Goodnight L.A.

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Goodnight L.A. | type = Album | artist = Magnum | cover = Magnum - Goodnight LA.jpg | alt = | released = July 1990 | recorded = 1989–1990 | venue = | studio = Goodnight L.A. Studios, Los Angeles | genre = Hard rock | length = 48:40 | label = Polydor | producer = Keith Olsen | prev_title = Foundation | prev_year = 1989 | next_title = The Spirit | next_year = 1991 | misc = {{Singles | name = Goodnight L.A. | type = studio | single1 = Rockin' Chair | single1date = June 1990 | single2 = Heartbroke and Busted | single2date = August 1990<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/508/mode/2up?q=Magnum|title=Great Rock Discography|date=1995 |isbn=978-0-86241-541-9 }}</ref> }} }} {{Album ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r375797|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]</ref> | rev2 = ''Select'' | rev2Score = 2/5<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Paul |first=Sexton |date=August 1990 |title=Magnum: ''Goodnight LA'' |magazine=Select |page=100}}</ref> }}

'''''Goodnight L.A.''''' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Magnum, released in 1990 by Polydor.

Most of the material was already written and arranged, at least in demo form, and was taken to Los Angeles and Vancouver to find an American producer. Keith Olsen was suggested because of the success of his work on Whitesnake's ''1987''.<ref name=autogenerated1>Goodnight L.A. Tour Programme</ref> Tony Clarkin, the band's guitarist and usually the sole songwriter, then invited co-writers such as Russ Ballard, Jim Vallance and David Cassidy's wife Sue Shifrin to collaborate on songwriting. Other songs called "The Rock" and "On That Day" were retitled or dropped. "Come Back Running" was recorded as a demo version, but it was never released.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://magnum-biography.piranho.de/new_page_11.htm |title=Fehler 404 |access-date=24 July 2007 |archive-date=2 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302033833/http://magnum-biography.piranho.de/new_page_11.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> An additional title, written by Ballard and Clarkin, was published around this time called "Dancing With The Devil"; if this song was recorded, it has yet to be released.

The rest of the band flew to Los Angeles in 1990 to record "Goodnight L.A." at Olsen's studios. The album was originally titled ''Born to Be King'' but was eventually named after the studio.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Three singles were planned. "Rockin' Chair" was released first, followed by "Heartbroke and Busted"; the third single, "No Way Out", was cancelled because Polydor was disappointed with the chart ranking of "Heartbroke and Busted".

While Polydor's plan for a Magnum breakthrough in America failed (the album was not released there), ''Goodnight L.A.'' was a commercial success at home, charting 9 in the United Kingdom (a position surpassed only by Wings of Heaven).

== Track listing == {{tracklist | headline = Original 1990 release | all_writing = Tony Clarkin, except where noted | title1 = Rockin' Chair | writer1 = Tony Clarkin, Russ Ballard | length1 = 4:10 | title2 = Mama | length2 = 4:34 | title3 = Only a Memory | length3 = 7:04 | title4 = Reckless Man | length4 = 3:11 | title5 = Matter of Survival | writer5 = Tony Clarkin, Russ Ballard | length5 = 4:19 | title6 = What Kind of Love Is This? | writer6 = Tony Clarkin, Jim Vallance | length6 = 4:35 | title7 = Heartbroke and Busted | length7 = 3:37 | title8 = Shoot | length8 = 3:34 | title9 = No Way Out | writer9 = Tony Clarkin, Russ Ballard | length9 = 3:59 | title10 = Cry for You | writer10 = Tony Clarkin, Sue Shiffron | length10 = 3:57 | title11 = Born to Be King | length11 = 5:33 }}

== Singles == '''Rockin' Chair''' 7" (1990) #"Rockin' Chair" [LP version] (Tony Clarkin and Russ Ballard) — 4:10 #"Mama" [LP version] — 4:34

'''Rockin' Chair''' 12" (1990) #"Rockin' Chair" [LP version] (Tony Clarkin and Russ Ballard) — 4:10 #"Mama" [LP version] — 4:34 #"Where Do You Run To" [B-side] — 3:44

'''Rockin' Chair''' CD (1990) #"Rockin' Chair" [LP version] (Tony Clarkin and Russ Ballard) — 4:10 #"Mama" [LP version] — 4:34 #"Where Do You Run To" [B-side] — 3:44

'''Heartbroke and Busted''' 7" (1990) #"Heartbroke and Busted" [LP version] — 3:37 #"Hanging Tree" [B-side] — 0:00

'''Heartbroke and Busted''' 12" (1990) #"Heartbroke and Busted" [LP version] — 3:37 #"Hanging Tree" [B-side] — 0:00 #"Cry for You" [LP version] (Tony Clarkin and Sue Shiffron) — 0:00

'''Heartbroke and Busted''' EP (1990) #"Heartbroke and Busted" [LP version] — 3:37 #"Les Mort Dansant" [acoustic] — 3:37 #"Hanging Tree" [B-side] — 0:00 #"Cry for You" [LP version] (Tony Clarkin and Sue Shiffron) — 0:00

'''Heartbroke and Busted''' CD (1990) #"Heartbroke and Busted" [LP version] — 3:30 #"Hanging Tree" [B-side] — 3:37 #"Cry for You" [LP version] (Tony Clarkin and Sue Shiffron) — 3:52

== Personnel == *Bob Catley — vocals *Tony Clarkin — guitar *Wally Lowe — bass guitar *Mark Stanway — keyboards *Mickey Barker — drums

;Additional musicians *Tommy Funderburk — backing vocals *Michael Sadler — backing vocals *Paulinho da Costa — percussion *Deric Dyer — saxophone

== Charts == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! Chart (1990) ! Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name=FINI>{{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5| language= fi}}</ref> | align="center"| 30 |- {{Album chart|Germany|21|artist=Magnum|album=Goodnight L.A.|id=1082|rowheader=true|accessdate=30 October 2023}} |- {{Album chart|Norway|15|artist=Magnum|album=Goodnight L.A.|rowheader=true|accessdate=30 October 2023}} |- {{Album chart|Sweden|7|artist=Magnum|album=Goodnight L.A.|rowheader=true|accessdate=30 October 2023}} |- {{Album chart|Switzerland|12|artist=Magnum|album=Goodnight L.A. |rowheader=true|accessdate=30 October 2023}} |- {{Album chart|UK2|9|date=19900715|rowheader=true|accessdate=30 October 2023}} |}

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [http://www.magnumonline.co.uk/ www.magnumonline.co.uk] — Official Magnum site

Category:1990 albums Category:Magnum (band) albums Category:Albums produced by Keith Olsen Category:Polydor Records albums