Toulouse Street

Toulouse Street
Toulouse Street
Studio album by the Doobie Brothers
Released	July 1972
Recorded	1972
Studios	Warner Bros. Studios, North Hollywood; Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco (tracks 4, 8, 10);
Genres	Rock; pop rock; gospel; Southern rock;
Length	35:33
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Ted Templeman
The Doobie Brothers chronology
Singles from Toulouse Street
	"Listen to the Music" / "Toulouse Street"; Released: July 19, 1972; "Jesus Is Just Alright" / "Rockin' Down the Highway"; Released: November 15, 1972;

Toulouse Street is the second studio album by American rock band the Doobie Brothers. It was released in July 1972, by Warner Bros. Records. It was the band's first album with bassist Tiran Porter and also the first with drummer Michael Hossack to augment existing drummer John Hartman, putting in place their trademark twin-drummer sound. Toulouse Street is the name of a street in New Orleans. The cover and inside centerfold photos were taken at a former brothel on Toulouse Street. The album includes the singles "Listen to the Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright".

The album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.^[1]

The song "Mamaloi" was written by guitarist and vocalist Patrick Simmons and featured Tom Johnston on lead vocals. The song is unlike the others on the album, with Toulouse Street being a rock record and this song being reggae. Allmusic critic Bruce Eder described "Mamaloi" as a "laid-back Caribbean idyll".^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]
Christgau's Record Guide	C^[4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[5]
The Great Rock Discography	6/10^[6]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	3.5/5^[7]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)^[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[9]

Track listing

All songs written and sung by Tom Johnston unless otherwise noted.

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Vocals	Length
1.	"Listen to the Music"		Johnston, Patrick Simmons	4:44
2.	"Rockin' Down the Highway"			3:18
3.	"Mamaloi"	Simmons		2:28
4.	"Toulouse Street"	Simmons	Simmons	3:20
5.	"Cotton Mouth"	James Seals, Darrell Crofts		3:44

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Vocals	Length
6.	"Don't Start Me to Talkin'"	Sonny Boy Williamson II		2:41
7.	"Jesus Is Just Alright"	Arthur Reid Reynolds	Simmons, Johnston	4:33
8.	"White Sun"			2:28
9.	"Disciple"			6:42
10.	"Snake Man"			1:35

Personnel

The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston – guitars, lead vocals (1–3, 5–10), backing vocals
Patrick Simmons – guitars, lead vocals (1, 4, 7), backing vocals, banjo (1),^[10] recorder (4)^[11]
Tiran Porter – bass (1–3, 5–10), backing vocals
John Hartman – drums, percussion
Michael Hossack – drums, steel drums (1)^[12]

Additional musicians

Dave Shogren – bass (4), acoustic guitar (4), backing vocals (8)
Bill Payne – piano (2, 6), organ (5, 7)
Jerry Jumonville – tenor saxophone (5, 6), horn arrangements (5, 6)
Jon Robert Smith – tenor saxophone (5, 6)
Joe Lane Davis – baritone saxophone (5, 6)
Sherman Marshall Cyr – trumpet (5, 6)
Ted Templeman – additional percussion

Technical

Produced by Ted Templeman
Engineered by Donn Landee
Associate producers and engineers – Stephen Barncard and Marty Cohn (4, 8, 10)
Production coordination – Benita Brazier
Photography – Michael Maggid and Jill Maggid
Art direction – Ed Thrasher
Design – John Casado and Barbara Casado
Management – Bruce Cohn

Charts

Chart (1972–1973)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[13]	57
Canada (RPM)^[14]	24
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[15]	30
US (Billboard 200)^[16]	21

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[17]	Gold	20,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

↑ Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1945–1972. Record Research. p. 45. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
↑ Eder, Bruce. "Toulouse Street". Allmusic. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
↑ Bruce Eder. "Toulouse Street - The Doobie Brothers". AllMusic. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: D". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
↑ Strong, Martin Charles (2002). "The Doobie Brothers". The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.
↑ "The Doobie Brothers - Toulouse Street". Retrieved November 28, 2019.
↑ Steve Ditlea (October 12, 1972). "The Doobie Brothers: Toulouse Street". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 253. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
↑ Mastropolo, Frank (November 29, 2012). "Doobie Brothers' Tom Johnston Reflects on 'Listen to the Music' at 40". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
↑ Renoff, Greg (February 2024). "Donn Landee: Keeping an Open Mind, Part Two". Tape Op. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
↑ Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. ECW Press. p. 154. ISBN 978-1770414839.
↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 92. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
↑ "RPM Search Engine" (PHP). Library and Archives Canada. March 31, 2004.
↑ "Charts.nz – The Doobie Brothers – Toulouse Street". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
↑ "The Doobie Brothers Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
↑ "Was It Any of These Men?" (PDF). Cash Box. February 28, 1974. p. 51. Retrieved November 15, 2021 – via World Radio History.

[Whitburn-1] Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1945–1972. Record Research. p. 45. Retrieved November 30, 2025.

[2] Eder, Bruce. "Toulouse Street". Allmusic. Retrieved May 14, 2017.

[3] Bruce Eder. "Toulouse Street - The Doobie Brothers". AllMusic. Retrieved August 19, 2018.

[4] Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: D". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

[5] Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.

[6] Strong, Martin Charles (2002). "The Doobie Brothers". The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.

[7] "The Doobie Brothers - Toulouse Street". Retrieved November 28, 2019.

[8] Steve Ditlea (October 12, 1972). "The Doobie Brothers: Toulouse Street". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2018.

[9] Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 253. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

[10] Mastropolo, Frank (November 29, 2012). "Doobie Brothers' Tom Johnston Reflects on 'Listen to the Music' at 40". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved January 29, 2014.

[11] Renoff, Greg (February 2024). "Donn Landee: Keeping an Open Mind, Part Two". Tape Op. Retrieved March 5, 2024.

[12] Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. ECW Press. p. 154. ISBN 978-1770414839.

[aus-13] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 92. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[RPM-14] "RPM Search Engine" (PHP). Library and Archives Canada. March 31, 2004.

[ac_New_Zealand_The_Doobie_Brothers-15] "Charts.nz – The Doobie Brothers – Toulouse Street". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 10, 2024.

[BBA-16] "The Doobie Brothers Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2021.

[aus76-17] "Was It Any of These Men?" (PDF). Cash Box. February 28, 1974. p. 51. Retrieved November 15, 2021 – via World Radio History.

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v t e The Doobie Brothers
Tom Johnston Patrick Simmons Michael McDonald John McFee John Hartman Dave Shogren Michael Hossack Tiran Porter Keith Knudsen Jeff "Skunk" Baxter Chet McCracken Cornelius Bumpus Bobby LaKind Willie Weeks
Studio albums	The Doobie Brothers Toulouse Street The Captain and Me What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits Stampede Takin' It to the Streets Livin' on the Fault Line Minute by Minute One Step Closer Cycles Brotherhood Sibling Rivalry World Gone Crazy Southbound Liberté Walk This Road
Live albums	Farewell Tour Rockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert Live at Wolf Trap
Compilations	Best of The Doobies Best of The Doobies Volume II Listen to the Music: The Very Best of The Doobie Brothers Long Train Runnin': 1970–2000 Greatest Hits The Very Best of The Doobie Brothers
Singles	"Nobody" "Listen to the Music" "Jesus Is Just Alright" / "Rockin' Down the Highway" "Long Train Runnin'" "China Grove" "Another Park, Another Sunday" / "Black Water" "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" "I Cheat the Hangman" "Takin' It to the Streets" "Wheels of Fortune" "It Keeps You Runnin'" "Little Darlin' (I Need You)" "Echoes of Love" "What a Fool Believes" "Minute by Minute" "Dependin' on You" "Real Love" "Wynken, Blynken & Nod" "You Belong to Me" (live) "The Doctor" "Dangerous"
Related articles	Discography Songs Band members Southern Pacific On Our Way Up

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