The Fire Inside is the fourteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Seger. The album was released by Capitol Records in 1991. It was Seger's first album of entirely new music since Like a Rock in 1986. Though credited to "The Silver Bullet Band", much of the album used guest and session musicians, with limited contributions from Silver Bullet Band members. Among the guest artists on the album are Joe Walsh, Bruce Hornsby, Roy Bittan, JD Souther, Steve Lukather, Don Was, Waddy Wachtel, Rick Vito, Mike Campbell, Patty Smyth, Lisa Germano, and Kenny Aronoff.
On release, The Fire Inside received a mixed critical reception, but was still a commercial success peaking at number 7 on the US Billboard album chart, and achieved Platinum status from the RIAA.
Critical reception Reviewing for AllMusic, critic Bret Adams wrote of the album "Overall, the 12-track album is a disappointing piecemeal effort with five different production credits, and Seger uses two Tom Waits covers and one other outside song to pad it."
Track listing
"New Coat of Paint" and "The Long Way Home" were left off the album's LP release.
Personnel As listed in the liner notes.
Musicians
Bob Seger – electric guitar (1, 4, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (3), rhythm guitar (1, 8), piano (10), electric piano (2), vocals (all tracks), choir (3), chorus (3), harmony vocals (2, 4) Kenny Aronoff – drums (1–3, 8, 9) Sweet Pea Atkinson – background vocals (2) Eddie Bayers – drums (4, 5) Barry Beckett – bridge synthesizer (5) Roy Bittan – piano (6) Sir Harry Bowens – background vocals (2) Bobby Bruce – violin (11) Rosemary Butler – background vocals (11) Chris Campbell – bass guitar (10, 12) Mike Campbell – lead guitar (2) Mimi Cooper – background vocals (4) Laura Creamer – background vocals (11) Thornetta Davis – background vocals (4) Craig Frost – organ (1, 2, 4, 8, 12), synthesizer (5, 10), piano (1, 9) Lisa Germano – violin (1, 3) Donny Gerrard – background vocals (2, 3, 11), choir (3), chorus (3) Bob Glaub – bass guitar (6) Richard Greene – violin (11) Richie Hayward – drums (7, 11) Bruce Hornsby – piano (5), accordion (3) James Newton Howard – Synclavier (2) Dann Huff – electric guitar (4, 5, 12), rhythm guitar (12) James "Hutch" Hutchinson – bass guitar (2, 8, 9) John Jorgenson – slide guitar (8) Russ Kunkel – drums (6) Steve Lukather – acoustic guitar (6), electric guitar (10) Donald Ray Mitchell – background vocals (2) Jamie Muhoberac – synthesizer (1, 2, 9) Shaun Murphy – background vocals (4, 11), harmony vocals (4) Buell Neidlinger – acoustic bass (7, 11) Dean Parks – acoustic guitar (11), electric guitar (7) Bill Payne – piano (7, 11) Don Potter – acoustic guitar (5) Alto Reed – saxophone (3, 10, 12) Michael Rhodes – bass guitar (4, 5) Walt Richmond – piano (12) Patty Smyth – background vocals (2, 3), choir (3), chorus (3), harmony vocals (9) JD Souther – background vocals (2, 3), choir (3), chorus (3) Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (7, 11) David Teegarden – drums (10, 12) Rick Vito – lead guitar (1, 12), slide guitar (10, 12) Waddy Wachtel – acoustic guitar (3), rhythm guitar (1, 2, 8, 9) Don Was – bass guitar (1, 3) Joe Walsh – lead guitar (9) Oren Waters – harmony vocals (2, 3) Jai Winding – organ (6)
Production Producers: Punch Andrews, Barry Beckett, Bob Seger, Don Was Engineers: Allen Abrahamson, Bryant Arnett, Craig Brock, Ed Cherney, Denis Forbes, Ed Goodreau, John Kunz, Michael Mason, Justin Niebank, Thom Panunzio, Gerard Smerek, Randy Wine Assistant engineers: Greg Fogie, Tom Banghart, Dan Bosworth, Buzz Burrowes, Jim DeMain, John Hurley, Marnie Riley, Don Smith, Brett Swain, Don Was Mixing: Punch Andrews, Ed Cherney, David N. Cole, Bob Seger Photography: John Abeyla
Charts Album
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for The Fire InsideChart (1991)Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 99
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for The Fire InsideChart (1991)Position
Singles + Chart performance for singles from The Fire InsideTitleChart (1991)Position"Take a Chance"US Mainstream Rock Tracks10"The Fire Inside"US Adult Contemporary45"The Fire Inside"Mainstream Rock Tracks6"The Real Love"US Adult Contemporary4"The Real Love"US Mainstream Rock Tracks4"The Real Love"US Billboard Hot 10024
Certifications
References