''The Way I Am'' is the fourteenth studio album by Billy Preston, released in 1981. The album was arranged by Bob Esty, David Blumberg, Arthur G. Wright,

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 ...

Gene Page Eugene Edgar Page Jr. (September 13, 1939 – August 24, 1998) was an American conductor, composer, arranger and record producer, most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. His sound can be heard in the arrangements he did for Jeffer ...

and Billy Preston.

Track listing

#"Hope" (Bob Esty,

Paul Jabara Paul Jabara, also known as Paul Frederick Jabara, (January 31, 1948 – September 29, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter of Lebanese ancestry, born in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning " Last Dance" from ...

) – 3:19 #"Good Life Boogie" (Billy Preston) – 4:17 #" Keep on Truckin'" ( Frank Wilson, Leonard Caston, Jr., Anita Poree) – 4:25 #" A Change Is Gonna Come" ( Sam Cooke) – 3:57 #"Lay Your Feelings on Me" (Kay Lewis, Helen Lewis) – 4:20 #"I Won't Mistreat Your Love" (Preston, Bruce Fisher) – 3:57 #" Baby I'm Yours" (

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approximat ...

) – 3:18 #"Until Then" (Preston, Jesse Kirkland,

Joe Greene Charles Edward Greene (born September 24, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1 ...

) – 3:34 #"The Way I Am" ( David Paich) – 4:55

Personnel

* Billy Preston – vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, arrangements (8) * William Bryant – keyboards * Dave Budimir – synthesizers * Reginald "Sonny" Burke – keyboards * Michael Lang – keyboards * David Paich – keyboards *

David Shire David Lee Shire (born July 3, 1937) is an American songwriter and composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. The soundtracks to the 1976 film '' The Big Bus'', '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'', ''The Conversation'' and ''All ...

– keyboards * Charles Fearing – guitars *

Marlo Henderson Marlo Henderson was an American guitarist and saxophonist, who played in mainly blues and R&B genres. As a session musician he played on albums such as '' Off the Wall'' by Michael Jackson, '' Them Changes'' by Buddy Miles, '' Face to Face'' by Ev ...

– guitars * Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars * Steve Lukather – guitars * Greg Poree – guitars * Melvin "Wah Wah Watson" Ragin – guitars *

Red Rhodes Orville J. Rhodes, better known as Red Rhodes or O. J. Rhodes (December 30, 1930 – August 20, 1995), was an American pedal steel guitarist. His mother taught him to play the Dobro at the age of five, but at the age of fifteen he switched to ...

– guitars *

Trevor Veitch Trevor Veitch (born May 19, 1946 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian musician/record producer who has worked behind the scenes on many pop trends from the 1960s to the present. He is mostly known for his involvement in the popular 1960s ...

– guitars * David T. Walker – guitars * Arthur G. Wright – guitars, arrangements (3) * Marvin Charlot – bass * Nathan East – bass * David Hungate – bass * Les Hurdle – bass *

Abraham Laboriel Abraham Laboriel López Sr. (born July 17, 1947) is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. ''Guitar Player'' magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the f ...

– bass *

Reggie McBride Reggie McBride (born September 17, 1954) is an American bass player. Biography McBride was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, United States; listening to Motown records, he began to play bass at the age of 8. At the age of 14, he played in ...

– bass * Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington – bass * Eddie N. Watkins Jr. – bass *

Nathan Watts Nathan or Natan may refer to: People *Nathan (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name *Nathan (surname) *Nathan (prophet), a person in the Hebrew Bible * Nathan (son of David), biblical figure, son of King David an ...

– bass * Ollie E. Brown – drums *

James Gadson James Gadson ( James Edward Gadson; born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and ...

– drums *

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 *

Rick Shlosser Rick Shlosser is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. He has been a member of Van Morrison's band and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He's also been a varied sessions drummer. Discography 1970s * Andy Pratt - ''Records Are Like Life'' (1 ...

– drums * Joe Clayton – percussion * Gary Coleman – percussion * Paulinho da Costa – percussion * Melvin Webb – percussion * Herman Riley – alto sax solo (6) * Bob Esty – arrangements (1) * David Blumberg – arrangements (2, 6, 7) *

– arrangements (4, 9) *

– arrangements (5) * Oma Drake – backing vocals *

– backing vocals * Jesse Kirkland – backing vocals * Mike Reed – backing vocals * Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals * Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals * Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals *

Oren Waters Oren Waters is an American vocalist best known for his work with the backup singing group The Waters, his siblings: Luther, Maxine and Julia. As an ensemble, Waters has been a part of 260 gold and over 100 platinum albums with artists ranging from ...

– backing vocals *

Syreeta Wright Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...

– backing vocals * Mona Lisa Young – backing vocals * Terry Young – backing vocals

Production

* Suzanne DePasse – executive producer * Tony Jones – executive producer * Jane Clark – engineer * Guy Costa – engineer * Joe Robb – engineer * Allen Sides – engineer * Russ Terrana – engineer, mastering * Suzanne Coston – project manager * Kevin Wright – engineer * John Matousek – mastering * Harry Langdon – photography * Suzi Biles – stylist * Wayne Masserelli – make-up

References

Billy Preston albums 1981 albums Motown albums Albums arranged by Marty Paich Albums arranged by Gene Page Albums produced by Hal Davis Albums produced by Berry Gordy Albums produced by Billy Preston {{1980s-R&B-album-stub