Keep the Fire
| Keep the Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 26, 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studios |
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| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 40:48 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Tom Dowd | |||
| Kenny Loggins chronology | ||||
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Keep the Fire is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, released on September 26, 1979. It is perhaps best known for the hit single "This Is It". The song was co-written by Michael McDonald, who also performed on the track. Michael Jackson sings backup vocals on the track "Who's Right, Who's Wrong".
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+ |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | |
| Record Collector | |
| Record Mirror | |
Rolling Stone described the album as "the new sound of Southern California: a sophisticated, diffuse, jazz-inflected pop rock performed by an augmented rock band in which guitar and keyboards share equal prominence" and "churning romantic atmosphere constructed around a matinee idol's voice". The Globe and Mail noted that, "occasionally, he stumbles into some of the good-time hokey rockin' fun that made such Loggins and Messina numbers as 'Your Mama Don't Dance' so nauseating."
Film
The award-winning short film "Keep the Fire", by Jake Rice, is a fictionalized "Behind the Album Cover" story.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Kenny Loggins, with additional writers noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Has Come of Age" | 3:51 | |
| 2. | "Mr. Night" | Richard Stekol | 3:20 |
| 3. | "This Is It" | Michael McDonald | 3:57 |
| 4. | "Junkanoo Holiday (Fallin'-Flyin')" | 4:30 | |
| 5. | "Now and Then" | Jeff Bouchard | 3:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Who's Right, Who's Wrong" | Richard Page | 5:38 |
| 2. | "Keep the Fire" | Eva Ein | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Give It Half a Chance" | Stephen Bishop | 4:57 |
| 4. | "Will It Last" | Ein | 5:50 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Kenny Loggins – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars, Roland guitar synthesizer, Sennheiser vocoder (7)
- Mike Hamilton – guitars, backing vocals, harmony vocals (3, 8)
- George Hawkins – bass, backing vocals, harmony vocals (2, 3, 8)
- Brian Mann – keyboards, Yamaha CS-80, Prophet-5, Minimoog, accordion solo (5), horn arrangements (5), string arrangements (5)
- Tris Imboden – drums, percussion
- Jon Clarke – saxophone, oboe, English horn, clarinet, flute, recorder, tambourine, horn arrangements (2, 7)
- Vince Denham – saxophone, flute, cabasa
Additional musicians
- Michael McDonald – acoustic piano (3), harmony vocals (3)
- Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (8, 9)
- Milt Holland – percussion (1, 2, 4–9)
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (3)
- Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone solo (6)
- Richard Stekol – harmony vocals (2)
- Michael Jackson – harmony vocals (6)
- Richard Page – harmony vocals (6)
- Jeff Bouchard – harmony vocals (8)
- Albhy Galuten – string arrangements (2, 8)
Technical
- Produced by Tom Dowd
- Engineered by Steve Gursky and Michael Carnavale
- Second mixing engineer – Samii Taylor
- Mastered by Mike Fuller at Criteria Studios (Miami, Florida)
- Guitar synthesizer technician – Wayne Williams
- ARP synthesizer programming – Max Gronenthal
- Cover concept – Scott Thom and Kenny Loggins
- Cover painting – Scott Thom
- Cover photography – Ed Caraeff Studios
- Sleeve photography – Eva Ein
- Visual coordination – Tony Lane
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1979–80) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 95 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) | 36 |
| US Billboard 200 | 16 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1980) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 16 |
References
- ↑ "Sep 26, 1979, page 8 - The Burlington Free Press at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- 1 2 Keep the Fire at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
- ↑ "Sep 26, 1979, page 8 - The Burlington Free Press at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: L". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 1, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 417.
- ↑ Pinfold, William (September 2012). "Kenny Loggins-Keep the Fire". Record Collector. No. 405. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ↑ Sexton, Paul (February 16, 1980). "Kenny Loggins: Keep The Fire / Jimmy Messina: Oasis". Record Mirror. p. 17.
- ↑ Holden, Stephen (February 7, 1980). "Album reviews: Keep the Fire". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ↑ Niester, Alan (December 29, 1979). "Keep the Fire Kenny Loggins". The Globe and Mail. p. F4.
- ↑ Rice, Jake. Keep the Fire (A/V stream). Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 179. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "Top Albums/CDs. Volume 33, Issue 3 (1980-04-12)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Kenny Loggins Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End 1980". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
