I Won't Hold You Back

"I Won't Hold You Back" is a song by American rock band Toto, written and sung by Steve Lukather for their fourth album, Toto IV, released in 1982 (see 1982 in music). The song features the Eagles' bassist Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals during the choruses.

"I Won't Hold You Back"
Single by Toto
from the album Toto IV
B-side	"Afraid of Love" "Waiting for Your Love" (Holland and Japan)
Released	March 1983
Recorded	1981–1982
Studio	Sunset Sound (Hollywood)[1]
Genre	Soft rock
Length	4:53
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Steve Lukather
Producer(s)	Toto
Toto singles chronology
"Africa" (1982) "I Won't Hold You Back" (1983) "Waiting for Your Love" (1983)

Composition

The track was originally written on piano by guitarist Steve Lukather, though Paich played the piano on the record. He has since recalled that when it was decided the song needed a guitar solo, he improvised it in one take when recording with the Martyn Ford Orchestra.

Reception

Cash Box described it as "a soft torch tune about a man letting go of his lover", praising the "somber vocals, light piano and electric guitar flourishes."^[2] Billboard described it as a "grandly-orchestrated ballad".^[3]

Chart performance

The power ballad^[4] peaked at number 10 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on May 7, 1983, becoming their fourth and last top ten hit on that chart. It also spent three weeks at number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart.^[5] The single only managed to scrape into the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart at No. 37. In Canada, it peaked at number 17 on the RPM Top Singles chart, as well as reaching No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.^[6] It also peaked at number 11 in Ireland.

Personnel

Toto

• Steve Lukather – lead and backing vocals, guitars
• David Paich – piano, orchestral arrangements
• Bobby Kimball – backing vocals
• Steve Porcaro – synthesizer
• David Hungate – bass
• Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals
• James Newton Howard – orchestral arrangements
• Marty Paich – orchestral arrangements

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7]	80
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[6]	1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8]	17
Ireland (IRMA)[9]	11
UK Singles (OCC)[10]	37
US Cash Box Top 100[11]	14
US Billboard Hot 100[12]	10
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13]	1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart (1983)	Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[14]	69
Cashbox (magazine)[15]	95

Sampling

The song was later sampled by house DJ Roger Sanchez in 2001 for his song "Another Chance", reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart.^[16]

Release history

Release dates and formats for "I Won't Hold You Back"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Netherlands	October 1982 (1982-10)	7-inch vinyl	Columbia	[17]
United States	March 1983 (1983-03)	7-inch vinyl	Columbia	[17]
United Kingdom	June 1983 (1983-06)	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl	CBS	[17]

See also

• List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 1983