As the lead singer of the Doobie Brothers from 1975-1980, Michael McDonald's soulful voice and skilled writing gave the group classics like "Minute by Minute," "Real Love," and the perfect "What a Fool Believes." After the group's 1980 album One Step Closer displayed a tension that was almost audible, it was no surprise that a split was in the works.
1982's If That's What It Takes is McDonald's first solo effort, and was recorded at the great recording studios like Warner Bros.
and Sunset Sound and was co-produced by Ted Templeman and Lenny Waronker.
The album's biggest hit, the moody and sleek "I Keep Forgettin'," continues McDonald's unflinching look at heartbreak, and it is more R&B-influenced than the previous Doobie Brothers work.
The buoyant "I Gotta Try," co-written by Kenny Loggins, perfectly captures the early-'80s L.A.
pop sound.
While McDonald's pop acumen is no surprise, If That's What It Takes also offers McDonald the chance to do ballads.
The poignant and spare "I Can Let Go Now" has some of his best lyrics.
"Losin End," which first appeared on 1976's Takin' It to the Streets, gets recast as an even bleaker rumination with a suitably sorrowful solo from Tom Scott.
The melodically complex "Believe in It" has McDonald doing some great, offhanded gospel-tinged vocals.
This debut juggles tracks of merit and those of less distinction, but the bright spots make this essential.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Playin' by the RulesMichael McDonald, Ed Sanford | Michael McDonald | Play | 05:00 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)Jerry Leiber, Michael McDonald, Ed Sanford, Mike Stoller | Michael McDonald | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Love LiesRandy Goodrum, Michael McDonald | Michael McDonald | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | I Gotta TryKenny Loggins, Michael McDonald | Michael McDonald | Play | 03:55 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | I Can Let Go NowMichael McDonald | Michael McDonald | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | That's WhyRandy Goodrum, Michael McDonald | Michael McDonald | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | If That's What It TakesJackie DeShannon, Michael McDonald | Michael McDonald | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | No Such LuckHarry Garfield, Michael McDonald, Grady Walker | Michael McDonald | Play | 03:48 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | Losin' EndMichael McDonald | Michael McDonald | Play | 04:15 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | Believe in ItThea Austin, Benito Benites, Durron Butler, John "Virgo" Garrett III, Michael McDonald | Michael McDonald | Play | 04:40 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 40 mins | 92 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Adamoff | Art Direction, Design |
| 2 | Thea Austin | Composer |
| 3 | Irving Azoff | Direction |
| 4 | Benito Benites | Composer |
| 5 | Michael Boddicker | Synthesizer |
| 6 | Durron Butler | Composer |
| 7 | Lenny Castro | Percussion |
| 8 | Christopher Cross | Choir/Chorus |
| 9 | Paulinho Da Costa | Percussion |
| 10 | Ken Deane | Engineer |
| 11 | Jackie DeShannon | Composer |
| 12 | Robben Ford | Guitar, Saxophone, Soloist |
| 13 | Vicki Fortson | Production Coordination |
| 14 | Steve Gadd | Drums |
| 15 | Harry Garfield | Composer |
| 16 | John "Virgo" Garrett III | Composer |
| 17 | Randy Goodrum | Composer |
| 18 | Bobby Hata | Engineer, Mastering |
| 19 | Lee Herschberg | Engineer, Mixdown Engineer, Overdub Engineer |
| 20 | Jerry Hey | Horn Arrangements |
| 21 | Amy Holland | Choir/Chorus, Vocals |
| 22 | James Isaacson | Engineer, Overdub Engineer |
| 23 | Louis Johnson | Bass |
| 24 | Bobby LaKind | Percussion |
| 25 | Donn Landee | Engineer, Overdub Engineer |
| 26 | Jerry Leiber | Composer |
| 27 | Mark Linett | Engineer, Overdub Engineer |
| 28 | Kenny Loggins | Composer, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 29 | Steve Lukather | Guitar |
| 30 | Maureen McDonald | Choir/Chorus, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 31 | Michael McDonald | Choir/Chorus, Composer, Fender Rhodes, Keyboards, Primary Artist, Synthesizer, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 32 | Michael McDonald | Composer |
| 33 | Steve McManus | Engineer |
| 34 | Paulo César Medeiros | Keyboard Technician |
| 35 | Michael Omartian | Fender Rhodes, Keyboards |
| 36 | Marty Paich | String Arrangements |
| 37 | Joan Parker | Production Coordination |
| 38 | Dean Parks | Guitar, Guitar Overdubs, Overdubs |
| 39 | Greg Phillinganes | Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Keyboards, Organ, Piano |
| 40 | Jeff Porcaro | Drums |
| 41 | Mike Porcaro | Bass |
| 42 | Brenda Russell | Choir/Chorus |
| 43 | Ed Sanford | Composer, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 44 | Tom Scott | Guitar, Lyricon, Saxophone, Soloist |
| 45 | Jim Shea | Photography |
| 46 | Mike Stoller | Composer |
| 47 | Ted Templeman | Percussion, Producer |
| 48 | Grady Walker | Composer |
| 49 | Kathy Walker | Choir/Chorus, Production Coordination |
| 50 | Lenny Waronker | Producer |
| 51 | Willie Weeks | Bass |
| 52 | Edgar Winter | Sax (Alto), Saxophone, Soloist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |