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Remember When Carly Simon and Michael McDonald Wrote a Song Together in the 70s?
Carly Simon and Michael McDonald co-wrote “You Belong to Me”, a song whose lyrics frame infidelity as a way to make a partner more attracted. McDonald wrote the lyrics first, and producer Ted Templeman suggested he send them to Simon, who helped complete the song with a melody.
The Doobie Brothers released the first recording on their 1977 album *Livin’ on the Fault Line*, while Simon issued her version as a single in 1978. It became her final top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Later recordings included versions by Anita Baker, Jennifer Lopez, and McDonald with Concha Buika in 2022.
In short
- Simon and McDonald co-wrote “You Belong to Me”.
- The Doobie Brothers recorded it first in 1977.
- Simon’s 1978 version became her final Hot 100 top 10.
Explained simply
Carly Simon was an American singer-songwriter whose hits included “You’re So Vain”. Michael McDonald was a singer and keyboard player, best known at the time for his work with the Doobie Brothers, a US rock band.
The two musicians co-wrote “You Belong to Me” in the 1970s. McDonald began with the lyrics, and producer Ted Templeman suggested that he send them to Simon; she added a melody to complete the song.
The Doobie Brothers recorded it first for their 1977 album, and Simon released her own version the following year. Her recording reached the US top 10, and later versions by other singers helped keep the song in circulation.
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