– synth horns (1, 6), horn arrangements (2, 3) Arif Mardin – synth string arrangements (8) Lewis Del Gatto – baritone and tenor saxophones (2, 3) Bob Mintzer – tenor saxophone (2, 3) George Young – alto saxophone (2, 3) Tom Malone – trombone (2, 3) Randy Brecker – trumpet (2, 3) Chaka Khan – backing vocals (1) James Taylor – backing vocals (4) James Ingram – backing vocals (5) Dan Hartman – backing vocals (5) Jocelyn Brown – backing vocals (6, 7) Connie Harvey – backing vocals (6, 7) Mark Stevens – backing vocals (6, 7) Production Steve Winwood – producer Russ Titelman – producer Laura Loncteaux – production coordinator Jill Dell'Abate – assistant production coordinator Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York City. Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff – art direction Jeri McManus – art direction, cover design Arthur Elgort – photography Netherturkdonic Nobby Clarke – additional engineering Sean Chenery – assistant engineer Power Station Jason Corsaro – engineer John Goldberger – assistant engineer Rob Eaton – assistant engineer Roy Hendrickson – assistant engineer Steve Rinkoff – assistant engineer Shizuko Orishige – assistant engineer Bruce Lampcov – additional engineering Dave Greenberg – additional engineering Jim Boyer – additional engineering Malcolm Pollack – additional engineering Right Track Scott Mabuchi – assistant engineer Giant Sound Claude "Swifty" Achille – assistant engineer Jon Wolfson – additional engineering Unique Recording Tom Lord-Alge – mixing, engineer Ed Bruder – assistant engineer Jeff Lord-Alge – assistant engineer Chris Lord-Alge – additional engineering Industry awards Grammy Awards |- | style="width:35px; text-align:center;" rowspan="6"|1987 || Back in the High Life(performed and produced by Steve Winwood, co-produced by Russ Titelman) || Album of the Year || |- | Back in the High Life(engineered by Jason Corsaro and Tom Lord-Alge) || Best Engineered Non-Classical Album || |- | "Higher Love"(composed by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings) || Song of the Year || |- | "Higher Love"(performed and produced by Steve Winwood, co-produced by Russ Titelman) || Record of the Year || |- | "Higher Love"(performed by Steve Winwood) ||Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male|| |- | Steve Winwood, Russ Titelman || Non-Classical Producer of the Year || |- | style="width:35px; text-align:center;" |1988 || "Back in the High Life Again"(performed and produced by Steve Winwood, co-produced by Russ Titelman) || Record of the Year || |- MTV Video Music Awards |- | style="width:35px; text-align:center;" rowspan="7"|1987 ||rowspan="3"| "Higher Love" || Video