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.
Track listing All tracks produced by Luther Vandross.
Personnel and credits
Musicians
Dionne Warwick – vocals, backing vocals (2, 6) Nat Adderley Jr. – keyboards Cliff Branch – clavinet (1) Marcus Miller – synthesizers (1, 3), bass guitar (1–5, 8) Skip Anderson – synthesizers (2, 4, 5, 7) Doc Powell – guitars (1–5, 8) Georg Wadenius – guitars (1–5, 8) Peter Frampton – guitar solo (1, 3) Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (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, 3–5, 7, 8) 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), 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)
Music arrangements Marcus Miller – rhythm and synthesizer arrangements (1) Luther Vandross – vocal arrangements (1–3), rhythm arrangements (2) Nat Adderley Jr. – rhythm arrangements (2, 4–6, 8), synthesizer arrangements (4–7), horn and string arrangements (6) Paul Riser – horn and string arrangements (2, 7) Jimmy Webb – horn and string arrangements (4, 8) Leon Pendarvis – horn and string arrangements (5)
Production
Luther Vandross – producer, mixing Marcus Miller – mixing Ray Bardani – mixing, engineer Carl Beatty – engineer Michael H. Brauer – engineer Michael Christopher – engineer, assistant engineer Doug Epstein – engineer Bill Stein – engineer Mark Cobrin – assistant engineer Scott Mabuchi – assistant engineer Jim Scott – assistant engineer Harry Spiridakis – assistant engineer Greg Calbi – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY) Donn Davenport – art direction Frank Laffitte – photography Clifford Peterson – hair Wynona Price – make-up Lisa Daurio – stylist G.M.I. – management
Charts + Chart performance for How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye Chart (1983) Peakposition US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard) 57 US Black LPs (Billboard) 19 US Top 100 Albums (Cash Box) 77 US Top 75 Black Contemporary Albums (Cash Box) 16
References
External links