Melissa Manchester If My Heart Had Wings

Personnel includes: Melissa Manchester, Wintley Phipps (vocals); Peter Hume (guitar, background vocals); John Putnam, Tim Pierce, Dennis M. Budimir, Michael Landau (guitar); Daniel Wilensky, Andy Snitzer, Roger Rosenberg (saxophone); James Hynes, Frank Szabo (trumpet); Charles Loper (trombone); Tom Salisbury (piano, background vocals); Michael Lang (piano); Joe Mardin (keyboards, drums); Robbie Kondor, Steve Skinner, Jud J. Friedman, Claude Gaudette (keyboards, programming); Robbie Buchanan (keyboards); Will Lee, Cliff Hugo, Neil Stubenhaus (bass); Carlos Vega, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums).

Producers: Arif Mardin, Jud J. Friedman, Ron Nevison, Melissa Manchester.

Engineers: Michael O'Reilly, Taavi Mote, Ron Nevison, Jeremy Smith.

Melissa Manchester's first album of new material in a decade was filled with big, dramatic ballads and widescreen production values. That was closer to what seemed a comfortable style for the singer than the dance-pop she had affected in the mid-1980s, but still did not return her to the creative promise she had shown in the mid-1970s. ~ William Ruhlmann