The album peaked at number 14 on the US
Billboard 200.[2] In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number 4 on the
UK Albums Chart. Willis was awarded a US Gold album in March 1987.
The lead single "
Respect Yourself", a duet with
June Pointer featuring background vocals by the Pointer Sisters, was a hit. It peaked at number 5 on the US
Billboard Hot 100,[3] number 7 on the
UK Singles Chart and number 8 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. Follow-up singles "Young Blood" and "
Under the Boardwalk" did not fare nearly as well, peaking at number 68 and number 59, in the US respectively. Though "Under the Boardwalk" fared poorly in the US, in the UK the single reached number 2 in the charts and became the UK's 12th best-selling single of 1987. Other singles were released in the United Kingdom, including "Secret Agent Man" (peaked at number 43) and "Comin' Right Up" (peaked at number 73).
A TV Special (and Home Video release), similarly titled "The Return of Bruno," was released at the same time. It was produced as a "mockumentary" purporting to chronicle the career of Bruno Radolini (Willis). It was directed by Jim Yukich and produced by Paul Flattery for their company, Split Screen. It was nominated for a CableACE Award for writing.
Reception and legacy
Reviews of the album were mixed. In February 1987, People magazine gave the album a B+, while calling Willis' cover of "Under the Boardwalk" "surprisingly okay", noting additionally that the album "shows us that he (Willis) can't shout songs quite as well as
Don Johnson. So
Springsteen he ain't. Funny he is."[4]AllMusic observes that Willis "doesn't quite have the conviction or skill of the
Blues Brothers", adding that The Return of Bruno is today little more than a kitsch artifact.[5]