Jesus Is Just Alright - The Doobie Brothers' Version

The Doobie Brothers' Version

The Doobie Brothers' version of "Jesus Is Just Alright" was first released on their second album, Toulouse Street, in 1972. It was subsequently released in November 1972 as the second single from the album (b/w "Rockin' Down the Highway") and went on to become a U.S. hit, peaking at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1973. The single featured a shorter, edited version of the song compared to the one included on the album. The Doobie Brothers' version of "Jesus Is Just Alright" was one of a number of religiously themed songs to reach the U.S. charts during 1972 and 1973, along with "Morning Has Broken" by Cat Stevens, "Jubilation" by Paul Anka, "Speak to the Sky" by Rick Springfield, "Jesus Was a Capricorn" by Kris Kristofferson, and "I Knew Jesus (Before He Was a Star)" by Glen Campbell. The song continues to be a staple of playlists on classic rock radio stations.

The band first became aware of "Jesus Is Just Alright" after hearing The Byrds' version and before long the song had been added to The Doobie Brothers' own live repertoire. As a result, the song's musical arrangement is very similar to the one used by The Byrds, although The Doobie Brothers' rendition does include an extra bridge that the band added themselves. Although none of the individual band members were religiously inclined, the song went on to become very popular among Christians during the early 1970s, particularly those within the hippie counterculture that were involved with the Jesus movement.

In addition to its appearance on Toulouse Street, the song can also be found on a number of Doobie Brothers' compilations, including Best of The Doobies, Listen to the Music: The Very Best of The Doobie Brothers, Long Train Runnin': 1970-2000, Greatest Hits, and The Very Best of The Doobie Brothers. Live recordings of the song appear on the Farewell Tour, Rockin' down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert, and Live at Wolf Trap albums.