The Doobie Brothers, “Minute by Minute” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

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On the 9^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2022), we recollect and reflect on “Minute by Minute” by The Doobie Brothers.

he vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez ! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. The records that grace Throwback Vibez are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils

! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! On the 9^th edition of Throwback Vibez

(2022), we recollect and reflect on

“Minute by Minute”, performed by

The Doobie Brothers.

Theme & Lyrics

“‘Cause minute by minute by minute by minute / I’ll be holding on.” Back in 1978, The Doobie Brothers dropped an utterly album, Minute by Minute. The third track from the Grammy-nominated LP, is a certified blue-eyed soul, pop/rock classic: “Minute by Minute”, of course! Those Doobie Brothers oozed with soul, particularly with Michael McDonald in the fold prior to his successful solo career. With no shortage of classics, among the best, this collective is this Lester Abrams / McDonald penned hit, which peaked at no. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, it earned the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance.

Bitmoji Image “You think I’m your fool / Well, you may just be right…” What makes “Minute by Minute” so awesome? While that soulful electric piano and groove go a long way, I’d argue its McDonald’s one-of-a-kind soulful pipes leading the charge. The backing vocals aren’t too shabby either – those bros got ample soul. Beyond McDonald and the backup, the memorable songwriting puts “Minute by Minute” over the top. Love fuels the fire, as essentially, McDonald is a fool in love. He knows better yet continues to indulge into something that will inevitably end badly.

“Hey, don’t worry, I’ve been lied to

I’ve been here many times before

Girl, don’t you worry, I know where I stand

I don’t need this love, I don’t need your hand

I know I could turn, blink, and you’d be gone

Then I must be prepared any time to carry on.”

Final Thoughts

“Minute by Minute” ranks among the ‘ace-in-the holes’ for The Doobie Brothers. Sure, “What a Fool Believes” (from the same album) earns top honors, including the prestigious Grammy for Record of the Year, but “Minute by Minute” doesn’t fall far behind – it’s elite too. Classics like “Minute by Minute” are hard to come by these days. The epitome of those surefire, Throwback Vibez !