Back in the High Life
Encyclopedia
Back in the High Life is the fourth solo album
by English rock
musician Steve Winwood
. It was a top ten hit on the album charts in the United States, hitting #3, and has sold over five million copies. The single "Higher Love" topped the singles chart and won the Grammy Award
for "Record of the Year"; "Back in the High Life Again
" (US #13), "The Finer Things
" (US #8, the second biggest hit from the album), and "Freedom Overspill" (US #20) were also big hits. This was Winwood's last studio album with Island Records after twenty years with the label. The album also features collaborations in backing vocals, featuring Chaka Khan
in "Higher Love", and James Taylor
in "Back in the High Life Again".
except where noted
Singles
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by English rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
. It was a top ten hit on the album charts in the United States, hitting #3, and has sold over five million copies. The single "Higher Love" topped the singles chart and won the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for "Record of the Year"; "Back in the High Life Again
Back in the High Life Again
"Back in the High Life Again" is a 1987 single written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings and performed by Winwood. The single was included in his album "Back in the High Life" and included backing vocals by James Taylor. "Back in the High Life Again" was Winwood's second number one on the Adult...
" (US #13), "The Finer Things
The Finer Things (song)
"The Finer Things" is the fourth single from the 1986 album Back in the High Life by Steve Winwood. The single was written by Winwood. It went to number one for three weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1987 and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 ....
" (US #8, the second biggest hit from the album), and "Freedom Overspill" (US #20) were also big hits. This was Winwood's last studio album with Island Records after twenty years with the label. The album also features collaborations in backing vocals, featuring Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
in "Higher Love", and James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
in "Back in the High Life Again".
Track listing
All songs written by Steve Winwood and Will JenningsWill Jennings
Wilbur H. "Will" Jennings is an American songwriter who is popularly known for writing the lyrics for "My Heart Will Go On", the theme for the film Titanic .-Life and education:...
except where noted
- "Higher LoveHigher Love"Higher Love" is a 1986 number-one hit song by Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP, Back in the High Life. It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings, and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood...
" – 5:45 - "Take It as It Comes" – 5:20
- "Freedom Overspill" – 5:33 (Winwood, George Fleming, James Hooker)
- "Back in the High Life AgainBack in the High Life Again"Back in the High Life Again" is a 1987 single written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings and performed by Winwood. The single was included in his album "Back in the High Life" and included backing vocals by James Taylor. "Back in the High Life Again" was Winwood's second number one on the Adult...
" – 5:33 - "The Finer ThingsThe Finer Things (song)"The Finer Things" is the fourth single from the 1986 album Back in the High Life by Steve Winwood. The single was written by Winwood. It went to number one for three weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1987 and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 ....
" – 5:47 - "Wake Me Up on Judgment Day" – 5:48
- "Split Decision" – 5:58 (Winwood, Joe WalshJoe WalshJoseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
) - "My Love's Leavin'" – 5:19 (Winwood, Viv Stanshall)
Production
- Produced By Steve Winwood & Russ Titelman
- Mixed By Tom Lord-AlgeTom Lord-AlgeTom Lord-Alge is a four-time Grammy Award–winning record producer and mixer. He is the youngest of Vivian Lord's five children, Mark Lord-Alge, Lisa Lord-Alge, Chris Lord-Alge, Jeff Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge...
- Engineered By Jon Wolfson, Steve Rinkoff, Mike Nicholson, Scott Mabuchi, Chris Lord-AlgeChris Lord-AlgeChris Lord-Alge is a mixer who has worked on various albums. He is the brother of Tom Lord-Alge, another audio engineer. Chris Lord-Alge is known for his extreme use of dynamic range compression in both hardware and software plug-in versions....
, Tom Lord-Alge, Jeff Lord-Alge, Bruce Lampcov, Dave Greenberg, John Goldberger, Rob Eaton, Jason Corsaro, Nobby Clark, Ed Bruder, Sean Chennery, Jim Boyer & Claude "Swifty" Achille
Personnel
- Steve Winwood: Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Synthesized Bass, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Drum Programming
- James TaylorJames TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, Mark Stevens, Chaka KhanChaka KhanChaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, James IngramJames IngramJames Ingram is an American soul musician. He is best known as a vocalist. He is also a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards...
, Dan HartmanDan HartmanDaniel Earl "Dan" Hartman was an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for such songs as: "Free Ride", "I Can Dream About You", "Instant Replay", "Love Sensation", and "Relight My Fire", all of which had world-wide success.-Career:Born in Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg,...
, Connie Harvey, Jocelyn Brown: Vocal Backing - Andrew Thonas, Rob MounseyRob MounseyRob Mounsey is an award-winning composer, music producer, and musician. He was born in Berea, Ohio and grew up in Seattle, Washington and several Ohio towns. At the age of 17, he was awarded a BMI Student Composer's Award in New York. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston from 1971 to 1975...
, Robbie Kilgore, Arif MardinArif MardinArif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
, David Frank: Keyboards, Synthesizers - Joe Walsh, Ira Siegel, Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
, Paul Pesco, Eddie MartinezEddie MartinezEddie Martinez is an American guitarist, born and raised in New York City, who mainly functions as a session musician. He has worked with David Lee Roth , Run-D.M.C. , Robert Palmer , Meat Loaf , several Jim Steinman projects, and many others...
: Guitars - Phillipe Saisse: Electric & Synthesized Bass
- Jimmy Bralower: Drums, Percussion, Drum Programming
- Carol Steele, John Robinson, Steve FerroneSteve FerroneSteven "Steve" Ferrone is a British drummer.He was a member of the Average White Band, and has recorded and performed with numerous other high-profile acts, including Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Scritti Politti...
, Mickey CurryMickey CurryMichael Timothy Curry is an American drummer. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with the singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, although he has also worked with Hall & Oates, Cher, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, Tom Waits, The Cult, Steve Jones and...
: Drums, Percussion - Horns: George Young, Bob Mintzer, Louis Del Gatto, Randy BreckerRandy BreckerRandal "Randy" Brecker is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. He is a highly sought after performer in the genres of jazz, rock, and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears,...
- Horn Arrangements By David Frank
Awards
- 1986 Grammy Awards, Best Engineered Album, Non Classical
- 1986 Grammy Awards, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, "Higher Love"
- 1986 Grammy Awards, Record of the YearRecord Of The YearRecord of the Year may refer to:*Grammy Award for Record of the Year*The Record of the Year, a British award based on public polling...
, "Higher Love"
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Billboard 200 | 3 |
| 1986 | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 46 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "Higher Love" | Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| 1986 | "Higher Love" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1986 | "Higher Love" | Adult Contemporary | 7 |
| 1986 | "Freedom Overspill" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |
| 1986 | "Freedom Overspill" | Billboard Hot 100 | 20 |
| 1986 | "Freedom Overspill" | Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 28 |
| 1986 | "Freedom Overspill" | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 34 |
| 1986 | "Take It as It Comes" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 33 |
| 1986 | "Back in the High Life Again" | Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1987 | "Back in the High Life Again" | Billboard Hot 100 | 13 |
| 1987 | "Back in the High Life Again" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 19 |
| 1987 | "The Finer Things" | Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1987 | "The Finer Things" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 5 |
| 1987 | "The Finer Things" | Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |