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In the Song Back in the High Life Again Does James Taylor Sing Backup

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1986 studio album by Steve Winwood

Dorsum in the High Life
Back in the High Life.jpg
Studio album by

Steve Winwood
Released thirty June 1986
Recorded August 1985 – May 1986
Studio
  • Unique Recording (New York)
  • Power Station (New York)
  • Correct Track (New York)
  • Giant Sound (New York)
  • Netherturkdonic (Turkdean)
Genre
  • Pop
  • rock
  • R&B
  • blueish-eyed soul
Length 45:03
Label Island
Producer Russ Titelman, Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood chronology
Talking Back to the Night
(1982) 		Back in the High Life
(1986) 		Chronicles
(1987)
Singles from Dorsum in the High Life
  1. "Higher Love"
    Released: 20 June 1986
  2. "Split up Decision"
    Released: July 1986
  3. "Accept It Every bit Information technology Comes"
    Released: August 1986
  4. "Liberty Overspill"
    Released: August 1986
  5. "Dorsum in the High Life Once again"
    Released: December 1986
  6. "The Finer Things"
    Released: Feb 1987

Back in the Loftier Life is the fourth solo album by English vocalizer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, released on 30 June 1986.[1] The anthology proved to be Winwood'southward biggest success to that date, certified Gold in the Britain and 3× Platinum in the US, and information technology reached the tiptop twenty in most Western countries.[ii] [3] It collected 3 Grammy Awards[four] and generated five hit singles, starting with "College Beloved", which became Winwood's start Billboard Hot 100 number-i chart topper, coming 20 years after he first entered that nautical chart with "Proceed on Running" by the Spencer Davis Group.[5] Other global hitting singles from the album were "Freedom Overspill", "Back in the High Life Again" and "The Finer Things". The single "Split Decision", with ex-Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, was a US hitting.[6]

Musically, the album was polished and sophisticated, representative of pop production in the 1980s, featuring Winwood'southward style of layered synthesizers and electronic drums that he had established with Arc of a Diver (1980). Different his two prior albums, on which he played every instrument himself, Winwood made extensive utilise of session musicians for this album, including Joe Walsh and Nile Rodgers on guitars and JR Robinson on drums. Winwood himself also performed on a large number of instruments, combining live-played instruments with synthesizers and programming. Prominent backing vocals were provided by established stars, including Chaka Khan on "College Love", James Ingram on "Finer Things", and James Taylor on the championship track. The album showcased Winwood's lifelong fascination with the fusion of styles, bringing folk, gospel and Caribbean sounds into a rock, pop and R&B milieu.[ane] [2] [7] As with his previous albums, Dorsum in the High Life served as an uplifting alternative to the angry or political punk that was sweeping the rock earth.[viii]

The album was recorded and released during a time of significant alter in Winwood'southward personal life. After touring Northward America to promote the album during August–Nov 1986, Winwood divorced in England and and so married in New York Metropolis. He bought a second abode in Nashville, where he organized his next project, Chronicles, a retrospective anthology of earlier songs, including some remixes engineered by Tom Lord-Alge, whom Winwood had befriended in the making of Back in the High Life.

Groundwork [edit]

Winwood's solo career had seen success in the United kingdom with Steve Winwood in 1977 and Arc of a Diver in 1980, the latter beingness his first major solo United states hit, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200. His 3rd album, Talking Back to the Dark (1982), generated less of a response and was considered a allow-downward. The last two albums had been created by Winwood playing all the instruments himself at his technologically avant-garde Turkdean habitation studio "Netherturkdonic,"[9] only for his next project Winwood returned to working with other musicians for additional inspiration. He hired Los Angeleno Ron Weisner as manager, known for his work with Madonna and Michael Jackson.[x] Weisner pushed Winwood to tape in London rather than at his habitation, where he was having relationship difficulties with his wife, Nicole. Winwood agreed to the London suggestion, but Weisner responded, "Well, forget London. Maybe you lot should get to New York."[eight]

Winwood was already acquainted with New York, having stayed at the Central Park South apartment of Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records.[xi] Blackwell had been serving every bit Winwood'south quasi-manager for a few years, just Winwood was intent on moving in a new direction with Weisner. Weisner encouraged him to cease standing half-hidden behind the Hammond organ and accept his position every bit forepart human being and entertainer.[8] [12] [13] Winwood said in 1988, "I made a conscious effort to start working with musicians and producers and engineers. I got a manager. I have to say that those people are straight or indirectly responsible for my success now."[8] [fourteen] Betwixt sessions for Back in the High Life, Winwood booked another studio, where he scored synthesizer-based music for the documentary The High Life, almost the 1985 Bout de France experience of Scottish bicycle racer Robert Millar (afterwards known as Philippa York). The documentary was produced by ITV Granada; information technology aired in the weeks leading upwardly to the 1986 Tour de France, in which Millar competed.[7] [fifteen]

Writing [edit]

Songwriting for the album began after Talking Back was released. Winwood wrote his ain music only he usually relied on other lyricists. He collaborated once again with Texan Will Jennings, a professor of English who had written the words to Winwood'south song "While You See a Risk", a hit single in 1981. For this new project, Winwood's fourth solo album, the pair composed five more songs, two of which would become the biggest album hits: "College Love" and "Back in the High Life Again". Jennings carried the phrase "Back in the High Life" around as a vocal title idea written down in a notebook, but when he was at Winwood'south business firm in late 1984 he wrote the residuum of the lyric in a one-half hour, without any music. More than a year afterward, Winwood finally wrote the music, after existence nudged to practise and so by Titelman, who was notified of its existence past Jennings. "Dorsum in the High Life Again" came very about to beingness missed altogether.[16] Winwood said about teaming with Jennings, "We've got absolutely no rules when we work together. Sometimes we offset with the lyric, sometimes with the tune; sometimes we start with chorus and add together the verses, and sometimes I write some of the lyrics myself. There are no formulas; things only happen naturally."[17]

A second return collaborator was eccentric English songwriter and former Bonzo Canis familiaris Doo-Dah Band frontman Vivian Stanshall, who had written the words for Winwood's "Dream Gerrard", appearing on Traffic'south 1974 album When the Eagle Flies. The ii often traded favours: Winwood played on both of Stanshall'south solo albums in the 1970s. More recently, Stanshall had come up with the lyric to the vocal "Arc of a Diver", which provided the 1980 album championship.[xviii] Stanshall joined with Winwood to create a demo version of "My Love'due south Leavin'" at Netherturkdonic, engineered by Nobby Clarke, who was Winwood's right-hand human being at the studio and on the road.[19] Stanshall likewise wrote the lyric to "If That Gun is For Real" in the early on '80s, which was under consideration for Dorsum in the High Life but was ultimately left off.[xviii]

The third returning lyricist was George Fleming, an one-time friend of Winwood's and the nephew of James Bail creator Ian Fleming. George Fleming had written two songs for Arc of a Diver – "Second-hand Woman" and "Dust" – which were his commencement-always compositions.[9] In 1985, he brought Winwood the words for "Liberty Overspill". Winwood wrote most of the music for "Liberty Overspill", with significant contribution from ex–Amazing Rhythm Ace James Hooker, an American keyboard player who toured in Winwood'southward band starting in 1983.[20]

Recording [edit]

Power Station, Right Rail Recording, and Giant Sound sessions [edit]

"The timing was correct. Stevie was ready to try something different. He had been working on tracks for about a year and some of the songs were demoed pretty seriously. I wasn't brought in for any drastic changes. I think he might have wanted to have some responsibility off his own shoulders."
    —Russ Titelman on being selected as co-producer[21]

In July 1985,[ten] Winwood settled into New York City for August recording sessions at Ability Station, getting an apartment off Madison Artery nigh Fundamental Park Zoo. Russ Titelman was called to co-produce the album because he was already familiar with Winwood's keyboard work on Titelman's earlier productions George Harrison (1979) and Christine McVie (1984).[21] Titelman had also produced the Rufus/Chaka Khan vocal "Ain't Nobody", which won the artists a performance Grammy in 1984, and was one of Weisner's favorite songs, aiding in the selection of Titelman.[22] Tracking began in Studio C at Power Station nether engineer Jason Corsaro, with Winwood laying down drum machine, synth bass, and some vocal and instrument tracks. Drummer Jimmy Bralower assisted with the programming of electronic drums, even going to Winwood'southward apartment to work out the sequencing for "Back in the High Life Again", featuring a conga loop devised by Bralower on the Roland TR-808.[23] Corsaro likewise engineered sessions at Right Track Recording. When Corsaro had to leave to honor a commitment with Fleetwood Mac,[24] Titelman moved the project to Giant Sound for a couple of weeks in October.[25]

The Lord-Alge brothers' interest and Unique sessions [edit]

Session keyboard player Robbie Kilgore told Winwood and Titelman that he knew three talented brothers who engineered at a nearby studio with a wide selection of synthesizers: Chris, Jeff and Tom Lord-Alge at Unique Recording Studios.[26] [27] Kilgore took Titelman to Unique, where they discovered that the studio also had an SSL 4000E mixer just like Winwood'south at Netherturkdonic, so Titelman moved the project there in early Nov 1985.[21] Titelman was immediately impressed by the speed of Chris Lord-Alge.[24] [28] Winwood was delighted with all the choices of synthesizer, playing on them during all-night jam sessions in which he invited whatsoever interested musicians to join him.[29] In the end, he stuck with a few favorites, including the familiar Hammond B3, a Minimoog, a Yamaha DX7, and a Roland Juno-threescore.[21]

Chris Lord-Alge was the more than accomplished of the three engineer brothers, just he had been pushing Tom into positions of greater responsibility; Tom earned his style to become head engineer on the Winwood album, his first fourth dimension in the role.[30]

Back in the High Life was mixed through May 1986 by Tom Lord-Alge in Unique's Studio B on the 48-channel SSL 4000E. A pair of linked 24-rails tape recorders was initially mixed down to stereo on a Studer A-80 half-inch 2-rail deck.[31] [32] At ane bespeak the analog Studer stopped working and the mixdown was shifted to a digital Mitsubishi X-80 open up-reel two-track recorder. The greater sonic clarity achieved this way was profound enough for Titelman and Winwood to make up one's mind that the whole album must be mixed to digital stereo.[24] Tom said that Winwood taught him a few tricks on the SSL, and Tom returned the favour past showing Winwood a trick or two of his own.[26] Titelman said Tom "uses the SSL like a player uses an musical instrument".[24] Co-ordinate to Tom, betwixt x and twenty percent of the Ability Station and other previous tracks concluded upwardly on the album. The great majority of Back in the Loftier Life came from overdubbing at Unique.[26]

Drums [edit]

Once Winwood settled in at Unique, Titelman decided to bring in a existent drummer to augment or supervene upon the drum motorcar parts. On tape, the album already had Roland, LinnDrum and Simmons electronic drum sounds, just these were non setting the right tone for many of the songs. Session drummer John "JR" Robinson was called in from a nearby George Benson session, bringing his own pulsate equipment.[33] JR had already worked with Titelman on Rufus and Chaka Khan dates, and he had many hit records nether his belt, including the charity single "We Are the World" and Michael Jackson's multi-Platinum "Don't Finish 'Til You Get Enough". To get a larger-than-life drum sound, Titelman and the Lord-Alge brothers had the drums placed in the center of the chief room of Studio B, with eight additional microphones positioned around the room to capture audio-wave reflections and increase the ratio of room ambience.[21] [34]

"Higher Love" was outset tracked with a unproblematic drum car loop, which Titelman felt was "flat", non quite fitting with the synth layers, which had been created mainly by Kilgore. Titelman tried replacing all the electronic drums with JR playing live, simply the producers felt that this, too, was not quite suitable.[34] Instead, the rhythm part for the song was synthetic as a combination of electronic drums, JR'due south live drums, and sequenced samples of JR's drums added later.[24] Winwood instructed JR to brand the snare overdubs feel similar they were slightly rushing the tempo, to add excitement.[34] JR noted that Winwood asked for high-pitched, bright sounds from the pulsate kit, so he chose brass snares such every bit a vintage 1930 Ludwig for "Split Decision", and the vintage Black Beauty on "Higher Beloved". JR tuned his drumheads high to satisfy Winwood, unlike some other of JR's bandleaders, Bob Seger, who wanted only low-pitched drums.[33] Real drums augmented or replaced the electronic drums on every song on the album except "My Dear's Leavin'", on which the drum parts stayed purely electronic.[21]

"Higher Honey" pulsate-fill [edit]

Tom says he "clinched the gig" when he made a proposition to Titelman every bit the overdubbing was winding down and mixing was soon to begin. The proposition involved Tom moving one of JR'due south impromptu drum fills to the beginning of "College Love", past assigning a timing offset to 1 of 2 tape machines such that they first played the drum fill followed by the song coming in on the shell.[27] Titelman was very happy with the upshot, and decided to open up the album with this drum fill. The opening eventually became so famous that JR put it on his answering machine every bit a professional calling carte. JR said the pattern was a Latin rimshot technique beyond the height of his classic seamless brass Ludwig Black Beauty snare, unmuffled, with its snare wires disengaged, to emulate the audio of a timbale. He said, "it'southward one of the all-time drum intros I've ever played."[33]

Titelman remembered the fill being played advertising lib by JR while his friend Chaka Khan was preparing to sing her groundwork vocals on "Higher Beloved", causing Khan to exclaim "What is that shit? It sounds like voodoo shit!"[22] Tom Lord-Alge agreed that the drum fill was played as a lark later JR had completed his drum overdubs for "Higher Beloved". Tom said, "It was i of those happy accidents, and information technology happened considering Chris always taught me that if the tape is rolling and there'southward a musician in the studio, make sure the tape auto is in record!"[27]

Notable collaborators [edit]

Joe Walsh co-wrote "Separate Decision" with Winwood

Titelman tapped James Taylor to add background vocals to "Back in the High Life Over again", after hearing the slowed-down Winwood and Bralower version. Titelman felt that the song fit Taylor'south style perfectly.[22] Another Titelman decision was to call Nile Rodgers to handle a guitar solo in "Wake Me Up on Judgment Day", for which Winwood wanted an interpretation different from his own.[24] Chaka Khan, JR and drummer Mickey Back-scratch were all Titelman'southward contacts. Titelman too brought in David Frank for his experience at turning out synthesizer horn parts. Titelman said, "I feel that basically I was a casting director in a lot of ways."[22] Just Winwood himself invited Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh to join the project.[22] Walsh and Winwood had met during Walsh'southward James Gang years. More than than a decade subsequently Walsh phoned "out of the blue" to say hullo, with Winwood immediately suggesting a songwriting collaboration.[19] In October,[35] the two wrote "Split up Decision" together, the merely vocal on the album written entirely during the recording process in New York. Walsh also performed slide guitar on "Liberty Overspill". Walsh tackled his electric guitar solo for "Dissever Conclusion" in a wholly unrehearsed performance – his usual style. Winwood felt challenged to practice the aforementioned on synthesizer.[19]

Marketing and video [edit]

Back in the High Life was a top ten hit on the anthology charts in the United States, peaking at number 3, and has sold over five million copies. The single "Higher Honey" kickoff entered the Usa charts at number 77 during the week of 14 June 1986,[36] then proceeded to peak the singles nautical chart at the finish of August and win the Grammy Laurels for "Record of the Yr"; "Dorsum in the High Life Again" (US number thirteen), "The Finer Things" (U.s. number viii, the second-biggest hit from the album), and "Freedom Overspill" (US number 20) were also big hits. "Carve up Determination" failed to chart in other countries merely rose to number iii in the US. "Accept It Equally It Comes" fared less well, reaching number 33 in the U.s.a..[6] Island had promoted Back in the Loftier Life successfully, basing the entrada on the idea that Winwood was on a "comeback".[3]

Weisner pushed Winwood to promote the album with at least one video that could be shown on MTV. Isle Records agreed. They chose "Higher Beloved", and selected Peter Kagan and Paula Greif to straight it, on the strength of their video for "The Dear Parade" by the Dream Academy.[37] Weisner relayed his wish that Winwood should look similar an entertainer, that he should not hide backside the Hammond as in the past.[8] Shooting took identify in June 1986, primarily on 35 mm film stock, but sometimes using a manus-held camera, especially for blackness-and-white photography. One 16 mm Bolex and a Super 8 camera were used for these in-motion shots. Riding in a shopping trolley, Greif was pushed through the dance floor to capture movement. Laura Israel and Glenn Lazzaro edited the film to U-matic video, and so mastered to 1-inch tape with a team of administration.[37] In the resulting video, Winwood is never shown playing an instrument. Instead, he sings far out in forepart of the band, he stands next to Chaka Khan, and he dances with several women wearing tropical vesture every bit different scenes modify from colour to black-and-white.[8] Nile Rodgers plays electrical guitar in the band, wearing a vivid duster. At the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, "Higher Love" was nominated for Video of the Year, All-time Male Video, All-time Editing, and Best Direction, only lost to Peter Gabriel'southward "Sledgehammer" in all four categories. The video was besides nominated for All-time Choreography, honouring Ed Beloved's work with the dancers, and it was nominated for Best Cinematography, crediting Kagan. "Higher Love" was nominated in the Viewers Pick category, which was won by U2's "With or Without Y'all".[39]

Bout [edit]

Winwood began a tour of North America to promote the anthology, starting on 22 August 1986 with a show at Pino Knob Music Theatre north of Detroit, with reggae artist Jimmy Cliff as the opening act.[xl] [41] In Winwood's eight-piece ring, James Hooker, co-writer of "Freedom Overspill", continued in his role every bit 2nd keyboard player. Winwood'due south man in Turkdean, Nobby Clarke, resumed equally route manager. The bout played dates in Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Arkansas. In October when he was "somewhere" in Texas, Winwood told the Los Angeles Times that he was seeing the largest audience reactions on the songs "Higher Dear" and "Gimme Some Lovin'" (1966) – his "newest and oldest songs." He imagined that some of the younger audience members might be thinking "Gimme Some Lovin'" was a Dejection Brothers cover because it had been in the moving picture The Dejection Brothers (1980).[42]

After Texas, Winwood played Colorado and Arizona, where English band Level 42 became the opening deed. Their 1985 World Auto album had brought greater fame and introduced more electronic and pop elements to their sound. The Arizona Democracy remarked about how well they fit with Winwood's fashion, both sharing a "multilayered instrumentation and a prominent beat."[43] The tour continued through four dates in California, the quaternary at the Concord Pavilion, where the San Francisco Examiner reviewed the show, noting that Winwood played very picayune guitar and a scrap of mandolin, and performed his electrical guitar solos on the keyboards to strike a "remainder between his instruments and vocalisation." Danny Wolinski on saxophone and Bob Leffert on trumpet were named as "outstanding" musicians. Winwood started the concert softly with "The Depression Spark of High Heeled Boys", so finished big with "Back in the High Life Once more".[44]

Level 42 and Winwood'southward band moved up the Pacific Coast to Oregon and Washington, crossing into Canada for 1 night in British Columbia, and another in Alberta. They headed east to play nine more dates in the US plus one in Toronto. The tour concluded on 23 Nov in Virginia at the Patriot Eye. Not every show enjoyed expert reviews: Rock critic Frank Rizzo in the Hartford Courant was unimpressed past Winwood in Connecticut'due south New Haven Coliseum, describing how nigh of the ii-hour show was "less than captivating" because of Winwood's shyness onstage. Rizzo felt that a few hot solos from the band, and a rousing final number that got the oversupply standing for "Gimme Some Lovin'", were not enough to brand the show worthwhile.[45] A month later, the Courant published rebuttals by two readers who had witnessed the aforementioned concert, i maxim, "This was ane of the all-time concerts I have always attended, and judging from the clapping, dancing, singing and auspicious of the audition, I presume that many others would concur with me."[46]

Critical reception [edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music [47]
The Great Rock Discography viii/10[47]
Los Angeles Times [48]
MusicHound Rock 4/5[47]
Music Story [47]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [47]
The Village Phonation C[49]

Back in the Loftier Life was met with mostly positive reviews. Writing in July 1986 for Rolling Stone, Timothy White hailed it as "the first undeniably superb record of an well-nigh decade-long solo career" for Winwood.[50] Stereo Review mag's Marker Skin said the album "weds Winwood's sure sense of melody to gospel, r-&-b, African polyrhythm, and Philly soul grooves", adding, "it's Lite Soul, but Russ Titelman's production and the outstanding recording job bring out every instrument with a seize with teeth and clarity that are frequently spectacular."[51] In the Los Angeles Times, Kristine McKenna wrote that Dorsum in the High Life generally "sounds equally beautiful as the exemplary message of promise information technology espouses", with themes of "organized religion, confusion, [and] a yearning for spiritual clarity" making it more than simply "a incomparably tasteful record".[52]

The album was not without criticism. McKenna suggested that the songs are flawed past somewhat indulgent lengths, singling out the Walsh duet "Split Decision" for "meander[ing] about rather aimlessly".[52] The Village Voice reviewer Robert Christgau was more than critical. He found Winwood's lyrics to be truthful and unpretentious but ultimately "well-wrought banalities" and uninteresting, which he attributed to Winwood being "a wunderkind with more talent than brains", who "afterward ii decades of special treatment … derives all the self-esteem he needs but from surviving, as they say."[49] Geoffrey Himes, writing for The Washington Post, was dismissive, proverb that Winwood's inventiveness had abandoned him in 1971, and that this new album was proof that "the spark is gone." He complimented "Higher Love" for its catchy melody and electronic product, simply he criticised the album as a whole, saying, "The songs really have no content, though Winwood's gorgeous blue-eyed soul voice almost convinces you otherwise."[53]

Retrospective appraisals accept been positive. While reviewing Winwood's 1988 follow-up album Roll with Information technology, Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times called Back in the High Life "arguably the best R&B album by a white singer in the last five years".[54] Years later, in The Rough Guide to Rock (2003), Justin Lewis declared information technology "the paradigm of sophisticated mid-80s AOR, as Winwood adds Caribbean and gospel flavours to his pop, rock and R&B mix."[55]

Legacy [edit]

In the U.k., Back in the High Life was certified Golden past BPI in August 1986.[56] In the US, Gold was reached almost as speedily but stiff sales continued for a longer menstruation, raising the album to Platinum in October 1986. With steady sales through 1987, the album was certified three× Platinum by the RIAA in January 1988.[57]

Whitney Houston'southward version of "Higher Love" was remixed posthumously in 2019

Winwood's wife Nicole separated from him in belatedly 1985 while he was still recording on the other side of the Atlantic Body of water. Around the same time, Winwood went to hear a Junior Walker concert at the Solitary Star Cafe in New York Metropolis and met a Nashville woman named Eugenia Crafton; the two struck upwards a relationship.[58] Crafton was Winwood'south girlfriend in mid-December 1985 when Will Jennings visited New York Metropolis with his own paramour, vocalizer-songwriter Marshall Chapman. They went out every bit a foursome to enjoy the nightlife, and stayed at the Gramercy Park Hotel for a few days.[59] Winwood kept his new girlfriend and failing marriage private: When he started his album tour in August 1986, he instructed his staff to inform journalists that he would not answer any questions about his personal life.[42] Winwood's divorce was finalised in December 1986, so Crafton and Winwood married in January in a private ceremony held at Fifth Artery Presbyterian Church.[58] [60] [61] When he stepped up to the podium on 24 February 1987 to have 1 of two Grammy Awards, Winwood said, "I'd like to say how much an award like that ways to me. The more I'thou involved in making records the more it seems to mean. So I would like to thank everyone who has written for me... And finally, I would like to thank my married woman."[62] Winwood settled in Nashville, and his first child, Mary Clare, was born in May 1987. The new Nashville vibe lent its audio to Winwood's 5th album, Roll With It, released in June 1988, which would eventually surpass Back in the Loftier Life in sales.[60]

The song "Higher Love" was covered by Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow, who recorded a stripped-down, ethereal acoustic version of it in 2011 for a compilation album chosen Silver Lining, produced to benefit the Irish charity Headstrong. The album raised €225,000.[63] McMorrow's cover version was also used in Europe for an Amazon company advert. It was picked up over again in 2022 for an American television commercial promoting the Hyundai Kona car. McMurrow said, "It's a beautiful tune, the chord structure of that song is really complex. When I used to play it on the guitar just to myself, I was always struck past how interesting it was."[64] "Higher Dearest" was also covered by Whitney Houston in 1990, but her version was not widely heard equally it was released only as a bonus track in Japan. In June 2019, seven years after Houston's death, Norwegian producer Kygo re-arranged and remixed her vocals to create a tropical firm version.[65] An accompanying video was released in Baronial. The Houston/Kygo remix of "College Love" was certified Gold in the US in October 2019, and the next month it reached Platinum in the UK.[66] [67]

Track listing [edit]

All tracks written past Steve Winwood and Will Jennings except where noted.[17]

No. Championship Writer(s) Length
ane. "Higher Love" 5:45
two. "Take Information technology As It Comes" 5:20
iii. "Liberty Overspill" Steve Winwood, George Fleming, James Hooker v:33
4. "Back in the Loftier Life Again" five:33
5. "The Finer Things" 5:47
half dozen. "Wake Me Up on Judgment Day" 5:48
7. "Separate Decision" Winwood, Joe Walsh 5:58
8. "My Love's Leavin'" Winwood, Vivian Stanshall 5:19

Personnel [edit]

Adapted from the album liner notes[17] and AllMusic credits[68]

Industry awards [edit]

Grammy Awards [edit]

MTV Video Music Awards [edit]

Charts [edit]

Certifications [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c Ruhlmann, William (2011). "Back in the Loftier Life – Steve Winwood | AllMusic". allmusic.com . Retrieved seven August 2011.
  2. ^ a b Hughes, Rob (3 October 2017). "Steve Winwood: from teen prodigy to Traffic and beyond". Louder Sound: Classic Rock . Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b Higgons, Keith R. (2 July 2020). "Album of the Twenty-four hour period – July 2: Steve Winwood – Back in the High Life". Pop Off. Medium. Retrieved nine July 2020.
  4. ^ "29th Annual Grammy Awards (1986)". Recording Academy Grammy Awards. 1987. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  5. ^ Grein, Paul (xxx August 1986). "Chart Beat". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 35. p. 10. ISSN 0006-2510.
  6. ^ a b "Steve Winwood Nautical chart History: "Split Determination"". Billboard. Retrieved fifteen July 2020.
  7. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (23 July 1986). "The Pop Life: Steve Winwood Returns to Brand the Juices Menstruum". The New York Times.
  8. ^ a b c d e f DeCurtis, Anthony (1 December 1988). "From Mr Fantasy to Mr Entertainment". Rolling Rock.
  9. ^ a b Black, Johnny (28 May 2020). "Steve Winwood: Arc Of A Diver". Hi-Fi News & Record Review.
  10. ^ a b Van der Kiste, John (2018). While You See A Risk: The Steve Winwood Story. Fonthill Media. p. 194.
  11. ^ Palmer, Robert (21 January 1981). "The Pop Life; Winwood, at 32, a stone traditionalist". The New York Times. p. C 15.
  12. ^ Van der Kiste 2018. p. 199
  13. ^ Wawzenek, Bryan (vii December 2016). "How Steve Winwood Survived the '80s". Ultimate Classic Rock . Retrieved x July 2020.
  14. ^ Welch, Chris (1990). Steve Winwood – Coil With It. Perigee Books. ISBN978-0399515583.
  15. ^ Fotheringham, William (2015). Concordance: It's All Virtually the Bicycle. Chicago Review Printing. p. 272. ISBN9781613734155.
  16. ^ Wiser, Carl (7 May 2006). "Songwriter Interviews: Steve Winwood". Songfacts . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  17. ^ a b c Winwood, Steve (1986). Back in the High Life (booklet). Island Records. A2 25448.
  18. ^ a b Nzo, Vince. "Vivian Stanshall: Solo". The Illustrated Vivian Stanshall . Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  19. ^ a b c White, Timothy (July 1986). "Steve Winwood's Merging Traffic". Musician. No. 93. p. 34.
  20. ^ Hooker, James (12 March 2011). "Biography". AirPlay Straight . Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d eastward f Parisi, Paula (26 July 1986). "Titelman Wears Many Hats at Warner Bros". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 30. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510.
  22. ^ a b c d e White, Timothy (22 June 1996). "'Delight Don't Wake Me'". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 25. pp. 41–54. ISSN 0006-2510.
  23. ^ a b Titelman, Russ (11 July 2013). "Mailbag". Music Industry News . Retrieved x July 2020.
  24. ^ a b c d e f Jones, Ralph (December 1986). "Production Viewpoint: Russ Titelman". Recording Engineer/Producer. pp. 44, 46, 48, 52, 54.
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External links [edit]

  • Back in the High Life at Discogs (listing of releases)

stclairhowits1990.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_in_the_High_Life

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