''If That's What It Takes'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. The album was released in August 1982 and peaked at #6 on Billboard 200, while singles "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" went to #4 and "I Gotta Try" was #44 on Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

Personnel

* Michael McDonald – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10), Fender Rhodes (1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10), synthesizers (1-4, 6-8), acoustic piano (4, 5, 6, 8) *

Greg Phillinganes Gregory Arthur Phillinganes (born May 12, 1956) is an American keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and musical director based in Los Angeles, California. A prolific session musician, Phillinganes has contributed the role of keyboards to numerous alb ...

– acoustic piano (1, 3, 7, 10), clavinet (2), Fender Rhodes (4), Hammond organ (9) *

Michael Boddicker Michael Lehmann Boddicker (born January 19, 1953) is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. He is a three times National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (N.A.R.A.S.) Most Valuable Player "Synthe ...

– additional synthesizers (4) * Michael Omartian – Fender Rhodes (6, 8) *

Dean Parks Weldon Dean Parks (born December 6, 1946) is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas. Albums Parks was member of the North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher ...

– guitar (1, 3, 7, 9), guitar overdubs (8) * Steve Lukather – guitar (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) *

Robben Ford Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American blues, jazz, and rock guitarist. He was a member of the L.A. Express and Yellowjackets and has collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Larry Carlton, Rick Sprin ...

– guitar solo (6, 7) *

Willie Weeks Willie Weeks (born August 5, 1947) is an American bass guitarist. He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career. Weeks has also ...

– bass (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10) * Louis Johnson – bass (2) *

Mike Porcaro Michael Joseph Porcaro (May 29, 1955 – March 15, 2015) was an American bass player known for his work with the rock band Toto. He retired from touring in 2007 as a result of being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was t ...

– bass (6, 8) *

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the '' Modern ...

– drums (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10) *

Jeff Porcaro Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (; April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work with the rock band Toto but is one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working o ...

– drums (2, 6, 8) * Lenny Castro – percussion (1, 6, 7, 8, 10) * Bobby LaKind – percussion (1) * Paulinho da Costa – percussion (3, 4) *

Ted Templeman Edward John "Ted" Templeman (born October 24, 1942) is an American record producer. Among the acts he has a long relationship with are the rock bands Van Halen and the Doobie Brothers and the singer Van Morrison; he produced multiple criticall ...

– percussion (4) *

Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...

– saxophone solo (1, 10) * Tom Scott – saxophone solo (6),

Lyricon The Lyricon is an electronic wind instrument, the first wind controller to be constructed. Invented by Bill Bernardi (and co-engineered by Roger Noble and with the late Lyricon performer Chuck GreenbergIngham (1998) p.184), filed for patent o ...

solo (9) *

Ed Sanford The Sanford-Townsend Band was a rock and roll band that scored a hit single in 1977 with " Smoke from a Distant Fire". History The Sanford-Townsend Band featured keyboardists Ed Sanford (from Montgomery, Alabama) and Johnny Townsend (from Tus ...

– backing vocals (1) * Maureen McDonald – backing vocals (2, 6) *

Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...

– backing vocals (4) * Christopher Cross – backing vocals (6) * Brenda Russell – backing vocals (6) * Kathy Walker – backing vocals (6) *

Amy Holland Amy Celeste Boersma, known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop rock singer, songwriter, and composer. Holland's music career spans more than 30 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following h ...

– backing vocals (6)

Production

* Produced by Lenny Waronker and Ted Templeman * Engineers – Ken Deane, Bobby Hata, Lee Herschberg, James Isaacson, Donn Landee, Mark Linett and Steve McManus. * Overdub Engineers – Lee Herschberg, James Isaacson, Donn Landee and Mark Linett. * Mixing – Lee Herschberg * Mastered by Bobby Hata at Warner Bros. Recording Studio. * Horn arrangements –

Jerry Hey Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'', '' Rock with You'' ...

* String arrangements –

Marty Paich Martin Louis Paich (January 23, 1925 – August 12, 1995) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and conductor. As a musician and arranger he worked with jazz musicians Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kento ...

* Keyboard Technician – Paul Mederios * Production Coordinators – Joan Parker, Kathy Walker and Vicki Fortson. * Art Direction and Design – Jeff Adamoff * Photography – Jim Shea * Direction –

Irving Azoff Irving Azoff (; born December 12, 1947) is an American entertainment executive and chairman of Full Stop Management, which represents recording artists. In the mid-1980s, he brought success to MCA Records. Since September 2013, he has been chai ...

Charts

References

1982 debut albums Albums arranged by Marty Paich Albums produced by Lenny Waronker Albums produced by Ted Templeman Michael McDonald (musician) albums Warner Records albums {{1980s-pop-album-stub