"It Keeps You Runnin'" is a song by the American rock band

The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1970. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five decades, with their greate ...

. The song was written by band member Michael McDonald, and served as the third single from their sixth studio album '' Takin' It to the Streets'' (1976). It was also covered by

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...

the same year and released as the lead single from her sixth studio album '' Another Passenger''. The Doobie Brothers' version was featured in the 1994

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-winning film ''

Forrest Gump ''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. An adaptation of the Forrest Gump (novel), 1986 novel by Winston Groom, the screenplay of the film is written by Eric Roth. It stars Tom Hanks in the title rol ...

'', and was included on the film's

multi-platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

selling

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...

. The song was also featured in the soundtrack of the 1978 film '' FM''.

Lyrics and music

According to

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

critic Jason Elias, the music of "It Keeps You Runnin'" reflects a "jazzy R&B influence" and "gospel-based keyboard shading." Elias described the lyrics as the singer "trying to talk some woman into listening to what her heart is trying to say -- the oldest trick in the book."

Reception

''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Michael Gallucci rated "It Keeps You Runnin'" as the Doobie Brothers' 10th greatest song, describing it as being "California-funky."

Track listing

7" single # "It Keeps You Runnin'" – 4:07 # "Turn It Loose" – 3:53

Personnel

* Michael McDonald – keyboards, vocals * Patrick Simmons – guitar, backing vocals * Jeff "Skunk" Baxter – guitar * Tiran Porter – bass, backing vocals * Keith Knudsen – drums, backing vocals * John Hartman – drums

Additional Personnel

Ted Templeman Edward John "Ted" Templeman (born October 24, 1942) is an American musician and record producer. Among the acts with whom he has had a long relationship are the rock bands Van Halen and Doobie Brothers and the singer Van Morrison; he produced ...

– percussion, producer *

Bobby LaKind Robert Jay LaKind (November 3, 1945 – December 24, 1992) was an American conga player, vocalist, songwriter and occasional backup drummer with The Doobie Brothers. Originally a lighting roadie for the band, he was invited to join as a sideman ...

–

congas The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are stave (wood), staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (drum), quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), an ...

Charts

Carly Simon version

American singer-songwriter and musician

covered "It Keeps You Runnin'" for her sixth studio album '' Another Passenger'', and the song served as the lead single. Simon's version charted on both the ''Billboard'' Pop singles (Hot 100) chart and the ''Billboard''

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

chart. The Doobie Brothers played and provided backing vocals on the track.

produced both Simon's and The Doobie's versions, as well as each of their albums from which the song is featured.

Reception

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'' described it as an "interesting mid -tempo rocker" with a "jazzy feel" that has a powerful vocal performance by Simon. ''Billboard'' specifically praised the guitar playing and the

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. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that Simon's "vocal is always clean and sensuous, and sensitive to the excellent backing," calling the song "an upbeat cut, with attractive chord changes and

-filled lyric." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' called it "a refreshing change of pace for the songstress who sounds very comfortable with the palpitating percussive Doobies beat."

Personnel

– lead vocals, backing vocals * Michael McDonald – keyboards * Jeff Baxter –

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

* Patrick Simmons – electric guitar * Tiran Porter – bass * John Hartman – drums * Keith Knudsen – drums *

– backing vocals

Track listing

7" single (US) # "It Keeps You Runnin'" – 3:56 # "Look Me In The Eyes" – 3:34 7" single (UK) # "It Keeps You Runnin'" – 3:56 # "Be with Me" – 1:53

Charts

References

External links

The Doobie Brothers Official Website

Michael McDonald's Official Website

Carly Simon's Official Website
{{authority control 1976 singles 1977 singles The Doobie Brothers songs Carly Simon songs Songs written by Michael McDonald (musician) Song recordings produced by Ted Templeman Warner Records singles Elektra Records singles 1976 songs