''Don't Look Back'' is a 1980 album by American singer

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut ...

. Released on May 15, 1980, by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

, The album reached peak positions of number 77 on the ''Billboard'' 200; number 17 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' R&B Albums chart. The album spawned one Top 40 single, "Someone That I Used to Love," which reached number 21 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and spent five months on the charts. It also peaked at number three on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Track listing

# "Don't Look Back" (Fred Allen, Marvin Yancy, Natalie Cole) - 4:08 # "(I've Seen) Paradise" (Marvin Yancy, Natalie Cole) - 4:31 # "Hold On" (Kevin Yancy, Marvin Yancy, Natalie Cole) - 4:50 # " Stairway to the Stars" (

Frank Signorelli Frank Signorelli (May 24, 1901 – December 9, 1975) was an American jazz pianist. Biography Signorelli was born to an Italian Sicilian family in New York City, New York. Signorelli was a founding member of the Original Memphis Five in 1917, ...

Matty Malneck Matthew Michael "Matty" Malneck (December 9, 1903 – February 25, 1981) was an American jazz violinist, songwriter, and arranger. Career Born in 1903, Malneck's career as a violinist began when he was age 16. He was a member of the Paul White ...

Mitchell Parish Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky; July 10, 1900 – March 31, 1993) was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen. Biography Parish was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania, Russian Empire in July 190 ...

) - 3:08 # "I'm Getting Into You" (Chuck Bynum, Marvin Yancy, Natalie Cole) - 3:57 # " Someone That I Used to Love" (

Gerry Goffin Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits " Will You L ...

Michael Masser Michael William Masser (March 24, 1941 – July 9, 2015) was an American songwriter, composer and producer of popular music. Early life Born to a Jewish family in Chicago to Ester Huff and William Masser, he attended the University of Illinois ...

) - 4:05 # "Danger Up Ahead" (Natalie Cole) - 6:30 # "Beautiful Dreamer" (Natalie Cole) - 4:10 # "Cole Blooded" ( Gene Barge, Natalie Cole) - 4:56

Personnel

* Natalie Cole – lead vocals, keyboards (8), rhythm arrangements (8) * Linda Williams – keyboards (1-3, 7), acoustic piano (5) * Marvin Yancy – keyboards (1-3, 7, 9), rhythm arrangements (1-3, 5) *

– keyboards (6), rhythm arrangements (6) * Chuck Brynum – guitars (1, 5, 9), rhythm arrangements (5) * Michael Clinco – guitars (4) * Steve Hunter – guitars (7) * Larry Ball – bass (1-5, 7-9), rhythm arrangements (7) *

Leland Sklar Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. He rose to prominence as a member of James Taylor's backing band, which coalesced into a group in its own right, The Section, which supported so many of Asylu ...

– bass (6) *

James Gadson James Edward Gadson (born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and songwriter. ...

– drums (1-3, 5, 7-9) * Norm Jeffries – drums (4) *

Rick Shlosser Rick Shlosser is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. He has been a member of Van Morrison's band and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He's also been a varied sessions drummer. Discography 1970s * Andy Pratt – ''Records Are Like Life'' ( ...

– drums (6) *

Jackie Kelso John Joseph Kelson Jr. (February 27, 1922 – April 28, 2012), known professionally as Jackie Kelso, was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist. Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Kelson was the eldest child of John Jose ...

– alto saxophone (4) * Marshall Royal – alto saxophone (4) * Bill Green – baritone saxophone (4) * Curtis Amy – tenor saxophone (4) *

Ernie Watts Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and R&B saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's album '' ...

– tenor saxophone (4) *

George Bohanon George Roland Bohanon Jr. (August 7, 1937 – November 8, 2024) was an American jazz trombonist and session musician from Detroit, Michigan. Biography In the early 1960s, he participated in Detroit's Workshop Jazz ensemble, with Johnny Griffith, ...

– trombone (4) *

Garnett Brown Garnett Pompilius Brown (January 31, 1936 – October 9, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist who worked with The Crusaders, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Hampton, Earth Wind and Fire and others. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he graduated from the U ...

– trombone (4) * Chris Riddle – trombone (4) *

Oscar Brashear Oscar Brashear (August 18, 1944 – July 7, 2023) was an American jazz trumpeter and session musician from Chicago, Illinois. After studying at DuSable High School and Wright Jr. College (currently known as Wilbur Wright College) under John DeR ...

– trumpet (4) *

Bobby Bryant Bobby Bryant (born January 24, 1944) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback who played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecock ...

– trumpet (4) *

Chuck Findley Charles B. Findley (born December 13, 1947, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is an American trumpet player known for his diverse work as a session musician. He also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone. His technical ab ...

– trumpet (4) * Gene Barge – arrangements (1-3, 5, 7, 8, 9), rhythm arrangements (1-3, 9), alto sax solo (3) *

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many vocalists at Capitol Records, including ...

– arrangements (4) * John Fresco – music contractor (4) *

Lee Holdridge Lee Elwood Holdridge (born March 3, 1944) is a Haitian-born American composer, conductor, and orchestrator. An 18-time Emmy Award nominee, he has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards, two News and Documentary Emmy Awards, and o ...

– orchestral arrangements (6) * Anita Anderson – backing vocals * The Colettes – backing vocals * The "N" Sisters – backing vocals

Production

* Producers – Gene Barge and Marvin Yancy (Tracks 1-6, 8 & 9); Michael Masser (Track 7). * Assistant Producer – Chuck Brynum * Chief Engineers – Gerry E. Brown (Tracks 1-3 & 5-9); Paul Dobbe (Track 4). * Assistant Engineers – Reggie Dozier, Jerry Hall and Rick Surber (Tracks 1-3 & 5-9); David Ahlert (Track 4). * Remixing – Gerry E. Brown * Mastered by Wally Traugott at

Capitol Studios Capitol Studios is a recording studio located at the landmark Capitol Records Building in Hollywood, California, United States. The studios, which opened in 1956, were initially the primary recording studios for the American record label Capi ...

(Hollywood, CA). * Art Direction and Design – Glen Christensen * Personality Photography – Vincent Hughes Frye * Still Life Photography – Georgina Karvellas

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1980 albums Albums arranged by Nelson Riddle Albums arranged by Lee Holdridge Albums produced by Michael Masser Capitol Records albums Natalie Cole albums