Atlantic Crossing

This section does not cite any sources. (November 2023)

The album was recorded in five different American studios: A&R (New York), Criteria (Miami), Wally Heider's Studio 3 (Hollywood), Hi Recording Studio (Memphis), and Muscle Shoals (Alabama) between April and June 1975, and produced by Tom Dowd, who had been the engineer or producer for many of Stewart's heroes during Dowd's time at Atlantic Records.

With Atlantic Crossing, Stewart ended his association with Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan and the stable of musicians who had been his core collaborators on his classic run of albums for Mercury Records, fusing soul and folk. Instead, he used a group of session musicians, including The Memphis Horns and Booker T. and the MG's. The only song performed from this album on The Faces' final US tour in autumn 1975 was "Three Time Loser", and the rest of the group heavily disliked Stewart's change in musical direction on this album. Following the success of the album, and his move to the U.S., Stewart announced his exit from the Faces by the end of the year.

"Sailing" was a number one hit in the UK in September 1975, and returned to the UK Top 3 a year later when it was used as the theme for the BBC series Sailor; both acoustic and electric guitars in the song were played by Pete Carr.^[6] In 1977, almost two years after the album was released, Stewart scored another UK number one from the album with the double A-side single "I Don't Want to Talk About It" and "The First Cut Is the Deepest" (from the album A Night on the Town - 1976).^{[citation needed]}

In 2009, Rhino Records released a two-disc version of the album with bonus tracks.

Fast Side (Side One)

1. "Three Time Loser" (Rod Stewart) – 4:03
2. "Alright for an Hour" (Stewart, Jesse Ed Davis) – 4:17
3. "All in the Name of Rock 'N' Roll" (Stewart) – 5:02
4. "Drift Away" (Mentor Williams) – 3:43
5. "Stone Cold Sober" (Stewart, Steve Cropper) – 4:12

Slow Side (Side Two)

1. "I Don't Want to Talk About It" (Danny Whitten) – 4:47
2. "It's Not the Spotlight" (Barry Goldberg, Gerry Goffin) – 4:21
3. "This Old Heart of Mine" (Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland, Sylvia Moy) – 4:04
4. "Still Love You" (Stewart) – 5:08
5. "Sailing" (Gavin Sutherland) – 4:37

• Rod Stewart – vocals
• Pete Carr – acoustic guitar and electric guitar on Sailing^[6]
• Jesse Ed Davis – guitar
• Steve Cropper – guitar
• Fred Tackett – guitar
• Jimmy Johnson – guitar
• Barry Beckett – keyboards
• Albhy Galuten – keyboards
• Booker T. Jones – Hammond organ
• Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass guitar
• Lee Sklar – bass guitar
• Bob Glaub – bass guitar
• David Hood – bass guitar
• David Lindley – mandolin, violin
• Al Jackson Jr. – drums, percussion
• Roger Hawkins – drums, percussion
• Nigel Olsson – drums, percussion
• Willie Correa – drums, percussion
• The Memphis Horns – trumpet, trombone, saxophone
• Cindy & Bob Singers, The Pets & The Clappers – backing vocals

String arrangements by Arif Mardin and James Mitchell

Album design and art direction by John Kosh; illustration by Peter Lloyd^[11]