Headed for the Future

The album's title track reached the top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/neil-diamond/chart-history/asi/|title=Neil Diamond: Headed for the Future (Adult Contemporary)|magazine=Billboard}} Another single, "The Story of My Life", reached No. 11 on the same chart.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/neil-diamond/chart-history/asi/|title=Neil Diamond: The Story of My Life (Adult Contemporary)|magazine=Billboard}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/headed-for-the-future-mw0000650071|title=Neil Diamond: Headed for the Future|author=Ruhlmann, William|website=AllMusic}}

| rev2 = Detroit Free Press

| rev2Score = (favourable){{cite book|title=Pop: Neil Diamond steps forward slowly|author=Graff, Gary|page=5F|date=May 11, 1986|publisher=Detroit Free Press}}

| rev3 = The Mercury News

| rev3score = 8/10{{cite web|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AA&page=1&hide_duplicates=0&offset=61&maxresults=20&fld-nav-0=YMD_date&val-nav-0=1985%20-%201986&fld-base-0=alltext&val-base-0=%22Maurice%20White%22&docref=news/0EB728DC184D60A2|title=DIAMOND'S NEW ALBUM IS DURABLE|date=June 15, 1986|author=Shefchik, Rick|publisher=Mercury News|via=newsbank.com}}

}}

Rick Shefchik of The Mercury News found that "Diamond records albums like a man easing himself into a cold lake for a swim. He seems reluctant to get started and unsure of how to go about it, but once he takes the plunge, his natural instincts take over."

{{track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Headed for the Future

| writer1 = Neil Diamond, Tom Hensley, Alan Lindgren

| length1 = 4:05

| title2 = The Man You Need

| writer2 = Diamond, David Foster

| length2 = 4:01

| title3 = I'll See You on the Radio (Laura)

| writer3 = Burt Bacharach, Diamond, Carole Bayer Sager

| length3 = 3:48

| title4 = Stand up for Love

| writer4 = Martin Page, Greg Phillinganes, Maurice White

| length4 = 2:55

| title5 = It Should Have Been Me

| writer5 = Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance

| length5 = 4:27

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Side two

| title6 = Lost in Hollywood

| writer6 = Diamond, Stevie Wonder

| length6 = 4:18

| title7 = The Story of My Life

| writer7 = Diamond

| length7 = 3:41

| title8 = Angel

| writer8 = Bobby Caldwell, Steve Kipner

| length8 = 4:01

| title9 = Me Beside You

| writer9 = Bacharach, Diamond, Bayer Sager

| length9 = 3:54

| title10 = Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore

| writer10 = Caldwell, William Meyers

| length10 = 4:18

}}

• Neil Diamond – main performer on all tracks

• Alan Lindgren – synthesizers, pianos, arrangements
• Tom Hensley – pianos, synthesizers, arrangements
• Richard Bennett – guitar
• Doug Rhone – guitar
• Hadley Hockensmith – guitar
• Reinie Press – bass
• Ron Tutt – drums
• King Errisson – percussion, congas
• Vince Charles – percussion, steel drums
• Linda Press – backing vocals

(These musicians were at the time all members of Neil Diamond's official backing band, known as "Diamondville"{{Cite web |url=http://diamondville.com/NDRRT/NDRRT.html |title=Information from the Diamondville website |access-date=2009-06-27 |archive-date=2014-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023131910/http://diamondville.com/NDRRT/NDRRT.html |url-status=dead }}[http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Ron_Tutt.html Ron Tutt's entry in DrummerWorld; includes a photograph of the bandmembers a bit over halfway down the page])

• David Foster – keyboards, arrangements
• David Boruff – keyboard programming, saxophone
• Michael Landau – guitars
• Tris Imboden – drums
• Bill Champlin – backing vocals

• Randy Kerber – keyboards
• Burt Bacharach – synthesizers, arrangements
• Robbie Buchanan – synthesizers
• Todd Cochran – E-mu Emulator programming
• Dann Huff – guitars
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass
• Carlos Vega – drums
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion
• David Boruff – saxophone
• Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters and Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals

• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals, arrangements
• Bo Tomlyn – keyboards, synthesizers
• Steve Lukather – guitars
• Nathan East – bass
• John Robinson – drums
• Maurice White – backing vocals, arrangements
• Marva Barnes – backing vocals

• David Foster – keyboards, arrangements
• David Boruff – keyboard programming
• Michael Landau – guitar
• Dann Huff – guitar
• Jason Scheff – bass, backing vocals
• Tris Imboden – drum overdubs
• Bill Champlin – backing vocals

• Stevie Wonder – acoustic piano, synthesizers, drums, backing vocals
• Herbie Hancock – synthesizer solo
• Bob Bralove and Robert A. Arbittier – synthesizer programming
• Dwayne Roberson, Vincent Unto and Phillip Williams – backing vocals

• Lists the same musicians here as were listed for the "Headed for the Future" track; obviously, not all of those musicians performed on this track as well. It is possible that Diamond himself might have performed some of the instrumentation (such as piano and/or acoustic guitar) uncredited.

• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, arrangements
• Bo Tomlyn – keyboards, synthesizers
• Nyle Steiner – additional synthesizer
• Bobby Caldwell – guitar, backing vocals
• Dann Huff – additional guitar
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass
• John Robinson – drums
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion
• Maurice White – backing vocals, arrangements

• Randy Kerber – keyboards
• Burt Bacharach– synthesizers, arrangements
• David Foster – synthesizers
• Dann Huff – guitars
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass
• Carlos Vega – drums
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion
• Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, Stephanie Spruill and David Lasley – backing vocals

• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, arrangements
• Bo Tomlyn – keyboards, synthesizers
• Bobby Caldwell – guitar
• Dann Huff – additional guitar
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass
• John Robinson – drums
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion
• Clare Fischer – string arrangements
• Maurice White – arrangements
• Assa Drori – concertmaster

• Producers – Neil Diamond (Tracks 1 & 7); Tom Henley and Alan Lindgren (Track 1); David Foster (Tracks 2 & 5); Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager (Tracks 3 & 9); Maurice White and Greg Phillinganes (Tracks 4, 8); Stevie Wonder (Track 6).
• Recording Engineers – John Arrias, Humberto Gatica, Mick Guzauski, John Patterson, Tom Perry, David Schober and Allen Sides.
• Assistant Engineers – Bino Espinoza, Dan Garcia, Bob Harlan, Darren Klein, Bob Loftus, Steve MacMillan, Richard McKernon, Claudio Ordenes, Mike Ross, Karen Siegel and Jeffrey Woodruff.
• Mixing – Bill Bottrell, Humberto Gatica, Mick Guzauski, Gary Olazabal and Allen Sides.
• Recorded at Ocean Way Recording, Bill Schnee Studios, Motown Recording Studios, Lion Share Recording Studio and Wonderland Studios (Los Angeles, CA); Conway Studios and Soundcastle (Hollywood, CA); Chartmaker Studios (Malibu, CA); Grover Helseley Recording Inc.
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
• Music Contractor – Frank DeCaro
• Production Assistants – Ned Brown, Barry Cardinale, Larry E. Williams and Alison Zanetos.
• Production Coordination – Sam Cole, Frank DeCaro, Chris Earthy and Geri White.
• Art Direction – David Kirschner
• Design – David Kirschner and Jan Weinberg
• Photography – Herb Ritts

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{{certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Neil Diamond|title=Headed for the Future |award=Gold|relyear=1986|certyear=1986}}

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Category:Neil Diamond albums

Category:1986 albums

Category:Albums produced by David Foster

Category:Albums produced by Burt Bacharach

Category:Albums produced by Maurice White

Category:Albums produced by Stevie Wonder

Category:Columbia Records albums