Minute by Minute is the eighth studio album by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released on December 1, 1978, by Warner Bros. Records. It was their last album to include members John Hartman (until 1989's Cycles) and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter.
The album spent 87 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. In the spring of 1979 Minute by Minute was the best-selling album in the U.S. for five non-consecutive weeks.Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top Pop Albums 1955-1985, Record Research Inc., 1985, p. 106, 506. It was certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA.
The song "What a Fool Believes" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1979 and became the band's biggest hit. The title track and "Depending on You" were also released as singles and reached the top 30.
Minute by Minute made the Doobie Brothers one of the big winners at the 22nd Grammy Awards. The album got the trophy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and received a nomination for Album of the Year. The single "What a Fool Believes" earned them three Grammys, including Song and Record of the Year.
Critical reception
Rolling Stone concluded that, "with all the firepower this band has—one of rock's strongest rhythm sections, several writers and vocalists, an excellent lead guitarist and a remarkable lead singer—the Doobie Brothers shouldn't be content merely to skirt greatness."
Track listing
Personnel The Doobie Brothers Patrick Simmons – guitars, lead vocals (4, 5, 7, 9), backing vocals Michael McDonald – piano, keyboards, organ, synthesizers, lead vocals (1–3, 6, 9, 10), backing vocals Jeffrey Baxter – guitars Tiran Porter – bass, backing vocals John Hartman – drums, percussion Keith Knudsen – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Additional musicians Ted Templeman – drums (2), additional percussion Bobby LaKind – congas, backing vocals Tom Johnston – backing vocals (5) Nicolette Larson – duet vocals (7), backing vocals (4) Rosemary Butler – backing vocals (1, 4) Norton Buffalo – harmonica (5, 8) Herb Pedersen – banjo (8) Byron Berline – fiddle (8) Lester Abrams – electric piano (10) Bill Payne – synthesizer (2, 3) Andrew Love – saxophone (1, 4, 10) Ben Cauley – trumpet (1, 4, 10) Novi Novog – synthesizer solo (6) Sumner Mering – guitar (6)
Technical Produced by Ted Templeman Engineered by Donn Landee Additional engineers – Loyd Clifft and Steve Malcolm Photography – David Alexander Design coordination – Bruce Steinberg Production coordination – Beth Naranjo Publicity – David Gest
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1978–79) Peakposition Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)6
Year-end charts Chart (1979) Position New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 29 US Billboard 200 3
Certifications
References