"I Won't Hold You Back" is a song by American rock band Toto, written and sung by Steve Lukather for their fourth album, ''

Toto IV ''Toto IV'' is the fourth studio album by American rock music, rock band Toto (band), Toto, released on April 8, 1982, by Columbia Records. The album's lead single, "Rosanna (song), Rosanna", peaked at number 2 for five weeks on the Billboard Hot ...

'', released in 1982 (see

1982 in music This is a list of notable events in music from 1982, a year in which Madonna made her debut and Michael Jackson released '' Thriller'', which holds the title for the world's best selling album. Specific locations * 1982 in British music * 1982 ...

). The song features the

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' bassist Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals during the choruses.

Composition

The track was originally written on piano by guitarist Steve Lukather, though Paich played the piano on the record. He has since recalled that when it was decided the song needed a guitar solo, he improvised it in one take when recording with the Martyn Ford Orchestra.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as "a soft torch tune about a man letting go of his lover", praising the "somber vocals, light piano and electric guitar flourishes." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' described it as a "grandly-orchestrated ballad".

Chart performance

The

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...

peaked at number 10 in the U.S. on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart on May 7, 1983, becoming their fourth and last top ten hit on that chart. It also spent three weeks at number one on the U.S.

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

chart. The single only managed to scrape into the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart at No. 37. In Canada, it peaked at number 17 on the ''RPM'' Top Singles chart, as well as reaching No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.RPM Adult Contemporary, May 21, 1983
/ref> It also peaked at number 11 in Ireland.

Personnel

Toto * Steve Lukather – lead and backing vocals, guitars * David Paich – piano, orchestral arrangements *

Bobby Kimball Robert Troy Kimball (born March 29, 1947) is an American retired singer best known as longtime frontman of the rock band Toto from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1998 to 2008. He has also performed as a solo artist and session singer. History ...

– backing vocals * Steve Porcaro – synthesizer *

David Hungate David Hungate (born August 5, 1948) is an American retired bass guitarist noted as a member of the Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1976 to 1982 and again from 2014 to 2015, and the son of judge William L. Hungate. Along with most of his ...

– bass *

Jeff Porcaro Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer. He is best known for being the co-founder and drummer of the rock band Toto, but is also one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on hundr ...

– drums, percussion Additional musicians *Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals * James Newton Howard – orchestral arrangements * Marty Paich – orchestral arrangements

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Sampling

The song was later sampled by

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

DJ Roger Sanchez in 2001 for his song " Another Chance", reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart.

Release history

References

1982 songs 1982 singles Toto (band) songs Rock ballads Songs written by Steve Lukather Columbia Records singles 1980s ballads {{1980s-rock-song-stub