"I Won't Hold You Back" is a song by American rock band Toto, written and sung by Steve Lukather for their fourth album, Toto IV, released in 1982 (see 1982 in music). The song features the Eagles' bassist Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals during the choruses.
| "I Won't Hold You Back" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Toto | ||||
| from the album Toto IV | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | March 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1981–1982 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound (Hollywood)[1] | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:53 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Steve Lukather | |||
| Producer(s) | Toto | |||
| Toto singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Composition
editThe track was originally written on piano by guitarist Steve Lukather, though Paich played the piano on the record. He has since recalled that when it was decided the song needed a guitar solo, he improvised it in one take when recording with the Martyn Ford Orchestra.
Reception
editCash Box described it as "a soft torch tune about a man letting go of his lover, praising the "somber vocals, light piano and electric guitar flourishes."[2] Billboard described it as a "grandly-orchestrated ballad".[3]
Chart performance
editThe power ballad[4] peaked at number 10 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on May 7, 1983; becoming their fourth and last top ten hit. It also spent three weeks at number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart.[5] The single only managed to scrape into the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart at No. 37. In Canada, it peaked at number 17 on the RPM Top Singles chart, as well as reaching No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[6] It also peaked at number 11 in Ireland.
Personnel
editToto
- Steve Lukather – lead and backing vocals, guitars
- David Paich – piano, orchestral arrangements
- Bobby Kimball – backing vocals
- Steve Porcaro – synthesizer
- David Hungate – bass
- Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals
- James Newton Howard – orchestral arrangements
- Marty Paich – orchestral arrangements
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 80 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[6] | 1 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] | 17 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[9] | 11 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 37 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[11] | 14 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 10 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13] | 1 |
Year-end charts
edit| Year-end chart (1983) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[14] | 69 |
| Cashbox (magazine)[15] | 95 |
Sampling
editThe song was later sampled by house DJ Roger Sanchez in 2001 for his song "Another Chance", reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart.[16]
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | October 1982 |
|
Columbia | [17] |
| United States | March 1983 |
|
Columbia | [17] |
| United Kingdom | June 1983 |
|
CBS | [17] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Schmitt, Al; Droney, Maureen (2018). Al Schmitt - On the Record: The Magic Behind the Music. Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 118. ISBN 9781538137666.
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. March 12, 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. March 5, 1983. p. 63. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
- ^ "The 40 Greatest Power Ballads".
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ a b RPM Adult Contemporary, May 21, 1983
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 36. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was authorized by ARIA from 1970 to 1988.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6281." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Won't Hold You Back". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996. Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.
- ^ "Toto Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ "Toto Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ "Talent Almanac 1984: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 52. December 24, 1983. p. TA-18.
- ^ "The Cashbox Year End Charts:1983". Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ "All the No. 1's – Another Chance". The Official UK Charts Company. Archived from the original on August 14, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Toto singles".
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