Eddie Money’s signature hit, “Take Me Home Tonight,” is really two songs in one. Released in 1986, the song’s chorus incorporates The Ronettes’ classic 1963 single “Be My Baby.” According to Songfacts, Eddie was ecstatic when Ronnie Spector agreed to record the lyric “Be my little baby” for the chorus.
“Take Me Home Tonight” was good for both Eddie Money and Ronnie Spector. It became Eddie’s biggest hit and helped revive his career after a period of declining sales. For Ronnie, the song brought her back into the spotlight for the first time in two decades. Heavy airplay on radio and MTV introduced Spector to a new generation.
The video was filmed in black and white at an empty arena in Reno, Nevada. Eddie is alone on stage with a metal ladder, a folding chair, and a saxophone (which he could really play). While he sings, we see Ronnie Spector’s silhouette in a dressing room and backstage hallways. We finally see that it’s her when she gets to the arena floor.