One Step Closer (The Doobie Brothers album)

One Step Closer
Studio album by The Doobie Brothers
Released	September 17, 1980
Recorded	1980 at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA, Warner Bros. Recording Studios, North Hollywood, CA, United Sound Recorders, Detroit, MI and A&R Recorders, New York, NY
Genre	Rock
Length	37:41
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Ted Templeman
The Doobie Brothers chronology
Minute by Minute (1978)Minute by Minute1978 One Step Closer (1980) Farewell Tour (1983)Farewell Tour1983

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	B-[2]
Rolling Stone	(mixed) [3]

One Step Closer is the ninth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1980. The album included the hit "Real Love", which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

Side One

1. "Dedicate This Heart" (McDonald, Paul Anka) – 4:07 (vocal: McDonald)
2. "Real Love" (McDonald, Henderson) – 4:18 (vocal: McDonald)
3. "No Stoppin' Us Now" (Simmons, McDonald, Chris Thompson) – 4:40 (vocal: Simmons)
4. "Thank You Love" (Cornelius Bumpus) – 6:22 (vocal: Bumpus)

Side Two

1. "One Step Closer" (Knudsen, Carlene Carter, McFee) – 4:10 (vocals: Bumpus, McDonald)
2. "Keep This Train A-Rollin" (McDonald) – 3:29 (vocal: McDonald)
3. "Just in Time" (Simmons) – 2:43 (vocal: Simmons)
4. "South Bay Strut" (McCracken, McFee) – 4:05 (instrumental)
5. "One By One" (Bobby LaKind, McDonald) – 3:47 (vocals: Simmons, McDonald)

Personnel

The Doobie Brothers

• Patrick Simmons – guitars, vocals
• John McFee – guitars, vocals
• Michael McDonald – keyboards, organ, synthesizers, vocals
• Cornelius Bumpus – tenor saxophone, flute, vocals
• Tiran Porter – bass, vocals
• Keith Knudsen – drums, backing vocals
• Chester McCracken – drums, vibraphone, marimbas

Additional personnel

• Bobby LaKind – congas, bongos, background vocals
• Nicolette Larson – background vocals on "Real Love", "Dedicate This Heart", and "Just In Time"
• Rev. Patrick Henderson - keyboards on "Real Love", "One By One", and "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
• Lee Thornburg – trumpet on "South Bay Strut" and flugelhorn for "Dedicate This Heart"
• Chris Thompson – background vocals on "No Stoppin' Us Now"
• Ted Templeman – tambourine, cowbell, maracas
• Jerome Jumonville – tenor saxophone, horn arrangements on "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
• Joel Peskin – baritone saxophone
• Bill Armstrong – trumpet
• Jimmie Haskell – string arrangements on "Real Love" and "South Bay Strut"

Production

• Producer – Ted Templeman
• Production Assistant – Joan Parker
• Production Coordination – Susyn Schope
• Engineer – James Isaacson
• Second Engineer – Gene Meros
• Mastering – Kent Duncan and Tim Dennan at Kendun Recorders (Burbank, CA).
• Photography – Norman Seeff
• Art Direction and Design – Jim Welch
• Management – Bruce Cohn

Charts

Album

Singles

References