"Tropical Nights" is the eighth studio album by American singer and actress Liza Minnelli, released by Columbia Records in 1977.
At the time of its release, disco music was the most played musical style on the radio. In this context, it was decided that Liza Minnelli would adopt the disco style, as she was already known for numerous changes in her repertoire.
The album was produced by Rik Pekkonen and Steve March for Waylentsote Productions, mixed and engineered by Rik Pekkonen, with arrangements by Jim Grady. The recordings took place over three nights at Le Palace Theatre in Paris. The album's design was handled by Nancy Donald, and Reid Miles was the photographer.
The title track, "Tropical Nights," was written by Mark Winkler and marked his debut as a recorded songwriter. Winkler was working as a waiter in Beverly Hills when singer-songwriter Steve March Tormé approached him about contributing a song for Liza Minnelli. Winkler later presented a demo version of the song, and it was deemed suitable for Minnelli. The song underwent an expansion from its original three-minute structure to a six-and-a-half-minute disco piece, incorporating elements like a rainstorm, a conga line, and the melody of "Bali Hai" opening the composition. "Tropical Nights" appeared among the most played songs on the Record World disco chart on October 1, 1977.
The album's release followed the success of Liza Minnelli's soundtrack albums for "Liza with a Z" and "Cabaret" and marked her first studio album since "The Singer" in 1973.
In 2002, twenty-five years after its release, the independent label DRG Records released a remastered version of "Tropical Nights." In 2017, Cherry Red Records released an expanded version that included five bonus tracks: "More Than I Like You" and its B-side "Harbour" (two tracks from a 1974 single not included on an album) and three versions in different languages of Minnelli's final Columbia single, "The Day After That," from 1993, which was part of the musical "Kiss Of A Spider Woman," in which Minnelli had a role. The singer used the recording as a call to action in the fight against AIDS.
The critical reception for "Tropical Nights" was mostly favorable, with some critics praising the album's disco style and Minnelli's performance.
Commercially, the album had moderate success. It reached its peak position at number 156 on the Record World Top 200 Albums chart and spent a total of four weeks on the chart. In the Philadelphia region's Billboard Disco Action chart, it reached number 13.
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