“Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)“ is a song written by the premier Motown songwriting /production team of Bryan Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland in the 1960’s….as Eddie Holland made the original recording of the song in 1964….which was followed by Kim Weston’s recording in 1965….which It peaked at # 4 on the R&B chart in Billboard….and at # 50 on the Hot 100….then in 1967, the Isley Brothers remade the song….and their version reached # 121 in the U.S…..while hitting # 22 on the R&B chart….after which Jermaine Jackson covered “Take Me in Your Arms” for his first solo album, Jermaine, which was released in 1972.
The Doobie Brothers remade “Take Me in Your Arms” for their 1975 Stampede album…..as Tom Johnston, who was then the Doobies’ frontman, later recalled, “I had been a fan of that song since it came out somewhere in the ’60’s. I just loved that song. So somewhere around ’72 I started lobbying to get the band to do a cover of that. And I didn’t get anywhere until ’75. Then finally in 1975 we actually did it.”
Doobies member Jeff Baxter said of their recording, “That song was like a dream come true for us. Every musician I’ve ever known has at some point wanted to achieve Motown’s technically slick soul sound – it’s so dynamic. We sat down to try to duplicate it, and to see if our version could emerge as a successful single.” According to Doobies member Patrick Simmons, “At first the band sounded like the Grateful Dead doing the Four Tops, but gradually it came together quite accurately.”….as Motown veteran Paul Riser was enlisted to arrange the track.
Released as the lead single of Stampede in 1975, “Take Me in Your Arms” reached a United States Hot 100 peak of # 11 that June…..and gave the Doobie Brothers their only chart hit in France….where it reached # 37….as the track also charted in the UK at # 29. As seen in this video herewith….the Doobies sing “Take Me in Your Arms” live on stage in 1983 at their Farewell Concert.
