"I Gotta Try" by Michael McDonald

Song#:  1250
Date:  11/13/1982
Debut:  74
Peak:  44
Weeks:  11
Genre:  Soft Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul



Pop Bits:  McDonald's solo career started off well with the Top 10 hit "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" (#4). Unfortunately, this second single from his gold debut album, "If That's What It Takes," stalled before reaching the Top 40. It also had a low #28 peak at AC.

ReduxReview:  "I Keep Forgettin'" didn't stray too far from the sound of the Doobie Brothers but it was different enough to work well. However, this one sounds like an outtake direct from the Doobies' "Minute By Minute" album. It's a good song and is better than anything off of McDonald's last outing with the Brothers, but by this time everyone had heard this sound before. Instead of something new and different, McDonald played it way too safe, which usually equates to boring no matter how pleasant the song may be.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  This song was co-written by McDonald and Kenny Loggins, who also co-wrote the Grammy winning Doobie Brothers hit "What a Fool Believes." And like that song, Loggins also would release his own solo version of "I Gotta Try." A couple of months before this single got issued, Loggins' version appeared on his "High Adventure" album. However, it was not issued as a single.

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