Save Tonight
single
CoverEagleEyeCherry - SaveTonight - SingleCover.jpg
ArtistEagle-Eye Cherry
AlbumDesireless
B-sideConversation
Released7 October 1997
GenreAlternative rock[1]
Label
WriterEagle-Eye Cherry
ProducerAdam Kviman
Next year1998

"Save Tonight" is a song written and performed by Swedish rock musician Eagle-Eye Cherry, released on 7 October 1997 as the lead single from his debut album, Desireless (1997). It is the album's opening track and gained substantial radio success, reaching number three in Ireland, number five in the United States, number six in the United Kingdom, and number two in Cherry's native Sweden. "Save Tonight" was awarded the Rockbjörnen award in the "Swedish song of the year 1997" category.[2]

Critical reception

Larry Flick of Billboard wrote, "With a voice mildly reminiscent of Seal, the lad gives "Save Tonight" a richly soulful edge that cuts through the track's shiny arrangement of strumming acoustic guitars and prickly electric licks. Beyond the single's well-crafted surface are vivid, storyteller lyrics that are smarter than what you'll typically find on radio. An excellent, commercially sound way of introducing the artist's sterling full-length debut, Desireless, this cut demands immediate modern and mainstream rock radio play—and perhaps even triple-A and eventually top 40 stations."[3] Scottish newspaper Daily Record felt that with the song, "late jazz legend Don's son and Neneh's brother is living up to his musical heritage."[4]

Music video

The monochrome music video for the song was filmed at Skånegatan 92-94 in Stockholm's Södermalm district from 9–10 September 1997,[5] and features Cherry playing different characters and seeing the story from different perspectives. Cherry prepares for a date by buying roses and a bottle of wine at a deli; he waves goodbye to the butcher, who proves to be another Cherry. A robber wearing tights over his head as a disguise (purchased in a nearby shop at the start of the video) enters the deli and takes money from he cash register; when he runs out, he is hit by a pickup truck. Both he and the driver are additional duplicates of Cherry, and two others appear as a man playing guitar and a homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk. The Cherry who entered the deli walks past and tosses some change to the latter before departing for his date. The video is edited to make it appear as a single continuous take.

Track listings

  • Swedish and European CD single; UK cassette single[6][7][8]
  1. "Save Tonight" – 3:55
  2. "Conversation" – 4:55
  • UK CD single[9]
  1. "Save Tonight"
  2. "Save Tonight" (Bacon & Quarmby remix)
  3. "Conversation"
  4. "Save Tonight" (video)
  • Australasian CD single[10]
  1. "Save Tonight"
  2. "Save Tonight" (Bacon & Quarmby remix)
  3. "Conversation"

Personnel

Personnel are lifted from the Desireless album booklet.[11]

  • Eagle-Eye Cherry – music, lyrics, vocals, background vocals, co-production
  • Mattias Torell – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Klas Åhlund – electric guitar
  • Elias Modig – bass
  • Magnus Persson – drums
  • Adam Kviman – production, mixing, engineering

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997–1999)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[12]8
Europe Border Breakers (Music & Media)[13]1
European Radio Top 50 (Music & Media)[14]5
France Airplay (Music & Media)[15]1
Greece (IFPI)[16]7
Hungary (Mahasz)[17]7
Hungary Airplay (Music & Media)[18]3
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[19]8
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[20]4
Mexico International (Notitas Musicales)[21]3
Poland (Music & Media)[22]17
Scandinavia Airplay (Music & Media)[23]2
Spain Airplay (Music & Media)[22]3
UK Airplay (Music Week)[24]1
Chart (2013–2026)Peak
position
Norway Airplay (IFPI Norge)[25]37
Slovenia Airplay (SloTop50)[26]25

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
Sweden (Topplistan)[27]8
Chart (1998)Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[28]69
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[29]90
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[30]40
Europe Airplay (Music & Media)[31]4
Europe Border Breakers (Music & Media)[32]1
France (SNEP)[33]51
Germany (Media Control)[34]56
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[35]58
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[36]72
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[37]40
UK Singles (OCC)[38]39
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[39]36
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[40]57
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[41]33
US Triple-A (Billboard)[42]7
Chart (1999)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[43]49
US Billboard Hot 100[44]22
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[45]5
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[46]11
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[47]91
US Triple-A (Billboard)[48]25

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
Sweden7 October 1997CDSuperstudio Blå[49]
United Kingdom15 June 1998CD · cassettePolydor[50]
United States22 June 1998Modern rock radioWork[51]
14 July 1998Contemporary hit radio[52]

E.M.D. version

Save Tonight
single
ArtistE.M.D.
AlbumRewind
Released2010
Length3:35
LabelBMG
WriterEagle-Eye Cherry
Prev year2009
Next year2010

In 2010, Swedish boy band E.M.D. released a cover version of "Save Tonight" as the first single from their second studio album, Rewind (2010). Released first through digital stores on 28 May 2010, the single had a physical release on 16 June.

Track listing

  • CD and digital single
  1. "Save Tonight" – 3:35

Charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position

References

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  2. ^ "Alla Rockbjörnsvinnare sedan 1979" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  3. ^ Flick, Larry (8 August 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles - New & Noteworthy". Billboard. p. 21. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Chart Slot". Daily Record. 31 July 1998.
  5. ^ McKinney, Kelsey (7 October 2017). "People Are Still Yelling "Save Tonight!" at Eagle-Eye Cherry on the Street". GQ. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  6. ^ Save Tonight (Swedish CD single liner notes). Superstudio Blå. 1997. BLÅ CS-4, 74321 52452 2.
  7. ^ Save Tonight (European CD single liner notes). Polydor Records. 1998. 569 594-2.
  8. ^ Save Tonight (UK cassette single sleeve). Polydor Records. 1998. 569 594-4.
  9. ^ Save Tonight (UK CD single liner notes). Polydor Records. 1998. 569595-2.
  10. ^ Save Tonight (Australasian CD single liner notes). Polydor Records. 1998. 569 595 2.
  11. ^ Desireless (US CD album booklet). Work Records. 1998. OK 69434.
  12. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 30. 25 July 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Border Breakers". Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 24. 18 April 1998. p. 22. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
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  15. ^ "Major Market Airplay: France". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 31. 1 August 1998. p. 23. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
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  21. ^ "Los Discos Mas Populares" (in Spanish). List of number-one hits of 1998 (Mexico). September 1998. p. 24. Archived 22 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 January 2025. Noviembre 1ra Quincena
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