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. A cover of "Tell It Like It Is" was pulled and still has never been officially released. Catalog # 2-46508 was the promo on the Reprise label, not Ramp.

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians and Vocalists

• Michael McDonald – lead vocals, synthesizers (2, 4, 8, 10), organ (3, 7, 9), acoustic piano (4, 5, 11, 12), clavinet (5), backing vocals (11)
• Tommy Sims – keyboards (1, 6, 8), bass (1–3, 6–8, 10), duet vocals (1), clavinet (2), rhythm guitar (2), guitars (6, 7), drum programming (6), synthesizers (7), acoustic piano (8, 10), percussion (8)
• Marc Harris – organ (1, 4–7, 12), clavinet (5)
• Billy Livsey – organ (2, 10)
• Johnny Neel – Hammond B3 organ (3)
• Tim Akers – organ (4)
• David Pack – additional keyboards (11), guitars (11)
• Joe Houge – programming (11), organ (11), sampling (11)
• Chris Rodriguez – guitars (1, 11), acoustic guitar (12)
• Bernie Chiaravalle – rhythm guitar (2), guitar solo (2), guitars (3–5, 10), cymbals (4)
• George Cocchini – acoustic guitar (3), guitars (8)
• Will Owsley – electric guitar (3)
• Gordon Kennedy – acoustic guitar (6, 10), electric guitar (10)
• Chris Pelonis – guitars (9)
• Chris Kent – electric bass (5)
• Todd Smith – bass (9)
• Dan Needham – drums (1–3, 7, 8, 10), percussion (3)
• Yvette Preyer – drums (4, 5), tambourine (5)
• Chester Thompson – wave drum (8)
• Brian Zsupnik – drums (9)
• George Perilli – drums (11)
• Tom Roady – percussion (1, 7)
• Terry McMillan – percussion (4), congas (5)
• Danny Duncan – sound effects (8), percussion (10)
• Mark Douthit – saxophones (1, 2, 7)
• Doug Moffet – saxophones (1, 2, 7)
• Denis Solee – saxophones (1, 2, 7)
• Barry Green – trombone (1)
• Mike Haynes – trumpet (1)
• Sam Levine – flute (6)
• Bobby Taylor – oboe (6)
• Viktor Krauss – bass fiddle (4)
• The Nashville String Machine – strings (1, 6)
• Carl Gorodetzky – concertmaster (1, 6), violin (8)
• Anthony LaMarchina – cello (1, 6)
• Bob Mason – cello (1, 6, 8)
• Carol McClure – harp (1, 6)
• Alan Umstead – viola (1, 6)
• Gary Vanosdale – viola (1, 6)
• Kris Wilkinson – viola (1, 6, 8)
• David Davidson – violin (1, 6)
• Conni Ellisor – violin (1, 6)
• Lee Larrison – violin (1, 6)
• Pamela Sixfin – violin (1, 6, 8)
• Mary Kathryn Vanosdale – violin (1, 6)
• Tabitha Fair – backing vocals (1)
• Angelo Petrucci – backing vocals (1)
• Veronica Petrucci – backing vocals (1)
• Nicol Smith – backing vocals (1, 8)
• Chris Willis – backing vocals (1)
• Wendy Moten – duet and backing vocals (2)
• Amy Holland – harmony vocals (4), backing vocals (7, 9)
• Rodney Covington – backing vocals (5)
• Stacy Covington – backing vocals (5)
• Delores Cox – backing vocals (5)
• Ladre Fayne – backing vocals (5)
• Pamela Holman – backing vocals (5)
• Alfreda McCrary – backing vocals (5)
• Tiffany Palmer – backing vocals (5)
• Demitria Slaydon – backing vocals (5)
• Duane Starling – backing vocals (5)
• Timothy Terry – backing vocals (5)
• Karla Bonoff – backing vocals (9)
• Christopher Cross – backing vocals (9)
• Claude McKnight – backing vocals (10)
• Joey Kibble – backing vocals (10)
• Mark Kibble – backing vocals (10)
• Toby McKeehan – duet and backing vocals (11)
• Kevin Max Smith – backing vocals (11)
• Michael Tait – backing vocals (11)

Music arrangements

• Tommy Sims – rhythm arrangements (1, 2, 6–8), horn arrangements (1, 2, 7) vocal arrangements (1, 2)
• Tim Akers – horn arrangements (1, 2, 7), string arrangements (1, 8), string conductor (1)
• Bernie Chiaravalle – rhythm arrangements (2, 3, 10)
• Michael McDonald – rhythm arrangements (2, 3, 6, 8, 10), vocal arrangements (2)
• Wendy Moten – vocal arrangements (2)
• Rodney Covington – BGV arrangements (5)
• Ronn Huff – string arrangements and conductor (6)

Production

• Tommy Sims – producer (1–3, 6–8, 10, 12)
• Bernie Chiaravalle – producer (4, 5)
• Michael McDonald – producer (4, 5, 9, 11)
• David Pack – producer (11)
• Gail Chiaravalle – production coordinator
• Bridgett Evans O'Lannerghty – production coordinator
• Susan Henson – production coordinator
• Bruce Steinberg – art direction, inside photography
• Simon Design – design
• Dennis Keeley – front cover photography
• Gary Braasch – back cover photography
• Tony Stone Images – back cover photography
• Greg Fruin and Howard Kaufman for HK Management – management

Technical credits

• Mark Casselman – engineer
• Ben Fowler – engineer
• Andy Gerome – engineer
• Jon Lechner – engineer
• Russ Martin – engineer
• Chris Pelonis – engineer, mixing (9)
• Greg Rubin – engineer, mixing (1, 7, 8, 10, 12)
• Grady Walker – engineer
• Martin Woodlee – engineer
• Rick Will – mixing (2–6, 11)
• Joe Costa – assistant engineer
• Tim Coyle – assistant engineer
• Dave Dillbeck – assistant engineer
• Mark Frigo – assistant engineer
• Tony Green – assistant engineer
• Graham Lewis – assistant engineer
• Shawn McLean – assistant engineer
• Hank Nirider – assistant engineer
• F. Reid Shippen – assistant engineer
• Shyene Guy – hard disk editing (4, 5)
• Joe Houge – track editing (11)

References