Keep the Fire is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, released on September 26, 1979. It is perhaps best known for the hit single "This Is It". The song was co-written by Michael McDonald, who also performed on the track. Michael Jackson sings backup vocals on the track "Who's Right, Who's Wrong".
Reception
Rolling Stone described the album as "the new sound of Southern California: a sophisticated, diffuse, jazz-inflected pop rock performed by an augmented rock band in which guitar and keyboards share equal prominence" and "churning romantic atmosphere constructed around a matinee idol's voice". The Globe and Mail noted that, "occasionally, he stumbles into some of the good-time hokey rockin' fun that made such Loggins and Messina numbers as 'Your Mama Don't Dance' so nauseating."
Film The award-winning short film "Keep the Fire", by Jake Rice, is a fictionalized "Behind the Album Cover" story.
Track listing
Personnel Kenny Loggins – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars, Roland guitar synthesizer, Sennheiser vocoder (7) Brian Mann – keyboards, Yamaha CS-80, Prophet-5, Minimoog, accordion solo (5), horn arrangements (5), string arrangements (5) Mike Hamilton – guitars, backing vocals, harmony vocals (3, 8) George Hawkins – bass, backing vocals, harmony vocals (2, 3, 8) Tris Imboden – drums, percussion Jon Clarke – saxophone, oboe, English horn, clarinet, flute, recorder, tambourine, horn arrangements (2, 7) Vince Denham – saxophone, flute, cabasa
Additional musicians Michael McDonald – acoustic piano (3), harmony vocals (3) Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (8, 9) Milt Holland – percussion (1, 2, 4–9) Paulinho da Costa – percussion (3) Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone solo (6) Richard Stekol – harmony vocals (2) Michael Jackson – harmony vocals (6) Richard Page – harmony vocals (6) Jeff Bouchard – harmony vocals (8) Albhy Galuten – string arrangements (2, 8)
Technical Produced by Tom Dowd Engineered by Steve Gursky and Michael Carnavale Second mixing engineer – Samii Taylor Mastered by Mike Fuller at Criteria Studios (Miami, Florida) Guitar synthesizer technician – Wayne Williams ARP synthesizer programming – Max Gronenthal Cover concept – Scott Thom and Kenny Loggins Cover painting – Scott Thom Cover photography – Ed Caraeff Studios Sleeve photography – Eva Ein Visual coordination – Tony Lane
Charts Weekly charts Chart (1979–80)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)95
Year-end charts Chart (1980) Position US Billboard 20016
References