What a fool believes- Classic or Dud

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Is this Doobie Brothers cheezy 70's song a classic or dud

― startrekman, Saturday, 20 November 2004 03:51 (twenty years ago)

I'd sooner choose "Takin' it To the Streets" than this sonic toothache.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 November 2004 04:02 (twenty years ago)

that bleepy keyboard melody = supa-classic!

Lesser covered this song live w karaoke backing and it was real gnarly.

When we toured with Bj0rk the previous occupant of the tourbus was . . . . M1chael McD0nald! And there were some programs and glossy photos of the man himself left over in the bus! Hotttt!

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Saturday, 20 November 2004 04:21 (twenty years ago)

I seem to remember them (the Brothers Doobie) playing "What a Fool Believes" on SNL back in the day, and the whole song going horrendously out of tune half way through.

Why does Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (a weapons expert, btw) play guitar while sitting on a bar stool?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 November 2004 04:30 (twenty years ago)

"Why does Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (a weapons expert, btw) play guitar while sitting on a bar stool?"

It may be from too many years being a fairly sucessful studio musician?

"I'd sooner choose "Takin' it To the Streets" than this sonic toothache."

Yesssssss!

― pheNAM (pheNAM), Saturday, 20 November 2004 04:41 (twenty years ago)

Well, if we're going to choose our favorite TITTS number, then put me down for For Someone Special. Wonderful.

― jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 20 November 2004 04:59 (twenty years ago)

Classic, as is I Keep Forgettin'

― derrick (derrick), Saturday, 20 November 2004 06:28 (twenty years ago)

totally classic

― amateur!!st, Saturday, 20 November 2004 06:50 (twenty years ago)

Well, in terms of records, I prefer the earlier Doobs, with Tom Johnson, who was drivin' wheel (as writer or co-writer, vocalist, and omg rhythm guitarrrist), on "Listen To The Music," "China Grove," "Toulouse Street"(Without Love? Where WOULD we be right now, an-na-na"). Didn't see 'em live. The McDoobs no doubt went out of tuen like that (wasn't the orig rec. damn near out of tune?). But, he was part of the Steely Dan band diaspora (Yes! Steely was a band! Get their first three or even two whole albums; after that it's cherry-pickin' time). He came over with Skunk, Denny Diaz, maybe some others, and they did at least one tour also backed by the Memphis Horns and platoon of backing (shoulda-been-full-fledged)Doobie Sisters, and my friends who went said it was GREAT. Well I would hope so, considering all that. (Think they've done some relatively recent shows with Tom *and* Michael, or at least the former)

― don, Saturday, 20 November 2004 07:26 (twenty years ago)

McDoobs

heh...perfect.

and classic!!!

― bulbs (bulbs), Saturday, 20 November 2004 07:29 (twenty years ago)

Did you ever think China Grove was Time & Go? I did. Well yer talkin bout time . . . time and go, whoa-oah-oah . . . whoah-oah, time & go . . . chuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachuggachug. Every day, there's a new day comin' . . . .

― larry mulligan, Saturday, 20 November 2004 07:31 (twenty years ago)

"Toulouse Street"(Without Love? Where WOULD we be right now, an-na-na")

that would be "long train runnin'," actually, in case anybody needs to know.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Saturday, 20 November 2004 07:35 (twenty years ago)

Fact Checking Cuz in moniker-affirming SHOCKAH!

I must sheepishly admit to also kinda diggin' "Listen To The Music," "China Grove," and "Long Train Runnin," but please don't tell any of my cool hip punk rock friends, or they'll confiscate my Doc Martens.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 November 2004 08:15 (twenty years ago)

Everytime I heard the Siblings of the House of Doobie, I am immediately reminded of their dubious cameo on 70's sit-com, "What's Happenin'" (the one where Rerun is conned into bootlegging their show). So moved is he by "Takin' it to the Streets", that he stands up...only to have the crappy tape recorder (one of those models that you had when you were eleven years old) fall out of his trench coat...immediately causing gasps.

Classic television.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 November 2004 08:17 (twenty years ago)

I recently made it through part of an "Austin City Limits" featuring McD (opening for Joss Stone, who still isn't legal). He wisely let the Mdettes have a lot of the key-challenges. But omg, lots of vintage Motown, from his most recent release, MOTOWN. He should not be aloud within two blocks of a Marvin or Stevie ballad (uptempo, he kinda yelps and bays after the band and singers ok)

― don, Saturday, 20 November 2004 09:10 (twenty years ago)

totally classic, at least top 10 of the 70's I reckon

― tremendoid, Saturday, 20 November 2004 11:31 (twenty years ago)

Classic:
Great lyric and melody.
Still sounds good coming out of an FM radio today.

Dud:
That dire M-People from a few years ago.
Ushered in that whole "white-guy-bends-his-voice-to-sound-like-a-black-man-twice-his-size" style of singing and thus unwittingly begat Michael Bolton's career.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 20 November 2004 16:01 (twenty years ago)

classic. love this song

― Dominique (dleone), Saturday, 20 November 2004 16:04 (twenty years ago)

Classic. One of the very VERY few Song Of the Year Grammies that actually deserved it.

― Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 21 November 2004 01:38 (twenty years ago)

Yep, used to hate that damn song, but it is a classic. And it is all about that keyboard lead throughout the song.

― hector savage, Sunday, 21 November 2004 12:27 (twenty years ago)

Normally I'd rate this a classic but yet I think if I heard it now I'd have to turn it off at least a minute and a half before it ended.

― Bimble (bimble), Sunday, 21 November 2004 12:31 (twenty years ago)

So classic it hurtz.

― 57 7th (calstars), Sunday, 21 November 2004 15:22 (twenty years ago)

I have a soft spot for Michael McDonald anyway, but there's no shame in loving this -- co-written, of course, by decidedly less godly Kenny Loggins. Not exactly sure what Mike and Kenny had going on around this time (let's not forget their other hit, "This Is It"), but I'm guessing it had something to do with Pablo Escobar.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 November 2004 03:57 (twenty years ago)

Dud: the fact that I still can't make out the words without a lyric sheet

Dud: the number of songs that seized upon that keyb line ("He's So Shy," "Steal Away," etc.)

Dud: the fact that Michael McDonald sucked the heart and soul out of that band

But it's a whole lot better than "Minute By Minute."

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 22 November 2004 15:57 (twenty years ago)

i was sure this has been done.

very classic.

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 22 November 2004 16:01 (twenty years ago)

Classic, but I think I prefer the cover by Self.

There was an Onion column where they listed the decrees Clinton passed in his final days. One was that July 28th (or whatever) was now "What A Fool Believes Day," where everyone thinks about how great that song is.

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 22 November 2004 16:02 (twenty years ago)

Classic, and so is Aretha Franklin's 1980 cover version of same.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Monday, 22 November 2004 16:38 (twenty years ago)

OMG, I'm stunned that anyone believes that. Her cover of WAFB may be the worst thing she's ever done. It's not just an unsympathetic production, it's a downright hostile production.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 22 November 2004 18:26 (twenty years ago)

Well, I've said so many nasty things about M.M. (stands for "Marble Mouth") himself here on ILX - a guy who has admittedly never done me any specific PERSONAL harm - so I'm gonna throw the guy a charity-bone this one time and call it CLASSIC - even tho I really don't like it that much. But that squeaky kbd is indeed kinda nice. And for all I know, "What A Fool Believes" has the greatest lyrics of all time, altho I can't say for sure since I can never understand more than a syllable the guy mumbles. So Doobie-wise, figure "What A Fool Believes" to be inferior to Tom Johnston's handful of classics (which all sound alike) but superior to Patrick Simmons' "Black Water" (which doesn't.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 22 November 2004 18:29 (twenty years ago)

Super Keelassic.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 22 November 2004 18:30 (twenty years ago)

"Black Water" makes me want to start a second Civil War.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 November 2004 18:43 (twenty years ago)

"What a Fool" is a good song. But the performance, OK, it's catchy but Michael McDonald makes me wanna urp. Awful, awful singing, the worst in white-soul shit. I find "Minute By Minute" annoying too. "Takin' It to the Streets" I learned how play on piano recently, why I don't know. Around some people who insisted I take a look at their state-of-the-art fakebook. But it's kind of good, even though the McDoobs, did they "take it to the street" ever and "did they know me even though I'm not their brother" and all that? What a load of '70s bullshit.

I'm not a fan of their earlier music either. As a Moby Grape for the masses, they were everywhere in the '70s and the only time I liked them was Skunk Baxter's or someone else named Skunk's guitar solo in their cover of "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While") if I have that title correct here. Flipping channels recently I saw them live from not long ago and they did that one and the guitar solo was exactly the same! Which means they know who's rolling their doobies, man. "Black Water" is really about the south, sure. "China Grove" and "Long Train Running" and "Listen to the Music" are all things best forgotten. All in all, an unfortunate era in music, an unfortunate name, so fuck 'em.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 01:29 (twenty years ago)

classic for driving around making bleating, wordless, falsetto moans in time with michael mcdonald's imcomprehensible lyrics...

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 02:34 (twenty years ago)

I kinda wanna slap anybody who buys his Motown albums.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 02:48 (twenty years ago)

I heard one song at Taco Bell and it was a carbon copy with him singing? WTF. Buy the original!

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 02:49 (twenty years ago)

the lyrics are hard to make out, but they are actually pretty good!

― amateur!!st, Tuesday, 23 November 2004 02:51 (twenty years ago)

By the time I heard the Doobies' version of this song, I had already been listening to the Kenny Loggins version for 6 months (bought on the strength of the duet with the then-hot Stevie Nicks.) My memory is hazy on what the Kenny Loggins version sounds like because I shelved it years ago.. But I do remember thinking that the Doobies' version totally sucked by comparison.

Michael McDonald is total crap, by the way.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:43 (twenty years ago)

the lyrics are hard to make out, but they are actually pretty good!

The line, "anybody else would surely know he's watching her go" always - ALWAYS - chokes me up.

― Dominique (dleone), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:58 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

Alright, alright, I give up. Heard this on the radio 5 minutes ago & found myself enjoying it.

I now officially have NO convictions about anything.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:48 (twenty years ago)

I just love the harmonies and the chintzy synth, and when the quadruple-tracked Chorus of McDonalds sings something like "MEMARMEMARMEMARMAMR!" in the chorus

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 April 2005 18:38 (twenty years ago)

K FOR KLASSIC

How dare Robbie Dupree try to steal such recorded brillance and rename it as "Steal Away". DAMN YOU ROBBIE!!

― ZionTrain, Thursday, 28 April 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/etienne_saint/whatafool.jpg

― omar little, Thursday, 26 June 2008 22:47 (seventeen years ago)

THE BEST OF THE FOOL TRILOGY: Rita Lee - Lança Perfume

― PappaWheelie V, Thursday, 26 June 2008 22:49 (seventeen years ago)

Classic, as is I Keep Forgettin'

-- derrick (derrick), Saturday, November 20, 2004 6:28 AM (3 years ago) Bookmark Link

― Raw Patrick, Thursday, 26 June 2008 22:57 (seventeen years ago)

QFT there.

― Raw Patrick, Thursday, 26 June 2008 22:58 (seventeen years ago)

five years pass...

Let's not kid each other. None of us knows what the fuck this song is about.

― calstars, Tuesday, 18 March 2014 20:45 (eleven years ago)

It's not hard to understand what it's about

― james franco tur(oll)ing test (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 18 March 2014 21:00 (eleven years ago)

not a hard read I don't think

― (or if you must, "data") (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 18 March 2014 21:29 (eleven years ago)

I count at least three discrete keyboard lines coursing through this thing.

― Bryan Fairy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 18 March 2014 21:30 (eleven years ago)

the treatment of the keyboards on this whole album is genius

― (or if you must, "data") (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 18 March 2014 21:31 (eleven years ago)

eight months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h87Uo6Bvwyw

― maura, Saturday, 13 December 2014 21:35 (ten years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb44OfIlqFg

― maura, Saturday, 13 December 2014 21:35 (ten years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCZ5MTnB7w

― maura, Saturday, 13 December 2014 21:36 (ten years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ1ZhujRXBQ

― maura, Saturday, 13 December 2014 21:37 (ten years ago)

this is the definitive best cover though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi9ljuZ_jNg

― maura, Saturday, 13 December 2014 21:41 (ten years ago)

one year passes...

Being of the age when I've been both a fool and a wise man, I can say with some authority that the wise does have the power to reason it away, and what seems to be is always better than nothing.

― calstars, Saturday, 9 January 2016 02:02 (nine years ago)

five years pass...

What did Kenny contribute to this song? Seems so mcDonalds.

― ncxkd, Saturday, 18 September 2021 00:11 (three years ago)

Oh tracy you cant use any of mah sooongs

― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Saturday, 18 September 2021 04:29 (three years ago)

One of the finest songs ever made

― Vinnie, Saturday, 18 September 2021 05:07 (three years ago)

lol jeez edd

― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 18 September 2021 09:42 (three years ago)

Not one of the finest songs ever made, there are many, many that are finer. And yet you'd have to be very sick indeed to hate this, it's marvellous

― Zelda Zonk, Saturday, 18 September 2021 12:24 (three years ago)

What if this couple really were suited to being together, and the woman's the fool for not recognizing it?

― Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 19 September 2021 04:56 (three years ago)

Mind blown

― calstars, Sunday, 19 September 2021 11:33 (three years ago)

Why did she have a relationship with a man who "never made her think twice"?

― Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 19 September 2021 12:55 (three years ago)

The relationship is in his head
That’s the point of the song

― calstars, Sunday, 19 September 2021 13:07 (three years ago)

Why are the verses unrhymed? Because they realized that they needed the maximum amount of freedom in trying to sketch out this subtle and unusual scenario, and forcing the words into a rhyming pattern would distort the meaning.

― Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 19 September 2021 13:49 (three years ago)

two months pass...

Just discovered Aretha Franklin's/Arif Mardin's version and obsessed with it.

― Milm & Foovies (Eric H.), Sunday, 5 December 2021 06:03 (three years ago)

one year passes...

This version at the Grammys absolutely smokes:

44 years ago today, April 14, 1979, ‘What A Fool Believes’ by The Doobie Bros reached #1 on Billboard Hot 💯where it remained for 1 week.

The song received Grammy Awards in 1980 for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year on February 27, 1980 at Shrine Auditorium in Los… pic.twitter.com/OapMescH2i
— Boston Radio Watch®️ (@bostonradio) April 14, 2023

― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 14 April 2023 23:31 (two years ago)

How odd, I just watched this vid last night.

Fantastic performance

― Will.I.Am's fetid urine (Neanderthal), Friday, 14 April 2023 23:39 (two years ago)

Excellent, crisp piano

― calstars, Friday, 14 April 2023 23:46 (two years ago)

Along with “I Will Survive” from the same time period, this is one of the first songs I ever had the sense was being overplayed by the radio. Millennials will never understand how mind numbingly irritating it was to hear “What a Fool Believes” everywhere all the time, for years

― Josefa, Friday, 14 April 2023 23:54 (two years ago)

two years pass...

Posted this here kind of spoils part of it, but check out Darian Sahanaja's story.

(What he plays on the piano sounds more like the Beach Boys' "Do It Again" though - if Brian played that, maybe that was the point?)

― birdistheword, Friday, 20 June 2025 16:31 (one week ago)

LOL

― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 21 June 2025 05:00 (one week ago)

Doo doo doo doo doo doo

― calstars, Saturday, 21 June 2025 05:10 (one week ago)

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