''Vagabond Heart'' is the sixteenth studio album by British recording artist
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
, released on 26 March 1991 by
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
. The album reached No. 10 in the US, and reached No. 2 in the UK. The album features five singles, among them a
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of
Robbie Robertson
Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson, OC (born July 5, 1943), is a Canadian musician. He is best known for his work as lead guitarist and songwriter for the Band, and for his career as a solo recording artist. With the deaths of Richard Manuel in ...
's song "
Broken Arrow" (No. 20 in the US) and
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
's song "
Have I Told You Lately
"Have I Told You Lately" is a song written and recorded by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison for his nineteenth studio album ''Avalon Sunset'' (1989). It is a romantic ballad that is often played at weddings, although it was ori ...
", which would become a hit two years later (in a live version) and is Stewart's most recent top five solo hit in the US and the UK. The two biggest hits from the album were "
Rhythm of My Heart
"Rhythm of My Heart" is a song written by Marc Jordan and John Capek that Dutch rock and roll artist René Shuman included on his 1986 debut album, ''René Shuman''. In 1991, British singer Rod Stewart recorded the song for his album ''Vagabond ...
" (No. 3 in the UK/No. 5 in the US) and "
The Motown Song
"The Motown Song" is a song performed by British singer Rod Stewart featuring American vocal group the Temptations. The song is from Stewart's 16th studio album, ''Vagabond Heart'' (1991). It was written by Larry John McNally and was originally ...
" (No. 10 in the UK and US).
The "Vagabond Heart Tour" was made available on video in 1992, shot during a concert in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
on
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
.
Critical reception
Overall, the album received positive reviews. According to ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', "''Vagabond Heart'' finds Stewart rising to new challenges as both a songwriter and a singer. The strength of the songs and the depth of Stewart's conviction make this his most compelling work since the early 1970s."
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
felt the album was "stronger, more diverse album than its predecessor, ''
Out of Order'', featuring a more consistent set of songs."
Track listing
Notes
* signifies a co-producer
*"Downtown Train" and "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You) are omitted on cassette copies, as well as some CD versions.
Personnel
(Personnel for the 12-track version of the album, excluding the tracks "Downtown Train" and "This Old Heart of Mine")
* "Rebel Heart", "It Takes Two", "When a Man's in Love", "You are Everything", "Go Out Dancing", "No Holding Back", "Have I Told You Lately", "Moment of Glory" and "If Only" arranged and produced by Rod Stewart and
Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the ...
. Recorded by Steve MacMillan. Mixed by Bernard Edwards and Steve Macmillan. Recording and mix assisted by John Karpowich, Gil Morales and Bryant Arnett.
**Roy Galloway, Luther Waters, The Waters Sisters,
Angela Winbush
Angela Lisa Winbush (born January 18, 1955) is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who rose to fame first in the 1980s R&B duo René & Angela, also scoring hits as a solo artist. To date, Winbush has sold over ...
: backing vocals;
Jeff Golub
Jeff Golub (April 15, 1955 – January 1, 2015) was an American jazz guitarist who had a solo career and who led the band Avenue Blue. He worked as a sideman for a number of rock and pop musicians. He was arguably best known for his work with Rod ...
,
Jim Cregan
James Cregan (born 9 March 1946) is an English rock guitarist and bassist, best known for his associations with Family, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and Rod Stewart. Cregan is a former husband of the singer Linda Lewis and worked with her as a r ...
,
Waddy Wachtel
Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Kim Carnes, Randy N ...
,
Dann Huff
Dann Lee Huff (born November 15, 1960) is an American record producer and songwriter. For his work as a producer in the country music genre, he has won several awards, including the ''Musician of the Year'' award in 2001, 2004, and 2016 at the Co ...
: guitar;
Carmine Rojas
Carmine Rojas (February 14, 1953) is an American bass guitarist, musical director and composer. His musical styles include rock, R&B/funk, and jazz.
Music career
Early years, as sideman
Born in Brooklyn, Rojas toured the world with David Bowie ...
, Bernard Edwards: bass guitar; Chuck Kentis: keyboards, programming;
Kevin Savigar
Kevin Savigar (born 9 November 1956) is an English session keyboardist, record producer, songwriter, and composer based in Los Angeles, CA. Perhaps most recognised for his longtime collaboration with Rod Stewart, Savigar has also contributed to ...
: keyboards; Rave Calmer,
Tony Brock
Tony may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer
* Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
: drums;
Paulinho da Costa: percussion; Saxophone on "Go Out Dancing" and "Moment of Glory" by Jimmy Roberts; String arrangements on "When a Man's in Love" and "Have I Told You Lately" by Bruce Miller.
* "Rhythm of My Heart" produced by
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
. Recorded by Steve MacMillan. Mixed by Steve MacMillan and Trevor Horn.
**Joe Turano,
John Batdorf
John Batdorf (born March 26, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Yellow Springs, Ohio. He is the son of Jack and Nancy Batdorf, and nephew of Earl Batdorf, aka Earl Scott, a Country singer who charted several hits during the mid-1960s ...
, Randel Crenshaw, Gary Falcone, Roger Freeland, Robert Jason, Arnold Stiefel, Lionel Conway, Garry Cook, Antony Arena: backing vocals; Robin Le Mesurier,
Steve Lukather
Steven Lee Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a stea ...
: guitar; Gary Taylor, Kevin Savigar, Richard Cottle: keyboards; Michael McNeil:
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
; Kevin Weed:
bagpipes
Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...
;
Neil Stubenhaus
Neil Stubenhaus is an American bass guitarist.
Career
He started his musical training playing drums and switched to bass guitar at the age of 12. He studied at the Berklee College of Music where he graduated in 1975. After graduation, he was rec ...
: bass guitar;
John Robinson: drums, percussion; Gary Maughn: programming; Choir arranged and directed by Nick Strimple and Joe Turano; Strings arranged and conducted by Kevin Savigar.
* "Broken Arrow" produced by
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums '' True Blue'' (1986), ''Who's ...
; Co-produced by
Lenny Waronker
Lenny Waronker (born October 3, 1941) is an American record producer and music industry executive. As the president of Warner Bros. Records, and later, as the co-chair of DreamWorks Records, Waronker was noted for his commitment to artists and hi ...
. Recorded and mixed by Jerry Jordan, with assistance by Marc Moreau.
**Twinkle Schascle: backing vocals;
Tim Pierce
Tim Pierce (born 1959 in Albuquerque) is an American session guitarist. He has worked for artists such as Joe Cocker, Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Michael Jackson, Beth Hart, Roger Waters, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, and the C ...
: guitars; Patrick Leonard: keyboards;
Jimmy Johnson: bass guitar;
Jim Keltner
James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".Howard Sounes. ''Down ...
: drums;
Luis Conte
Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best-known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began ...
: percussion
* "The Motown Song" arranged by
David Paich
David Frank Paich (born June 25, 1954) is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, principal songwriter, keyboardist and singer of the rock band Toto since 1977. He wrote or co-wrote much of Toto's original material, including the ba ...
. Produced by Richard Perry. Recorded and mixed by Steve MacMillan, with recording assistance by Dee Ross and Eric Anest; Additional engineering by Lee Granados, John Karpowich, Scott Ralston and Eric Rudd.
**
The Temptations
The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...
: backing vocals; Steve Lukather,
Paul Jackson Jr.: guitar; Khris Kellow: keyboard bass; David Paich: acoustic piano,
Fender Rhodes
The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...
;
Steve Porcaro
Steven Maxwell Porcaro (born September 2, 1957) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, and film composer, known as one of the founding members of the rock band Toto and the last surviving Porcaro brother (after the deaths of Jeff in 1992 and M ...
: synthesizer; Steve Lindsey: synthesizer, synth horns;
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 on ...
: drums; Chris Trujillo: percussion; Horns arranged by Steve Lindsey.
Additional credits
* Mastered by
Stephen Marcussen
Stephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California, United States. He has been mastering music since 1979.
Biography
Marcussen's introduction to music recording happened in 1976 when, at ...
at Precision Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
* Production coordination: Malcolm Cullimore (tracks 1–6 & 8–12); Julie Larson (track 7).
* Project manager: Nancy Poertner
* Art direction: Jeri Heiden
* Design: Eric Handel
* Illustration: Ann Field
* Photography: Randee St. Nicholas
Publishing
*"Rhythm of My Heart" copyright WB Music Corp./Jamm Music/Bibo Music Publishers. "Rebel Heart", "When a Man's in Love" and "Moment of Glory" published by Rod Stewart (Intersong Music Admin.)/Cat in the Hat Music/Kentis Music/Malango Bro. "Broken Arrow" published by Medicine Hat Music. "It Takes Two" published by Stone Agate Music Division. "You Are Everything" published by Assorted Music/Bellboy Music/The Mighty Three Group. "The Motown Song" published by Geffen Music/McNally Music Publishing/MCA Music Publishing. "Go Out Dancing" published by Rod Stewart (Intersong Music Admin.)/Cat in the Hat Music/Kentis Music. "No Holding Back" and "If Only" published by Rod Stewart (Intersong Music Admin.)/Almo Music Corp/Kevin Savigar Music/BMG Inc. "Have I Told You Lately" published by PolyGram International Publishing, Inc.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{Authority control
Rod Stewart albums
1991 albums
Warner Records albums
Albums produced by Bernard Edwards
Albums produced by Trevor Horn
Albums produced by Patrick Leonard
Albums produced by Lenny Waronker
Albums produced by Richard Perry