Michael Bolton cloned his approach from Soul Provider on its follow-up, Time, Love & Tenderness, and sold as many records for his trouble. (That's six million copies.) His key collaborator once again was Diane Warren, who applied her goldplated gift for writing contemporary love songs to six tunes, among them the hits "Time, Love & Tenderness" and "Missing You Now" (which featured saxmeister Kenny G). The obligatory R&B carbon copy was Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," which hit number one. The only unusual songs came at the beginning and the end. The album led off with "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" (a Top Ten hit), a song in standard '60s R&B mode that would be the subject of a plagiarism suit from the Isley Brothers, and it concluded with "Steel Bars," co-written by Bolton and...Bob Dylan? That's what it said, and if the song wasn't one of Dylan's best, it at least indicated that Bolton might have possibilities that had so far gone unnoticed. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
Michael Bolton (Arranger), Michael Bolton (Vocals), Michael Bolton (Vocals (Background)), Michael Bolton (Producer), Michael Bolton (Main Performer), Michael Bolton (Horn Arrangements), Patti LaBelle (Vocals), Patti LaBelle (Performer), Kenny G (Sax (Soprano)), John Beasley (Piano), Desmond Child (Vocals (Background)), Richard Kerr (Engineer), Michael Thompson (Guitar), Jeanie Tracy (Vocals (Background)), Larry Batiste (Vocals (Background)), Kitty Beethoven (Vocals (Background)), Louis Biancaniello (Programming), Terry Brock (Vocals (Background)), Chris Camozzi (Guitar), Dana Jon Chappelle (Engineer), Dana Jon Chappelle (Mixing), Michael Christopher (Engineer), Gary Cirimelli (Programming), Gary Cirimelli (Vocals (Background)), Laura Creamer (Vocals (Background)), Gary Grant (Horn), Sandy Griffith (Vocals (Background)), Mick Guzauski (Mixing), Chris Hawkins (Vocals (Background)), Dan Higgins (Horn), Skyler Jett (Vocals (Background)), Melisa Kary (Vocals (Background)), Ren Klyce (Programming), Matthew Boomer La Monica (Assistant Engineer), Michael Landau (Guitar), Louis Levin (Director), Jean McClain (Vocals (Background)), Vladimir Meller (Mastering), Shaun Murphy (Vocals (Background)), Jeff Porcaro (Drums), Vicki Randle (Vocals (Background)), Claytoven Richardson (Vocals (Background)), Devon Rietveld (Assistant Engineer), Devon Rietveld (Mixing Assistant), Roger Talkov (Engineer), David Thoener (Mixing), Joe Turano (Vocals (Background)), Myriam Naomi Valle (Vocals (Background)), Larry Williams (Horn), Joe Lynn Turner (Vocals (Background)), Tim White (Photography), Manny Lacarrubba (Assistant Engineer), Manny Lacarrubba (Mixing Assistant), Walter Afanasieff (Synthesizer), Walter Afanasieff (Percussion), Walter Afanasieff (Arranger), Walter Afanasieff (Drums), Walter Afanasieff (Keyboards), Walter Afanasieff (Organ (Hammond)), Walter Afanasieff (Producer), Walter Afanasieff (Horn Arrangements), Walter Afanasieff (Synthesizer Bass), Michael Gilbert (Assistant Engineer), Michael Gilbert (Mixing Assistant), Christopher Austopchuk (Art Direction), Randy Jackson (Bass), Nancy Sprague (Make-Up), Nancy Sprague (Hair Stylist), Mick Higgins (Assistant Engineer), Nancy Danahy (Design), Jim Mitchell (Assistant Engineer), Gerry Hey (Horn), A. Mark Russo (Sax (Tenor)), Tanya Scarlett (Vocals (Background))
Time, Love & Tenderness is an album by Michael Bolton. It was produced by Walter Afanasieff and Michael Bolton. The album topped the Billboard 200 chart and produced four Top 40 singles: a cover of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" reached #4, "Time, Love and Tenderness" reached #7, and "Missing You Now" reached #12. In the UK a fifth single was released, "Steel Bars", which made the top 20. It is also notable that this is the only album from his "hit period" that is "out of print".
After reaching the top spot the album enjoyed a steady stay on the charts, eventually selling over 8 million copies in the US only. The album was supported by various hit singles which topped the charts worldwide. Worldwide the album has sold approximatelly 16 million copies and is his best selling album to date.
"We're Not Makin' Love Anymore" - 4:40 (Bolton, Warren)
"New Love" - 4:32 (Bolton, Child, Warren)
"Save Me" - 4:21 (Bolton, Child, Warren)
"Steel Bars" - 3:28 (Bolton, Dylan)
Credits
Produced By Walter Afansieff & Michael Bolton
Mixed & Engineered By Dana Jon Chapelle, Michael Gilbert, Mick Higgins, Manny Lacarrubba, Matthew LaMonica, Jim Mitchell, Devon Rietveld, David Thoerner, Roger Talkov, Michael Christopher, Richard Kerr
Kitty Beethoven, Larry Batiste, Desmond Child, Laura Creamer, Sandy Griffith, Chris Hawkins, Skyler Jett, Melisa Kary, Patti LaBelle, Jean McClain, Jeanie Tracy, Joe Lynn Turner, Myriam Naomi Valle, Tim White - Backing Vocals
Controversy
In 1964, the American R&B group The Isley Brothers recorded a song titled "Love Is a Wonderful Thing". Not included on an Isley Brothers album until years later, the song was released as a single in 1966 on a 45rpm vinyl record, and it "bubbled under" on the Billboard chart, meaning that it peaked between #101 and #125 on the Hot 100. Bolton's song contained similarities to the song by the Isleys that exceeded the title: in 1994, a jury found songwriters Bolton and Goldmark, along with Sony Music Entertainment (the parent company of Bolton's label, Columbia Records), liable for copyright infringement due to multiple similarities between the two songs and ordered them to pay the Isleys all profits earned from the single plus 28% of the album profits, which amounted to over $5 million (U.S.). On May 9, 2000, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, an appellate court covering the western regions of the U.S., affirmed the jury's decision, which is one of the largest monetary sums to be awarded in a case such as this. On January 22, 2001, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to review the decision of the appellate court despite Bolton's claims that he had never heard the Isley Brothers recording (although he was a fan of their music) and that he was exercizing his right to "independent creation". The decision by the Supreme Court not to hear the case resulted in the original verdict remaining valid.
