Written by David Foster, Michael McDonald & Paul Anka

Recently, Paul Anka’s album “Walk A Fine Line” came back into the spotlight. The newly-released Michael Jackson single, “This Is It,” was originally co-written by the two superstars to be included as a duet on this 1983 Anka project.

It didn’t make the album and just resurfaced last month, sung solo by Jacko, as the first new song from the late king of pop’s vaults. As this anecdote tells, “Walk A Fine Line” was obviously conceived as a major comeback for the Canadian singer with a deluxe production by Denny Diante and the best names in quality pop like David Foster, Jay Graydon and Michael McDonald of Doobie Brothers fame to co-write and arrange the material. “Walk A Fine Line” is chock full of great songs including “Hold Me ‘til The Mornin’ Comes,” co-written by Anka and Foster. This wonderful ballad includes special guest Peter Cetera on backing vocals and has the distinction to be the last Top 40 hit of Anka’s career. It was also a big Adult Contemporary hit. McDonald and Foster also helped Anka out on the follow up single, “Second Chance.” It’s a feel good, up-tempo number wonderfully arranged by Foster and Graydon that went to #12 on the Adult Contemporary chart. McDonald also co-wrote with the singer the Steely Dan influenced title track which was the b-side of the “Second Chance” single. McDonald had a hand in the slick, classy ballad entitled “No Way Out” that was heard on the soundtrack of Kevin Costner’s hit movie of the same title. Foster co-wrote and arranged many other songs for “Walk A Fine Line,” the best being the up-tempo goodie “Take Me In Your Arms” with Richard Page and Steve George of Pages on backing vocals and “Darlin’, Darlin’” with harmony vocals by special guest Kenny Loggins.

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/second_chance.mp3|titles=Second chance|artists=Paul Anka]

Lead Vocals: Paul Anka
Keyboards: David Foster, Michael McDonald & Bill Cuomo
Guitars: Marty Walsh & Steve Lukather
Bass: Nathan East
Drums: J.R. Robinson
Backing Vocals: Michael McDonald
Arranged by David Foster & Jay Graydon

Produced by Denny Diante

Lyrics

No lirycs

Through the years David Foster has written some beautiful Christmas songs like “Grown Up Christmas List” covered more than a dozen times by artists like Amy Grant, Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand and Monica or “This Time Next Year” sung by Toni Braxton and Shola Ama. He has also released a wonderful Christmas cd, in 1994, with his take on many classics with the help of Wynonna, Tom Jones, Celine Dion and Johnny Mathis among others. Another of his own Christmas tunes is “On Christmas Morning”, a beautiful, tender ballad he co-wrote with his old pal Kenny Loggins and that Loggins released in 1998, as part of his “December” cd. Michael McDonald sings the cover we showcase here, he really captured its feeling and warms people’s hearts with his wonderful rendition of the song. McDonald is really one of the great ones, as a singer he absolutely defined a style, often imitated and followed, and as a songwriter he has written so many songs that have become classics like “What A Fool Believes” and “Taking It To The Streets”. We do think that a record sung by McDonald and produced by Foster would have been a winner and a musical work of art but unfortunately it never happened, and it’s a pity, cause the few times they have worked together on the same record they always gave us incredible musical moments.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/on_christmas_morning.mp3|titles=On Christmas Morning
|artists=Michael McDonald]

Lead Vocal: Michael McDonald
Acoustic Piano: Mark Harris
Electric Guitar: Andrew Ramsey
Drums: Dan Needham
Bass: Tommy Sims
Violin: Conni Ellisor
Cello: John Catchings
Strings arranged by Marc Harris & Conni Ellisor
Produced by Michael McDonald & Marc Harris

Lyrics

Ol’ December’s here at last
Time for celebration
Christmas present
Christmas past
Tumble down together like the snow
What a show
Now the snowman someone made
Is melting by the roadside
On the wind a serenade
Of children’s voices singing I believe
I believe in us
I believe On Christmas morning
You awaken with a smile
You hold me in your arms
We watch the snowflakes fly
And then you love me and I realize how sweet our love can be
All the memories
Coming back again this year
On Christmas morning

Sentimental melodies
surround me like an old friend
Spent a winter here with me
Silently we watched the seasons change
And they change so fast
Fade away

On Christmas morning
You awaken with a smile
You hold me in your arms
We watch the snowflakes fly
And then you love me
And I realize how sweet our love can be
All the memories will always take me back again, take me back in time

On Christmas morning
You awaken with a smile
You hold me in your arms
We’ll watch the snowflakes fly
And then you’ll love me
And I realize how sweet our love can be
Ooh the memories coming back again in time
To Christmas morning
On Christmas morning

Just reading the songwriting credits of this song, you can understand we’re into pop music’s most sophisticated territory. Kenny Loggins and Mike McDonald (Doobie Brothers) are responsible for some of the best pages of pop music of the last 30 years. “Heart To Heart” is only one of the great hits they wrote together, the most famous being the #1 hit and Grammy winner “What A Fool Believes” from 1978. Here they are joined by David Foster and the results are simply amazing.

It is an uptempo tune very smooth but, at the same time filled with energy, Loggins sings with his usual class while Foster and the other big session aces groove and smoke in the background. Two other main ingredients of this musical cake are David Sanborn’s sax solo and Richard Page & Steve George’s backing vocals (Mr. Mister). The song has been a top 15 pop hit in 1982 and it remains a favorite among Loggins’ fans.

Drums: Tris Imboden
Bass: Derek Jackson
Guitar: Mike Hamilton
Rhodes Piano: Michael McDonald
Grand Piano: David Foster
Congas: Paulinho Da Costa
Percussion: Lenny Castro, Sax: David Sanborn
Backing Vocals: Richard Page & Steve George
String Arrangement: Marty Paich with much Thanks to David Foster and Neil Larsen
Produced by Bruce Botnick & Kenny Loggins

Lyrics

You ain’t crazy
I ain’t gonna lie anymore
What you’re feelin’
there’s a reason for
I wanna do right
Oh, I gotta do right
Do I love you?
Oh, you know I’ve tried
But what you’re after
You can’t find in my eyes
I wanna do rightDarlin’
Tell the truth
Don’t turn away
This is our last chance
To touch each others hearts
Does anything last forever?
I don’t know
Maybe we’re near the end
Darlin’ oh how can we go on together
Now that we’ve grown apart
Well the only way to start
Is heart to heart
One by one
We’re collecting lies
When you can’t give love
You give alibis
Now I’m gonna do right
This time I gotta do right
I don’t wanna leave
I don’t wanna say good-bye
But sooner or latter
There comes a time
When you gotta do right
Darlin’
Tell the truth
Don’t turn away
This is our last chance
To touch each others hearts
Does anything last forever?
I don’t know
Maybe we’re near the end
Darlin’ how can we go on together
Now that we’ve grown apart
Well the only way to start
Is heart to heart
Why are you so torn apart?
I need a little more lovin’ in my heart
People say that love will grow
So how was I to know
Love that’s come through years and years
Can’t find a way back home anymore
(SOLO)
Darlin’
Tell the truth
Don’t turn away
This is our last chance
To touch each others hearts
Does anything last forever?
I don’t know
But maybe we’re near the end
So darlin’ oh how can we go on together
Now that we’ve grown apart
Well the only way to start
Is heart to heart
Does anything last forever?
I don’t know
But maybe we’re near the end
So darlin’ oh how can we go on together
Now that we’ve grown apart
Well the only way to start
Is heart to heart