Livin' on the Fault Line is the seventh studio album by the American rock band the Doobie Brothers. The album was released on August 19, 1977, by Warner Bros. Records. It is one of the few Doobie Brothers albums of the 1970s which did not produce a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Still, the album received modest critical acclaim. Tom Johnston left the band early in the sessions. He is listed as part of the band but appears on little or none of the actual album: he wrote and sang five songs during the sessions for the album, but they were not included on the final release. Much of this consistently mellow album has a jazz tinge, and the influences of R&B are palpable throughout. The track "Little Darling " is a remake of the Marvin Gaye 1966 hit.
Livin' on the Fault Line
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success during the 1970s, the group's current lineup consists of founding members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, alongside Michael McDonald and John McFee, and touring musicians including John Cowan, Marc Russo (saxophones), Ed Toth (drums), and Marc QuiƱones.
The Doobie Brothers performing in 2017. Left to right: touring member John Cowan, Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, and John McFee.
Doobie Bros in the Dutch TV show TopPop (January 1974). L-R: Simmons, Porter, Knudsen, Johnston
The Doobie Brothers in 1976: Back row L-R: Baxter, Knudsen, Johnston, Hartman, Simmons. Front row L-R: Porter, McDonald
The Doobie Brothers in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, on August 31, 2006