Good to Be Back

For the 2013 Iranian film, see Good to Be Back (film).
Good to Be Back
Studio album by
Natalie Cole
ReleasedApril 19, 1989[1]
RecordedAugust 1988 − January 1989
StudioOcean Way Recording, Westlake Audio, Hitsville U.S.A., Larrabee Sound Studios (Hollywood, California); Devonshire Sound Studios (Burbank, California); O'Henry Sound Studios (Toluca Lake, California); Cove City Sound Studios (Long Island, New York)
Genre
Length46:34
Label
Producer
Natalie Cole chronology
The Natalie Cole Collection
(1987) 		Good to Be Back
(1989) 		Unforgettable... with Love
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Hi-Fi News & Record ReviewA:1[3]
Number One[4]
Record Mirror[5]

Good to Be Back is the twelfth studio album by American singer Natalie Cole. Released in April 1989 by EMI USA, it contains the hit singles "Miss You Like Crazy" and "I Do".

Reception

The first single "Miss You Like Crazy" peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary and Hot R&B Songs charts in 1989.[6] It reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming her biggest chart hit single there, and number 13 in the Netherlands.[7] The single "I Do" with Freddie Jackson hit the top 10 on US R&B Songs and the top 20 on US Dance Songs chart. The album's third and fourth singles were "The Rest of the Night" (UK #56) and "Starting Over Again" (#5 on US Adult Contemporary and #56 in the UK).[7]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Safe"
  • Dennis Lambert
3:46
2."As a Matter of Fact"
  • André Fischer
3:57
3."The Rest of the Night"
  • Lambert
4:33
4."Miss You Like Crazy"
  • Masser
3:53
5."I Do" (duet with Freddie Jackson)Frank Wildhorn
3:56
6."Good to Be Back"
  • Pam Reswick
  • Steve Werfel
  • Lambert
4:19
7."Gonna Make You Mine"
  • Fischer
4:34
8."Starting Over Again"
  • Masser
4:13
9."Don't Mention My Heartache"
  • Clydene Jackson
  • Catherine Wilmore
  • Lee Curreri
4:44
10."I Can't Cry"
4:17
11."Someone's Rockin' My Dreamboat"
  • Eddie Cole
4:05
Total length:46:34

1990 UK & Europe reissue includes "Wild Women Do" (Power Mix with Rap) as Track 1 (12 tracks total) from the original motion picture soundtrack Pretty Woman.[8] Written by Greg Prestopino, Sam Lorber and Matthew Wilder and produced by André Fischer.
The LP track length (4:18) and CD track length (4:29). The track was also noted to have been produced in 1990 rather than 1989 so this was probably a later issue of the album as the copyright notice was for 1990. The song is not listed on various 1991 USA reissues for this album in either Allmusic or Discogs listings, but had been released in various mixes on 7", 12" vinyl and CD singles in 1990.[9]

Personnel

  • Natalie Cole – lead vocals, backing vocals (1-3, 6, 7, 9), vocal arrangements (1, 3, 7)
  • Claude Gaudette – keyboards (1, 3, 6), synthesizers (1, 3), arrangements (1, 3, 6)
  • Don Boyette – keyboards (2), synthesizers (2), bass (2), arrangements (2)
  • Roman Johnson – synthesizers (2, 7), keyboards (7)
  • Steve Lindsey – synthesizer programming (2), sounds (2)
  • Sam Ward – synthesizer programming (2, 7), sounds (2, 7)
  • Robbie Buchanan – acoustic piano (4, 8), Fender Rhodes (4, 8), rhythm track arrangements (4, 8), string arrangements (8)
  • Walter Afanasieff – keyboards (5), synthesizers (5), bass (5), drum programming (5)
  • Ren Klyce – E-mu Emulator II (5), Fairlight CMI (5)
  • Jeff Scott – Fender Rhodes (9), acoustic piano (9)
  • Lee Curreri – keyboards (9), acoustic piano (9), synthesizer programming (9), arrangements (9)
  • Jeff Rona – synthesizer programming (9)
  • Phil Shenale (John Philip Shenale) – synthesizer programming (9)
  • Booker T. Jones – Hammond B3 organ (9)
  • Rich Tancredi – keyboards (10), arrangements (10)
  • Charles Floyd – acoustic piano (11), synthesizers (11)
  • Teddy Castellucci – guitars (1)
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (3, 4, 6, 8)
  • Dean Parks – guitars (4)
  • Michael Thompson – guitars (7)
  • Bob Cadway – guitars (10)
  • Neil Stubenhaus – bass (3, 6, 9)
  • Paul Robinson – bass (4)
  • Mike Porcaro – bass (8)
  • Jimmy Johnson – bass (11)
  • John Robinson – drums (3)
  • Jeff Porcaro – drums (4, 7, 8), percussion (7)
  • Joey Franco – drums (10)
  • Ric Wake – drums (10), arrangements (10)
  • Armand Grimaldi – drums (11)
  • Luis Conte – percussion (1, 3, 6)
  • Gigi Gonaway – cymbals (5)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (9)
  • Tom Scott – alto saxophone (9)
  • David Woodford – baritone saxophone (9)
  • Jimmy Roberts – tenor saxophone (9)
  • Garrett Adkins – trombone (9)
  • Rick Braun – trumpet (9)
  • André Fischer – arrangements (2), brush overdubs (11)
  • Michael Masser – rhythm arrangements (8), string arrangements (8)
  • Steve Skinner – arrangements (10)
  • Dennis Lambert – vocal arrangements (1, 3, 6)
  • Penny Ford – vocal arrangements (7)
  • Eddie Cole – backing vocals (1), arrangements (11), finger snaps (11)
  • David Joyce – backing vocals (1), synthesizers (11), arrangements (11)
  • Katrina Perkins – backing vocals (1, 7)
  • Sandra Simmons – backing vocals (1)
  • Freddie Jackson – lead vocals (5)
  • Jamillah Muhammad – backing vocals (10)
  • Shelly Peiken – backing vocals (10)
  • Billy T. Scott – backing vocals (10)

Production

  • Dan Cleary – executive producer
  • Natalie Cole – executive producer
  • Dennis Lambert – producer (1, 3, 6)
  • André Fischer – producer (2, 7), mixing (2, 9, 11)
  • Don Boyette – associate producer (2)
  • Michael Masser – producer (4, 8)
  • Narada Michael Walden – producer (5)
  • Roman Johnson – associate producer (7)
  • Lee Curreri – producer (9)
  • Ric Wake – producer (10)
  • Eddie Cole – producer (11), mixing (11)
  • Doug Rider – recording (1, 3, 6)
  • Mick Guzauski – recording (2, 7), mixing (2, 7, 9, 11)
  • Richard McKernan – recording (2, 7), assistant engineer (3, 6)
  • Calvin Harris – recording (4, 8), mixing (4, 8)
  • Russ Terrana – engineer (4)
  • David Frazer – recording (5), mixing (5)
  • John Carter – engineer (9)
  • Jimmy Hoyson – engineer (9), assistant engineer (9)
  • John Beverly Jones – engineer (9)
  • Rick McCormick – engineer (9)
  • Bob Cadway – recording (10), mixing (10)
  • Craig Burbidge – engineer (11)
  • Dave Bianco – additional recording (1, 3, 6)
  • Brian Malouf – additional recording (1, 6), mixing (1, 3, 6)
  • Gabe Veltri – additional recording (1, 3, 6)
  • Claudio Ordenas – assistant engineer (3, 6)
  • Jeff Poe – assistant engineer (3, 6)
  • Toby Wright – assistant engineer (3, 6)
  • Steve James – assistant engineer (4, 8), production coordinator (4, 8)
  • Dana Jon Chappelle – assistant engineer (5)
  • Rick Butz – assistant engineer (7)
  • Jim McCaan – assistant engineer (7)
  • Marnie Riley – assistant engineer (7)
  • Bill Dooley – assistant engineer (8)
  • Mark Hagen – assistant engineer (8)
  • Joe Schiff – assistant engineer (8)
  • Paul Wertheimer – assistant engineer (8)
  • Chris Fuhrman – assistant engineer (9)
  • Craig Johnson – assistant engineer (9)
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA)
  • Henry Marquez – art direction
  • LuAnn Graffeo – design
  • Matthew Rolston – photography

Singles

  • "Miss You Like Crazy" – Released: March 15, 1989
  • "I Do" (duet with Freddie Jackson) – Released: June 10, 1989
  • "The Rest of the Night" – Released: September 4, 1989
  • "As A Matter Of Fact" – Released: October 30, 1989
  • "Good to Be Back" - Released: November 26, 1989
  • "Starting Over Again" – Released: January 1, 1990
  • "Wild Women Do" (Power Mix with Rap) – Released: 1990

Charts

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 87
UK Albums (OCC)[11] 10
US Billboard 200[12] 59
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 21

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "BPI".
  2. ^ AllMusic review
  3. ^ "Review: Natalie Cole — Good to Be Back" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 8. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. August 1989. p. 113. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
  4. ^ Irwin, Colin (17 May 1989). "Albums". Number One. p. 43. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  5. ^ Masters, Steve (13 May 1989). "Review: Natalie Cole — Good to Be Back" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 32. ISSN 0144-5804. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022 – via World Radio History.
  6. ^ ""Miss You Like Crazy" entry at billboard.com, Billboard Hot 100 Tracks". Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  7. ^ a b "Natalie Cole" at Official Charts.
  8. ^ "Natalie Cole - Good to be Back". Discogs.
  9. ^ Wild Women Do (7-inch Vinyl Single). Natalie Cole. UK: EMI USA. 1990. MTX-81.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ "Natalie Cole ARIA Chart history (1988 to 2024)". ARIA. Retrieved July 28, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  11. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  12. ^ "Natalie Cole Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  13. ^ "Natalie Cole Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  14. ^ "British album certifications – Natalie Cole – Good to Be Back". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 13, 2023.