# Take It to the Limit (Norman Connors album)

Take It to the Limit is the tenth studio album by American musician Norman Connors, released in 1980 on Arista Records.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
Andy Kellman of AllMusic cited that the singles from Take It to the Limit rightfully deserved their modest success. He continued, "...but a small clutch of other gems deserved similar achievements. "I Don't Need Nobody Else," sung by Al Johnson, sparkles brightly, while Adaritha's "Justify" is just as gorgeous as the album's hit singles. One minor disappointment is Leon Ware's set-closing "Everywhere Inside of Me," which falls toward the sappy side. One major dud is a plonking cover of Steely Dan's "Black Cow", which has inexplicably shown up on a number of Connors anthologies. Six out of eight ain't bad by any stretch."

## Chart performance

The album peaked at number 145 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and number 30 on the Billboard Top Soul LPs chart. The singles from the album "Take It To The Limit" and "Melancholy Fire" charted and peaked at number 28 and number 20, respectively, on the Billboard R&B chart.

## Track listing

Side one
| 1. | Take It to the Limit | Lead vocals: Adaritha | Writer: Phyllis St. James | 3:44 |
| 2. | Melancholy Fire | Lead vocals: Glenn Jones | Writer: David DeMarco | 3:57 |
| 3. | You've Been on my Mind | Lead vocals: Adaritha | Writer: Shelby Flint | 4:20 |
| 4. | I Don't Need Nobody Else | Lead vocals and backing vocals: Al Johnson | Writer: Lou Courtney | 3:49 |
Side Two
| 5. | Justify | Vocals: Adaritha | Writer: David Lasley | 3:47 |
| 6. | Black Cow | Flugelhorn: Freddie Hubbard | Writers: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker | 4:55 |
| 7. | You Bring Me Joy | Lead Vocals: Adaritha | Writer: David Lasley | 3:35 |
| 8. | Everywhere Inside Of Me | Lead vocals and backing vocals: Leon Ware | Writer: Leon Ware | 4:48 |
2013 remaster bonus tracks
| 9. | Melancholy – 7" | 3:51 |
| 10. | Take It to the Limit – 12" | 4:19 |
| 11. | Take It to the Limit – 7" | 3:35 |

## Charts

| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
| US Billboard 200 | 145 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 30 |

## Personnel

The album features several guest musical acts courtesy of their respective record labels.
Columbia Records: Adaritha – vocals, Al Johnson – arrangements & vocals, Freddie Hubbard – flugelhorn and Starship Orchestra – instrumentation
Philadelphia International Records: Jean Carn, The Jones Girls – vocals
Savoy Records: Glenn Jones – vocals
Elektra / Asylum Records: Leon Ware – vocals
Other musicians
* Norman Connors – drums, percussion, vocals
* Alex Brown, Eric Butler, Gwen Matthews, Jim Gilstrap, Marlene Jeter, Vanetta Fields – backing vocals
* David T. Walker, Marlo Henderson – guitar
* Billy McCoy, Bobby Lyles, Sonny Burke – keyboard
* Nathan East, Byron Miller – bass
* James Gadson – drums
* Myungo, Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
* Dorothy Ashby – harp
* Allen Robinson, Sidney Muldrow – French Horn
* Don Myrick, John Kip, Ralph Jones, Bill Green – Saxophone
* Gary Bartz – soprano saxophone, soloist
* Buzzy Jones – tenor saxophone
* Garnet Brown, George Bohanon – trombone
* Bobby Bryant, Eric Butler, Nolan Smith, Oscar Brashear – trumpet
Production
* Ron Averez, Jackson Schwartz – engineer
* Norman Connors, Jean Carn, Gerald Roberts – producer
* John Golden – mastering
* Tony Barboza, Garry Gross – photography
* Donn Davenport – art direction
* Norman Connors – director
* Harry Bluestone – concertmaster (strings)
* Ben Barrett – contractor (strings)
* George Bohanon – contractor (horns)