| Blue Obsession | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 28, 2000 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Blue-eyed soul | |||
| Length | 60:03 | |||
| Label | Ramp Records | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Michael McDonald chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   1 |
Blue Obsession is the fifth solo album by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. The album was released on March 28, 2000, by Ramp Records.23 The original album was pulled from release before it got to stores, but a few advance copies did get out. The original has a different track listing and three songs from it were removed and replaced by other songs. A cover of "Tell It Like It Is" was pulled and still has never been officially released. Catalog # 2-46508 was the promo on the Reprise label, not Ramp.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All I Need" | 5:41 | |
| 2. | "No Love to Be Found" |
| 5:32 |
| 3. | "Obsession Blues" |
| 4:36 |
| 4. | "Where Would I Be Now" |
| 6:09 |
| 5. | "Build Upon It" |
| 5:06 |
| 6. | "The Meaning of Love" |
| 5:31 |
| 7. | "Open the Door" |
| 5:50 |
| 8. | "Kikwit Town" |
| 5:42 |
| 9. | "Down by the River" | Neil Young | 5:37 |
| 10. | "Someday You Will" |
| 4:24 |
| 11. | "Ain't That Peculiar" | 5:15 | |
| 12. | "You Can't Make It Love" |
| 4:27 |
Personnel
Musicians and Vocalists
- Michael McDonald – lead vocals, synthesizers (2, 4, 8, 10), organ (3, 7, 9), acoustic piano (4, 5, 11, 12), clavinet (5), backing vocals (11)
- Tommy Sims – keyboards (1, 6, 8), bass (1–3, 6–8, 10), duet vocals (1), clavinet (2), rhythm guitar (2), guitars (6, 7), drum programming (6), synthesizers (7), acoustic piano (8, 10), percussion (8)
- Marc Harris – organ (1, 4–7, 12), clavinet (5)
- Billy Livsey – organ (2, 10)
- Johnny Neel – Hammond B3 organ (3)
- Tim Akers – organ (4)
- David Pack – additional keyboards (11), guitars (11)
- Joe Houge – programming (11), organ (11), sampling (11)
- Chris Rodriguez – guitars (1, 11), acoustic guitar (12)
- Bernie Chiaravalle – rhythm guitar (2), guitar solo (2), guitars (3–5, 10), cymbals (4)
- George Cocchini – acoustic guitar (3), guitars (8)
- Will Owsley – electric guitar (3)
- Gordon Kennedy – acoustic guitar (6, 10), electric guitar (10)
- Chris Pelonis – guitars (9)
- Chris Kent – electric bass (5)
- Todd Smith – bass (9)
- Dan Needham – drums (1–3, 7, 8, 10), percussion (3)
- Yvette Preyer – drums (4, 5), tambourine (5)
- Chester Thompson – wave drum (8)
- Brian Zsupnik – drums (9)
- George Perilli – drums (11)
- Tom Roady – percussion (1, 7)
- Terry McMillan – percussion (4), congas (5)
- Danny Duncan – sound effects (8), percussion (10)
- Mark Douthit – saxophones (1, 2, 7)
- Doug Moffet – saxophones (1, 2, 7)
- Denis Solee – saxophones (1, 2, 7)
- Barry Green – trombone (1)
- Mike Haynes – trumpet (1)
- Sam Levine – flute (6)
- Bobby Taylor – oboe (6)
- Viktor Krauss – bass fiddle (4)
- The Nashville String Machine – strings (1, 6)
- Carl Gorodetzky – concertmaster (1, 6), violin (8)
- Anthony LaMarchina – cello (1, 6)
- Bob Mason – cello (1, 6, 8)
- Carol McClure – harp (1, 6)
- Alan Umstead – viola (1, 6)
- Gary Vanosdale – viola (1, 6)
- Kris Wilkinson – viola (1, 6, 8)
- David Davidson – violin (1, 6)
- Conni Ellisor – violin (1, 6)
- Lee Larrison – violin (1, 6)
- Pamela Sixfin – violin (1, 6, 8)
- Mary Kathryn Vanosdale – violin (1, 6)
- Tabitha Fair – backing vocals (1)
- Angelo Petrucci – backing vocals (1)
- Veronica Petrucci – backing vocals (1)
- Nicol Smith – backing vocals (1, 8)
- Chris Willis – backing vocals (1)
- Wendy Moten – duet and backing vocals (2)
- Amy Holland – harmony vocals (4), backing vocals (7, 9)
- Rodney Covington – backing vocals (5)
- Stacy Covington – backing vocals (5)
- Delores Cox – backing vocals (5)
- Ladre Fayne – backing vocals (5)
- Pamela Holman – backing vocals (5)
- Alfreda McCrary – backing vocals (5)
- Tiffany Palmer – backing vocals (5)
- Demitria Slaydon – backing vocals (5)
- Duane Starling – backing vocals (5)
- Timothy Terry – backing vocals (5)
- Karla Bonoff – backing vocals (9)
- Christopher Cross – backing vocals (9)
- Claude McKnight – backing vocals (10)
- Joey Kibble – backing vocals (10)
- Mark Kibble – backing vocals (10)
- Toby McKeehan – duet and backing vocals (11)
- Kevin Max Smith – backing vocals (11)
- Michael Tait – backing vocals (11)
Music arrangements
- Tommy Sims – rhythm arrangements (1, 2, 6–8), horn arrangements (1, 2, 7) vocal arrangements (1, 2)
- Tim Akers – horn arrangements (1, 2, 7), string arrangements (1, 8), string conductor (1)
- Bernie Chiaravalle – rhythm arrangements (2, 3, 10)
- Michael McDonald – rhythm arrangements (2, 3, 6, 8, 10), vocal arrangements (2)
- Wendy Moten – vocal arrangements (2)
- Rodney Covington – BGV arrangements (5)
- Ronn Huff – string arrangements and conductor (6)
Production
- Tommy Sims – producer (1–3, 6–8, 10, 12)
- Bernie Chiaravalle – producer (4, 5)
- Michael McDonald – producer (4, 5, 9, 11)
- David Pack – producer (11)
- Gail Chiaravalle – production coordinator
- Bridgett Evans O'Lannerghty – production coordinator
- Susan Henson – production coordinator
- Bruce Steinberg – art direction, inside photography
- Simon Design – design
- Dennis Keeley – front cover photography
- Gary Braasch – back cover photography
- Tony Stone Images – back cover photography
- Greg Fruin and Howard Kaufman for HK Management – management
Technical credits
- Mark Casselman – engineer
- Ben Fowler – engineer
- Andy Gerome – engineer
- Jon Lechner – engineer
- Russ Martin – engineer
- Chris Pelonis – engineer, mixing (9)
- Greg Rubin – engineer, mixing (1, 7, 8, 10, 12)
- Grady Walker – engineer
- Martin Woodlee – engineer
- Rick Will – mixing (2–6, 11)
- Joe Costa – assistant engineer
- Tim Coyle – assistant engineer
- Dave Dillbeck – assistant engineer
- Mark Frigo – assistant engineer
- Tony Green – assistant engineer
- Graham Lewis – assistant engineer
- Shawn McLean – assistant engineer
- Hank Nirider – assistant engineer
- F. Reid Shippen – assistant engineer
- Shyene Guy – hard disk editing (4, 5)
- Joe Houge – track editing (11)
References
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Blue Obsession – Michael McDonald". AllMusic. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Blue Obsession – Michael McDonald | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- "Michael McDonald, Patient With 'Blue Obsession'". Articles.latimes.com. February 3, 2000. Retrieved September 22, 2015.