The Captain and Me
Encyclopedia
The Captain and Me is the third studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers
, released in 1973
. It features some of their most popular hits including "Long Train Running
", "China Grove
" and "Without You". The album is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.
Several instruments unique to the Doobie Brothers such as synthesizers and strings were brought in to record The Captain and Me. Synth programmers Malcolm Cecil
and Robert Margouleff
were brought in to engineer the opening track, "Natural Thing". Striving for a synthesized sound like that of The Beatles
' "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
" they would overdub singular notes to create chords for the song's bridge.
"Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" was a very bluesy track (one of the band's earliest) and seen by Tom Johnston as a tribute to the blues and B.B. King. "South City Midnight Lady", while being about San Jose
, is not about any woman in particular. Jeff Baxter
of Steely Dan
played pedal steel guitar
on the track. He would become an official Doobie Brother in 1974. Cecil and Margouleff also added the synthesized effect of a woman whispering at the end.
"Clear as the Driven Snow", according to Johnston, is a warning about recreational chemical abuse, which reflected the band members' lifestyles at that time.
The second side of the album opens with the rocker "Without You". This song, like many others had begun as a jam. "That song had both drummers playing at the same time," Johnston stated. "it was kind of a tribute to The Who
. We did it in concert for quite a while."
Patrick Simmons' short solo guitar piece "Busted Down Around O'Connelley Corners" segues into "Ukiah", which Johnston wrote in tribute to the area. "We played a few shows in Ukiah
, and I used to camp out a lot in the area when I was going to college." He said. The song's back-to-the-land sentiments also reflected some of his feelings at the time, although he admitted he probably couldn't make it as a farmer. This track segues into the album closer and title track, "The Captain and Me". According to Johnston, the captain is no one in particular and the lyrics were written at the last minute and have no real meaning. The song was released as a single in the Netherlands
and received some airplay there.
on a freeway overpass. "All that stuff came from the Warner Bros. film studios lot," Tom Johnston said. "It must've been a lot of work for the guys who brought up the horse team and the carriage and the clothes. It was fun to do-they had coffins out there, all kinds of crazy stuff." The photography was done by Michael and Jill Maggid. The setting for the cover was located on a part of the Interstate 5
freeway near Sylmar, California that collapsed during the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. This same section of freeway would collapse again during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Additional players:
Singles
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
, released in 1973
1973 in music
-January–April:*January 9 – Mick Jagger's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug conviction, putting an abrupt end to The Rolling Stones' plans to perform in Japan during their forthcoming tour.*January 14...
. It features some of their most popular hits including "Long Train Running
Long Train Running
"Long Train Runnin" is a song written by musician Tom Johnston and recorded by The Doobie Brothers. It was included on the band's 1973 album The Captain and Me and released as a single, becoming a top-ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number eight...
", "China Grove
China Grove (song)
"China Grove" is a song from The Doobie Brothers' 1973 album The Captain and Me. It was written by original lead singer Tom Johnston, before he fell ill in 1975 and was replaced by Michael McDonald. The song is based on a real town in Texas with the same name. The connection is obvious given its...
" and "Without You". The album is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.
Recording and content
This time around in recording, there was more pressure on the band to move quickly. What the band did to save time was to begin reworking old tunes. One of Tom Johnston's songs' titled "Osborn" had been an improvisational piece that the band always played live. After laying down the track, according to producer Ted Templeman. "We still really didn't have it, and I said, 'Make it about a train, since you have this thing about "Miss Lucy down along the track." So he came up with "Long Train Runnin'."Several instruments unique to the Doobie Brothers such as synthesizers and strings were brought in to record The Captain and Me. Synth programmers Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Cecil is a British jazz bassist and Grammy Award-winning record producer.A founding member of the UK's leading jazz quintet of the late 1950s, The Jazz Couriers, he went on to join a number of British jazz combos led by Dick Morrissey, Tony Crombie and Ronnie Scott in the late 50s and...
and Robert Margouleff
Robert Margouleff
Robert Margouleff is a Grammy Award winning American record producer, recording engineer, electronic music pioneer, audio expert, and film producer....
were brought in to engineer the opening track, "Natural Thing". Striving for a synthesized sound like that of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song from the 1967 album by The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was composed by John Lennon...
" they would overdub singular notes to create chords for the song's bridge.
"Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" was a very bluesy track (one of the band's earliest) and seen by Tom Johnston as a tribute to the blues and B.B. King. "South City Midnight Lady", while being about San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, is not about any woman in particular. Jeff Baxter
Jeff Baxter
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s...
of Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
played pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
on the track. He would become an official Doobie Brother in 1974. Cecil and Margouleff also added the synthesized effect of a woman whispering at the end.
"Clear as the Driven Snow", according to Johnston, is a warning about recreational chemical abuse, which reflected the band members' lifestyles at that time.
The second side of the album opens with the rocker "Without You". This song, like many others had begun as a jam. "That song had both drummers playing at the same time," Johnston stated. "it was kind of a tribute to The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. We did it in concert for quite a while."
Patrick Simmons' short solo guitar piece "Busted Down Around O'Connelley Corners" segues into "Ukiah", which Johnston wrote in tribute to the area. "We played a few shows in Ukiah
Ukiah, California
The average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...
, and I used to camp out a lot in the area when I was going to college." He said. The song's back-to-the-land sentiments also reflected some of his feelings at the time, although he admitted he probably couldn't make it as a farmer. This track segues into the album closer and title track, "The Captain and Me". According to Johnston, the captain is no one in particular and the lyrics were written at the last minute and have no real meaning. The song was released as a single in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and received some airplay there.
Artwork
The artwork found on the front and back of the album features the band, including manager Bruce Cohn, dressed in 19th century garments and riding a horse-drawn stagecoachStagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
on a freeway overpass. "All that stuff came from the Warner Bros. film studios lot," Tom Johnston said. "It must've been a lot of work for the guys who brought up the horse team and the carriage and the clothes. It was fun to do-they had coffins out there, all kinds of crazy stuff." The photography was done by Michael and Jill Maggid. The setting for the cover was located on a part of the Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
freeway near Sylmar, California that collapsed during the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. This same section of freeway would collapse again during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Side One
- "Natural Thing" (Johnston) – 3:17
- "Long Train Runnin'" (Johnston) – 3:25
- "China GroveChina Grove (song)"China Grove" is a song from The Doobie Brothers' 1973 album The Captain and Me. It was written by original lead singer Tom Johnston, before he fell ill in 1975 and was replaced by Michael McDonald. The song is based on a real town in Texas with the same name. The connection is obvious given its...
" (Johnston) – 3:14 - "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" (Johnston) – 4:12
- "Clear as the Driven Snow" (Simmons) – 5:18
Side Two
- "Without You" (Hartman, Hossack, Johnston, Porter, Simmons) – 4:58
- On Rockin' down the Highway: The Wildlife ConcertRockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife ConcertRockin’ Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert is the second live album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1996. .-Track listing:Disc 1#"Dangerous" – 5:58#"Jesus Is Just Alright" Rockin’ Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert is the second live album by American rock band The...
the song is arranged somewhat differently and credited to Johnston alone.
- On Rockin' down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert
- "South City Midnight Lady" (Simmons) – 5:27
- "Evil Woman" (Simmons) – 3:17
- Original pressings of the album credit authorship to "The Doobie Brothers," with more recent releases crediting Simmons alone.
- "Busted Down Around O'Connelly Corners" (James Earl Luft) – 0:48
- "Ukiah" (Johnston) – 3:04
- "The Captain and Me" (Johnston) – 4:53
Personnel
The Doobie Brothers:- Tom JohnstonTom Johnston (US musician)Tom Johnston is an American musician. He is a guitarist and vocalist, and co-founded The Doobie Brothers with drummer John Hartman, guitarist Patrick Simmons and bassist Dave Shogren....
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Patrick SimmonsPatrick SimmonsPatrick Simmons is an American musician best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the rock band The Doobie Brothers. His fingerstyle guitar playing complements the strumming style of Tom Johnston. Born in Aberdeen, Washington, he has been the band's only consistent member throughout their tenure...
- guitars, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, vocals - Tiran PorterTiran PorterTiran Porter is a American bass and guitar player, vocalist and composer. Born September 26, 1948, he graduated from Leuzinger High School in Hawthorne, CA in 1966...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - John HartmanJohn HartmanJohn Hartman is a U.S. drummer who was a co-founder and original drummer of the Doobie Brothers. At the band's inception, Hartman was the sole drummer. However, in late 1971, the group added second drummer Michael Hossack, and the dual-drummers formation has persisted ever since...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vocals - Michael HossackMichael HossackMichael Hossack is the drummer in the band The Doobie Brothers.Hossack, known as "Big Mike," learned his craft drumming in the Boy Scouts and later served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. His musical career began in a short-lived band called Mourning Reign, but upon their break-up...
- drums, congas, cymbalCymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s, timbalesTimbalesTimbales are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing, invented in Cuba. They are shallower in shape than single-headed tom-toms, and usually much higher tuned...
Additional players:
- Bill PayneBill PayneBill Payne is a founding member of American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other piano rock musicians, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano rock and blues music artists...
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Jeffrey 'Skunk' BaxterJeff BaxterJeff "Skunk" Baxter is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s...
- guitar, pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
, steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use... - Ted TemplemanTed TemplemanTed Templeman is an American record producer.-Career:He began his career in the mid 1960s in the Santa Cruz area as a drummer in a band called The Tikis. At the suggestion of Lenny Waronker, the group decided to change their name. Harpers Bizarre was born in 1966, with Templeman switching to...
- percussion - Nick DeCaro - strings arrangement
Production
- Producer: Ted Templeman
- Production Coordination: Benita Brazier
- Engineer: Donn Landee
- Design: Barbara Casado, Design
- String Arrangements: Nick DeCaro
- Photography: Jill Maggid, Photography
- Art Direction: Ed Thrasher, Art Direction
- ARP programming: Malcolm CecilMalcolm CecilMalcolm Cecil is a British jazz bassist and Grammy Award-winning record producer.A founding member of the UK's leading jazz quintet of the late 1950s, The Jazz Couriers, he went on to join a number of British jazz combos led by Dick Morrissey, Tony Crombie and Ronnie Scott in the late 50s and...
, Robert MargouleffRobert MargouleffRobert Margouleff is a Grammy Award winning American record producer, recording engineer, electronic music pioneer, audio expert, and film producer....
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Pop Albums | 7 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | "China Grove" | Pop Singles | 15 |
| 1973 | "Long Train Runnin'" | Pop Singles | 8 |