After his voice was heard on countless hits throughout the 1970s and early ’80s, it was high time that Michael McDonald stepped into the spotlight. He did it in 1982 with a killer track called “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” his very first solo single that would also turn out to be his biggest.
What is the song about? Why did McDonald finally have the opportunity to start a solo career? And why did legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller end up in the credits? Here is the story of the 1982 Top-5 Smash “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” the song that freed Michael McDonald to be the face of his recordings, as well as the voice.
A Voice in Demand
For nearly a decade, Michael McDonald was one of the most acclaimed vocalists and songwriters in the world to have never released a song under his own name. Music fans started hearing those velvety vocal tones when he helped out on some of the early Steely Dan albums, for which he also occasionally played keyboards.
He initially joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975 for what was supposed to be a temporary stint. But the band liked what he brought to their formula and hired him full-time. During this time with the group, McDonald started to prove himself as a writer as well, as many of the Doobies’ biggest hits during the second half of the ’70s came from his pen and featured his lead vocals.
On top of that, he was one of the most in-demand guest musicians around, as just a little dollop of his backing vocals seemed to be able to catapult a song by another artist into the heights. Writing for others, playing for others, and singing for others made McDonald a hot commodity. It was just a matter of time before his solo career began, and The Doobie Brothers’ breakup in 1982 gave him the window to try.
Taking an Old Song and Making It New
McDonald wrote “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” in conjunction with Ed Sanford of the Sanford-Townsend Band. As a jumping-off point, the pair borrowed the refrain melody and phrase from a 1962 song called “I Keep Forgettin'” by R&B legend Chuck Jackson. That original song was written by the iconic songwriting duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and the pair received songwriting credit on McDonald’s song because of its debt to the earlier track.
If you hear Jackson’s “I Keep Forgettin’,” you’ll notice that the similarities between it and McDonald’s hit end pretty much after the refrain. The earlier song sounds like something between a tango and a spy movie song. McDonald’s song sinks into an irresistibly slinky groove, helped along by ace players like Steve Lukather (guitar) and Jeff Porcaro (drums) of Toto and Greg Phillinganes (clavinet) and Louis Johnson (bass), a duo who played on many Michael Jackson songs. McDonald’s sister Maureen added backing vocals.
In 1994, “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” which itself owed much to a song from many years earlier, was able to pay it forward. The hip-hop song “Regulate” by Warren G featuring Nate Dogg soared to No. 2 on the pop charts, and it featured a foundational sample of McDonald’s solo classic.
What is the Meaning of “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)”?
In “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” Michael McDonald plays the role of jilted lover. But the kick is that he’s still so deeply in love with his ex that his mind plays tricks on him, convincing him that they’re still together: I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore / I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again.
In the verses, he tries in vain to get her to answer questions about the demise of their relationship: Why you’re gone and why the game is through / If this is what’s real, if this is what’s true. But even when she does come up with excuses, he doesn’t want to accept them: How you never want to live a lie / How it’s gone too far / And you don’t have to tell me why.
When she does reply, it’s too much for him to bear: Don’t say that / I know you’re not mine anymore, anyway, anytime. With “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” Michael McDonald’s name finally showed up in the artist’s spot on the 45, and it turned out to provide every bit as much soulful excellence as any of his group and guest performances.
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