1997 Michael McDonald – Blue Obsession
Blue Obsession is the fifth solo album by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. The album was released on March 28, 2000, by Ramp Records. The original album was pulled from release before it got to stores, but a few advance copies did get out. The original has a different track listing and three songs from it were removed and replaced by other songs.
Tracks
1 All I Need (Michael McDonald; Tommy Sims) 05:41
2 No Love To Be Found (Michael McDonald; Bernie Chiaravalle) 05:32
3 Obsession Blues (Michael McDonald; Bernie Chiaravalle) 04:36
4 Where Would I Be Now (Tony Joe White; Michael McDonald) 06:10
5 Build Upon It (Michael McDonald; Bernie Chiaravalle) 05:06
6 The Meaning Of Love (Michael McDonald; Jim Photoglo) 05:31
7 Open The Door (Michael McDonald; Tommy Sims) 05:50
8 Kikwit Town (Michael McDonald; Chester C Thompson) 05:42
9 Down By The River (Neil Young) 05:37
10 Someday You Will (Michael McDonald; Bernie Chiaravalle) 04:24
11 Ain’t That Peculiar (Smokey Robinson; Warren Moore; Marvin Tarplin; Robert Rogers) 05:15
12 You Can’t Make It Love (Michael McDonald; John Scott Sherrill) 04:27
Musicians
1 All I Need
| Bass | Tommy Sims |
| Drums | Dan Needham |
| Guitar | Chris Rodriguez |
| Keyboards | Tommy Sims |
| Organ | Marc Harris |
| Sax | Mark Douthit |
| Sax | Doug Moffet |
| Sax | Denis Solee |
| Trombone | Barry Green |
| Trumpet | Mike Haynes |
| Percussion | Tom Roady |
| Background Vocals | Tabitha Fair |
| Background Vocals | Angelo Petrucci |
| Background Vocals | Veronica Petrucci |
| Background Vocals | Nicol Smith |
| Background Vocals | Chris Willis |
| Vocals | Tommy Sims |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
2 No Love To Be Found
| Bass | Tommy Sims |
| Drums | Dan Needham |
| Guitar (solo) | Bernie Chiaravalle |
| Guitar | Tommy Sims |
| Clavinet | Tommy Sims |
| Organ | Billy Livsey |
| Synthesizer | Michael McDonald |
| Sax | Mark Douthit |
| Sax | Doug Moffet |
| Sax | Denis Solee |
| Vocals | Wendy Moten |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
3 Obsession Blues
| Bass | Tommy Sims |
| Drums | Dan Needham |
| Guitar | Bernie Chiaravalle |
| Guitar | Will Owsley |
| Acoustic Guitar | Bernie Chiaravalle |
| Acoustic Guitar | George Cocchini |
| Organ | Johnny Neel |
| Wurlitzer | Michael McDonald |
| Percussion | Dan Needham |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
4 Where Would I Be Now
| Drums | Yvette Preyer |
| Guitar | Bernie Chiaravalle |
| Organ | Tim Akers |
| Organ | Marc Harris |
| Piano | Michael McDonald |
| Synthesizer | Michael McDonald |
| Fiddle (Bass) | Viktor Krauss |
| Percussion | Terry McMillan |
| Background Vocals | Amy Holland |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
5 Build Upon It
| Bass | Chris Kent |
| Drums | Yvette Preyer |
| Guitar | Bernie Chiaravalle |
| Clavinet | Michael McDonald |
| Clavinet | Marc Harris |
| Organ | Marc Harris |
| Piano | Michael McDonald |
| Shaker | Bernie Chiaravalle |
| Tambourine | Yvette Preyer |
| Background Vocals | Rodney Covington |
| Background Vocals | Deloris Cox |
| Background Vocals | Alfreda McCrary |
| Background Vocals | Demetria Slaydon |
| Background Vocals | Stacy Covington |
| Background Vocals | Tiffany Palmer |
| Background Vocals | Pamela Holman |
| Background Vocals | Duwane Starling |
| Background Vocals | Timothy Terry |
| Background Vocals | Ladre Fayne |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
6 The Meaning Of Love
| Bass | Tommy Sims |
| Drums (programming) | Tommy Sims |
| Guitar | Tommy Sims |
| Acoustic Guitar | Gordon Kennedy |
| Keyboards | Tommy Sims |
| Organ | Marc Harris |
| Flute | Sam Levine |
| Oboe | Bobby Taylor |
| Percussion | Tom Roady |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
7 Open The Door
| Bass | Tommy Sims |
| Drums | Dan Needham |
| Guitar | Tommy Sims |
| Fender Rhodes | Tommy Sims |
| Organ | Marc Harris |
| Synthesizer | Tommy Sims |
| Wurlitzer | Michael McDonald |
| Sax | Mark Douthit |
| Sax | Doug Moffet |
| Sax | Denis Solee |
| Percussion | Tom Roady |
| Background Vocals | Amy Holland |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
8 Kikwit Town
| Bass | Tommy Sims |
| Drums | Dan Needham |
| Guitar | George Cocchini |
| Keyboards | Tommy Sims |
| Piano | Tommy Sims |
| Synthesizer | Michael McDonald |
| Effects | Danny Duncan |
| Cello | Bob Mason |
| Viola | Kristin Wilkinson |
| Violin | Carl Gorodetzky |
| Violin | Pam Sixfin |
| Wave Drums | Chester Thompson |
| Percussion | Tommy Sims |
| Background Vocals | Nicol Smith |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
9 Down By The River
| Bass | Todd Smith |
| Drums | Brian Zsupnik |
| Guitar | Chris Pelonis |
| Organ | Michael McDonald |
| Background Vocals | Karla Bonoff |
| Background Vocals | Christopher Cross |
| Background Vocals | Amy Holland |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
10 Someday You Will
| Bass | Tommy Sims |
| Drums | Dan Needham |
| Guitar | Gordon Kennedy |
| Guitar | Bernie Chiaravalle |
| Acoustic Guitar | Gordon Kennedy |
| Acoustic Guitar | Bernie Chiaravalle |
| Organ | Billy Livsey |
| Piano | Tommy Sims |
| Synthesizer | Michael McDonald |
| Percussion | Danny Duncan |
| Background Vocals | Joey Kibble |
| Background Vocals | Mark Kibble |
| Background Vocals | Claude McKnight |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
11 Ain’t That Peculiar
| Drums | George Perilli |
| Guitar | Chris Rodriguez |
| Guitar | David Pack |
| Keyboards | David Pack |
| Organ | Joe Hogue |
| Piano | Michael McDonald |
| Programming | Joe Hogue |
| Background Vocals | Toby McKeehan |
| Background Vocals | Michael Tait |
| Background Vocals | Kevin Max Smith |
| Background Vocals | Michael McDonald |
| Voice | Michael McDonald |
| Voice | Toby McKeehan |
| Vocals | Toby McKeehan |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
12 You Can’t Make It Love
| Acoustic Guitar | Chris Rodriguez |
| Organ | Marc Harris |
| Piano | Michael McDonald |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
The Nashville Sting Machine
Viola – Alan Umstead, Gary Vanosdale, Kristin Wilkinson (Tracks 1, 6)
Cello – Anthony LaMarchina, Bob Mason (Tracks 1, 6)
Liner Notes
Producer – Tommy Sims (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12)
Producer – Michael McDonald (Tracks 4, 5, 9)
Producer – Bernie Chiaravalle (Tracks 4, 5)
Producer – Chris Pelonis (Track 9)
Producer – David Pack (Track 11)
Arranged By (Strings) – Tim Akers (Tracks 1, 8)
Arranged By (Strings) – Tommy Sims (Tracks 1, 2, 6, 8)
Arranged By (Strings) – Ron Huff (Track 6)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Tommy Sims (Tracks 1, 8, 10)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Michael McDonald (Tracks 3, 8, 10)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Bernie Chiaravalle (Tracks 3, 10)
Arranged By (Horns) – Tim Akers, Tommy Sims (Tracks 1, 2, 7)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Tommy Sims (Tracks 1, 2)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Michael McDonald, Wendy Moten (Track 2)
Engineer – Mark Casselman, Ben Fowler, Andy Gerome, Jon Lechner, Russ Martin, Chris Pelonis, Greg Rubin, Grady Walker, Martin Woodlee
Engineer (Assistant) – Joe Costa, Tim Coyle, Dave Dillbeck, Mark Frigo, Tony Green, Graham Lewis, Shawn McLean, Hank Nirider and F. Reid Shippen
Mixed By – Greg Rubin (Tracks 1, 7, 8, 10, 12)
Mixed By – Rick Will (Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11)
Mixed By – Chris Pelonis (track 9)
Art Direction – Bruce Steinberg
Design – Simon Design
Photography – Dennis Keeley
Mixed At Sound Kitchen
Mixed At Sound Stage
Mixed At Sixteenth Avenue Sound
Mixed At Orange Whip
Recorded At The Bennett House, Franklin
Recorded At The Dugout, Nashville
Recorded At Sound Kitchen, Franklin
Recorded At Love Shack, Nashville
Recorded At Sound Stage, Nashville
Recorded At Sixteenth Avenue Sound, Nashville
Recorded At Northbeach, Franklin
Recorded At Woodland Studios, Nashville
Recorded At Bingham Bend, Leipers Fork
Recorded At Orange Whip, Santa Barbara
Phonographic Copyright Ramp Records
Copyright Sanctuary Records Group Ltd