Heart To Heart by Kenny Loggins

Album: High Adventure (1982)

Charted: 15

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Songfacts®:

This was one of the Loggins' biggest hits that wasn't featured in a motion picture. In it, a man is in a marriage or relationship that may be heading south, but he doesn't know what to think or whether it can last. The lyrics are very ambivalent yet passionate, a difficult combination to achieve. >>
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Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
Loggins wrote this song with Michael McDonald and David Foster. He wrote the chorus with Foster and the verses with McDonald because he wanted to get the best of both worlds from two piano players with very different styles. "Michael plays piano completely different from David Foster," he told Rock History Music. "Michael's style is more churchy, and his left hand is like a half a mile from his right hand. It's always down in the basement, it's always moving. Foster plays thumb to thumb, so he plays these really thick, multi-voice chords. So he's perfect for something like 'Forever,' which is just very beautiful and you've got lots of elaborate voicings."

When it came time to record the song, he brought both men to the studio at the same time. McDonald, who also sang backup, played the Fender Rhodes piano on the verses; Foster played grand piano on the choruses (he also did the string arrangements along with Marty Paich and Neil Larsen).
Richard Page and Steve George of Mr. Mister also sang backing vocals. Page and Loggins co-wrote the song "Who's Right, Who's Wrong," from Loggins' previous album, Keep The Fire.
Loggins and McDonald also collaborated on the hits "What A Fool Believes" and "This Is It."
This was the second single from High Adventure, Loggins' fourth solo album, following "Don't Fight It." Aside from reaching #15 on the Hot 100, it also peaked at #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
This features a sax solo from David Sanborn, who released the Grammy Award-winning album Voyeur a year earlier.
Loggins sang this on the November 13, 1982 episode of Saturday Night Live.
Although it was spelled differently, this shares its name with the '80s TV show Hart To Hart, which followed a wealthy, crime-solving couple played by Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers. It was in its fourth season when the song came out.

Comments: 10

Devans00 from Silicon Valley, CaThe pedigree of this song is bananas. I can easily pick up Michael McDonald’s contributions. No wonder it’s a classic that still sounds amazing over 30 years later.
John Anthony from WaI remember there was an extended remix that had more sax in it, it was longer than 5:30 I wish I could find it
Alvin from East Hartford, CtSara, it IS Michael McDonald on backing vocals. According to Wikipedia he also played Fender Rhodes. There is also video footage of him performing the song live with Mr. Loggins.
Seventhmist from 7th HeavenYes, that is Michael McDonald in the background, plus a sax solo from David Sanborn.
Shannon Summers from UsHeart To Heart

Arranged By [Strings] – Marty Paich Backing Vocals – Richard Page, Steve George Bass – Derek Jackson Congas – Paulinho Da Costa Drums – Tris Imboden Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Michael McDonald Engineer – Bruce Botnick Grand Piano – David Foster Guitar – Mike Hamilton (4)Percussion – Lenny Castro Saxophone ["Artistic Debris"] – David Sanborn Written-By – David Foster, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald

Per DISCOGS..Maybe Sara is on to something, however in the same breathe there is no way that McDonald never opened his lips and threw some harmonies in there while playing the piano on this track. You def hear him!
Markantney from BiloxeAug 15,

Sara, how do you NOT hear McDonald's distinctive voice in the Background Vocals? If that's not him, it's not him on Christopher Cross' "Ride Like the Wind", Steely Dan's "Peg", Loggins "This is It", and I'm sure that's him the background singing at every drivethrough at Fast Food Places I can hear background vocals coming through the speakers:):).
Rev.christopher from United StatesSorry Sara, but Michael McDonald not only co-wrote Heart To Heart with Kenny Loggins, but also sang background vocals on the recording.
Shirl from Bay Area, CaIn an interview, Kenny Loggins said he wrote this song about his parents seperation and their impending divorce.
Sara from Silver Spring, MdThe song is similar to I Gotta Try which appears on the same album and was also ironically a Mike McDonald original.
Sara from Silver Spring, MdThe backup voices were by Richard Page and Steve George, not Michael McDonald. Both Page and George were members of the Pages later Mr. Mister. Co-written with David Foster who plays piano with Michael McDonald. It is a very swoonful piecee