What was the first album by the Doobie Brothers to feature Michael McDonald on lead vocals?

The first album by The Doobie Brothers to feature Michael McDonald on lead vocals was "Takin' It to the Streets". The album was their sixth studio album and was formally released on March 19, 1976, by Warner Bros. Records.

The single song which was also titled "Takin' It to the Streets" was written by McDonald as the keyboard player and lead singer of the band. McDonald joined the group when Doobie guitarist Tom Johnson fell ill in 1975. McDonald said, "The words were partly inspired by a college essay my sister Maureen wrote." Hence the line, "Take this message to my brother."

The song is written from the perspective of someone growing up amid poverty and despair in the inner city. It is addressed to an audience that has no idea what it's like to live there ("you don't know my kind in your world"). McDonald fleshed out the lyric after a conversation with his sister. He mentioned that they talked about how society was letting poor people fall through the cracks.

This song was able to peak at No. 13 in the United States and No. 7 in Canada.