Takin' It to the Streets (The Doobie Brothers album)
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| Takin' It to the Streets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 19, 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||
| Studio | Warner Bros. Studios, North Hollywood, California and Sunset Sound, Los Angeles (mixing) | |||
| Genre | Pop rock, soft rock | |||
| Length | 38:23 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Ted Templeman | |||
| The Doobie Brothers chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Takin' It to the Streets | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [2] |
| The Great Rock Discography | 7/10[3] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [4] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| The Village Voice | C+[7] |
Takin' It to the Streets is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers. The album was released on March 19, 1976, by Warner Bros. Records. It was the first to feature Michael McDonald on lead vocals.
Background[edit]
By late 1974, touring was beginning to take its toll on the band, especially leader Tom Johnston. Things became worse during touring in support of Stampede when he was diagnosed with stomach ulcers. His condition worsened and several shows were cancelled. With Johnston forced to reduce his involvement with the band, the other members considered disbanding, but while in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, member Jeff Baxter suggested calling up friend and fellow Steely Dan graduate Michael McDonald, who at the time was between gigs and living in a garage apartment. McDonald was reluctant at first, feeling he was not what they wanted; according to him, "...they were looking for someone who could play Hammond B-3 organ and a lot of keyboards, and I was just a songwriter/piano hacker. But more than anything, I think they were looking for a singer to fill Tommy's shoes." He agreed to join them and met them at the Le Pavillon Hotel in New Orleans, where they moved into a warehouse to rehearse for the next two days. Expecting to be finished once touring was completed, McDonald was surprised when the band invited him to the studio to work on their next album.[8]
Recording[edit]
With Johnston on the sidelines, the band was unsure how to proceed. They doubted being able to make an album without Johnston. "I knew the record company was panicked about any change in the band," McDonald admitted. "They were leery about getting a new guy. I was thrilled to have had the gig, but I wasn't expecting all that much." With encouragement from producer Ted Templeman, the band began poring over the songs they had available. They knew they needed more, so McDonald brought in his own demos. Templeman told them, according to Patrick Simmons, "You've got a real diamond in the rough here that you can make into something if you want to go ahead." They decided to record his songs knowing it would take them in a completely different direction. While Johnston was absent for most of the sessions, he contributed one song – "Turn It Loose" – as well as back-up vocals and duet vocals with Simmons on "Wheels of Fortune". "I hadn't quit the band", he later stated. "I just wasn't physically able to do it. I needed to get off the road and get away from that whole scene for a while."[8]. "For Someone Special" was written by bassist Tiran Porter for Johnston. Porter both wrote and sang lead on the track.
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wheels of Fortune" | Patrick Simmons, Jeff Baxter, John Hartman | Simmons, Tom Johnston | 4:54 |
| 2. | "Takin' It to the Streets" | Michael McDonald | McDonald | 3:56 |
| 3. | "8th Avenue Shuffle" | Simmons | Simmons | 4:39 |
| 4. | "Losin' End" | McDonald | McDonald | 3:39 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Rio" | Simmons, Baxter | Simmons w/McDonald | 3:49 |
| 6. | "For Someone Special" | Tiran Porter | Porter | 5:04 |
| 7. | "It Keeps You Runnin'" | McDonald | McDonald | 4:20 |
| 8. | "Turn It Loose" | Johnston | Johnston | 3:53 |
| 9. | "Carry Me Away" | Simmons, Baxter, McDonald | McDonald | 4:09 |
Personnel[edit]
The Doobie Brothers
- Tom Johnston – electric guitar, lead and backing vocals on "Turn It Loose"; vocals on "Wheels of Fortune"
- Patrick Simmons – lead and backing vocals, electric guitars
- Jeff "Skunk" Baxter – electric guitars, acoustic guitar on "For Someone Special"
- Michael McDonald – lead and backing vocals, piano, electric piano, clavinet, synthesizers
- Tiran Porter – bass, backing vocals, lead vocal on "For Someone Special"
- John Hartman – drums, percussion
- Keith Knudsen – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- The Memphis Horns
- Wayne Jackson – trumpet
- Andrew Love – tenor saxophone
- James Mitchell – baritone saxophone
- Lewis Collins – tenor saxophone
- Jack Hale – trombone
- Bobby LaKind – congas on "Takin' It to the Streets", "Losin' End" and "Rio"
- Richie Hayward – drums (with John Hartman) on "Wheels of Fortune"
- Novi Novog – viola on "Losin' End"
- Jesse Butler – organ on "Takin' It to the Streets"
- Maria Muldaur – cameo vocal on "Rio"
- Ted Templeman – additional percussion
Production
- Producer – Ted Templeman
- Production Coordination – Beth Naranjo
- Engineer – Donn Landee
- Art Direction – Ed Thrasher
- Photography – Dan Fong
- Management – Bruce Cohn
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] | 7 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM)[10] | 18 |
| New Zealand Albums (RIANZ)[11] | 11 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 42 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 8 |
References[edit]
- ^ Bruce Eder. "Takin' It to the Streets - The Doobie Brothers". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2002). "The Doobie Brothers". The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.
- ^ "The Doobie Brothers - Takin' It to the Streets". Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- ^ "Album Reviews: The Doobie Brothers – Takin' It to the Streets". Rolling Stone. 2003. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 253. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (June 14, 1976). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ a b "Old Black Water Keep on Rollin': 30 Years of the Doobie Brothers". Long Train Runnin': The Doobie Brothers 1970 - 2000 (CD Booklet). Warner Bros. Records. 1999. p. 33. 75876.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 92. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "RPM Search Engine" (PHP). Library and Archives Canada. March 31, 2004.
- ^ "The Doobie Brothers" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ "Artist Chart History: Doobie Brothers". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Doobie Brothers Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
