Play the Game Tonight
Encyclopedia
"Play the Game Tonight" is a progressive rock
single recorded by Kansas
for their 1982 album Vinyl Confessions
. It managed to chart at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, becoming the fifteenth single, tenth top one-hundred hit, sixth top forty hit, and the third of four Top 20
hits produced by Kansas.
The song was written and produced during the John Elefante
period of Kansas and was on the first of two albums to be produced during that period (the other being Drastic Measures
). It is also one of the two hits produced during this time along with "Fight Fire With Fire". The song has been re-released on several live and compilation albums, including The Best of Kansas
, The Ultimate Kansas
, Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection
, and the Device, Voice, Drum
live CD/DVD combo.
, which continues playing as Elefante comes in on vocals, singing the first verse. As the verse progresses to the end, there is an increase in volume leading up to the chorus, where Elefante is backed by Robby Steinhardt
, Dave Hope
, and Kerry Livgren
on vocals, and including a steady bass line by Hope. The same structure repeats with the second verse and chorus, leading up to a violin solo by Steinhardt, progressing into the third and final chorus.
.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
single recorded by Kansas
Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
for their 1982 album Vinyl Confessions
Vinyl Confessions
Vinyl Confessions is the eighth studio album, and ninth album overall, by American rock band Kansas, released in 1982 . The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2011.-Background:...
. It managed to chart at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, becoming the fifteenth single, tenth top one-hundred hit, sixth top forty hit, and the third of four Top 20
Top 20
20 #1's Now is a 2007 compilation album by various artists and presented by reggaeton production duo Luny Tunes, released on November 20, 2007, by Machete Music.-Tracklist:# Welcome to My Crib – Randy "Nota Loka"...
hits produced by Kansas.
The song was written and produced during the John Elefante
John Elefante
John Elefante is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer.-Early years:Born in Levittown, New York, his family soon moved to Long Beach, California. Growing up, he sang and performed drums for his family band, the Brotherhood...
period of Kansas and was on the first of two albums to be produced during that period (the other being Drastic Measures
Drastic Measures
Drastic Measures is the ninth studio album, and tenth album overall, by American rock band Kansas, released in 1983.The shift in direction that Kansas took with Vinyl Confessions took its toll before recording began on this album...
). It is also one of the two hits produced during this time along with "Fight Fire With Fire". The song has been re-released on several live and compilation albums, including The Best of Kansas
The Best of Kansas
The Best of Kansas is the first compilation album and 11th album overall from the American rock band Kansas. It was originally released in 1984, and featured one new track, "Perfect Lover," written and performed by then-lead vocalist John Elefante...
, The Ultimate Kansas
The Ultimate Kansas
The Ultimate Kansas is the fourth compilation from the band Kansas. It was originally released in 2002, and focuses solely on their Kirshner period from their debut album Kansas in 1974, up to and including Drastic Measures in 1983...
, Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection
Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection
Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection is the fifth compilation from the band Kansas, originally released in 2004. Along with two CDs that include tracks from each one of the band's studio albums, the compilation also includes a 16-track companion DVD which features numerous television...
, and the Device, Voice, Drum
Device, Voice, Drum
Device, Voice, Drum is the fourth live album, and 21st album overall, by American rock band Kansas, released in 2002 . It is a double-CD companion to the DVD of the same name....
live CD/DVD combo.
Structure
The song begins with a slow, mysterious piano intro played by John ElefanteJohn Elefante
John Elefante is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer.-Early years:Born in Levittown, New York, his family soon moved to Long Beach, California. Growing up, he sang and performed drums for his family band, the Brotherhood...
, which continues playing as Elefante comes in on vocals, singing the first verse. As the verse progresses to the end, there is an increase in volume leading up to the chorus, where Elefante is backed by Robby Steinhardt
Robby Steinhardt
Robert Eugene Steinhardt is a rock violinist and singer best known for his work with the group Kansas, for which he was co-lead singer / "frontman" and emcee along with keyboardist Steve Walsh, from 1973–1982 and 1997–2006...
, Dave Hope
Dave Hope
Dave Hope is an American bass guitarist who played with the American rock band Kansas from 1973 until the band's first split in 1983. He then started the Christian band AD with Kerry Livgren and others....
, and Kerry Livgren
Kerry Livgren
Kerry Allen Livgren is an American musician and songwriter, best known as one of the founding members and primary songwriters for the 1970s progressive rock band, Kansas.-Biography:...
on vocals, and including a steady bass line by Hope. The same structure repeats with the second verse and chorus, leading up to a violin solo by Steinhardt, progressing into the third and final chorus.
Music video
The music video depicts, in between the band miming the song, a chess game played by two hooded beings. One is dressed in white and represents Life and all Mankind's accomplishments (the lunar landing of 1969 is seen in one clip), whereas the other wears black and is meant to represent Death and Destruction (as seen by clips of a mushroom cloud and the Soviet Army in training). An interesting note is the actual chess set used throughout the video: the pieces are actually characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.
Chart Performance
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 17 |
| U.S. Top Tracks | 4 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 35 |