One Step Closer (The Doobie Brothers album)

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One Step Closer
The Doobie Brothers - One Step Closer.jpg
Studio album by
The Doobie Brothers
ReleasedSeptember 17, 1980
Recorded1980 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
GenreRock
Length37:41
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerTed Templeman
The Doobie Brothers chronology
Minute by Minute
(1978) 		One Step Closer
(1980) 		Farewell Tour
(1983)
Singles from One Step Closer
  1. "Real Love" / "Thank You Love"
    Released: August 21, 1980
  2. "One Step Closer" / "South Bay Strut"
    Released: November 5, 1980
  3. "Keep This Train A-Rollin'" / "Just in Time"
    Released: January 28, 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic2/5 stars[1]
Robert ChristgauB-[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music3/5 stars[3]
The Great Rock Discography4/10[4]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide2/5 stars[6]

One Step Closer is the ninth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers. The album was released on September 17, 1980, by Warner Bros. Records. The album included the hit "Real Love", which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. This album is the band's last studio album with Michael McDonald in the lineup until 2014's Southbound.

Track listing[]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
1."Dedicate This Heart"Michael McDonald, Paul AnkaMcDonald4:07
2."Real Love"McDonald, Patrick HendersonMcDonald4:18
3."No Stoppin' Us Now"Patrick Simmons, McDonald, Chris ThompsonSimmons4:40
4."Thank You Love"Cornelius BumpusBumpus6:22
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
5."One Step Closer"Keith Knudsen, Carlene Carter, John McFeeBumpus, McDonald4:10
6."Keep This Train A-Rollin"McDonaldMcDonald3:29
7."Just in Time"SimmonsSimmons2:43
8."South Bay Strut"Chet McCracken, McFeeinstrumental4:05
9."One by One"Bobby LaKind, McDonaldSimmons, McDonald3:47

Personnel[]

The Doobie Brothers

Additional personnel

  • Bobby LaKind – congas, bongos, backing vocals
  • Nicolette Larson – backing vocals on "Real Love", "Dedicate This Heart", and "Just In Time"
  • Patrick Henderson - keyboards on "Real Love", "One By One", and "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
  • Lee Thornburg – trumpet on "South Bay Strut" and "Keep This Train A-Rollin'", flugelhorn for "Dedicate This Heart"
  • Chris Thompson – backing vocals on "No Stoppin' Us Now"
  • Ted Templeman – tambourine, cowbell, maracas, backing vocals on "One Step Closer"[7]
  • Jerome Jumonville – tenor saxophone, horn arrangements on "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
  • Joel Peskin – baritone saxophone on "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
  • Bill Armstrong – trumpet on "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
  • 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

Year Chart Position
1980 US Black Albums 31
1980 US Pop Albums 3

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1980 "Real Love" US Pop Singles 5
1980 "Real Love" US Adult Contemporary 10
1980 "Real Love" US Black Singles 40
1980 "Real Love" US Club Play Singles 70
1980-81 "One Step Closer" US Pop Singles 24
1980-81 "One Step Closer" US Adult Contemporary 21
1981 "Keep This Train A-Rollin'" US Pop Singles 62

References[]

  1. ^ Bruce Eder. "One Step Closer - The Doobie Brothers". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "The Doobie Brothers: One Step Closer". Robert Christgau.com. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  4. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2002). "The Doobie Brothers". The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.
  5. ^ Don Shewey (1980-11-13). "The Doobie Brothers: One Step Closer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-12-01. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
  6. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 253. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. ^ Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music. ECW Press. p. 311.
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