One Step Closer (The Doobie Brothers album)

One Step Closer is the ninth studio album by American rock band the Doobie Brothers. The album was released on September 17, 1980, by Warner Bros. Records. The album included the hit "Real Love", which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. This album is the band's last studio album with Michael McDonald in the lineup until 2014's Southbound, and also the first studio album to feature John McFee as a member of the band.

One Step Closer
Studio album by the Doobie Brothers
Released	September 17, 1980
Recorded	1980 at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood; Warner Bros. Recording Studios, North Hollywood; United Sound Recorders, Detroit; and A&R Recorders, New York
Genre	Rock
Length	37:41
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Ted Templeman
The Doobie Brothers chronology
Minute by Minute (1978) One Step Closer (1980) Best of The Doobies Volume II (1981)
Singles from One Step Closer
"Real Love" / "Thank You Love" Released: August 21, 1980 "One Step Closer" / "South Bay Strut" Released: November 5, 1980 "Keep This Train A-Rollin'" / "Just in Time" Released: January 28, 1981

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Robert Christgau	B−^[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[3]
The Great Rock Discography	4/10^[4]
Rolling Stone	(mixed)^[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[6]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Vocals	Length
1.	"Dedicate This Heart"	Michael McDonald, Paul Anka	McDonald	4:07
2.	"Real Love"	McDonald, Patrick Henderson	McDonald	4:18
3.	"No Stoppin' Us Now"	Patrick Simmons, McDonald, Chris Thompson	Simmons	4:40
4.	"Thank You Love"	Cornelius Bumpus	Bumpus	6:22

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Vocals	Length
5.	"One Step Closer"	Keith Knudsen, Carlene Carter, John McFee	Bumpus, McDonald	4:10
6.	"Keep This Train A-Rollin"	McDonald	McDonald	3:29
7.	"Just in Time"	Simmons	Simmons	2:43
8.	"South Bay Strut"	Chet McCracken, McFee	instrumental	4:05
9.	"One by One"	Bobby LaKind, McDonald	Simmons, McDonald	3:47

Personnel

The Doobie Brothers

• Patrick Simmons – guitars, lead and backing vocals
• John McFee – guitars, backing vocals
• Michael McDonald – keyboards, synthesizers, lead and backing vocals
• Cornelius Bumpus – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, organ, lead and backing vocals
• Tiran Porter – bass
• Keith Knudsen – drums, backing vocals
• Chet McCracken – drums, vibraphone, marimbas

Additional personnel

• Bobby LaKind – congas, bongos, backing vocals
• Nicolette Larson – backing vocals on "Real Love", "Dedicate This Heart", and "Just In Time"
• Patrick Henderson – keyboards on "Real Love", "One By One", and "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
• Lee Thornburg – trumpet on "South Bay Strut" and "Keep This Train A-Rollin'", flugelhorn for "Dedicate This Heart"
• Chris Thompson – backing vocals on "No Stoppin' Us Now"
• Ted Templeman – tambourine, cowbell, maracas, backing vocals on "One Step Closer"^[7]
• Jerome Jumonville – tenor saxophone, horn arrangements on "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
• Joel Peskin – baritone saxophone on "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
• Bill Armstrong – trumpet on "Keep This Train A-Rollin'"
• Jimmie Haskell – string arrangements on "Real Love" and "South Bay Strut"

Production

• Producer – Ted Templeman
• Production Assistant – Joan Parker
• Production Coordination – Susyn Schope
• Engineer – James Isaacson
• Second Engineer – Gene Meros
• Mastering – Kent Duncan and Tim Dennan at Kendun Recorders (Burbank, CA).
• Photography – Norman Seeff
• Art Direction and Design – Jim Welch

Charts

Chart (1980–81)	Peak position
Australian (Kent Music Report)^[8]	18
Canada (RPM)^[9]	18
New Zealand (RIANZ)^[10]	22
UK (Official Charts)^[11]	53
US (Billboard 200)^[12]	3

References

1. Bruce Eder. "One Step Closer - The Doobie Brothers". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
2. Christgau, Robert. "The Doobie Brothers: One Step Closer". Robert Christgau.com. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
3. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
4. Strong, Martin Charles (2002). "The Doobie Brothers". The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.
5. Don Shewey (1980-11-13). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-12-01. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
6. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 253. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
7. Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. ECW Press. p. 311. ISBN 978-1770414839.
8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 92. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
9. "RPM Search Engine" (PHP). Library and Archives Canada. March 31, 2004.
10. "The Doobie Brothers" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
11. "Artist Chart History: Doobie Brothers". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
12. "The Doobie Brothers Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2021.