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1995 studio album by Melissa Manchester
If My Heart Had Wings
Released 1995 Studio
Rumbo Recorders ,
Record One and Image Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Conway and Andora Studios (Hollywood, California)
Can-Am Recorders (Tarzana, California)
Aire L.A. Studios (Glendale, California)
Atlantic and Skyline Studios (New York City, New York)
Genre
Pop
Label
Atlantic
[1]
Producer
Tribute (1989)
If My Heart Had Wings (1995)
Joy (1997)
If My Heart Had Wings is an album by the American musician
Melissa Manchester , released in 1995.
[2]
[3] It was a commercial disappointment.
[4]
[5]
Manchester promoted the album by performing its first single, "In a Perfect World", on the soap opera
General Hospital .
[6]
[7]
Production
The album was executive produced by
Arif Mardin and Michael Lippman.
[8] Due to Manchester's work on the musical I Sent a Letter to My Love , the album was produced over a period of two years.
[9] "If My Heart Had Wings" was written with
Amy Sky .
[10]
Critical reception
Entertainment Weekly wrote that, "too often, the tunes on If My Heart Had Wings sound like bland anthems in search of a maudlin movie score."
[14] The
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thought that "Manchester turns in a hopelessly-out-of-it performance that serves as a harsh reminder that having great pipes is no guarantee of success."
[16]
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution opined that it was "too bad Manchester couldn't take a cue from Bonnie Raitt, whose music has grown along with her shock of gray hair and her insight."
[12]
AllMusic wrote that the album was "filled with big, dramatic ballads and widescreen production values."
[11]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide considered the album to be "not a great work [but] representative of her talent."
[15]
Track listing
Title Writer(s) 1. "The House That Love Built" Melissa Manchester, Dana Merino,
Matt Sherrod 4:25 2. "In a Perfect World" Jud Friedman, Alan Rich,
Wendy Waldman 4:14 3. "If My Heart Had Wings" Melissa Manchester,
Eric Kaz ,
Amy Sky 4:13 4. "Heart of Love"
Billie Hughes ,
Roxanne Seeman 4:23 5. "To Be in Love with Me" Jody Davidson 3:55 6. "Here to Love You"
Michael McDonald 4:25 7. "Higher Ground" Kent Agee,
Steve Dorff ,
George Green 4:18 8. "Crazy People"
Edgar Leslie ,
James V. Monaco 2:33 9. "Moments Like This" Alan Rich, Pam Reswick, Steve Werfel 4:42 10. "Don't Let Me Walk This Road Alone"
David Foster ,
Keith Thomas ,
Linda Thompson 4:10
Personnel
Melissa Manchester – vocals, backing vocals (6), arrangements (6, 8)
Robbie Kondor – keyboards (1), keyboard programming (1), arrangements (1), additional keyboards (7)
Joe Mardin – additional keyboards (1),
cymbals (1),
hi-hat (1)
Steve Skinner – additional keyboards (1), keyboards (5, 7), programming (5, 7), arrangements (5, 7)
Scott Alspach – keyboards (2), programming (2)
Jud Friedman – keyboards (2), programming (2), string arrangements (2)
Robbie Buchanan – keyboards (3, 9, 10), arrangements (9)
Claude Gaudette – keyboards (4, 6), orchestra programming and arrangements (4)
Tom Salisbury – acoustic piano (6), backing vocals (6)
Michael Lang – acoustic piano (8)
John Putnam – guitars (1, 7)
Teddy Castellucci – guitars (2)
Tim Pierce – guitars (3, 10)
Peter Hume – guitars (6), backing vocals (6)
Dennis Budimir – guitars (8)
Michael Landau – guitars (9)
Will Lee – bass (1, 7)
Cliff Hugo – bass (6)
Chuck Berghofer – bass (8)
Neil Stubenhaus – bass (9)
Bob Harsen – drums (3, 10)
Carlos Vega – drums (4, 6)
Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (8, 9)
Brian Kilgore – percussion (2)
Efrain Toro – percussion (6)
Roger Rosenberg – baritone saxophone (1)
Andy Snitzer – tenor saxophone (1)
Danny Wilensky – alto saxophone (5)
Doug Norwine – saxophone (6)
Gary Foster –
clarinet (8)
Charles Loper – trombone (8)
Jimmy Hynes – trumpet (1)
Frank Szabo – trumpet (8)
Melissa Hasin – cello (7)
Jimbo Ross – viola (7)
Margaret Wooten – violin (7)
Richard Greene – violin solo (7)
Arif Mardin – arrangements (1, 7-9), string arrangements (7), orchestration (9)
David Campbell – string arrangements (2)
Gene Orloff – concertmaster (9)
Johnny Mandel – string arrangements (10)
Christopher Tate – choir master (1, 3)
Deborah A. Alexander, Beverly Dangerfield, Ettamaria Ellis, Warren Harrington, Dewayne C. Knox, Charles May and Linda T. Willis – backing vocals (1, 3)
Jerry Barnes – additional backing vocals (1)
Katreese Barnes – additional backing vocals (1)
Rachele Cappelli – additional backing vocals (1)
Sue Holder – backing vocals (6)
Carolyn Willis – backing vocals (6)
Peggi Blu – backing vocals (9)
Ollie Cregget – backing vocals (9)
Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (9)
Phillip Ingram – backing vocals (9)
Witnley Phipps – vocals (10)
Production
Michael Lippman – executive producer, management
Arif Mardin – executive producer, producer (1, 5, 7-9)
Jud Friedman – producer (2)
Ron Nevison – producer (3, 4, 10), engineer (3, 4, 10)
Melissa Manchester – producer (6)
Michael O'Reilly – engineer (1, 5, 7, 8), remixing (1, 5, 7-9)
Taavi Mote – engineer (2), remixing (2)
Chris Lord-Alge – remixing (3, 4, 10)
Jeremy Smith – additional engineer (5), engineer (6, 9), remixing (6)
Corey Baker – assistant engineer
Greg Barrett – assistant engineer
Shawn Berman – assistant engineer
Brian Broadwater – assistant engineer
Bruce Buchanan – assistant engineer
John Jackson – assistant engineer
Rail Rogut – assistant engineer
Brian Soucy – assistant engineer
Andy Udoff – assistant engineer
Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
Frank DeCaro – production assistant
Lisa Maldonado – production assistant
Deandra Vallier – production assistant
Melanie Nissen – art direction
Richard Bates – design
Donald May – design
Glen Earler – photography
References
^
"Fall Music" . The Advocate . Here Publishing. September 20, 1994.
^ Lasswell, Mark (Feb 6, 1995). "Picks & pans — If My Heart Had Wings by Melissa Manchester". People . Vol. 43, no. 5. p. 27.
^ Green, Blake (6 Feb 1995). "She Knows the Score". Newsday . p. B3.
^ Deggans, Eric (29 Nov 1996). "Multitalented Manchester". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times . p. 25.
^ Bream, Jon (20 Aug 1996). "Manchester leans to musicals". Star Tribune . p. 1E.
^ "Singer Checks into 'Hospital' ". News. The Star-Ledger . August 3, 1994.
^ Hart, Marla (11 Aug 1994). "In the late '60s, when the pace of daytime drama was slower...". Tempo. Chicago Tribune . p. 13.
^ "Album Reviews". Billboard . Vol. 107, no. 5. Feb 4, 1995. p. 94.
^ Renzetti, Elizabeth (16 June 1994). "Manchester's music guides her home". The Globe and Mail . p. E3.
^ LeBlanc, Larry (Apr 13, 1996). "Amy Sky reaches new heights". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 15. p. 64.
^
a
b
"If My Heart Had Wings" . AllMusic .
^
a
b Longino, Miriam (January 28, 1995). "If My Heart Had Wings Melissa Manchester". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . p. L16.
^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music . Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 462.
^
a
b
"If My Heart Had Wings" . Entertainment Weekly .
^
a
b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide . Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 710.
^
a
b Collins, Tracy (10 Mar 1995). "Melissa Manchester If My Heart Had Wings". Arts & Entertainment. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . p. 16.
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