I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)

"I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)"
Single by Michael McDonald
from the album If That's What It Takes
B-side	"Losin' End"
Released	August 1982
Recorded	Warner Bros. Recording Studio (North Hollywood, California)
Genre	Quiet storm[1] R&B[2]
Length	3:39
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Michael McDonald Ed Sanford Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Producer(s)	Ted Templeman Lenny Waronker
Michael McDonald singles chronology
"I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" (1982) "I Gotta Try" (1982)

"I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" (also known as "I Keep Forgettin'") is a 1982 song by American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald, from his debut album If That's What It Takes (1982). It was written by McDonald and Ed Sanford. Released as a single, it peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles charts, #7 R&B and #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Similarity to Chuck Jackson's 1962 song "I Keep Forgettin'", composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, resulted in Leiber and Stoller also being given a songwriting credit for the song.

Background

Michael McDonald recorded it with his sister Maureen McDonald providing background vocals. It was featured on If That's What It Takes, his first solo album away from The Doobie Brothers.

Greg Phillinganes, Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro played the clavinet, guitar and drums respectively. Bassist Louis Johnson, from The Brothers Johnson, laid down the song's pronounced bassline.

Influence, covers, and sampling

McDonald's song was heavily sampled by Warren G on his hit 1994 single "Regulate", featuring Nate Dogg, and by Jadakiss on "Kiss Is Spittin'", which also features Nate Dogg. Young MC sampled it on his song "Love You Slow" of the album What's the Flavor?. Dave Hollister covers the song on his album Ghetto Hymns, where it's titled "Keep Forgettin'" and is slowed down noticeably but keeps the same lyrics. The song's chorus is interpolated by Moloko in an acoustic mix of their 2003 hit single "Familiar Feeling". The song's bassline also was sampled in the track "Next to You" by the 'Daytime Disco' Duo Poolside. Julia Fordham performed the song in duet with McDonald on her 2008 LP China Blue. In 2011, DJ and producer Solomun sampled the song on ''Love Recycled''. Laura Jane Grace, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of Against Me!, performed a version of the song in April 2015 for A.V. Undercover series.^[3]

Personnel

• Michael McDonald — lead vocals, electric piano
• Steve Lukather — guitar
• Greg Phillinganes — clavinet
• Louis Johnson — bass guitar
• Jeff Porcaro — drums
• Maureen McDonald — backing vocals

Chart history

Weekly charts Chart (1982–83) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 64 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[5] 5 Canada RPM Top Singles[6] 17 UK Singles Chart[7] 43 US Billboard Hot 100[8] 4 US Billboard R&B 7 US Billboard Adult Contemporary 8 US Cash Box Top 100[9] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1982–83) Rank US Billboard Hot 100[10] 81 US Cash Box [11] 24

In popular culture

The song was also used during the Condoleezza Rice dance segment on You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush.

The song is the primary plot device of, and gives its name to, an episode of Yacht Rock, which comedically fictionalized the events leading to Warren G sampling it.

References

1. Pitchfork Staff (August 24, 2015). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s". Pitchfork. Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" is a quiet storm classic ...
2. Molanphy, Chris (July 31, 2021). "What a Fool Believes Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
3. "Laura Jane Grace covers Michael McDonald (and The Cure)". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 185. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
5. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1982-10-16. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
6. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1982-11-06. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
7. "Michael McDonald Official Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
8. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
9. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 30, 1982". Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
10. Musicoutfitters.com
11. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1982". Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2018.