Take It to Heart is the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. It was released on May 15, 1990, on the label Reprise, five years after his previous studio album, No Lookin' Back.
The album was slated to be titled Lonely Talk to be issued in August 1989. It also had a different track list, containing a song called “Plain of Jars” and a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” (which ended up on his 2000 greatest hits collection The Voice of Michael McDonald); there were also different versions of current tracks that made the official album. About 3 weeks prior to its original planned issue date, Reprise/Warner Bros. decided there were not enough potential singles; therefore, “Tear It Up,” “All We Got” and “Get the Word Started” were added, with “Take It to Heart” recorded and added, which meant some songs and some versions were removed or changed (details unknown).
Track listing
Personnel
Michael McDonald – vocals, backing vocals (1–7, 10) , synthesizer programming and sequencing (1, 4, 10), keyboards (2, 6–9, 11) Peter Leinheiser – synthesizer programming and sequencing (1), guitars (1) Michael Hanna – keyboards (2), synthesizer programming and sequencing (4) John Tesh – synthesizer programming and sequencing (4) Don Was – synthesizer programming and sequencing (4) Michael Mason – synthesizer programming and sequencing (4) Gardner Cole – synthesizer programming and sequencing (5) David Gamson – synthesizer programming and sequencing (5) Bernie Chiaravalle – guitars (2, 4, 7, 11), sitar (4) Michael Landau – guitars (3, 5–9, 11) Charles Frichtel – bass (2) Abraham Laboriel – bass (3, 6–9, 11), acoustic guitar (11) George Perilli – drums (2, 4) Jeff Porcaro – drums (3, 6–9, 11), percussion (6, 7, 10, 11), African log drum (11) Debra Dobkin – congas (2) Paulinho da Costa – percussion (4) Terry McMillan – percussion (6, 7), backing vocals (6) Vince Denham – saxophone and solo (2) Kirk Whalum – saxophone (3) Stan Getz – tenor saxophone (11) Paul Riser – string arrangements (2, 4) Brian McKnight – backing vocals (1) Chuck Sabatino – backing vocals (1, 6) Sweet Pea Atkinson – backing vocals (2, 4, 5) Harry Bowens – backing vocals (2, 4, 5) David Lasley – backing vocals (2, 4) Kathy Walker – backing vocals (2) Amy Holland – backing vocals (3) David Pack – backing vocals (5, 7) Maureen McDonald – backing vocals (7)
Production Michael McDonald – producer (1, 3, 6–11) Ted Templeman – producer (1, 3, 6–11) Don Was – producer (2, 4) David Gamson – produced (5) Gardner Cole – produced (5) Ed Cherney – engineer Jeff Hendricksen – engineer Ross Pallone – engineer Bob Schaper – engineer, additional engineer Ed Goodreau – additional engineer Brian Schuble – additional engineer Elaine Anderson – assistant engineer Michael Douglass – assistant engineer Lori Fumar – assistant engineer John Jackson – assistant engineer Rob Jaczko – assistant engineer Calvin Loser – assistant engineer Michael Mason – assistant engineer Eric Rudd – assistant engineer Scott Symington – assistant engineer Michael Tacci – assistant engineer Toby Wright – assistant engineer Shep Pettibone – remixing (1) George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York) Joan Parker – production coordinator Andy Earl – photography Martyn Atkins for T&CP Associates (Hollywood, London) – art direction Front Line Management – management
Chart performance Chart (1990) Peakposition
See also List of albums released in 1990 Michael McDonald's discography
References
External links