No Lookin' Back

No Lookin' Back
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 30, 1985 (1985-07-30)
StudioDilling Street Studio U.S.A. and The Villa Studio (North Hollywood)
Genre
Length37:09
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
Michael McDonald chronology
If That's What It Takes
(1982)
No Lookin' Back
(1985)
Sweet Freedom
(1986)
Singles from No Lookin' Back
  1. "No Lookin' Back"
    Released: July 10, 1985
  2. "Bad Times"
    Released: 1985
  3. "Lost in the Parade"
    Released: November 1985
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
Music Week[3]
Rolling Stone(unfavorable)[4]

No Lookin' Back is the second solo studio album by American musician Michael McDonald. It was released on July 30, 1985 by Warner Bros. Records, three years after his debut studio album, If That's What It Takes (1982); this was his last album to be released by Warner Bros.[5] For the first time, he co-produced and wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks. It features contributions from guitarists Joe Walsh (Eagles, James Gang), Robben Ford and David Pack from Ambrosia, Jeff Porcaro on drums (Toto, Steely Dan), plus the former Doobie Brothers member Willie Weeks on bass, and Cornelius Bumpus providing horns.

On release, the album was received favorably by the majority of music critics and peaked at No. 45 on the US Billboard 200. Three singles were issued from No Lookin' Back: "No Lookin' Back", "Bad Times" and "Lost in the Parade". The album's first and leading single, "No Lookin' Back", was co-written by Kenny Loggins and was a commercial success, peaking at No. 4 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 34 on Billboard Hot 100.

The album was re-released one year later in 1986. The re-released version changed around the track order and featured different album cover artwork, along with the inclusion of the hit single "Sweet Freedom" from the soundtrack of the Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines film Running Scared as well as a slightly shortened version of "Our Love".

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Michael McDonald, with additional writers noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."No Lookin' Back"3:55
2."Bad Times" 4:21
3."(I'll Be Your) Angel"Chuck Sabatino3:57
4."By Heart"
4:35
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Any Foolish Thing"Sabatino4:23
6."Our Love"Pack4:32
7."(I Hang) On Your Every Word"Amy Holland3:37
8."Lost in the Parade"Grady Walker3:48
9."Don't Let Me Down" 4:01
Total length:37:09

Personnel

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Musicians

Production

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  • Producers – Michael McDonald and Ted Templeman
  • Production coordination – Joan Parker and Kathy Walker
  • Engineer and Mixing – Ross Pallone
  • Second engineer – Mike Wuellner
  • Additional engineers – Lee Herschberg, Jim Pace and Grady Walker.
  • Mixed at Hollywood Sound Recorders (Hollywood, CA).
  • Originally mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
  • CD mastering by Lee Herschberg at Amigo Studios (Los Angeles, CA).
  • Art direction – Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff
  • Design – Jeri McManus
  • Front photography – Joel Levinson
  • Back photography – Brian Aris

Sales chart performance

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Album
Chart (1985) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[6] 45
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1985 "No Lookin' Back" The Billboard Hot 100[7] 34
Billboard Adult Contemporary 9
Billboard Mainstream Rock 4
"Bad Times" Billboard Mainstream Rock 38
"Lost in the Parade" Billboard Adult Contemporary 40

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "No Lookin' Back - Michael McDonald | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  3. ^ "Michael McDonald: No Lookin' Back. Warner Brothers. 925 291-1" (PDF). LP Reviews. Music Week. Gwent: Pensord Press Ltd. 28 September 1985. p. 19. ISSN 0265-1548. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2023 – via World Radio History.
  4. ^ "No Lookin' Back : Michael McDonald : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 1985-10-24. Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  5. ^ "No Lookin' Back by Michael McDonald on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 1985-07-30. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  6. ^ "Michael McDonald Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  7. ^ "allmusic ((( Michael McDonald > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
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