| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Detroit Free Press | (favourable)[2] |
Headed for the Future is the seventeenth studio album by Neil Diamond, released in March 1986 on Columbia Records.[3] The album went to number 20 on the US Billboard 200.[4] Headed for the Future has also been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.[5]
Overview
The album's title track reached the top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[6] Another single, "The Story of My Life", reached No. 11 on the same chart.[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Headed for the Future" | Neil Diamond, Tom Hensley, Alan Lindgren | 4:05 |
| 2. | "The Man You Need" | Diamond, David Foster | 4:01 |
| 3. | "I'll See You on the Radio (Laura)" | Burt Bacharach, Diamond, Carole Bayer Sager | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Stand up for Love" | Martin Page, Greg Phillinganes, Maurice White | 2:55 |
| 5. | "It Should Have Been Me" | Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance | 4:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Lost in Hollywood" | Diamond, Stevie Wonder | 4:18 |
| 7. | "The Story of My Life" | Diamond | 3:41 |
| 8. | "Angel" | Bobby Caldwell, Steve Kipner | 4:01 |
| 9. | "Me Beside You" | Bacharach, Diamond, Bayer Sager | 3:54 |
| 10. | "Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore" | Caldwell, William Meyers | 4:18 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Neil Diamond – main performer on all tracks
"Headed for the Future"
- Alan Lindgren – synthesizers, pianos, arrangements
- Tom Hensley – pianos, synthesizers, arrangements
- Richard Bennett – guitar
- Doug Rhone – guitar
- Hadley Hockensmith – guitar
- Reinie Press – bass
- Ron Tutt – drums
- King Errisson – percussion, congas
- Vince Charles – percussion, steel drums
- Linda Press – backing vocals
(These musicians were at the time all members of Neil Diamond's official backing band, known as "Diamondville"[8][9])
"The Man You Need"
- David Foster – keyboards, arrangements
- David Boruff – keyboard programming, saxophone
- Michael Landau – guitars
- Tris Imboden – drums
- Bill Champlin – backing vocals
"I'll See You on the Radio (Laura)"
- Randy Kerber – keyboards
- Burt Bacharach – synthesizers, arrangements
- Robbie Buchanan – synthesizers
- Todd Cochran – E-mu Emulator programming
- Dann Huff – guitars
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass
- Carlos Vega – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- David Boruff – saxophone
- Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters and Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals
"Stand Up for Love"
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals, arrangements
- Bo Tomlyn – keyboards, synthesizers
- Steve Lukather – guitars
- Nathan East – bass
- John Robinson – drums
- Maurice White – backing vocals, arrangements
- Marva Barnes – backing vocals
"It Should Have Been Me"
- David Foster – keyboards, arrangements
- David Boruff – keyboard programming
- Michael Landau – guitar
- Dann Huff – guitar
- Jason Scheff – bass, backing vocals
- Tris Imboden – drum overdubs
- Bill Champlin – backing vocals
"Lost in Hollywood"
- Stevie Wonder – acoustic piano, synthesizers, drums, backing vocals
- Herbie Hancock – synthesizer solo
- Bob Bralove and Robert A. Arbittier – synthesizer programming
- Dwayne Roberson, Vincent Unto and Phillip Williams – backing vocals
"The Story of My Life"
- Lists the same musicians here as were listed for the "Headed for the Future" track; obviously, not all of those musicians performed on this track as well. It is possible that Diamond himself might have performed some of the instrumentation (such as piano and/or acoustic guitar) uncredited.
"Angel"
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, arrangements
- Bo Tomlyn – keyboards, synthesizers
- Nyle Steiner – additional synthesizer
- Bobby Caldwell – guitar, backing vocals
- Dann Huff – additional guitar
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass
- John Robinson – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Maurice White – backing vocals, arrangements
"Me Beside You"
- Randy Kerber – keyboards
- Burt Bacharach– synthesizers, arrangements
- David Foster – synthesizers
- Dann Huff – guitars
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass
- Carlos Vega – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, Stephanie Spruill and David Lasley – backing vocals
"Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, arrangements
- Bo Tomlyn – keyboards, synthesizers
- Bobby Caldwell – guitar
- Dann Huff – additional guitar
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass
- John Robinson – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Clare Fischer – string arrangements
- Maurice White – arrangements
- Assa Drori – concertmaster
Production
- Producers – Neil Diamond (Tracks 1 & 7); Tom Henley and Alan Lindgren (Track 1); David Foster (Tracks 2 & 5); Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager (Tracks 3 & 9); Maurice White and Greg Phillinganes (Tracks 4, 8); Stevie Wonder (Track 6).
- Recording Engineers – John Arrias, Humberto Gatica, Mick Guzauski, John Patterson, Tom Perry, David Schober and Allen Sides.
- Assistant Engineers – Bino Espinoza, Dan Garcia, Bob Harlan, Darren Klein, Bob Loftus, Steve MacMillan, Richard McKernon, Claudio Ordenes, Mike Ross, Karen Siegel and Jeffrey Woodruff.
- Mixing – Bill Bottrell, Humberto Gatica, Mick Guzauski, Gary Olazabal and Allen Sides.
- Recorded at Ocean Way Recording, Bill Schnee Studios, Motown Recording Studios, Lion Share Recording Studio and Wonderland Studios (Los Angeles, CA); Conway Studios and Soundcastle (Hollywood, CA); Chartmaker Studios (Malibu, CA); Grover Helseley Recording Inc.
- Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
- Music Contractor – Frank DeCaro
- Production Assistants – Ned Brown, Barry Cardinale, Larry E. Williams and Alison Zanetos.
- Production Coordination – Sam Cole, Frank DeCaro, Chris Earthy and Geri White.
- Art Direction – David Kirschner
- Design – David Kirschner and Jan Weinberg
- Photography – Herb Ritts
Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] | 72 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[11] | 51 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12] | 33 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] | 65 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[14] | 36 |
| US Billboard 200[15] | 20 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[16] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Graff, Gary (May 11, 1986). Pop: Neil Diamond steps forward slowly. Detroit Free Press. p. 5F.
- ^ a b c Neil Diamond: Headed for the Future. Columbia Records. March 1986.
- ^ "Neil Diamond: Headed For The Future (Billboard 200)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Neil Diamond: Headed For The Future". riaa.com. RIAA.
- ^ "Neil Diamond: Headed for the Future (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Neil Diamond: The Story of My Life (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Information from the Diamondville website". Archived from the original on 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ^ Ron Tutt's entry in DrummerWorld; includes a photograph of the bandmembers a bit over halfway down the page
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0694". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Neil Diamond – Headed for the Future" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Neil Diamond – Headed for the Future" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Neil Diamond | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Neil Diamond Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "American album certifications – Neil Diamond – Headed for the Future". Recording Industry Association of America.
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