Tonight We Have The Stars
Recording Artist: Bryan Adams
Writers: Jim Vallance
Bryan Adams
Gretchen Peters
Albums: 11 (Universal/Polygram, 2008)
Audio:
 

Bryan Adams: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, vocal
Colin Cripps: electric guitar
Gary Breit: Hammond organ, piano
Jim Vallance: organ (bridge section only)
Mickey Curry: drums

 
Produced by Bryan Adams.  Recorded by Ben Dobie.  Mixed by Bob Clearmountain at Mix This, Los Angeles.
Comments:
Jim Vallance, Bryan Adams. London, May 2007 >

(photo: Colin Cripps)
The following quote is from an article by Kirk LaPointe, managing editor of The Vancouver Sun newspaper:

"Arguably the strongest song on 11, Tonight We Have The Stars has a serendipitous quality that speaks volumes about how Bryan works and networks: a lyric from last decade with Gretchen Peters, a new piece of music sent by Vallance and a new melody from Adams. He pulled the pieces off his Mac on an airplane and began mumbling the result to the surprise of his seatmates. Presto, the song that built the foundation for the album".
 
Below:  this is my "first draft" recording of Tonight We Have The Stars ... the original "audio email" that I sent to Bryan. It was a quick recording done in my home studio in Vancouver, but Bryan was able to turn this humble snippet into a song.
 
Bob Clearmountain >
"Tonight We Have The Stars" was mixed by Bob Clearmountain at his "Mix This" studio in Los Angeles.  Nothing unusual about that ... Bob has been mixing Bryan's records for decades.  What's interesting is, the other three participants were monitoring the mix from many miles away:  I was in Canada, Bryan was in Brazil, and Ben Dobie was in England. Give or take a few milliseconds, we were all hearing the mix "live", streaming on a dedicated, encrypted iTunes channel.

After each pass of the mix we'd send our comments to Bob on iChat. A moment later Bob would "roll tape" again, and we'd hear the suggested changes unfold in close-to-real time. 

This might not seem unique to everyone, but for me, considering the technology that existed when I started in the music business nearly 50 years ago, this is like science fiction. I can only imagine where things will be, 50 years from now!
Lyrics: We'll save ourselves a bottle
Of California red
We'll drink it on a Tuesday
Let it go straight to our heads

And we'll eat from good china
And make love on linen sheets
Just like there's no tomorrow
No surrender, no retreat

I can feel it in my bones
And I know it in my heart
Tomorrow may be rainin'
But tonight we have the stars

We may always be together
Or miles and miles apart
Tomorrow may be rainin'
But tonight we have the stars - yeah, yeah

We were young and we were foolish
We were easy to deceive
Said we'd be in love forever
And it was easy to believe

Well, you and I we had our moments
Our devils and our doubts
But the time we spend together
We gotta make it count

I can feel it in my bones
And I know it in my heart
Tomorrow may be rainin'
But tonight we have the stars

We may always be together
Or miles and miles apart
Tomorrow may be rainin'
But tonight we have the stars - yeah, yeah

Tonight we have the stars

So let's hold on to this moment
Cuz it's all we've really got

I can feel it in my bones
And I know it in my heart
Tomorrow may be rainin'
But tonight we have the stars

We may always be together
Or miles and miles apart
Tomorrow may be rainin'
But tonight we have the stars - yeah

I can feel it in my bones
And I know it in my heart
Tomorrow may be rainin'
But tonight we have the stars - yeah, yeah

Oh yeah, tonight we have the stars