Michael McDonald (feat. Tom Johnston) - Take Me In Your Arms

[pgnz77]

Good God, have I didd and gone to Heaven?! Doobies with TJ and MM doing the Isley Bros, Pat Simmons on lead... don't get much better than this... man oh man...

[Lowdosage]

This is the best DB song in the catalog. Among many excellent tunes.

[irobot2009able]

sounds forced! not natural

[bossman22408]

Ever notice that a LOT of people love Miller Lite?? There's a BUNCH that love Bud Light -

Get over it! Just swim in that Doobie drunk and enjoy every sip!!!

[airdriver]

Michael McDonald needs to go back into the studio with Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and the rest of the Doobies and record a Doobie Brothers all star album.

[hollidayevery]

None of us look the same as we did when we were in our 20's, so why would we sound the same way...Our vocal chords work like muscles, and muscles age. We can still sound fantastic, just not EXACTLY THE SAME!! I would be satisfied with sounding fantastic! This sounds fantastic!!

[worldwidekillerz]

Pardon me but it should be "Tom Johnston featuring Michael McDonald". After all it was Tom singing back when they played in biker bars and of course until 1975. If Michael was the original singer they would have been the "Soul Brothers" or something else.

[snowy16100]

I like the song...but waay too much background crap and vocals on this version...I'll go back to the earlier version,this one sounds too much like a Vegas casino

[RoryVanucchi]

pretty damn good all these years later...thanks for the post...

Doobies had two careers... Tom Johnson... Michael McDonald..

Johnson more classic Doobies but McDonald captured the sound

of the late 70's and probably extended the life of the band commercially..

[adam872]

This sounds an absolute million bucks. I think it's very cool that a rock band like the Doobies could take a classic Motown track like this and make it sound so great. Love the lead break too.

[iluvsantafe]

Spectacular! One of my favorite Doobies....Karl...this is our song!

[iluvsantafe]

Spectacular! One of my favorite Doobies....Karl...this isour song!

[CRACKHUNTER219]

Thanks for sharing great song

[ruedydude]

These guys sound better now, they are unbelievable and fantastic musicians and showmen. Why are they not in the Rock Hall of Fame? It's a travesty

[777butch777]

That Tom Johnston just doesn't age! He could market the fountain of youth!

[Larrymh07]

I think Pat Simmons must be a Jedi. He has hardly aged.

[Scott2201]

I love Michael McDonald, but Tom Johnston WAS the Doobie Brothers

[musicman69123]

And he still is, Scott2201.

[marctrainor]

I would honestly hope that the Dosier-Holland people who wrote and recorded this song originally on Motown, would be proud of the Doobies version of this song. To me, the just beefed it up and put some real "kick ass" into an already great song. I don't think your gonna hear the Doobies in a much finer "hour" than what I'm hearing on this venue. Man what a line up. Marc Trainor.

[adam872]

Me too. The song is such classic Motown, but the Doobies version is the definitive one for me. Just the right amount of rock and soul for me. I love it to bits.

[Nortonics]

....and PAT too, you long timer you!!!!!!!!

[Nortonics]

I've said it before, I'll say it again - AWESOME!

Old World Tommy with the boys and newer World Michael. What a stretch! You guys are the BEST!

[anitashelby]

What A Great Song & Vid!!! 5*s Thank You for sharing....Anita...

[blondiebabs]

lovely song x

[garyco762]

This is still a great song....5 + stars

[highmelanie]

Love ya Doobie's and MMDonald..

[marc7bonnie]

Ok, if I was on a desert island and they would only give me one album, I would take the Doobies' Greatest Hits album, and if they would only give me one song, this would be the one. This is as good as the original recorded version. Look at the clientele on this video. They're all there. It's all happinin' and to me, this is the hosest version of any song they've ever done, ever. Marc Trainor.

[Marckymarc71]

It's so cool that MM and the Doobie Brothers "guest star" in each others concerts whenever they are in the neighborhood. Once a Doobie always a Doobie.

[bobinfiler]

A-men

[joeruffin1]

absolutely Kick-Ass w/a Kapital K and a Kapital A . Yesssssss, I'LL HAVE WHAT HE'S HAVING!!

[Themadfarter1976]

Wow, they sound incredible.....still.

[saanzacs]

They've still got it!!!!!!

[ramitupursnout]

Tom sounds Great!

[MusicManKevin]

Tom Johnston sounded GREAT! His voice still as good as it was in the 70s!

[dootsmasta]

I agree 100 percent. Perfect instrumentation and backgrounds for it, too. And yeah, anything but the original key would have been inferior - I would love to have been there.

[455Transam]

@MusicManKevin Not quite......he's lost some range and his voice isn't as strong but that happens to all vocalists as they age....but he still sounds good.

[andyinoregon]

@MusicManKevin He and Pat both do. First saw them live in 1975 in Bowling Green, Ohio. Saw them 2 years ago at the Oregon State Fair Amphitheater under a full moon and they sounded better than '75. This is the song they open their show with these days.

[andyinoregon]

Nearly thirty years after they first recorded it there's Tom singing it in the original key. How great is that?

[Nortonics]

Damn guys, lookin' good - I love it! Damn near blew my speaks on this one!!

[bonnietrine]

I entirely agree, except it's ironic that their greatest commercial success was during the Macdonald years, 1976-81. But in the end they became a live band first and that was always their greatest strength.

[ruedydude]

With all respect to Michael McDonald and his Steely Dan type influence he gave to the Doobies, I believe that the early Doobie's success is what fans in the long run want to see from this legendary band such as Rockin Down The Highway, Take Me, China Grove, etc. Having seen them in Concord last week I was thrilled they stuck with rock and blew the roof off Concord Pavillion.

[bonnietrine]

The band has thrived through its different formats, and it's great to see Macdonald and Johnston performing together, since they were the "opposites" in style. Note Johnston is dressed exactly like he was on the back of the Best of the Doobies collection, 1976. The band has always incorporated every part of its history into its legacy, unlike most.

[eeestube]

The Doobie Brothers were/are like any band that has survived the test of time. The different line ups produced many great and enjoyable tunes. My personal best line up was when Skunk, Tiran, Tom, Keith, John and Pat were the in the band.Southern soul. Go the Doobies.

Regards Saintian

[jaycc2]

I just had to tell you that I saw this exact same lineup back in '78 or so when I was a cadet at the US Air Force Academy..Yeh, they actually played there! It was the best and craziest rock concert I think I have ever seen. Pat and Skunk really delivered that night.. will never forget!

[michel1162]

Totally agree...

[ZoneIII]

The Doobie Brothers were better with Tom Johnston as the leader.

Signed,

Tom Johnston (seriously!)

[dootsmasta]

Tom Johnston, a professional musician, probably doesn't have time to be on YouTube patting himself on the back, but anyway...the comparison of Doobie frontmen is like a comparison of Mozart to Elvis. Two totally different styles of music, two totally different musicians. I've heard this argument both ways, and I think it's about as useless as tits on a boar pig.

[pabucfan]

First off thanks for posting this. Anytime I get to see the THREE leads of the Doobies together is a joy. Second, I hate the argument about which frontman was better. Love each one for what they brought to make one of the most diverse and influential bands in history. Plus he said he was Tom Johnston, he never said he was the SAME Tom Johnston. just an observation.

[dootsmasta]

Touché!! Never thought about that...

[debbydoo2008]

@pabucfan the only thing to really say is that all these guys are just awesome, and i love the way Michael McDonald will sing lead or backup. Shows humility and makes him great!

[dantej32]

Like any GREAT band that stands the test of time, they were able to SUCCESSFULLY adapt to the time in which they performed. Each person served a purpose and it is a TESTAMENT to the bands talent to successfully adapt to their musical eras. This is a VERY undervalued band. I put them up there with the greats.

[marcusz1984]

I liked both versions, the "Long Train Running" and "China Grove" years, as well as the "Takin' It to The streets" and "Minute by Minute" era.

It's too bad Michael McDonald doesn't perform with the current Doobies at their concerts more often. I'd pay big money to see that.

[gorillabelly1]

@dootsmasta

NO, NO! LET'S SEE TITS ON A BOAR PIG!

[GRPictures]

I AGREE!

[billyjohnhole]

Tom is the coolest. Gave us so much . And a great guy., Thanks for all the best tunes!! Met him in Canada a few years back.

[Fagapperd14]

Thanks for posting this video. Happy New Year.