No lookin’ back...

Nostra Dam
Sep 24, 2023
9 min read

Updated: Nov 21, 2024

Michael McDonald is an American singer-songwriter and more particularly known for having been the very famous leader of the group 'The Doobie Brothers'.

A singer who will start to get noticed at the age of 21 in the group 'Steely Dan' from 1973, a group where he plays the luxury backing singers.

But it is especially from 1975 that everything will suddenly accelerate when he joins the group 'The Doobie Brothers'. Group where he will quickly establish himself as one of the centerpieces and allow them to achieve their biggest success a few years later on the title "What a fool believes" in 1979.

A solo career as for it from 1982 with the release of the album "If that's what it takes", an album which will bring him his first major personal success notably thanks to the Single "I keep forgettin' (Every time you're near)".

A major success that he would not be able to repeat 3 years later in 1985 with the release of the album "No lookin' back". An album that would save the day by a hair's breadth with the Single that bears the album's name...

It was the soundtrack of the film 'Running Scared' that would allow him to get back into the race a year later in 1986 thanks to the huge title "Sweet freedom", a title that he would sign for the latter and which would remain as the second biggest success of his entire solo discography.

New album "Take it to heart" four years later in 1990, an album that would do a little better than its predecessor, especially across the Channel, but which would struggle to produce the slightest Single of global class.

New albums "Blink of an eye" in 1993 and "Blue obsession" in 2000, two albums that would go somewhat unnoticed.

He would have to wait until 2003 and the release of the album "Motown" to return to the race in an unexpected and, above all, sensational way on the albums side. Unfortunately, the album would not produce Singles of global class once again. The same goes for "Motown two" which would be released the following year in 2004.

He would release a final major album "Soul speak" in 2008, an album which would indeed be the last this time to find favor with the public.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others...) :

70s Decade :

Bad sneakers (Steely Dan) 1975
This is it (Kenny Logins) 1979

80s Decade :

Let me go, love 1980
I keep forgettin' (Every time you're near) 1982
I gotta try 1982
Yah mo be there (James Ingram) 1983
No lookin’ back 1985
Bad times 1985
Lost in the parade 1985
Sweet freedom 1986
On my own (Patti LaBelle) 1986
I just can't let go 1986
Our love 1987
Love has no color (The Winans) 1987

90s Decade :

Take it to heart 1990
Tear it up 1990
All we got 1991
Ever changing times 1992
Time to be lovers 1992
I stand for you 1993
Hey girl 1993
For a child 1993
Matters of the heart 1994
Among the missing 1999
Eyes of a child 1999

2000s Decade :

Where would I be now 2000
Open the door 2000
To make a miracle 2001
Every time Christmas comes around 2001
On this night 2001
I heard it through the grapevine 2003
Ain't no mountain high enough 2004
Reach out, I'll be there 2005
Baby I need your lovin' 2005
Stop, look, listen (To your heart) 2005
Deck the Halls/Jingle bells 2005
O holy night 2005
Wexford carol 2005
Heart of America 2005
My love's leavin' 2006
Walk on by 2008
(Your love keeps lifting me) Higher and higher 2008
Love T.K.O. 2008
Enemy within 2008
Have yourself a merry little Christmas 2009
To make a miracle 2009
While you wait for the others (Grizzly Bear) 2009

2010s Decade :

Some children 2011
Hail Mary 2017
Find it in your heart 2017
Ain't no good 2017
Show you the way (Thundercat) 2017
When we were young (Jo Harman) 2017

2020s Decade :

You belong to me 2022
Tears to come 2022

Tracks :

1975...the beginnings in grouped mode, whether with the 'Doobie Brothers' or as a guest star with a few friends here and there...

1979...these will be very occasional partnerships of course because the 'Doobie Brothers' career already takes up enough space as it is...

1980...there is no reason why he should share the bill only with male colleagues. A little femininity does not hurt, quite the contrary...

1982...first solo title and first immediate success, which can only reassure the singer about what will happen next...

1982...a very encouraging first year with this second success to boot. Of course, on a smaller scale, but still...

1983... the partnerships had already brought him some money but this one will surely remain in history as the most accomplished of all. Here he delivers with James Ingram what will surely remain as one of the most emblematic titles of the 80s, just that !

1985...we find him 2 years later in a certain form and largely sufficient in any case to bring him back into the race directly...

1985...a title that will not really know the level of success of its predecessors. Simple air hole or more worrying phenomenon, good question...

1985...same for this one. After a most encouraging solo debut, the rest turns out to be much more complicated to manage than expected...

1986...after the 2-man gem in a 100 % masculine version, here comes the gem in a duo version of shock but above all of charm. This time he delivers here what will undoubtedly remain as one of the most emblematic glamorous titles of the 80s...

1986...we stay in the Intimist domain and return to 100 % male mode. The trio had everything to make this title one of the references of the decade but the result will not really live up to their expectations on the Charts side...

1986... it is thanks to a soundtrack and in particular that for the film 'Running scared' that the singer will make a comeback on the front of the stage in a way that is to say the least shattering on the solo side to the point of offering himself the biggest success of his entire solo discography. HU-GE !

1987... the soundtracks follow one another but do not really have the same level of success, that's the least we can say. Despite a more than obvious quality, this one will go completely under the radar, a fact that is at the very least inexplicable...

1987...the various and varied partnerships had been particularly successful for him previously but this will not really be the case for this one. Frankly a shame...

1990...we will lose sight of him again for almost 3 years but here he is again, faithful to his post. Will this new decade be one of renewal or one of slow but irreversible disappearance, the future will tell us...

1990...for the moment neither one nor the other. There is success, certainly limited to say the least, but there is success all the same, so no reason for the adventure to end prematurely...

1991... once again a minimalist success but enough for the singer to say to himself that it was worth continuing a little longer...

1992...return to shock and charming duo mode and even if this title will not know the same level of success as his duet with Patti LaBelle, it will still know a very favorable destiny...

1992...we could have hoped that this new duo of shock and charm this time with Chaka Khan would make sparks fly. Unfortunately this will not really be the case...

1993...the adventure continues as best it can without it worrying the singer more than that on the solo side. Rightly or wrongly, that's something else...

1993...there he might have to ask himself the right questions and quickly because he simply disappears from the Charts with this title. Danger alert...

1993...this one will do little better than its predecessor. A repeated lack of success that really has something to worry about...

1994...a mid-90s decade that really sees the singer struggling. The poor performances pile up and nothing seems to want to work...

1999...we'll lose sight of him for almost 5 years and here he is back in duo mode once again, shocking and charming. With a mixed result once again...

1999...another soundtrack that will go somewhat unnoticed. His musical contribution to the film 'South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut' will not stay in history as the most famous of all, that's for sure...

2000...he will try to move on to the 2000s, hoping that things will improve somewhat. A failed bet with this new opus...

2000...and yet there is quality in all that, we cannot deny it. But the singer's inability to reinvent himself at the beginning of the 2000s does not help...

2001...especially among the younger generations. The musical world has changed considerably around him, but without him noticing it at first glance...

2001...so he's giving us the good old Christmas album thing just for fun. As a general rule, this isn't necessarily the best way to get back on the scene...

2001...this album will at least have the merit of originality for a Christmas album. Not much to do with the cover of the usual ultra standards...

2003...after the Christmas album, he does the covers album trick. And this time, it's going to work better, it's clear...

2004...after revisiting the ultra classic title by Gladis Knight & The Pips dating from 1967, here he covers the ultra classic title by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell also dating from 1967. In both cases, Motown nostalgics will get their money's worth...

2005...so, since it worked previously, he said that it might be worth doing a sequel. Jackpot once again in terms of album sales, a little less in terms of singles sales...

2005...after revisiting the ultra classic title of the Four Tops dating from 1966, he covers another of their flagship titles dating from 1964. A revisited version which will unfortunately go somewhat unnoticed...

2005...same for this revisited version of the title of the Stylistics dating from 1971 and this despite a more than obvious quality. When it doesn't want to anymore, it doesn't want to anymore...

2005...the 2 Motown cover albums allowed him to reconnect with success, which will not be the case with this new opus...

2005...whatever, whether it's a success or not, it's the core fans who rejoice the most whenever he releases a new album, that's for sure...

2005...we will be largely satisfied with what he continues to offer in any case. Certainly the level of inspiration has weakened somewhat but still...

2005...here he is in the middle of a project to support the Red Cross in particular. It comes from a very good feeling but success will not really be there on this one...

2006...now he is surrounded by the Fourplay. Another title of certain quality that will not really be rewarded as it should have...

2008...business picks up somewhat with this new opus. No title will be ranked but the album will still allow him to reappear in the Charts...

2008... which shows that in music nothing is ever finished. We're not going to lie, the best years are far behind him but that doesn't stop him from making a few big hits here and there...

2008...what really penalized him the most was the fact of not being able to give a new lease of life during the second part of his career...

2008...he will not have been unworthy, far from it, but the fact of refusing to take risks and move towards more modern sounds will have done him more harm than good...

2009... this time he will revisit ultra-classic Christmas songs and deliver versions that are, in my opinion, very honorable. Nothing extraordinary but good work, that's already something...

2009...we must remember that he started his career in the mid-70s, which is almost 35 years ago. Few artists can say as much...

2009...here he is now accompanied by the Grizzly Bear on a song that doesn't really resemble what he usually does, it must be said...

2011...he will have gone through the 70s, then the 80s, then the 90s, then the 2000s and here he is starting the 2010s in the company of the Holy Ghost. After the 'Grizzly Bear', he will have finally made connections with the younger generation. Certainly connections that will not have paid off but which will have at least shown another side of his talent...

2017...we will lose sight of him for almost 6 years but here he is again faithful to his post. An exceptional longevity for an artist who will undoubtedly remain one of the most gifted of his generation...

2017...it's a shame he didn't persevere in partnerships with the younger generation because it would have definitely paid off in the end, that's for sure...

2017...afterwards, for the basic fans, as long as he comes back, the essential for them is preserved. A little more success in the releases would have been appreciated...

2017... he will try to get closer to the younger generation once again and we find him alongside 'Thundercat' A rapprochement that will not pay off more than that once again, what a shame...

2017...now it's Jo Harman's turn to share the bill with him. But nothing helps, this title won't allow him to come back to the forefront...

2022...and another decade, one ! Almost 50 years of career and a most flattering prize list, whether alone or with others. Of course the biggest successes will have been obtained at the beginning of the career but the rest will not have been unworthy, far from it...