Timeless: The Classics Explained

Timeless: The Classics
Type:	Cover album
Artist:	Michael Bolton
Cover:	michael-bolton-album-cover-timeless.jpg
Released:	September 29, 1992
Recorded:	February–June 1992
Studio:	Ocean Way (Los Angeles) Record Plant (Los Angeles) Conway (Hollywood) A&M (Hollywood) Hit Factory (New York) Passion (Westport)
Genre:	Soul, pop
Length:	40:05
Label:	Columbia 52783
Producer:	Walter Afanasieff, Michael Bolton, David Foster
Prev Title:	Time, Love & Tenderness
Prev Year:	1991
Next Title:	The Artistry of Michael Bolotin
Next Year:	1993

Timeless: The Classics is a 1992 album of cover versions by Michael Bolton. It was #1 on the Billboard charts when it was released. After a rather long chart run, the album has been certified 4× Platinum in the US and has sold over 7 million copies worldwide.^[1]

Production

• Producers – Michael Bolton (all tracks); David Foster (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 10); Walter Afanasieff (Tracks 3, 6, 8 & 9).
• Engineers – Dave Reitzas and Bill Schnee (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 & 7); Dana Jon Chappelle (Tracks 3, 6, 8 & 9); Al Schmitt (Track 10).
• Vocal Engineer (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 10) – Dave Reitzas
• Orchestra Engineer (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 & 7) – Al Schmitt
• Additional and Assistant Engineers (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 10) – Kyle Bess, Craig Brock, Chris Fogel, Steve Harrison, Noel Hazen, Steve Milo, Marnie Riley, Eric Rudd, Brian Scheuble and Brett Swain.
• Second Engineers (Tracks 3, 6, 8 & 9) – Kyle Bess, Mark Hensley, Manny LaCarubba and Eric Rudd.
• Mixing – Al Schmitt (Tracks 1, 5, 7 & 10); Mick Guzauski (Tracks 2 & 4); Dana Jon Chappelle (Tracks 3, 6, 8 & 9).
• Mastered by Vlado Meller at Sony Music Studio Operations (New York, NY).

Additional Credits

• Art Direction and Design – Christopher Austopchuk
• Photography – Matthew Rolston
• Management – Louis Levin and Jill Tiger
• Grooming – Nancy Sprague
• Styling – Gemina Aboitiz

Personnel

• Michael Bolton – lead vocals, arrangements (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10), rhythm arrangements (1, 2, 5, 7), backing vocals (6)
• David Foster – arrangements (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10), rhythm arrangements (1, 2, 5, 7), additional keyboards (2, 5)
• Randy Kerber – acoustic piano (1, 2, 4, 5, 8), Hammond B3 organ (6), organ (7), electric piano (10)
• Greg Phillinganes – organ (2), acoustic piano (7)
• Robbie Buchanan – additional keyboards (2, 5)
• Walter Afanasieff – keyboards (3, 9), synthesizers (3, 9), Hammond B3 organ (3, 8, 9), bass (3, 9), rhythm programming (3, 9), acoustic piano (6), horn arrangements (6, 8)
• Gary Cirimelli – Akai programming (3), Macintosh programming (3, 6, 8, 9), Synclavier programming (3, 9), additional backing vocals (9)
• Ren Klyce – Synclavier programming (3, 9), Akai programming (3, 9)
• Ian Underwood – acoustic piano (10)
• Dean Parks – acoustic guitar (1, 5)
• Michael Thompson – electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 7), guitar (6, 8)
• Vernon "Ice" Black – guitar (3)
• Michael Landau – additional guitar (6, 8), guitar (9)
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass (1, 4, 5, 8)
• Nathan East – bass (2, 7)
• Randy Jackson – bass (6)
• John Robinson – drums (1, 2, 4–8)
• Joel Peskin – saxophone solo (4)
• Portia Griffin – backing vocals (2, 7, 8), additional backing vocals (3, 9)
• Pat Hawk – backing vocals (2, 7, 8), additional backing vocals (3, 9)
• Vann Johnson – backing vocals (2, 7, 8), additional backing vocals (3, 9)
• Janis Liebhart – backing vocals (2, 7, 8), additional backing vocals (3, 9)
• Carmen Twillie – backing vocals (2, 7), additional backing vocals (3)
• Mona Lisa Young – backing vocals (2, 7, 8), additional backing vocals (3, 9)
• The Four Tops – backing vocals (3)
• Yvonne Williams – backing vocals (8), additional backing vocals (9)
• Claytoven Richardson – additional backing vocals (9)
• The PH1 Choir – backing vocals (9)
• Patrick Henderson – choir director and vocal arrangements (9)

Tower Of Power Horn Section (Tracks 6 & 8)

• Stephen "Doc" Kupka – baritone saxophone
• Emilio Castillo – tenor saxophone
• Gary Herbig – tenor saxophone
• Lee Thornburg – trombone, trumpet
• Greg Adams – trumpet, horn arrangements

Orchestra (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 10)

• Johnny Mandel – orchestra arrangements and conductor (1, 5, 7, 10)
• Jeremy Lubbock – orchestra arrangements and conductor (2)
• David Foster – string arrangements (4)
• Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
• Debbie Datz-Pyle – contractor
• Patti Zimmitti – contractor
• Jim Atkinson, Jeff DeRosa, Brian O'Connor, Calvin Smith, Richard Todd and Brad Warnaar – French horn
• Donald Ashworth, Jon Clarke, Gary Foster, Glen Garrett, Dan Higgins, Marty Kristall, Jack Nimitz and Bob Sheppard – woodwinds
• Larry Bunker – percussion
• Chuck Domanico, Edward Meares, Buell Neidlinger and Margaret Storer – bass
• Robert Adcock, Jodi Burnett, Larry Corbett, Ronald Cooper, Christine Ermacoff, Marie Fera, Paula Hochholter, Judy Johnson, Anne Karam, Suzie Katayama, Dane Little, Frederick Seykora, Christina Soule and David Speltz – cello
• Gayle Levant – harp
• Denyse Buffum, Brian Dembow, Alan DeVeritch, Roland Kato, Donald McInnis, Cynthia Morrow, Carole Mukogawa, Dan Neufeld, Kazi Pitelka, Harry Shirinian, Linn Subotnick, Ray Tischer and Mihail Zinovyev – viola
• Dixie Blackstone, Mari Botnick, Robert Brousseau, Russ Cantor, Isabelle Daskoff, Assa Drori, Henry Ferber, Ronald Folsom, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Harris Goldman, Gwen Heller, Reginald Hill, Bill Hybel, Lisa Johnson, Karen Jones, Kathleen Lenski, Norma Leonard, Rene Mandel, Michael Markman, Betty Moor, Irma Neumann, Donald Palmer, Claudia Parducci, Sheldon Sanov, Haim Shtrum, Robert Sushel, Gerald Vinci and Dorothy Wade – violin

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1992–1993)! scope="col"

Peak position
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)	13
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)^[2]	11

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)! scope="col"

Position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[3]	48
European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)^[4]	87
UK Albums (OCC)^[5]	7
US Billboard 200^[6]	68

Chart (1993)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[7]	50
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[8]	28
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)^[9]	97
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[10]	37
US Billboard 200^[11]	11

Notes and References

1. Book: Bolton, Michael . The Soul of It All: My Music, My Life . 2013-01-29 . Center Street . 978-1-4555-2366-5 . en.
2. Book: Pennanen, Timo . 2006 . Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . 1st . Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava . Helsinki . 978-951-1-21053-5 . 105.
3. The RPM Top 100 Albums of 1992. RPM. 56. 25. 13. December 19, 1992. April 28, 2022. February 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210225045251/http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+56-No.+25-December+19%2C+1992.pdf. live.
4. 1992 Year-End Sales Charts . Music & Media . 9 . 51/52 . December 19, 1992 . 17 . 29800226 . April 28, 2022 . American Radio History . November 10, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211110053022/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-12-19.pdf . live .
5. Year End Charts: Top Albums. Music Week. January 16, 1993. 10. April 28, 2022.
6. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992. Billboard. October 24, 2021.
7. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1993. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 24, 2021.
8. Web site: RPM Top 100 Albums of 1993. RPM. April 28, 2022. December 12, 1994. November 10, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121110172356/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2332.pdf. live.
9. December 18, 1993 . 1993 Year-End Sales Charts - Eurochart Hot 100 Albums 1993 . . 15 . April 28, 2022 .
10. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1993 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart . . November 3, 2021 .
11. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1993. Billboard. October 24, 2021.