Headed for the Future

Headed for the Future is the seventeenth studio album by Neil Diamond, released in March 1986 on Columbia Records.^[1] The album went to number 20 on the US Billboard 200.^[2] Headed for the Future has also been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.^[3]

The album's title track reached the top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.^[4] Another single, "The Story of My Life", reached No. 11 on the same chart.^[5]

Rick Shefchik of The Mercury News found that "Diamond records albums like a man easing himself into a cold lake for a swim. He seems reluctant to get started and unsure of how to go about it, but once he takes the plunge, his natural instincts take over."^[8]

• Neil Diamond – vocals
• Tom Hensley – acoustic piano (1, 7), synthesizers (1, 7)
• Alan Lindgren – acoustic piano (1, 7), synthesizers (1, 7)
• David Foster – all keyboards (2, 5), synthesizers (9)
• David Boruff – keyboard programming (2, 5), saxophone (3)
• Randy Kerber – keyboards (3, 9)
• Burt Bacharach – synthesizers (3, 9)
• Robbie Buchanan – synthesizers (3)
• Todd Cochran – Emulator programming (3)
• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards (4, 8, 10), synthesizers (4, 8, 10), backing vocals (4)
• Bo Tomlyn – keyboards (4, 8, 10), synthesizers (4, 8, 10)
• Stevie Wonder – acoustic piano (6), synthesizers (6), drums (6), backing vocals (6)
• Herbie Hancock – synthesizer solo (6)
• Robert Arbittier – synthesizer programming (6)
• Bob Bralove – synthesizer programming (6)
• Nyle Steiner – additional synthesizers (8)
• Richard Bennett – guitars (1, 7)
• Hadley Hockensmith – guitars (1, 7)
• Doug Rhone – guitars (1, 7)
• Michael Landau – guitars (2, 5)
• Dann Huff – guitars (3, 5, 9), additional guitars (8, 10)
• Steve Lukather – guitars (4)
• Bobby Caldwell – guitars (8, 10), backing vocals (8)
• Reinie Press – bass (1, 7)
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass (3, 8-10)
• Nathan East – bass (4)
• Jason Scheff – bass (5), backing vocals (5)
• Ron Tutt – drums (1, 7)
• Tris Imboden – drum overdubs (2, 5)
• Carlos Vega – drums (3, 9)
• John Robinson – drums (4, 8, 10)
• Vince Charles – percussion (1, 7), steel drums (1, 7)
• King Errisson – percussion (1, 7), congas (1, 7)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (3, 8-10)
• Clare Fischer – string arrangements (10)
• Assa Drori – concertmaster (10)
• Linda Press – backing vocals (1)
• Bill Champlin – backing vocals (2, 5)
• Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals (3, 9)
• Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals (3, 9)
• Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals (3, 9)
• Marva Barnes – backing vocals (4)
• Maurice White – backing vocals (4, 8)
• Dwayne Roberson – backing vocals (6)
• Vince Unto – backing vocals (6)
• Philip Williams – backing vocals (6)
• David Lasley – backing vocals (9)

^[1]

• Neil Diamond – producer (1, 7)
• Tom Henley – producer (1), arrangements (1)
• Alan Lindgren – producer (1), arrangements (1, 7)
• David Foster – producer (2, 5), arrangements (2, 5)
• Burt Bacharach – producer (3, 9), arrangements (3, 9)
• Carole Bayer Sager – producer (3, 9)
• Maurice White – producer (4, 8, 10), arrangements (4, 8, 10)
• Greg Phillinganes – co-producer (4, 8, 10), arrangements (4, 8, 10)
• Stevie Wonder – producer (6), arrangements (6)
• Sam Cole – album coordinator, production coordinator
• Frank DeCaro – production coordinator, music contractor
• Chris Earthy – production coordinator
• Geri White – production coordinator
• Ned Brown – production assistant
• Barry Cardinale – production assistant
• Larry E. Williams – production assistant
• Alison Zanetos – production assistant
• David Kirschner – art direction, design
• Jan Weinberg – design
• Herb Ritts – photography

Technical credits

• Bernie Grundman – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
• John Arrias – recording
• Bill Bottrell – mixing
• Humberto Gatica – recording, mixing
• Mick Guzauski – recording, mixing
• Gary Olazabal – mixing
• John Patterson – recording
• Tom Perry – recording
• David Schober – recording
• Allen Sides – recording, mixing
• Bino Espinoza – assistant engineer
• Dan Garcia – assistant engineer
• Bob Harlan – assistant engineer
• Darren Klein – assistant engineer
• Bob Loftus – assistant engineer
• Steve MacMillan – assistant engineer
• Richard McKernon – assistant engineer
• Claudio Ordenes – assistant engineer
• Mike Ross – assistant engineer
• Karen Siegel – assistant engineer
• Jeffrey "Woody" Woodruff – assistant engineer

^[1]