Doobie Brothers - Jesus is Just Alright

"Jesus Is Just Alright" is a gospel song written by Art Reynolds and first recorded by Reynolds' own group, The Art Reynolds Singers, on their 1966 album, Tellin' It Like It Is.

The Doobie Brothers' version of "Jesus Is Just Alright" was first released on their second album, Toulouse Street, in 1972.[5] 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 No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1973.[6][19] The single featured a shorter, edited version of the song compared to the one included on the album.[5] The Doobie Brothers' version of "Jesus Is Just Alright" was one of a number of religiously-themed songs to reach the U.S. charts between 1969 and 1973.[a] The song, along with its B-side, continues to be a staple of playlists on classic rock radio stations.[citation needed]

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.[24] In 2007, bassist Tiran Porter claimed that the idea of adding a slow bridge was his, including the lyrics "Jesus is my friend", but due to the high vocal range demanded, guitarist Patrick Simmons sang lead instead of him.[25] 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.[26]