)
• Susaye Greene Brown – backing vocals (1)
• Howard Hewett – backing vocals (1, 6)
• Bunny Hull – backing vocals (1, 8)
• David Pack – backing vocals (2)
• Phillip Ingram – backing vocals (1)
• Augie Johnson – backing vocals (1)
• Valerie Johnson – backing vocals (1)
• Scherrie Payne – backing vocals (1)
• Luther Vandross – backing vocals (1)
• Tom Bahler – backing vocals (6)
• Linda Harmon – backing vocals (6)
• Edie Lehmann – backing vocals (6)
• Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals (8)
• Carmen Twillie – backing vocals (8)
• Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals (8)
• Patti Austin – lead and backing vocals (9)

Production

• Producer – Quincy Jones
• Co-Producer on Track 9 – Johnny Mandel
• Production Assistants – Steve Ray and Mark Ross
• Tracks 1–8 recorded and mixed by Bruce Swedien
• Track 9 recorded by Joel Moss
• Additional Recording and Technical Director – Matt Forger

• Assistant Engineers – Steve Bates, Ric Butz, Mark Ettel and Greg Laney.
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman at A&M Studios (Hollywood, CA).
• Art Direction – Simon Levy and Jeri McManus
• Design – Jeri McManus
• Photography – Matthew Rolston
• Sleeve Notes – James Ingram and Quincy Jones

Popular culture

The song "Whatever We Imagine" was used as the closing theme for both 1984 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and 1986 NBA Finals for CBS Sports.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References