Takin' It To The Streets
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Album Summary
Takin' It to the Streets was laid down in 1975 and came out swinging in March of 1976 on Warner Bros. Records, produced by the masterful Ted Templeman. Now this was no ordinary Doobie Brothers record — this was a statement. The band stepped boldly away from the rock and country-rock roots that first made them famous and walked straight into the warm embrace of soul, R&B, and funk. And the man leading that charge was Michael McDonald, whose fingerprints were all over this record as both vocalist and songwriter, most powerfully on the title track itself. What Templeman and the Brothers cooked up in the studio was something deeper, richer, and more soulful than anything they had put out before — a record that showed the world this band had more dimensions than anyone had given them credit for.
Reception
- The album reached #1 on the Billboard 200, marking the first time The Doobie Brothers had climbed to the very top of that chart.
- The title track 'Takin' It to the Streets' cracked the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #8 and becoming one of the band's most recognizable and enduring singles.
- The album earned multi-platinum certification and drew widespread critical praise for its sophisticated production, expanded musical palette, and the seamless integration of soul and rock sensibilities.
Significance
- This album stands as the definitive turning point in The Doobie Brothers' career — the moment the band shed one skin and grew another, trading Southern rock grit for a smooth, soulful sophistication that would carry them through the back half of the decade.
- Michael McDonald's rise as a creative force on this record was nothing short of transformative, his gospel-drenched voice and compositional instincts pulling the band into a whole new musical universe and opening doors to audiences who had never paid them much mind before.
- The record's richly layered blend of rock, soul, R&B, and funk helped lay the groundwork for the adult contemporary and soft rock sounds that would define mainstream radio in the late 1970s, making it a quiet but powerful influence on the sonic landscape of an entire era.
Samples
- It Keeps You Runnin' — sampled by various artists and widely recognized as one of the most musically lifted tracks from this album, with its groove and chord movement appearing across soul and hip-hop productions over the decades.
Tracklist
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A1 Wheels Of Fortune 117
4:54
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A2 Takin' It To The Streets 144
3:56
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A3 8th Avenue Shuffle 93
4:39
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A4 Losin' End 138
3:39
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B1 Rio 113
3:49
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B2 For Someone Special 124
5:04
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B3 It Keeps You Runnin' 132
4:20
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B4 Turn It Loose 133
3:53
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B5 Carry Me Away 118
4:09
Artist Details
The Doobie Brothers are a rock and roll institution that came together in San Jose, California back in 1970, blending rock, R&B, and soul into a sound so smooth and funky it could slide right between the AM and FM dial without missing a beat. With classic grooves like Listen to the Music and What a Fool Believes, these cats proved that a band could have multiple lead singers, swap styles, and still keep the people on their feet through the entire decade. Their staying power and ability to evolve — especially when Michael McDonald joined and took that blue-eyed soul to another level — made the Doobie Brothers one of the defining acts of the 1970s and a living testament to American rock music at its most soulful and inventive.
