“Jesus Is Just Alright” is a gospel song written by Arthur Reid Reynolds and first recorded by Reynolds’ own group, The Art Reynolds Singers, on their 1966 album, Tellin’ It Like It Is. The song’s title makes use of the American slang term “all-right”, which during the 1960s was used to describe something that was considered ‘cool’ or very good. 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 No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1973. 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. (More from Wikipedia)
The Doobie Brothers formed in 1970 and began performing live throughout northern California, attracting a particularly strong following among the Hells Angels. The Doobies would have fit right into the discussion last month about bands who changed their styles considerably over the course of their career; they had two very different lead singers in quick succession during the 1970’s, Tom Johnston and Michael McDonald, yet scarcely missed a beat in scoring hit songs.
I always thought that “Jesus is Just Alright” was their first hit song, but it was actually the third single released by the Doobie Brothers (in late 1972), after “Listen to the Music”. While originally peaking at #35, the song quickly became a staple of classic rock stations. “Jesus is Just Alright” was originally recorded by the Art Reynolds Singers on their 1966 album, Tellin’ It Like It Is. Among rock bands, the Byrds actually recorded “Jesus is Just Alright” first, including it on their 1969 album, Ballad of Easy Rider. Other versions have been recorded by Alexis Korner and the Ventures. In the CCM world, DC Talk put “Jesus Is Just Alright” on their 1992 album, Free at Last; the early Christian heavy metal band Stryper included “Jesus Is Just Alright” on their 2013 album, No More Hell to Pay.
(July 2014)
