Cinderella’s debut album, Night Songs, blasted onto the rock scene on August 2nd, 1986, marking a significant moment in the genre’s history. Tom Keifer, the band’s frontman, recently shared his recollections of the album’s creation, particularly the memorable cover shoot with photographer Mark Weiss. Keifer vividly remembers the Philadelphia location for the shoot, but was initially puzzled by Weiss’s plan. “It was shot in the historic district of Philadelphia,” Keifer recounts. “But the most interesting thing that I remember about that shoot was that the album was called Night Songs and Mark scheduled the shoot for daytime.” Keifer’s confusion stemmed from the album title itself, questioning how a daytime shoot could capture the essence of “Night Songs.” Weiss, however, assured him, “I shoot day for night,” a technique unfamiliar to Keifer at the time. Despite his initial skepticism, Keifer trusted Weiss, noting, “I just trusted him because I kind of liked this guy right off the bat. I thought he was a straight-up cat.” The results, as Keifer attests, were proof of Weiss’s talent: “And sure enough, when we got the pictures back it looked like it was nighttime… So Mark Weiss is a f–king genius.”
Reflecting on his musical journey, Keifer delves into his early influences, starting with the pivotal moment he first encountered rock and roll on television. He describes the transformative impact of seeing The Beatles and The Monkees, but it was the heavier sounds that truly ignited his passion. “I started hearing a different sound than the Beatles or the Monkees,” Keifer explains, “and it was like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith and once I heard that… and the Rolling Stones… you know I remember hearing Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Brown Sugar…and from that point on all through like my high school years that’s all I wanted to do.” These iconic bands became the blueprint for his musical aspirations, shaping his desire to pursue a career in rock music.
Keifer’s formative years in the South Jersey rock scene provided the proving ground for his musical ambitions. He recalls the vibrant club scene, fueled by a lower drinking age, where cover bands reigned supreme. “It was all cover clubs… there was a cover club on every corner because the drinking age was 18 so they were packed nightly.” While he honed his skills in this environment, a deeper artistic yearning began to emerge. “I’d get tired of that scene and I started to wonder why Led Zeppelin and the Stones and Rod Stewart got to make records and obviously it’s because they had their own songs.” This realization sparked a pivotal shift in his focus. “That’s when I wanted to get out of the club scene and the cover scene and started writing songs…and that’s what I did for a number of years and eventually it lead to putting Cinderella together.” The desire to create original music became the driving force that led to the formation of Cinderella.
The rise of MTV in the 1980s profoundly impacted the music industry, placing unprecedented emphasis on visual presentation. Keifer acknowledges the influence of the preceding decades’ rock icons on shaping the visual aspect of rock and roll. “You know I grew up on the music of the late 60s and the 70s and you’re talking Janis Joplin and Rod Stewart and Bad Company, Free and Joe Walsh and the James Gang… and I could go on and on …from the Eagles to Fleetwood Mac to Heart to the Rolling Stones…it was an incredibly creative time for music and not only did those artists influence you in the musical way, but they influenced you image wise.” He notes the emulation of these heroes, stating, “You wanted to be like them so you started to emulate them…and you know all my heroes were pretty flashy… I loved Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. They were cool and had a touch of glam vibe to them… and Janis Joplin did, Aerosmith did…” This visual inspiration, combined with the burgeoning influence of MTV, led to the amplified imagery of the 80s rock scene. Keifer explains, “I think when Cinderella came around and we were in the part of the decade in the 80s where so much importance was placed on the visual because of MTV. I think the over the top look that developed in the 80s was as a result of us taking our heroes to a whole other f–kin’ level. The 80s was all about excess and I think that’s what it was about.” He concludes, “And I think that most of my buddies from the other bands would tell you the same thing. It came from that glam, hard rock…you know, imagery of the 60s and the 70s and trying to take it somewhere new because all of a sudden there was this new visual thing called MTV where it was as much about the visual as it was about the music. Everything in the 80s was f–king over the top! And it was cool.. It was a great decade.” The visual extravagance of the 80s rock era, exemplified by bands like Cinderella and their Night Songs album, was a direct reflection of these combined musical and visual influences.
Tom Keifer’s reflections provide a fascinating glimpse into the creation of Night Songs and the vibrant rock scene that surrounded it. From the innovative album cover shoot to the powerful musical influences and the visual revolution driven by MTV, Night Songs stands as a testament to a dynamic era in rock history.
