How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye

How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
Studio album by
Dionne Warwick
ReleasedSeptember 29, 1983
Recorded1983
GenreR&B
Length35:36
LabelArista
ProducerLuther Vandross
Dionne Warwick chronology
Heartbreaker
(1982) 		How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
(1983) 		Finder of Lost Loves
(1985)
Singles from How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
  1. "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye"
    Released: September 1983
  2. "Got a Date"
    Released: January 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[2]

How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye is a studio album by the American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Arista Records on September 29, 1983, in the United States. Recorded during the spring of 1983, Warwick worked with the singer and songwriter Luther Vandross, who also appears on the hit title track. The album includes the original version of the song "So Amazing", which Vandross would record later for his Give Me the Reason album, and a remake of The Shirelles' 1960 hit "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", featuring the original group on guest vocals.

Despite strong reviews, How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye failed to reprise the commercial success of its predecessor Heartbreaker (1982) and became a commercial disappointment, stalling at number 57 on the US Billboard 200. Lead single "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" hit number 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the upbeat "Got a Date" peaked at number 45 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 15 on the Dance Club Songs charts. [3]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Luther Vandross.[4]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Got a Date"
5:17
2."So Amazing"Vandross3:43
3."I Do It 'Cause I Like It"
  • Vandross
  • Miller
5:00
4."How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" (duet with Luther Vandross)Steve Goldman3:27
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."What Can a Miracle Do"
4:39
6."Two Ships Passing in the Night"Dionne Warwick5:11
7."I Can Let Go Now"Michael McDonald2:53
8."Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" (featuring The Shirelles)
5:26
2014 re-issue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Got a Date" (7” Version)
  • Vandross
  • Miller
4:10
10."Got a Date" (Special Remix)
  • Vandross
  • Miller
6:59
11."Got a Date" (Instrumental)
  • Vandross
  • Miller
4:56
12."Got a Date" (Single Version)
  • Vandross
  • Miller
3:29
13."Two Ships Passing in the Night" (Instrumental)Warwick5:01
14."How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" (Instrumental)Goldman3:28

Personnel and credits

Musicians

  • Dionne Warwick – lead vocals, backing vocals (2, 6)
  • Nat Adderley Jr. – keyboards, rhythm arrangements (2, 4, 5, 6, 8), synthesizer arrangements (4-7), horn and string arrangements (6)
  • Cliff Branch – clavinet (1)
  • Marcus Miller – synthesizers (1, 3), bass guitar (1-5, 8), rhythm arrangements (1), synthesizer arrangements (1)
  • Skip Anderson – synthesizers (2, 4, 5, 7)
  • Doc Powell – guitar (1-5, 8)
  • Georg Wadenius – guitar (1-5, 8)
  • Peter Frampton – guitar solo (1, 3)
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (6)
  • Abraham Laboriel – bass guitar (6)
  • Yogi Horton – drums (1-5, 7, 8)
  • Carlos Vega – drums (6)
  • Sammy Figueroa – congas (1, 3)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
  • Paul Riser – horn and string arrangements (2, 7)
  • Jimmy Webb – horn and string arrangements (4, 8)
  • Leon Pendarvis – horn and string arrangements (5)
  • Tawatha Agee – backing vocals (1, 3)
  • Patti Austin – backing vocals (1, 4)
  • Phillip Ballou – backing vocals (1, 4)
  • Cissy Houston – backing vocals (1, 4)
  • Yvonne Lewis – backing vocals (1, 2, 4)
  • Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals (1)
  • Luther Vandross – backing vocals (1, 2, 4), vocal arrangements (1, 2, 3), rhythm arrangements (2), lead vocals (4)
  • Brenda White – backing vocals (1, 3, 4)
  • Damaris Carbaugh – backing vocals (2)
  • Lani Groves – backing vocals (2)
  • Louise Bethune – backing vocals (3)
  • Michelle Cobbs – backing vocals (3, 4)
  • Diana Graselli – backing vocals (3)
  • Alfa Anderson – backing vocals (4)
  • The Shirelles – backing vocals (8)

Production

  • Producer – Luther Vandross
  • Engineers – Ray Bardani, Carl Beatty, Michael Brauer, Michael Christopher, Doug Epstein and Bill Stein.
  • Assistant Engineers – Michael Christopher, Mark Cobrin, Scott Maguchi, Jim Scott and Harry Spiridakis.
  • Recorded at Record Plant (Los Angeles, CA). and Mediasound (New York, NY).
  • Mixing – Ray Bardani, Marcus Miller and Luther Vandross.
  • Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
  • Art Direction and Design – Donn Davenport
  • Photography – Frank Laffitte

Charts

Chart performance for How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
Chart (1983) Peak
position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[5] 46
UK Albums (OCC)[6] 60
US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard)[7] 57
US Black LPs (Billboard)[8] 19
US Top 100 Albums (Cash Box)[9] 77
US Top 75 Black Contemporary Albums (Cash Box)[10] 16

References

  1. ^ Elias, Jason. "Dionne Warwick: How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  2. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 749.
  3. ^ "Dionne Warwick | Biography, Music & News". Billboard.
  4. ^ How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye (booklet). Dionne Warwick. Arista Records. 1983.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Dionne Warwick – How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  6. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "Billboard Top LPs & Tape" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 48. New York: Billboard Publications Inc. November 26, 1983. p. 67. ISSN 0006-2510.
  8. ^ "Black LPs" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 49. New York: Billboard Publications Inc. December 3, 1983. p. 43. ISSN 0006-2510.
  9. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XLV, no. 27. New York: The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc. December 3, 1983. p. 31. ISSN 0008-7289.
  10. ^ "Top Black Contemporary 75 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XLV, no. 26. New York: The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc. November 26, 1983. p. 23. ISSN 0008-7289.