Take It to Heart is the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. It was released on May 15, 1990, on the label Reprise, five years after his previous studio album, No Lookin' Back.^[1][2]

The album was slated to be titled “Lonely Talk” to be issued in August 1989. It also had a different track list, containing a song called “Plain of Jars” and a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” (which ended up on his 1st Greatest Hits collection); there were also different versions of current tracks that made the official album. About 3 weeks prior to its original planned issue date, Reprise/WB decided there were not enough potential singles; therefore, “Tear It Up,” “All We Got” and “Get the Word Started” were added, with “Take It to Heart” recorded and added, which meant some songs and some versions were removed or changed (details unknown).

• Producers – Michael McDonald and Ted Templeman (tracks 1, 3 & 6-11); Don Was (tracks 2 & 4); David Gamson and Gardner Cole (track 5).
• Engineers – Ed Cherney, Jeff Hendricksen, Ross Pallone and Bob Schaper.
• Additional engineering – Ed Goodreau, Bob Schaper and Brian Schuble.
• Assistant engineers – Elaine Anderson, Michael Douglass, Lori Fumar, John Jackson, Rob Jaczko, Calvin Loser, Michael Mason, Eric Rudd, Scott Symington, Michael Tacci and Toby Wright.
• Remix on track 1 – Shep Pettibone
• Additional recording at Circle Seven Recording (Pacific Palisades, California); Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, California); John Tesh Studios (Santa Monica, California).
• Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).
• Production coordinator – Joan Parker
• Photography – Andy Earl
• Art direction – Martyn Atkins, T&CP Associates, Hollywood, London.

• List of albums released in 1990
• Michael McDonald's discography