Michael McDonald just keeps showing up, doesn’t he?
Hot off the success of Takin’ It To The Streets, The Doobie Brothers soon followed it up with Livin’ On The Fault Line, released in August 1977. The album peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200, despite not having any top 40 hits on the Hot 100. At least not for the band itself. Track 4, “You Belong To Me,” was written by Michael McDonald and Carly Simon, who released her own version in 1978 that became a top 10 hit.
I had never heard Carly Simon’s recording before, but upon listening to it for research, I can 1,000 percent tell Michael McDonald was involved. It’s a great song, so I don’t know why the original wasn’t a single. Or for that matter, why none of the songs from Livin’ On The Fault Line that were singles became hits.
The first single was a cover of Marvin Gaye’s 1966 song “Little Darling (I Need You).” I’m aware that very few singers can be mentioned in the same breath as Marvin Gaye, but I think Michael McDonald still did him justice. Sadly, their cover only peaked at #48 on the Hot 100, which was exactly one spot below where the original peaked. It was a bigger hit on rock radio, however. The next single, “Echoes Of Love,” peaked at #66 on the Hot 100. Both are great.
If I had to guess why they weren’t hits, maybe people thought Livin’ On The Fault Line was a copy-paste of Takin’ It To The Streets. I won’t say that’s never a valid criticism to give an album, but in this case, I say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Livin’ On The Fault Line is a great, groovy record that I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommend.
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