I know two things about the Doobie Brothers. First, they are very, very underrated. Second, the 1970s constituted their finest collective moment. They had one terrific megahit after another. When I saw a list of their work from this decade, I was in awe.
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Actually, my all-time favorite album is a Doobie Brothers masterpiece from that era - Livin' on the Fault Line. So many great songs are on it, like the hauntingly lovely "Chinatown." How about "I Cheat The Hangman" from their album, Stampede? That tune's frantic fadeout is legendary.
The band endured a slew of personnel changes but the essential Doobies sound remained indelible. It's interesting to me that the state that gave us the Eagles - California - also graced us with the Doobies. With that said, here are four of their arguably greatest songs from the 1970s.
'You Belong to Me'
This song was an inspired collaboration between Carly Simon, who crafted the lyrics, and famed Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, who created the music. Each of them did very well with it. Simon put it on her album, Boys in the Trees in 1978, and the Doobie Brothers featured it in 1977 on Livin' on the Fault Line. Per Songfacts, "Anita Baker and Jennifer Lopez have both recorded this song, and McDonald mentioned Lopez' version during his 2004 concert on PBS. In 2007, Chaka Khan recorded the song with McDonald for her album Funk This."
'Minute by Minute'
Per American Songwriter, "'Minute by Minute'" epitomized the sound of the new Doobie Brothers. One thing they had in common with the former version: the ability to capture the hearts of their listening audience." In Michael McDonald, the band got lucky. When Tom Johnston stepped away from the Doobie Brothers in the mid-1970s because of his health, McDonald stepped in. He was a transformative influence. An exceptional musician, songwriter, and vocalist, he was a gift to the band. "Minute by Minute," which McDonald co-wrote, was a top 20 smash in 1978.
'What A Fool Believes'
Crafted by Michael McDonald with Kenny Loggins, this 1978 song "went to Number One and remains one of their most beloved and well-known tunes," according to Rolling Stone. "What A Fool Believes" hauled in plenty of prestigious honors, including Grammys for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year, The album that featured the song nabbed yet another Grammy. Amazingly, per Steve Hoffman Music Forums, the execs at the Doobies' record label were outright skeptical.
Per the outlet, McDonald said, "The famous quote at one of the production meetings was, 'This is the end of these guys. This is over.' We weren't so sure it wasn't true ourselves. We felt like we weren't sure what we had done. We dove in head first and made the record." Good thing they did!
'Take Me In Your Arms'
The Doobie Brothers did not get to this song first. Authored by the trio of brothers Eddie and Brian Holland with Lamont Dozier, Kim Weston recorded it in 1965, then two years later, the Isley Brothers did it. Band member Tim Johnston was jubilant when the Doobies recorded their galloping, supercharged version. He said via Songfacts, "I was in hog heaven. I absolutely love that song. And when we actually got to do it, for me that was a real thrill. I felt not only satisfied, but elated. And then to get to go out and play it live as well, that was a kick."
