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Timeless: The Classics (1992)

Where the lyrics of Timeless: The Classics take you, and where it was really made.

A covers album by Michael Bolton reached number one on the Billboard charts at release and has sold over 7 million copies worldwide.

Key places

Record Plant, Los Angeles (1992)

Recording site Record Plant (Los Angeles) — Discogs lists the Record Plant in Los Angeles among the studios where this album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Westlake Studios, Los Angeles (1992)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Discogs lists Westlake Studios in Los Angeles among the recording studios for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Conway Studios, Hollywood (1992)

Recording site Conway Recording Studios — Discogs lists Conway Studios in Hollywood as one of the studios where this album was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Plant, Sausalito (1992)

Recording site Plant Recording (Sausalito) — Discogs lists The Plant Studios as a recording location for this album; the point is at city-center accuracy. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Hit Factory, New York (1992)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Discogs lists The Hit Factory among the studios where this album was recorded; the point is at city-center accuracy. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Passion Studios, Westport (1992)

Recording site Passion Studios — Discogs lists Passion Studios in Connecticut as a recording location; the point is at city-center accuracy. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Timeless: The Classics is a 1992 album of cover versions by Michael Bolton
• It is Bolton's eighth studio album and his first album of covers
• Released 29 September 1992 by Columbia Records
• Contains ten cover tracks, all taken from songs written by other writers
• Producers: Michael Bolton, with David Foster and Walter Afanasieff on different tracks
• Art direction by Christopher Austopchuk; photography by Matthew Rolston

Background

• Covers include songs written by Buddy Johnson, Barry and Robin Gibb, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland, Sam Cooke, Lennon and McCartney
• Other writers include Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd, Mentor Williams, and Irving Berlin
• The track list runs from Since I Fell For You to White Christmas, ten tracks in total

Recording

• Some tracks were recorded at Ocean Way Recording and Passion Studios
• Studios also used include Conway, The Plant, Westlake, The Record Plant, The Hit Factory and A&M Studios
• The Tower of Power horn section played on tracks 6 and 8
• Johnny Mandel conducted the orchestra on tracks 1, 5, 7 and 10; Jeremy Lubbock arranged and conducted track 2
• The Four Tops provided backing vocals on track 3
• Mastering was done at Sony Music Studio Operations in New York

Cover

• Christopher Austopchuk handled art direction and Matthew Rolston took the photography

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Michael Bolotin on February 26, 1953, in New Haven, Connecticut.
• At age 14 he formed the group the Nomads, which was signed to a singles contract by Epic Records when he was 16.
• Began recording in 1975 at The Church Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma, under his original family name Bolotin.
• Early career focused on hard rock; his band Blackjack once opened for Ozzy Osbourne on tour.

Career

• Anglicized his name to Bolton and gained his first major hit as a songwriter, co-writing "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" for Laura Branigan.
• Recorded his own version of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" in 1988, reaching number one on the Hot 100.
• Achieved peak success as a pop ballad singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s with songwriters such as Diane Warren and Desmond Child.
• Covered Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" (1987) and Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," a Grammy-winning cover on the 1991 album Time, Love & Tenderness.
• Faced a plagiarism suit from the Isley Brothers over "Love Is a Wonderful Thing," settled with a $4.2 million payment.
• Has sold more than 75 million records, with eight top 10 albums and two Billboard number-one singles.
• Later worked in television and film, appeared on Dancing with the Stars, and produced the documentary American Dream: Detroit.

Reception

At release

• Released 29 September 1992 by Columbia Records, according to Spanish Wikipedia
• Reached number one on the Billboard charts when it came out
• Michael Bolton's eighth studio album and his first set of covers
• Ten tracks, all cover versions of songs written by other writers
• Producers David Foster and Walter Afanasieff worked on different tracks alongside Bolton

Records

• Chart run lasted a rather long time before certification
• Certified 4× Platinum in the United States
• Has sold over 7 million copies worldwide
• Included in a 2012 Sony Music list of 100 records to own before the end of the world (Spanish Wikipedia)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Covers include Yesterday by Lennon and McCartney and White Christmas by Irving Berlin
• The Four Tops sang backing vocals on track 3
• The Tower of Power horn section played on tracks 6 and 8
• Mastering was done at Sony Music Studio Operations in New York
• A 2012 Sony Music list of 100 records to own before the end of the world included this album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

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