''Pressin' On'' is a studio album by the American musician

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...

, released in 1982. It was his final album released on

Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

, although he would briefly return to the label in 1986 to record one single ("Since I Held You Close"). The song "I'm Never Gonna Say Goodbye" was used for the

Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor. He is most notable for portraying Lou Grant on the sitcom ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977) and drama '' Lou Grant'' (1977–1982), making him one of the few ...

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Foster started her career as a child actor before establishing herself as leading actress in film. She has received List of awards and nominations re ...

film ''

O'Hara's Wife ''O'Hara's Wife'' is a 1982 American comedy-drama film directed by William Bartman and starring Edward Asner, Mariette Hartley and Jodie Foster. It is Bartman's sole directorial effort. Plot Bob O'Hara is a hard-working lawyer, who tends to f ...

''.

Norman Seeff Norman Seeff (born 5 March 1939) is a South African photographer and filmmaker. Since moving to the United States in 1969, his work has been focused on the exploration of human creativity and the inner dynamics of the creative process. Early l ...

was the photographer for the album's cover. The album was produced primarily by Preston, Galen Senogles, and Ralph Benatar.

Track listing

#"Pressin' On" (

Benny Medina Benny Medina (born January 24, 1958) is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer. Early life and education Medina was born in East Los Angeles, California, into a poor family. The death of his mother and abandonment ...

, Billy Preston, Kerry Ashby) - 5:15 #"I'd Like to Go Back Home Again" (Medina, Preston, Ashby) - 5:05 #"Loving You Is Easy ('Cause You're Beautiful)" (Preston) - 4:17 #"Turn It Out" (Medina, Preston, Ashby) - 3:44 #"I'm Never Gonna Say Goodbye" (

Artie Butler Arthur Butler (born December 2, 1942) is an American arranger, composer, songwriter, and session musician. In a long career, he has been involved in numerous hit records and other recordings, and has been awarded over 60 gold and platinum album ...

, Molly Ann Leikin) - 3:39 #"Thanks But No Thanks" (Ralph Benatar, Galen Senogles, Geoffrey Leib) - 3:54 #"Don't Try to Fight It" (Benatar, Senogles) - 4:18 #"I Love You So" (Preston) - 4:12 #"I Come to Rest in You" (Preston, Guy Finley) - 3:52

Personnel

* Billy Preston – vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, arrangements (1-4, 8) *

Bill Mays William Allen Mays (born February 5, 1944), known professionally as Bill Mays, is an American jazz pianist from Sacramento, California. Biography Mays came from a musical family and at the age of 15 became interested in jazz at an Earl Hines ...

– additional keyboards * Louis Johnson, Larry Lingle, Thom Rotella and

David T. Walker David T. Walker (born June 25, 1941) is an American soul/R&B, and jazz guitarist. In addition to numerous session musician duties since the early 1970s, Walker has issued fifteen albums in his own name. Career David T. Walker was born to a Nat ...

– guitars * Louis Johnson, Kenny Lee Lewis,

Chuck Rainey Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,00 ...

and

Neil Stubenhaus Neil Stubenhaus is an American bass guitarist. Career He started his musical training playing drums and switched to bass guitar at the age of 12. In one of his early bands, The Neighbourhood in 1969, he played with future Kiss guitarist Vinnie V ...

– bass guitar * Gary Ferguson,

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. ...

and

Steve Schaeffer Steve Schaeffer is a Hollywood studio musician who has played on more than 1,000 feature films and original soundtracks. Partial filmography *''Inside Man'' (2006) *''Blade Runner'' (1982) *''Bowfinger'' (1999) *'' The Big Kahuna'' (1999) *''The ...

– drums *

Paulinho da Costa Paulinho da Costa (, born Paulo Roberto da Costa on May 31, 1948) is a Brazilian percussionist. Beginning his career as a samba musician in Brazil, he moved to the United States in the early 1970s and worked with Brazilian bandleader Sérgio Me ...

, Alan Estes,

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

and

Bobbye Hall Bobbye Jean Hall is an American percussionist who has recorded with a variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, and has appeared on 20 songs that reached the top ten in the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Early career, work for ...

– percussion *

Dorothy Ashby Dorothy Jeanne Thompson (August 6, 1932 – April 13, 1986), better known as Dorothy Ashby, was an American jazz harpist, singer and composer. Hailed as one of the most "unjustly under loved jazz greats of the 1950s" and the "most accomplished ...

–

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

* Heart Attack Horns – horns * Ralph Benatar – horn and string arrangements, arrangements (1-4, 6, 7) * David Blumberg – arrangements (9) * William Henderson – concertmaster * Maxi Anderson,

Merry Clayton Merry Clayton (born December 25, 1948) is an American soul and gospel singer. She contributed vocals to numerous tracks and worked with many major recording artists for decades, including a duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones song " Gimm ...

Venetta Fields Venetta Lee Fields (born 1941) is an American-born Australian singer and musical theater actress, and vocal coach. Fields was a backing vocalist for touring American and British rock and pop acts of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as working as a ...

, Bunny Hull, Marlena Jeter, Sharon Robinson, Carla Vaughn, Tony Walthers, Julia Tillman Waters and Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals

Production

* Tony James – executive producer * Ralph Benatar – producer (1-4, 6, 7) * Billy Preston – producer (1-4, 8, 9) * Galen Senogles – producer (1-4, 6, 7), engineer * Artie Butler – producer (5) * Rick Riccio – engineer * Russ Terrana – engineer * Tony Autore, Dean Knight, Murray McFadden, Deborah Scott and James Warmack – assistant engineers * Johnny Lee – art direction * Ian Campbell – design *

– photography

References

{{Authority control Billy Preston albums 1982 albums Motown albums Albums produced by Billy Preston