Take It to Heart

{{Infobox album

| name = Take It to Heart

| type = Studio

| artist = Michael McDonald

| cover = Michael McDonald Take It to Heart.jpg

| border = yes

| alt =

| released = May 15, 1990

| recorded = 1989

| venue =

| studio =

A&M, Hollywood
Can-Am, Tarzana
Smoketree Ranch, Chatworth
One on One, North Hollywood
Axis, New York City

| genre = Blue-eyed soul

| length = {{duration|m=53|s=43}}

| label = Reprise

| producer = {{flatlist|

}}

| prev_title = Sweet Freedom

| prev_year = 1986

| next_title = Blink of an Eye

| next_year = 1993

}}

Take It to Heart is the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. It was released on May 15, 1990, on the label Reprise, five years after his previous studio album, No Lookin' Back.{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/take-it-to-heart/358042326 |title=Take It to Heart by Michael McDonald on iTunes |publisher=iTunes |date= |access-date=2015-09-22}}{{cite web|author=Tim Griggs |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/take-it-to-heart-mw0000204559 |title=Take It to Heart - Michael McDonald | Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2015-09-22}}

The album was slated to be titled Lonely Talk to be issued in August 1989. It also had a different track list, containing a song called “Plain of Jars” and a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” (which ended up on his 2000 greatest hits collection The Voice of Michael McDonald); there were also different versions of current tracks that made the official album. About 3 weeks prior to its original planned issue date, Reprise/Warner Bros. decided there were not enough potential singles; therefore, “Tear It Up,” “All We Got” and “Get the Word Started” were added, with “Take It to Heart” recorded and added, which meant some songs and some versions were removed or changed (details unknown).

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = All We Got

| writer1 = {{flatlist|

Peter Leinheiser
Michael McDonald

}}

| length1 = 5:45

| title2 = Get the Word Started

| writer2 = {{flatlist|

McDonald
David Pack

}}

| length2 = 5:40

| title3 = Love Can Break Your Heart

| writer3 = {{flatlist|

Paul Carrack
McDonald

}}

| length3 = 4:54

| title4 = Take It to Heart

| writer4 = {{flatlist|

McDonald
Diane Warren

}}

| length4 = 5:57

| title5 = Tear It Up

| writer5 = {{flatlist|

}}

| length5 = 4:25

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| total_length = 53:26

| title6 = Lonely Talk

| writer6 = {{flatlist|

McDonald
Chuck Sabatino

}}

| length6 = 4:40

| title7 = Searchin' for Understanding

| writer7 = {{flatlist|

Darrell Brown
McDonald

}}

| length7 = 3:42

| title8 = Homeboy

| writer8 = {{flatlist|

McDonald
Ed Sanford

}}

| length8 = 4:35

| title9 = No Amount of Reason

| writer9 = {{flatlist|

George Hawkins
McDonald

}}

| length9 = 4:37

| title10 = One Step Away

| writer10 = {{flatlist|

}}

| length10 = 4:12

| title11 = You Show Me

| writer11 = {{flatlist|

Harry Garfield
McDonald

}}

| length11 = 4:59

}}

Personnel

Michael McDonald – lead and backing vocals, synthesizer programming and sequencing (1, 4, 10), keyboards (2, 6-9, 11)
Peter Leinheiser – synthesizer programming and sequencing (1), guitars (1)
Michael Hanna – keyboards (2), synthesizer programming and sequencing (4)
John Tesh – synthesizer programming and sequencing (4)
Don Was – synthesizer programming and sequencing (4)
Michael Mason – synthesizer programming and sequencing (4)
Gardner Cole – synthesizer programming and sequencing (5)
David Gamson – synthesizer programming and sequencing (5)
Bernie Chiaravalle – guitars (2, 4, 7, 11), sitar (4)
Michael Landau – guitars (3, 5-9, 11)
Charles Frichtel – bass (2)
Abraham Laboriel – bass (3, 6-9, 11), acoustic guitar (11)
George Perilli – drums (2, 4)
Jeff Porcaro – drums (3, 6-9, 11), percussion (6, 7, 10, 11), African log drum (11)
Debra Dobkin – congas (2)
Paulinho da Costa – percussion (4)
Terry McMillan – percussion (6, 7), backing vocals (6)
Vince Denham – saxophone and solo (2)
Kirk Whalum – saxophone (3)
Stan Getz – saxophone (11)
Paul Riser – string arrangements (2, 4)
Brian McKnight – backing vocals (1)
Chuck Sabatino – backing vocals (1, 6)
Sweet Pea Atkinson – backing vocals (2, 4, 5)
Harry Bowens – backing vocals (2, 4, 5)
David Lasley – backing vocals (2, 4)
Kathy Walker – backing vocals (2)
Amy Holland – backing vocals (3)
David Pack – backing vocals (5, 7)
Maureen McDonald – backing vocals (7)

Production

Producers – Michael McDonald and Ted Templeman (tracks 1, 3 & 6-11); Don Was (tracks 2 & 4); David Gamson and Gardner Cole (track 5).
Engineers – Ed Cherney, Jeff Hendricksen, Ross Pallone and Bob Schaper.
Additional engineering – Ed Goodreau, Bob Schaper and Brian Schuble.
Assistant engineers – Elaine Anderson, Michael Douglass, Lori Fumar, John Jackson, Rob Jaczko, Calvin Loser, Michael Mason, Eric Rudd, Scott Symington, Michael Tacci and Toby Wright.
Remix on track 1 – Shep Pettibone
Additional recording at Circle Seven Recording (Pacific Palisades, California); Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, California); John Tesh Studios (Santa Monica, California).
Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).
Production coordinator – Joan Parker
Photography – Andy Earl
Art direction – Martyn Atkins, T&CP Associates, Hollywood, London.

Chart performance

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
Chart (1990) ! Peak position
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|110\|artist=Michael McDonald\|accessdate=September 21, 2015}}
{{album chart\|UK\|35\|artist=Michael McDonald\|accessdate=July 6, 2016}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

Chart (1990)

! Peak
position

{{album chart|Billboard200|110|artist=Michael McDonald|accessdate=September 21, 2015}}

{{album chart|UK|35|artist=Michael McDonald|accessdate=July 6, 2016}}