The Doobie Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Doobie Brothers are an American
rock
band. The group has sold over 40 million units (albums) worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame
in 2004
.
arrived in California
in 1969 determined to meet Skip Spence
of Moby Grape
and join an aborted Grape reunion. Spence introduced Hartman to singer, guitarist
and songwriter Tom Johnston
and the two proceeded to form the nucleus of what would become The Doobie Brothers. Johnston and Hartman called their fledgling group "Pud," and experimented with lineups (occasionally including Spence) and styles as they performed in and around San Jose
. They were mostly a power trio
(along with bassist Greg Murphy) but briefly worked with a horn section.
In 1970 they teamed up with bass player Dave Shogren and singer, guitarist and songwriter Patrick Simmons
. Simmons, who had belonged to several area groups (among them "Scratch", an acoustic trio with future Doobies bassist Tiran Porter
) and also performed as a solo artist, was already an accomplished fingerstyle player whose approach to the instrument complemented Johnston's rhythmic R&B
strumming.
In a recent interview, Johnston attributed the band's eventual name to friend and housemate Keith "Dyno" Rosen, who noted the guys' fondness for "doobies"
(slang for marijuana cigarettes). They considered the new moniker an improvement over Pud.
The Doobie Brothers improved their playing by performing live all over Northern California
in 1970. They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels
and got a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the Chateau Liberté in the Santa Cruz Mountains
. An energetic set of demos (eight of which were briefly and illegally released on Pickwick Records
in 1980 under the title Introducing the Doobie Brothers, and have since been bootlegged on CD under that title and On Our Way Up
as well, both with expanded song selections), showcased fuzz-toned dual lead electric guitars
, three-part harmonies and Hartman's frenetic drumming and earned the rock group a contract at Warner Bros. Records
.
At this point in their history, the band's image reflected that of their biggest fans - leather jackets and motorcycles. However, the group's 1971 self-titled debut album
departed significantly from that image and their live sound of the period. The album, which failed to chart, emphasized acoustic guitars and frequently reflected country influences. The bouncy lead-off song "Nobody", the band's first single, has surfaced in their live set several times over the ensuing decades. Most recently, this song was rerecorded and added to their 2010 CD World Gone Crazy.
The following year's second album, Toulouse Street
(which spawned the hits and classic rock staples, "Listen to the Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright
"), brought the band their breakthrough success. In collaboration with manager Bruce Cohn, producer Ted Templeman
and engineer Donn Landee, the band put forward a more polished and eclectic set of songs. They also made a change to the lineup, supplementing Hartman's drumming with that of Navy
veteran Michael Hossack
while still touring behind their first album (a concert from June 14, 1971 at Fillmore West
bears this out as it has this short-lived lineup). Also, the band recorded several songs on the second album with Shogren on bass, guitar & background vocals. But during the album's recording, Shogren left after disagreements with producer Templeman. Shogren was replaced with singer, songwriter and bass guitarist Tiran Porter
. Porter and Hossack were both stalwarts of the northern California
music scene, Porter having previously played in Scratch with Simmons. Porter brought a funkier bass style to the band and added his husky baritone to the voices of Johnston and Simmons, resulting in a rich three-part harmonic vocal blend. Pianist Bill Payne
of Little Feat
contributed keyboards for the first time, beginning a decades-long collaboration that included many recording sessions and even a two-week stint touring with the band in 1974. With an improved rhythm
section and the songwriting of Johnston and Simmons, the Doobies' trademark sound - an amalgam of R&B
, country, bluegrass, hard rock
, roadhouse
boogie
, funk
and rock and roll
- emerged fully formed.
A string of hits followed, including Johnston's "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove
", from the 1973 album The Captain and Me
. Other noteworthy songs on the album were Simmons' country-ish ode "South City Midnight Lady" and the explosive, hard rocking raveup, "Without You", for which the entire band received songwriting credit. Onstage, the latter song would sometimes stretch into a 15-minute jam with additional lyrics
ad-libbed by Johnston. A 1973 appearance on the debut episode of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
featured one such epic performance of the tune.
In the midst of recording sessions for their next album, 1974's What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
, Hossack abruptly departed the band, citing burnout from constant touring. Drummer, songwriter and vocalist Keith Knudsen
(who previously drummed for Lee Michaels
of "Do You Know What I Mean" fame) was recruited promptly, and left with the Doobies on a major tour within days of joining in September 1973. (Hossack subsequently replaced Knudsen in the band Bonaroo, which served as an opening act for the Doobies shortly thereafter.) Both Hossack's drums and Knudsen's voice are heard on Vices.
In 1974 Steely Dan
co-lead guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter
learned that his band was retiring from the road and that Donald Fagen
and Walter Becker
intended to work almost exclusively with session players in the future. In need of a steady gig, he segued into the Doobie Brothers as third lead guitarist in the middle of their current tour. He had previously worked with the band in the studio
, adding pedal steel guitar
to both Captain ("South City Midnight Lady") and Vices ("Black Water", "Tell Me What You Want") and had already been playing with the band as a "special guest" during that year's tour.
Vices included the band's first No. 1 single: Simmons' signature tune "Black Water", which featured the memorable refrain, "I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland, pretty mama come and take me by the hand"; climbed to the top of the charts in March 1975; and eventually propelled the album to multi-platinum status. Johnston's lyrical "Another Park, Another Sunday" (as a single, it featured "Black Water" as the B-side) and his horn-driven funk
song "Eyes of Silver" had also charted at numbers 32 & 52, respectively, the previous year.
During this period and for several subsequent tours, the Doobies were often supported on-stage by Stax Records
legends The Memphis Horns
. Live recordings with the horn section have aired on radio on the King Biscuit Flower Hour
, though none have been officially released. They also appeared as session players on multiple Doobies albums.
By the end of 1974, Johnston's health was suffering from the rigors of the road. He was absent when the band joined the Beach Boys
, Chicago
and Olivia Newton-John
on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" that December. By then, the western-themed Stampede had been completed for release in 1975. It featured yet another hit single, Johnston's cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland
-written Motown hit "Take Me in Your Arms" (originally sung by Kim Weston
and also covered by the Isley Brothers
and Blood Sweat and Tears). The song included a distinctive Baxter guitar solo. Simmons contributed the atmospheric "I Cheat the Hangman," as well as "Neal's Fandango," an ode
to Santa Cruz, Jack Kerouac
and Neal Cassady
. Ry Cooder
added his slinky slide guitar
to Johnston's cowboy
song, "Rainy Day Crossroad Blues".
By the start of the Spring 1975 promotional tour for Stampede, Johnston's condition was so precarious that he required emergency hospitalization for a bleeding ulcer. With Johnston convalescing and the tour already underway, Baxter proposed recruiting a fellow Steely Dan
alum to fill the hole: singer, songwriter and keyboardist Michael McDonald
. Simmons, Knudsen, Porter and McDonald divvied up and sang Johnston's parts on tour while Simmons and Baxter shared lead guitar chores.
and blue-eyed soul
sound, emphasizing keyboards and horns and subtler, more syncopated rhythms. Baxter contributed jazz
-inflected guitar stylings reminiscent of Steely Dan
(as he had played with that group), along with more emphasis on compound chords and unusual, complex chords and sophisticated progressions with key changes and longer, more developed melody lines. Above all, McDonald's voice became the band's new signature sound. Takin' It to the Streets featured McDonald's title track and "It Keeps You Runnin'," both hits. ("It Keeps You Runnin'" would be covered by Carly Simon
, appearing on her album Another Passenger
, with the Doobies backing her.) Bassist Porter wrote and sang a tribute to the absent Johnston, entitled "For Someone Special." A greatest hits compilation, Best of the Doobies
, followed before year's end. In 1996, the Recording Industry Association of America
certified Best of the Doobies "Diamond" for sales in excess of 10 million units.
Their new sound was further refined and McDonald's dominant role cemented with 1977's Livin' on the Fault Line
. It featured a cover of the Motown classic "Little Darling (I Need You)
", "Echoes Of Love" (written for, but not recorded by, Al Green
by James Mitchell, then of the Memphis Horns, and Earl Randle, both of whom had worked with Green a good bit, to which Simmons added some music and lyrics co-writing the finished version with Mitchell and Randle; the song was later covered by the Pointer Sisters and ex-New Seekers vocalist Lyn Paul
), and "You Belong To Me" (co-written by McDonald and Carly Simon, who had a hit with her own version of the tune). To help promote Fault Line, the band performed live on the PBS
show Soundstage
and appeared as themselves in a two-part episode of the television comedy What's Happening!!
. Jeff Baxter used an early type of guitar synthesizer (made by Roland
) on many of the tracks (it is heavily featured in his solo on the title track, as well as on "Chinatown"). The combination of McDonald's cerebral approach to harmony, funkier beats, and R&B vocal flavor, along with Baxter's guitar pyrotechnics, pushed the band away from the more proletarian biker-bong-boogie style that made them popular originally. Fortuitously, however, the new sound made them a crossover pop-R&B-rock sensation, bringing them even more fans and chart presence. The use of complex jazz chords, built on McDonald's thoroughly composed keyboard parts, tempered by strong pop hooks, resulted in an album that, though not really jazz, had a distinctly urban contemporary finish, adding the flavor of the "cool jazz" era to a pop setting.
Both Streets and Fault Line reflected Tom Johnston's diminished role in the group following his illness. Restored to fitness and briefly back in the fold, he contributed one original song to Streets, ("Turn It Loose"), and also added a vocal cameo
to Simmons' tune "Wheels of Fortune." He also made live appearances with the band in 1976 (documented in a concert filmed that year at the Winterland in San Francisco, excerpts from which appear occasionally on VH1 Classic
), but was sidelined once again in the fall due to exhaustion. None of Johnston's songs appeared on Fault Line, though he had written and the band had recorded five of his compositions for the album. Finally, before Fault Line was released, Johnston had his songs removed and he left the band that he co-founded (though he received credit for guitars and vocals and was pictured on the album's inner sleeve band photo). He embarked on a solo career that eventually yielded one modestly successful Warner Brothers album Everything You've Heard is True (1979) and the less successful Still Feels Good (1981).
During the period of transition, the band also elevated former roadie Bobby LaKind
to onstage backup vocalist and percussionist. In the studio, LaKind first contributed percussion to Streets but had been a member of the road crew since 1974. Additionally, in early 1978, the band appeared as themselves in two episodes of the ABC
sitcom What's Happening!!
The group performed the songs "Little Darlin' (I Need You)", "Black Water", "Takin' It to the Streets", and "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
".
After almost a decade on the road, and with seven albums under their belts, the Doobies' career unexpectedly soared with the success of their next album, 1978's Minute by Minute
. It spent five weeks at the top of the music charts and dominated several radio formats for the better part of two years. McDonald's song "What a Fool Believes
", written with Kenny Loggins
, was the band's second No. 1 single and earned the songwriting duo a Grammy Award
for Record of the Year. The breezy, McDonald-penned title song received the Grammy for Pop Vocal Performance by a Group and the album was honored with an Album of the Year nod. Among the other memorable songs on the album were "Here to Love You," "Dependin' On You" (co-written by McDonald and Simmons), "Steamer Lane Breakdown" (a Simmons bluegrass instrumental) and McDonald's "How Do the Fools Survive?" (which featured a lengthy guitar coda
improvised by Baxter in a single take, according to a 1980 interview in Guitar Player Magazine). Nicolette Larson
, and departed former bandleader Johnston, contributed guest vocals on the album.
The triumph of Minute by Minute was bittersweet, however, because it coincided with the near-dissolution of the band. The pressure of touring while recording and releasing an album each year had worn the members down. Jeff Baxter and Michael McDonald had been in the midst of a creative conflict for some time. McDonald desired a direct, soulful and polished rock/R&B sound, while Baxter insisted on embellishing guitar parts in an increasingly avant garde style. (Both McDonald and Baxter elaborated on the matter in the documentary series Behind the Music
, which aired on VH1
in February 2001.) Just as the success of Minute by Minute had become apparent, founding drummer Hartman, longtime guitarist Baxter and LaKind exited through the revolving door. A two-song set on the January 27, 1979 broadcast of Saturday Night Live
(with guest host Michael Palin
) marked the final television appearance of this lineup, and a brief tour of Japan marked the last live performances of the band in its middle-period configuration. (Hartman subsequently joined Johnston's touring band in 1979 and taped an appearance with Johnston that aired on Soundstage in 1980.)
With the surprise smash album embedded in the charts and more money to be earned on the road, the remaining Doobies (Simmons, Knudsen, McDonald and Porter) decided to forge ahead. In 1979 Hartman was replaced by ace session drummer Chet McCracken and Baxter by multi-instrumental string player John McFee
(late of Huey Lewis
' early band Clover
); Cornelius Bumpus
(who had been part of a recent reunion of Moby Grape
) was also recruited to add vocals, keyboards, flute and saxophone to the lineup. This lineup toured throughout 1979, including stops at Madison Square Garden
and New York City's Battery Park for the No Nukes benefit shows with like-minded artists such as Bonnie Raitt
, Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor
, Carly Simon
, Jackson Browne
, Bruce Springsteen
, and John Hall.
1980 marked the return of LaKind to the lineup as a full member and the Doobies released their ninth studio album, One Step Closer. The LP featured the hit title track and the Top 10 smash "Real Love" (not to be confused with the John Lennon
composition) but did not dominate the charts and the radio as Minute by Minute had two years earlier, largely due to an oversaturation of the "McDonald sound" by many other artists (such as Robbie Dupree
's hit "Steal Away", which copied the "McDonald sound" nearly note for note) heard on the radio at that time—not to mention McDonald's numerous guest vocal appearances on hits by other artists at that time, such as Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross
, and Nicolette Larson
. The album itself was also noticeably weaker musically than the previous three with the band itself sounding tired and seemingly devolving to little more than McDonald's "backup band" by then (according to contemporary references at that time). Long frustrated with the realities of relentless touring and yearning for a stable home life, as well as battling self-admitted problems with cocaine, Porter left the band after the recording of Closer. Renowned session bassist Willie Weeks
joined up and the Doobies continued touring throughout 1980 and 1981. (Post-Doobies, Weeks has performed with the Gregg Allman
Band, Eric Clapton
, and many others.) Also during this tour, session vet Andy Newmark
stepped in briefly for Knudsen, who was then in rehab.
By the end of 1981, even Simmons had resigned from the band. Now faced with the prospect of calling themselves "The Doobie Brothers" with no remaining original members, a sound that was light years away from their original version and a "leader" in McDonald who was ready for a solo career, the group elected instead to disband. It wasn't even decided upon until after a rehearsal done without Simmons in a vain attempt to keep the band going, according to an interview with McDonald for "Listen To The Music," the Doobie Brothers official video history/documentary released in 1989. He went on to say in that interview that by that point they couldn't have gotten further away from the Doobies sound if they had tried to. The reluctant Simmons, already hard at work on his first solo album, rejoined for a 1982 farewell tour on the promise that this truly would be the end. At their last concert at the Greek Theater in Berkeley
, they were joined onstage by founder Tom Johnston for what was presumed to be the final rendition of his staple, "China Grove." Former members Porter, Hossack and Hartman subsequently took the stage for an extended version of "Listen to the Music." Knudsen sang while Simmons, Johnston and McFee traded licks on guitar. The live album Farewell Tour
followed in 1983.
and recorded four albums that found success in the country charts. (Former Creedence Clearwater Revival
bassist Stu Cook
would join the band in 1986 and former Pablo Cruise
guitarist David Jenkins
in 1988.) Out of print for decades, Arcade was reissued on compact disc
in early 2007 by specialty label Wounded Bird Records
, which is also the home of Southern Pacific's and Tom Johnston's catalogs. Post-Doobies, McDonald became established as a solo artist. His voice dominated adult contemporary radio throughout the eighties, though his star faded in the nineties. He has experienced a renaissance of popularity in the new century as an interpreter of Motown classics.
The reformation of the Doobies was scarcely premeditated. On a personal quest for a worthy cause, Knudsen had become active in Vietnam veterans' affairs. Early in 1987 he persuaded eleven of the Doobie alumni to join him for a concert to benefit veterans' causes. Answering the call were Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, Jeff Baxter, John McFee, John Hartman, Michael Hossack, Chet McCracken, Michael McDonald, Cornelius Bumpus, Bobby LaKind and Tiran Porter. There were no surplus bass players as Weeks had other commitments and long-absent Shogren reportedly was not invited. They soon discovered that tickets were in great demand, so the one concert quickly evolved into a twelve city tour. This expanded lineup was able to perform selections from every album using a smorgasbord of instrumentation that they could not have previously duplicated onstage. Baxter and McFee played pedal steel and fiddle, respectively, during "Black Water" and "Steamer Lane Breakdown." "Without You" featured no fewer than four drummers and four lead guitarists. Producer Templeman, a musician in his own right, banged percussion and LaKind sometimes played Knudsen's trap set while the latter came to the front of the stage to join the chorus. The tour culminated (sans McDonald, McFee and Knudsen) at the glasnost
-inspired the July 4 "Peace Concert" in Moscow, with Bonnie Raitt
, James Taylor
and Santana
sharing the bill. Excerpts appearing later that year on the Showtime cable network included a performance of "China Grove."
The successful reunion sparked discussions about reconstituting the band on a permanent basis. They eventually decided to replicate the Toulouse Street/Captain and Me incarnation, settling on a lineup featuring Johnston, Simmons, Hartman, Porter and Hossack, plus more recent addition LaKind, and released Cycles on Capitol Records
in 1989. It featured a Top Ten single, "The Doctor," which showcased Johnston's unmistakable voice and soaring lead guitar and reminded listeners of the band's pre-McDonald triumphs, which was natural given the lineup of the band at this time. The song was very similar to "China Grove," and the connection was further enhanced by guest Bill Payne's tinkling piano. There was more strong material on the album, including Johnston's "South Of The Border", Simmons' "Take Me To The Highway", a great version of the Isley Brothers' "Need A Little Taste Of Love", and a version of The Four Tops classic, "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison"), which had been covered by Santana
years before. Cycles proved a successful, strong and very solid comeback album and was certified Gold. Bumpus also participated on the 1989 tour, adding his distinctive voice, keyboards, saxophone and flute to the proceedings. His presence bridged the gap between the current band and the McDonald era; he sang lead vocals on the song "One Step Closer" (as he originally had on the 1980 album) while Simmons took McDonald's part. The group was further augmented on the 1989 tour by Dale Ockerman (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Richard Bryant (vocals, percussion) and Jimi Fox (percussion, backing vocals). Due to illness, LaKind stepped down before the tour.
The success of Cycles led to the release of 1991's Brotherhood, also on Capitol. The group members grew their hair back out, donned denim and leather, and attempted to revive their biker image of 1970. In spite of the makeover and strong material led by Simmons' now trademark "Dangerous" (featured in the Brian Bosworth
biker film vehicle, Stone Cold), Brotherhood was unsuccessful, in part due to a lack of support on the part of Capitol Records.
The accompanying tour (with the 1989 lineup sans Bumpus) was ranked among the ten least profitable tours of the disappointing 1991 summer season by the North American Concert Promoters Association, according to an article published in Billboard Magazine on December 14 of that year. The 1987 Doobie alumni band reunited on October 17 and 19, 1992 at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California
to perform benefit shows for LaKind's children. Noticeably frail, LaKind, who was terminally ill with cancer, nevertheless joined the group on percussion for a few numbers. The concerts were recorded and subsequently broadcast on the Superstars in Concert radio series accompanied by a plea for contributions to the LaKind family fund. LaKind died on Christmas Eve the same year.
A brief period of hiatus followed during which Simmons collaborated with bassist and songwriter John Cowan
(ex-New Grass Revival
), Rusty Young (of Poco
) and Bill Lloyd (of Foster & Lloyd
) on an unreleased project called Four Wheel Drive. When the band emerged yet again in 1993, Hartman and Porter were gone for good but former members Keith Knudsen and John McFee had rejoined on a full-time basis. Joined by Ockerman, Bumpus and former member Willie Weeks, the group toured with Four Wheel Drive as the opening act. After Weeks left the tour to resume his session work, Cowan played bass for both bands. Bumpus also left (to join the reunited Steely Dan), giving way to saxophonist, keyboardist and harmonica player Danny Hull. Alum Chet McCracken temporarily filled in for an injured Hossack in July 1993. The 1993 and 1994 tours included co-headlining appearances with Foreigner
.
With renewed energy, the band began to experiment with different arrangements of several tunes. They even sampled McDonald's songbook from time to time, eventually restoring "Takin' it to the Streets" to the set on a semi-permanent basis with Simmons and new bassist Skylark (who joined in 1995) subbing for McDonald on vocals.
The band has toured continuously since 1993. In 1995 they reunited with McDonald for a brief co-headlining tour with the Steve Miller Band
. The "Dreams Come True" tour featured all three primary songwriters and singers and reflected all phases of the band's career. Cornelius Bumpus joined the 1995 tour, with Chet McCracken replacing the absent Knudsen and Bernie Chiaravalle
sitting in for John McFee. A 1996 double live album, Rockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert
, featured guest star McDonald on three of his signature tunes. McDonald remains an occasional "special guest" and has joined the group for benefits, private corporate shows and parties (such as the wedding reception of Liza Minnelli
and David Gest
), as well. Baxter has also played with the band during concerts and the band have stated that they have an "open door" policy for guest appearances by former members.
Keyboardist Guy Allison
(ex-Moody Blues and Air Supply
) replaced Dale Ockerman in 1996. Marc Russo (ex-Yellow Jackets) joined in early 1998 replacing Danny Hull. A serious motorbike mishap sidelined Hossack from mid-2001 to 2002. Drummer/percussionist M. B. Gordy was recruited to play drums during Hossack's absence and remained on percussion until 2005. Ed Wynne substituted for Russo on saxophone from April to August in 2002.
In the late 1990s, the current band was forced to obtain an injunction preventing confusing or misleading uses of the "Doobie Brothers" moniker in advertisements promoting a tribute band
featuring former members McCracken, Bumpus and Shogren accompanied by several lesser known musicians. Unfortunately, this unpleasant episode appeared to have burned bridges between the band and the aforementioned former members (of whom only McCracken survives today).
In 1999, Rhino Records released the group's first box set, entitled Long Train Runnin': 1970–2000. The box featured remastered tunes from the band's entire catalog, a new studio recording of the live concert staple "Little Bitty Pretty One," and an entire disc of previously unreleased studio outtakes and live recordings. Rhino's 2000 release, Sibling Rivalry, offered the band's first new studio album in nine years. The material, which reflected significant contributions from both Knudsen and McFee, ranged from rock to hip-hop, jazz to adult contemporary, and even country. The album sold poorly, reflecting the declining sales throughout the adult-oriented rock musical scene. The band and some of its supporters felt it did not find the large audience it deserved. Others found the album to be musically and lyrically weak and unfocused, lacking in solid songwriting or inspired playing.
In an online interview at the time, even Tom Johnston had reservations regarding the democratic way they did the album and the final result, saying, in effect, that they'd needed someone to oversee the project.
To date, four members of the Doobies family are deceased: percussionist LaKind in 1992 following his lengthy struggle with cancer; original bassist Shogren of unreported causes in 1999; and Bumpus of a heart attack in 2004 while in the air on route to California for a solo tour. Drummer and activist Keith Knudsen died in 2005 of cancer and chronic pneumonia. Former Vertical Horizon
drummer Ed Toth
was selected to fill Knudsen's drum seat as the band soldiered on.
Johnston was forced to miss several shows in the summer of 2007 following an operation for a throat ailment. Upon his return, he received vocal assistance from Simmons and McFee on certain tunes that he had traditionally sung in their entirety.
The Doobies provided the half-time entertainment for the FedEx
Orange Bowl football game on January 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida.
For their 2010 summer tour they were (as previously in 1999 and 2008) once again paired with Chicago
. Both Skylark and Michael Hossack were forced to sit out this tour due to health reasons. Tony Pia (a veteran of several touring acts, including The Brian Setzer Orchestra
) came in to sub for Hossack while John Cowan returned to play bass.
On July 6, 2010, The Doobie Brothers announced a new album entitled World Gone Crazy, produced with their long-time producer Ted Templeman, which was released on September 28, 2010. The first single from the album, entitled Nobody, can be listened to on their official website. They have also announced plans to release a DVD compilation of live performances and television appearances from throughout the group's long career.
Given the history of turnover, the current version of the band has proven to be remarkably stable in its core membership since 1993. It features one-half of the four original members - Johnston (1970–1977, 1987–present) and ever-present Simmons (1970–present, with only a brief hiatus in late 1981-early 1982) - plus veteran drummer Hossack (1971–1973, 1987–present) and longtime guitarist McFee (1979–1982, 1987, 1992–present). They are supported by Skylark on bass and vocals (joined 1995, replacing Cowan), keyboardist Guy Allison
(joined 1996, replacing Dale Ockerman), and Marc Russo on saxophone (joined 1998, replacing Danny Hull). With Hossack, newest member Toth (joined 2005) keeps the trademark double-drummers driven sound going. The group continues to tour heavily and remains a popular concert draw. From 2005 through 2007 they headlined benefit concerts at manager Cohn's B.R. Cohn Winery
in Glen Ellen
(once again sharing the stage with "special guest" McDonald in 2006). They have maintained a continuous and active presence on the Internet through their official website since 1996.
Tiran Porter still performs in and around northern California, occasionally with Moby Grape and regularly with Stormin' Norman and the Cyclones and Beatles tribute band, Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble. His only solo album, the self-produced Playing to an Empty House, has become a collector's item.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band. The group has sold over 40 million units (albums) worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
.
Original incarnation
Drummer John HartmanJohn Hartman
John 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...
arrived in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1969 determined to meet Skip Spence
Skip Spence
Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence was a Canadian-born musician and singer-songwriter. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. He released one solo album, 1969's Oar, and then largely withdrew from the music industry...
of Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
and join an aborted Grape reunion. Spence introduced Hartman to singer, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and songwriter Tom Johnston
Tom 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....
and the two proceeded to form the nucleus of what would become The Doobie Brothers. Johnston and Hartman called their fledgling group "Pud," and experimented with lineups (occasionally including Spence) and styles as they performed in and around 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...
. They were mostly a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
(along with bassist Greg Murphy) but briefly worked with a horn section.
In 1970 they teamed up with bass player Dave Shogren and singer, guitarist and songwriter Patrick Simmons
Patrick Simmons
Patrick 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...
. Simmons, who had belonged to several area groups (among them "Scratch", an acoustic trio with future Doobies bassist Tiran Porter
Tiran Porter
Tiran 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...
) and also performed as a solo artist, was already an accomplished fingerstyle player whose approach to the instrument complemented Johnston's rhythmic R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
strumming.
In a recent interview, Johnston attributed the band's eventual name to friend and housemate Keith "Dyno" Rosen, who noted the guys' fondness for "doobies"
Joint (cannabis)
Joint is a slang term for a cigarette rolled using cannabis. Rolling papers are the most common rolling medium among industrialized countries, however brown paper, cigarettes with the tobacco removed, and newspaper are commonly used in developing countries. Modern papers are now made from a wide...
(slang for marijuana cigarettes). They considered the new moniker an improvement over Pud.
The Doobie Brothers improved their playing by performing live all over Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
in 1970. They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
and got a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the Chateau Liberté in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. An energetic set of demos (eight of which were briefly and illegally released on Pickwick Records
Pickwick Records
Pickwick Records was an American record label and distributor known for its budget album releases of sound-alike recordings, bargain bin reissues and repackagings under the brands Design, Bravo , Hurrah, Grand Prix, and children's records on the Cricket and Happy Time labels.The label is also...
in 1980 under the title Introducing the Doobie Brothers, and have since been bootlegged on CD under that title and On Our Way Up
On Our Way Up
On Our Way Up is one of several unauthorized releases of an early Doobie Brothers demo recorded in 1970. Other unauthorized releases of some or all of the tracks on this recording include Introducing The Doobie Brothers and Excitement, among other titles.-Track listing:#"By Yourself" – 2:48#"Make...
as well, both with expanded song selections), showcased fuzz-toned dual lead electric guitars
Electric Guitars
Electric Guitars were formed early in 1980 by Neil Davenport and Richard Hall who were both studying English at Bristol University. The band soon increased to a five-man line-up, with Andy Saunders , Matt Salt and Dick Truscott , they also later added two backing singers: Sara and Wendy...
, three-part harmonies and Hartman's frenetic drumming and earned the rock group a contract at Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
.
At this point in their history, the band's image reflected that of their biggest fans - leather jackets and motorcycles. However, the group's 1971 self-titled debut album
The Doobie Brothers (album)
The Doobie Brothers is the first studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1971 . It is their only official studio album to feature original bass player Dave Shogren on all tracks, who left during the recording of their second album.The first single from the album,...
departed significantly from that image and their live sound of the period. The album, which failed to chart, emphasized acoustic guitars and frequently reflected country influences. The bouncy lead-off song "Nobody", the band's first single, has surfaced in their live set several times over the ensuing decades. Most recently, this song was rerecorded and added to their 2010 CD World Gone Crazy.
The following year's second album, Toulouse Street
Toulouse Street
Toulouse Street is the second studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1972 . Toulouse Street is the name of a street in the French Quarter of New Orleans.-Track listing:Side One...
(which spawned the hits and classic rock staples, "Listen to the Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright
Jesus Is Just Alright
"Jesus Is Just Alright" is a gospel song written by Arthur Reid Reynolds and first recorded by Reynolds' own group, The Art Reynolds Singers, on their 1966 album, Tellin' It Like It Is....
"), brought the band their breakthrough success. In collaboration with manager Bruce Cohn, producer Ted Templeman
Ted Templeman
Ted 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...
and engineer Donn Landee, the band put forward a more polished and eclectic set of songs. They also made a change to the lineup, supplementing Hartman's drumming with that of Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
veteran Michael Hossack
Michael Hossack
Michael 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...
while still touring behind their first album (a concert from June 14, 1971 at Fillmore West
Fillmore West
The Fillmore West was an historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly...
bears this out as it has this short-lived lineup). Also, the band recorded several songs on the second album with Shogren on bass, guitar & background vocals. But during the album's recording, Shogren left after disagreements with producer Templeman. Shogren was replaced with singer, songwriter and bass guitarist Tiran Porter
Tiran Porter
Tiran 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...
. Porter and Hossack were both stalwarts of the northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
music scene, Porter having previously played in Scratch with Simmons. Porter brought a funkier bass style to the band and added his husky baritone to the voices of Johnston and Simmons, resulting in a rich three-part harmonic vocal blend. Pianist Bill Payne
Bill Payne
Bill 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...
of Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
contributed keyboards for the first time, beginning a decades-long collaboration that included many recording sessions and even a two-week stint touring with the band in 1974. With an improved rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
section and the songwriting of Johnston and Simmons, the Doobies' trademark sound - an amalgam of R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, country, bluegrass, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, roadhouse
Roadhouse (facility)
A roadhouse is a commercial establishment typically built on a major road or highway, to service passing travellers. Its meaning varies slightly by country.-USA:...
boogie
Boogie
Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm, "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie music. The characteristic rhythm and feel of the boogie was then adapted to guitar, double bass, and other instruments. The earliest recorded...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
- emerged fully formed.
A string of hits followed, including Johnston's "Long Train Runnin'" and "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...
", from the 1973 album The Captain and Me
The Captain and Me
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.- Recording and content :This time...
. Other noteworthy songs on the album were Simmons' country-ish ode "South City Midnight Lady" and the explosive, hard rocking raveup, "Without You", for which the entire band received songwriting credit. Onstage, the latter song would sometimes stretch into a 15-minute jam with additional lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
ad-libbed by Johnston. A 1973 appearance on the debut episode of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert is a television music variety show that ran during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Don Kirshner and syndicated to television stations...
featured one such epic performance of the tune.
In the midst of recording sessions for their next album, 1974's What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1974.-Recording and content:...
, Hossack abruptly departed the band, citing burnout from constant touring. Drummer, songwriter and vocalist Keith Knudsen
Keith Knudsen
Keith Knudsen was an American rock drummer, vocalist and songwriter.-Career:Knudsen was born in Le Mars, Iowa. He began drumming while attending Princeton High School in Princeton, Illinois, where he graduated from in 1966...
(who previously drummed for Lee Michaels
Lee Michaels
Lee Michaels plays the Hammond organ, piano, and guitar , and is best known for his 1971 Top 10 pop hit single, "Do You Know What I Mean."-Career:...
of "Do You Know What I Mean" fame) was recruited promptly, and left with the Doobies on a major tour within days of joining in September 1973. (Hossack subsequently replaced Knudsen in the band Bonaroo, which served as an opening act for the Doobies shortly thereafter.) Both Hossack's drums and Knudsen's voice are heard on Vices.
In 1974 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...
co-lead guitarist Jeff "Skunk" 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...
learned that his band was retiring from the road and that Donald Fagen
Donald Fagen
Donald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....
and Walter Becker
Walter Becker
Walter Carl Becker is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and a co-writer of Steely Dan.-Career:...
intended to work almost exclusively with session players in the future. In need of a steady gig, he segued into the Doobie Brothers as third lead guitarist in the middle of their current tour. He had previously worked with the band in the studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, adding 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"...
to both Captain ("South City Midnight Lady") and Vices ("Black Water", "Tell Me What You Want") and had already been playing with the band as a "special guest" during that year's tour.
Vices included the band's first No. 1 single: Simmons' signature tune "Black Water", which featured the memorable refrain, "I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland, pretty mama come and take me by the hand"; climbed to the top of the charts in March 1975; and eventually propelled the album to multi-platinum status. Johnston's lyrical "Another Park, Another Sunday" (as a single, it featured "Black Water" as the B-side) and his horn-driven funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
song "Eyes of Silver" had also charted at numbers 32 & 52, respectively, the previous year.
During this period and for several subsequent tours, the Doobies were often supported on-stage by Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
legends The Memphis Horns
The Memphis Horns
The Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
. Live recordings with the horn section have aired on radio on the King Biscuit Flower Hour
King Biscuit Flower Hour
The King Biscuit Flower Hour was a syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock artists.-History:...
, though none have been officially released. They also appeared as session players on multiple Doobies albums.
By the end of 1974, Johnston's health was suffering from the rigors of the road. He was absent when the band joined the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
and Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" that December. By then, the western-themed Stampede had been completed for release in 1975. It featured yet another hit single, Johnston's cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
-written Motown hit "Take Me in Your Arms" (originally sung by Kim Weston
Kim Weston
Kim Weston is an American soul singer, and Motown alumna. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms ".-Career:...
and also covered by the Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
and Blood Sweat and Tears). The song included a distinctive Baxter guitar solo. Simmons contributed the atmospheric "I Cheat the Hangman," as well as "Neal's Fandango," an ode
Ode
Ode is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist...
to Santa Cruz, Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
and Neal Cassady
Neal Cassady
Neal Leon Cassady was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He served as the model for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road....
. Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
added his slinky slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
to Johnston's cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
song, "Rainy Day Crossroad Blues".
By the start of the Spring 1975 promotional tour for Stampede, Johnston's condition was so precarious that he required emergency hospitalization for a bleeding ulcer. With Johnston convalescing and the tour already underway, Baxter proposed recruiting a fellow 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...
alum to fill the hole: singer, songwriter and keyboardist Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald (singer)
Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
. Simmons, Knudsen, Porter and McDonald divvied up and sang Johnston's parts on tour while Simmons and Baxter shared lead guitar chores.
Michael McDonald years
Under contract to release another album in 1976, the Doobies were at a crossroads. Their primary songwriter and singer remained unavailable, so they turned to McDonald and Porter for material to supplement that of Simmons. The resulting LP, Takin' It to the Streets, debuted a radical change in their sound. Their electric-guitar-based rock and roll gave way to a more soft rockSoft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
and blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
sound, emphasizing keyboards and horns and subtler, more syncopated rhythms. Baxter contributed jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-inflected guitar stylings reminiscent 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...
(as he had played with that group), along with more emphasis on compound chords and unusual, complex chords and sophisticated progressions with key changes and longer, more developed melody lines. Above all, McDonald's voice became the band's new signature sound. Takin' It to the Streets featured McDonald's title track and "It Keeps You Runnin'," both hits. ("It Keeps You Runnin'" would be covered by Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, appearing on her album Another Passenger
Another Passenger
Another Passenger is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's seventh album, and sixth studio album, released in 1976.For this album, Simon enlisted a new producer, Ted Templeman, as well as his clients, The Doobie Brothers, to provide backing vocals....
, with the Doobies backing her.) Bassist Porter wrote and sang a tribute to the absent Johnston, entitled "For Someone Special." A greatest hits compilation, Best of the Doobies
Best of the Doobies
Best of The Doobies is the first greatest hits album by The Doobie Brothers. The album has material from Toulouse Street through Takin' It to the Streets, and is also a diamond record. The album was first released by Warner Bros...
, followed before year's end. In 1996, the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certified Best of the Doobies "Diamond" for sales in excess of 10 million units.
Their new sound was further refined and McDonald's dominant role cemented with 1977's Livin' on the Fault Line
Livin' on the Fault Line
Livin' on the Fault Line is the seventh studio album by the American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1977. It is one of the few Doobie Brothers albums which did not produce a hit . Still, the album received modest critical acclaim...
. It featured a cover of the Motown classic "Little Darling (I Need You)
Little Darling (I Need You)
"Little Darling " is a 1966 single written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland and recorded and released by Marvin Gaye on the Tamla label....
", "Echoes Of Love" (written for, but not recorded by, Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
by James Mitchell, then of the Memphis Horns, and Earl Randle, both of whom had worked with Green a good bit, to which Simmons added some music and lyrics co-writing the finished version with Mitchell and Randle; the song was later covered by the Pointer Sisters and ex-New Seekers vocalist Lyn Paul
Lyn Paul
Lyn Paul is an English pop singer and actress. She came to fame as a member of the international chart-topping pop group The New Seekers in the early 1970s...
), and "You Belong To Me" (co-written by McDonald and Carly Simon, who had a hit with her own version of the tune). To help promote Fault Line, the band performed live on the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
show Soundstage
Soundstage (TV program)
Soundstage is an American live concert television series produced by WTTW Chicago and HD Ready. The original series aired for 13 seasons between 1974 and 1985; a new series of seasons began in 2003, with the latest running through summer 2009, each presented in high definition with surround...
and appeared as themselves in a two-part episode of the television comedy What's Happening!!
What's Happening!!
What's Happening!! is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976 to April 28, 1979. The show premiered as a summer series. With good ratings and reviews, and after the failure of several other shows on the network, What's Happening!! returned in November 1976 as a weekly...
. Jeff Baxter used an early type of guitar synthesizer (made by Roland
Roland Corporation
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
) on many of the tracks (it is heavily featured in his solo on the title track, as well as on "Chinatown"). The combination of McDonald's cerebral approach to harmony, funkier beats, and R&B vocal flavor, along with Baxter's guitar pyrotechnics, pushed the band away from the more proletarian biker-bong-boogie style that made them popular originally. Fortuitously, however, the new sound made them a crossover pop-R&B-rock sensation, bringing them even more fans and chart presence. The use of complex jazz chords, built on McDonald's thoroughly composed keyboard parts, tempered by strong pop hooks, resulted in an album that, though not really jazz, had a distinctly urban contemporary finish, adding the flavor of the "cool jazz" era to a pop setting.
Both Streets and Fault Line reflected Tom Johnston's diminished role in the group following his illness. Restored to fitness and briefly back in the fold, he contributed one original song to Streets, ("Turn It Loose"), and also added a vocal cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
to Simmons' tune "Wheels of Fortune." He also made live appearances with the band in 1976 (documented in a concert filmed that year at the Winterland in San Francisco, excerpts from which appear occasionally on VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...
), but was sidelined once again in the fall due to exhaustion. None of Johnston's songs appeared on Fault Line, though he had written and the band had recorded five of his compositions for the album. Finally, before Fault Line was released, Johnston had his songs removed and he left the band that he co-founded (though he received credit for guitars and vocals and was pictured on the album's inner sleeve band photo). He embarked on a solo career that eventually yielded one modestly successful Warner Brothers album Everything You've Heard is True (1979) and the less successful Still Feels Good (1981).
During the period of transition, the band also elevated former roadie Bobby LaKind
Bobby LaKind
Bobby LaKind was a conga player, vocalist, songwriter and occasional live backup drummer with The Doobie Brothers. He was originally a lighting roadie for the band...
to onstage backup vocalist and percussionist. In the studio, LaKind first contributed percussion to Streets but had been a member of the road crew since 1974. Additionally, in early 1978, the band appeared as themselves in two episodes of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom What's Happening!!
What's Happening!!
What's Happening!! is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976 to April 28, 1979. The show premiered as a summer series. With good ratings and reviews, and after the failure of several other shows on the network, What's Happening!! returned in November 1976 as a weekly...
The group performed the songs "Little Darlin' (I Need You)", "Black Water", "Takin' It to the Streets", and "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
"Take Me in Your Arms " is a song written by the premier Motown songwriting/production team of the 1960's Holland–Dozier–Holland: the song had its highest profile via a 1975 recording by the Doobie Brothers.-Motown versions:...
".
After almost a decade on the road, and with seven albums under their belts, the Doobies' career unexpectedly soared with the success of their next album, 1978's Minute by Minute
Minute by Minute
Minute by Minute is the eighth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1978. The album contains their biggest hit, the Grammy-winning "What a Fool Believes". "Depending on You" and the title track were also released as singles...
. It spent five weeks at the top of the music charts and dominated several radio formats for the better part of two years. McDonald's song "What a Fool Believes
What a Fool Believes
"What a Fool Believes" is a song written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The best-known version was recorded by The Doobie Brothers for their 1978 album Minute by Minute. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 14, 1979, remaining in that position for one week...
", written with Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
, was the band's second No. 1 single and earned the songwriting duo a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Record of the Year. The breezy, McDonald-penned title song received the Grammy for Pop Vocal Performance by a Group and the album was honored with an Album of the Year nod. Among the other memorable songs on the album were "Here to Love You," "Dependin' On You" (co-written by McDonald and Simmons), "Steamer Lane Breakdown" (a Simmons bluegrass instrumental) and McDonald's "How Do the Fools Survive?" (which featured a lengthy guitar coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
improvised by Baxter in a single take, according to a 1980 interview in Guitar Player Magazine). Nicolette Larson
Nicolette Larson
Nicolette Larson was an American pop singer. She is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young, as well as her 1978 cover of Young's "Lotta Love". The song, her debut single, was a Number One Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks hit and #8 pop hit that year...
, and departed former bandleader Johnston, contributed guest vocals on the album.
The triumph of Minute by Minute was bittersweet, however, because it coincided with the near-dissolution of the band. The pressure of touring while recording and releasing an album each year had worn the members down. Jeff Baxter and Michael McDonald had been in the midst of a creative conflict for some time. McDonald desired a direct, soulful and polished rock/R&B sound, while Baxter insisted on embellishing guitar parts in an increasingly avant garde style. (Both McDonald and Baxter elaborated on the matter in the documentary series Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
, which aired on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
in February 2001.) Just as the success of Minute by Minute had become apparent, founding drummer Hartman, longtime guitarist Baxter and LaKind exited through the revolving door. A two-song set on the January 27, 1979 broadcast of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
(with guest host Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
) marked the final television appearance of this lineup, and a brief tour of Japan marked the last live performances of the band in its middle-period configuration. (Hartman subsequently joined Johnston's touring band in 1979 and taped an appearance with Johnston that aired on Soundstage in 1980.)
With the surprise smash album embedded in the charts and more money to be earned on the road, the remaining Doobies (Simmons, Knudsen, McDonald and Porter) decided to forge ahead. In 1979 Hartman was replaced by ace session drummer Chet McCracken and Baxter by multi-instrumental string player John McFee
John McFee
John McFee is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, and long time member of the Doobie Brothers.-Biography:...
(late of Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...
' early band Clover
Clover (band)
Clover was an American country rock band formed in Mill Valley, California in 1967. They are best known as the backup band for Elvis Costello's 1977 debut album My Aim Is True , and for members later forming or joining more successful acts, including Huey Lewis and the News, The Doobie Brothers,...
); Cornelius Bumpus
Cornelius Bumpus
Cornelius Bumpus was an American woodwind, keyboard player and vocalist from Santa Cruz, California.He began his career playing alto saxophone at ten for the school band and by 12 was playing at Luso-American dances...
(who had been part of a recent reunion of Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
) was also recruited to add vocals, keyboards, flute and saxophone to the lineup. This lineup toured throughout 1979, including stops at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and New York City's Battery Park for the No Nukes benefit shows with like-minded artists such as Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, and John Hall.
1980 marked the return of LaKind to the lineup as a full member and the Doobies released their ninth studio album, One Step Closer. The LP featured the hit title track and the Top 10 smash "Real Love" (not to be confused with the John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
composition) but did not dominate the charts and the radio as Minute by Minute had two years earlier, largely due to an oversaturation of the "McDonald sound" by many other artists (such as Robbie Dupree
Robbie Dupree
Robert Dupuis , better known by his stage name Robbie Dupree, is an American singer-songwriter best known for his 1980 top ten pop hit, "Steal Away"....
's hit "Steal Away", which copied the "McDonald sound" nearly note for note) heard on the radio at that time—not to mention McDonald's numerous guest vocal appearances on hits by other artists at that time, such as Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme ", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore...
, and Nicolette Larson
Nicolette Larson
Nicolette Larson was an American pop singer. She is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young, as well as her 1978 cover of Young's "Lotta Love". The song, her debut single, was a Number One Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks hit and #8 pop hit that year...
. The album itself was also noticeably weaker musically than the previous three with the band itself sounding tired and seemingly devolving to little more than McDonald's "backup band" by then (according to contemporary references at that time). Long frustrated with the realities of relentless touring and yearning for a stable home life, as well as battling self-admitted problems with cocaine, Porter left the band after the recording of Closer. Renowned session bassist Willie Weeks
Willie Weeks
Willie Weeks is an American bass guitarist. He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career. Weeks has also gained notoriety touring with many of rock's heavyweights throughout his career...
joined up and the Doobies continued touring throughout 1980 and 1981. (Post-Doobies, Weeks has performed with the Gregg Allman
Gregg Allman
Gregory Lenoir Allman , known as Gregg Allman, is a rock and blues singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter, and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia...
Band, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, and many others.) Also during this tour, session vet Andy Newmark
Andy Newmark
Andrew "Andy" Newmark is an American musician, best known as a popular session drummer, and for playing with the funk band Sly & the Family Stone from 1972 to 1973....
stepped in briefly for Knudsen, who was then in rehab.
By the end of 1981, even Simmons had resigned from the band. Now faced with the prospect of calling themselves "The Doobie Brothers" with no remaining original members, a sound that was light years away from their original version and a "leader" in McDonald who was ready for a solo career, the group elected instead to disband. It wasn't even decided upon until after a rehearsal done without Simmons in a vain attempt to keep the band going, according to an interview with McDonald for "Listen To The Music," the Doobie Brothers official video history/documentary released in 1989. He went on to say in that interview that by that point they couldn't have gotten further away from the Doobies sound if they had tried to. The reluctant Simmons, already hard at work on his first solo album, rejoined for a 1982 farewell tour on the promise that this truly would be the end. At their last concert at the Greek Theater in Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, they were joined onstage by founder Tom Johnston for what was presumed to be the final rendition of his staple, "China Grove." Former members Porter, Hossack and Hartman subsequently took the stage for an extended version of "Listen to the Music." Knudsen sang while Simmons, Johnston and McFee traded licks on guitar. The live album Farewell Tour
Farewell Tour
Farewell Tour is the first live album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1983. . It documents what they thought would be their final concert. The front cover shows Keith Knudsen cutting the strings on John McFee's guitar as a symbolic gesture. Original lead vocalist and...
followed in 1983.
Reunion years and beyond
The Doobies hibernated for the next five years, with various members getting together in different configurations for annual Christmas season performances for the patients and staff at the Stanford Children's Hospital in the Bay area. Simmons released a commercially disappointing solo album, Arcade, in 1983. During the mid-1980s, Johnston toured U.S. clubs with a band called Border Patrol, which did not release any recordings. Hossack and (briefly) Simmons worked with the group. Around 1986 Johnston and Simmons began working on an album together (according to a 1989 interview with Simmons), but abandoned the project soon after with no known finished tracks. Knudsen and McFee formed Southern PacificSouthern Pacific (band)
Southern Pacific was an American country rock band that ran from 1983 to 1991. They are best known for hits such as "Any Way the Wind Blows" , which was used in the soundtrack for the film Pink Cadillac starring Clint Eastwood and Bernadette Peters, and "New Shade of Blue"...
and recorded four albums that found success in the country charts. (Former Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
bassist Stu Cook
Stu Cook
Stuart Alden Cook is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work in the rock band, Creedence Clearwater Revival....
would join the band in 1986 and former Pablo Cruise
Pablo Cruise
Pablo Cruise is a pop/rock band currently composed of David Jenkins , Cory Lerios , Steve Price and Larry Antonino . Formed in 1973, the band released eight studio albums over the next decade, during which time four singles reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
guitarist David Jenkins
David Jenkins (musician)
David Jenkins is the lead singer for the California smooth rock band Pablo Cruise. Jenkins was a member of the band at its conception in 1973, and stayed until they disbanded in 1985. In 2004, Jenkins and two other original members of the band re-united with a new member, George Gabriel, to tour...
in 1988.) Out of print for decades, Arcade was reissued on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in early 2007 by specialty label Wounded Bird Records
Wounded Bird Records
Wounded Bird Records is a CD only, re-issue record label, that was founded in 1998 in Guilderland, New York. They re-release lesser known albums from both popular and lesser known artists, including Deborah Harry, Chic, David Blue, Marilyn Martin, Gordon Haskell, Jon Anderson, Adrian Belew, Ellen...
, which is also the home of Southern Pacific's and Tom Johnston's catalogs. Post-Doobies, McDonald became established as a solo artist. His voice dominated adult contemporary radio throughout the eighties, though his star faded in the nineties. He has experienced a renaissance of popularity in the new century as an interpreter of Motown classics.
Glasnost
Glasnost was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s...
-inspired the July 4 "Peace Concert" in Moscow, with Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
and Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
sharing the bill. Excerpts appearing later that year on the Showtime cable network included a performance of "China Grove."
The successful reunion sparked discussions about reconstituting the band on a permanent basis. They eventually decided to replicate the Toulouse Street/Captain and Me incarnation, settling on a lineup featuring Johnston, Simmons, Hartman, Porter and Hossack, plus more recent addition LaKind, and released Cycles on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1989. It featured a Top Ten single, "The Doctor," which showcased Johnston's unmistakable voice and soaring lead guitar and reminded listeners of the band's pre-McDonald triumphs, which was natural given the lineup of the band at this time. The song was very similar to "China Grove," and the connection was further enhanced by guest Bill Payne's tinkling piano. There was more strong material on the album, including Johnston's "South Of The Border", Simmons' "Take Me To The Highway", a great version of the Isley Brothers' "Need A Little Taste Of Love", and a version of The Four Tops classic, "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison"), which had been covered by Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
years before. Cycles proved a successful, strong and very solid comeback album and was certified Gold. Bumpus also participated on the 1989 tour, adding his distinctive voice, keyboards, saxophone and flute to the proceedings. His presence bridged the gap between the current band and the McDonald era; he sang lead vocals on the song "One Step Closer" (as he originally had on the 1980 album) while Simmons took McDonald's part. The group was further augmented on the 1989 tour by Dale Ockerman (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Richard Bryant (vocals, percussion) and Jimi Fox (percussion, backing vocals). Due to illness, LaKind stepped down before the tour.
The success of Cycles led to the release of 1991's Brotherhood, also on Capitol. The group members grew their hair back out, donned denim and leather, and attempted to revive their biker image of 1970. In spite of the makeover and strong material led by Simmons' now trademark "Dangerous" (featured in the Brian Bosworth
Brian Bosworth
Brian Keith "The Boz" Bosworth, is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Oklahoma...
biker film vehicle, Stone Cold), Brotherhood was unsuccessful, in part due to a lack of support on the part of Capitol Records.
The accompanying tour (with the 1989 lineup sans Bumpus) was ranked among the ten least profitable tours of the disappointing 1991 summer season by the North American Concert Promoters Association, according to an article published in Billboard Magazine on December 14 of that year. The 1987 Doobie alumni band reunited on October 17 and 19, 1992 at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
to perform benefit shows for LaKind's children. Noticeably frail, LaKind, who was terminally ill with cancer, nevertheless joined the group on percussion for a few numbers. The concerts were recorded and subsequently broadcast on the Superstars in Concert radio series accompanied by a plea for contributions to the LaKind family fund. LaKind died on Christmas Eve the same year.
A brief period of hiatus followed during which Simmons collaborated with bassist and songwriter John Cowan
John Cowan
John Cowan is an American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival...
(ex-New Grass Revival
New Grass Revival
New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, releasing more than twenty albums as well as six singles....
), Rusty Young (of Poco
Poco
Poco is an Southern California country rock band originally formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina following the demise of Buffalo Springfield in 1968. The title of their first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, is a reference to the break-up of Buffalo Springfield. Highly influential and creative,...
) and Bill Lloyd (of Foster & Lloyd
Foster & Lloyd
Foster & Lloyd is an American country music duo consisting of singer-songwriters Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd . Founded in 1986, the duo recorded three albums for RCA Records, in addition to charting nine singles on the Billboard country charts. The highest-peaking of these was their debut single...
) on an unreleased project called Four Wheel Drive. When the band emerged yet again in 1993, Hartman and Porter were gone for good but former members Keith Knudsen and John McFee had rejoined on a full-time basis. Joined by Ockerman, Bumpus and former member Willie Weeks, the group toured with Four Wheel Drive as the opening act. After Weeks left the tour to resume his session work, Cowan played bass for both bands. Bumpus also left (to join the reunited Steely Dan), giving way to saxophonist, keyboardist and harmonica player Danny Hull. Alum Chet McCracken temporarily filled in for an injured Hossack in July 1993. The 1993 and 1994 tours included co-headlining appearances with Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
.
With renewed energy, the band began to experiment with different arrangements of several tunes. They even sampled McDonald's songbook from time to time, eventually restoring "Takin' it to the Streets" to the set on a semi-permanent basis with Simmons and new bassist Skylark (who joined in 1995) subbing for McDonald on vocals.
The band has toured continuously since 1993. In 1995 they reunited with McDonald for a brief co-headlining tour with the Steve Miller Band
Steve Miller Band
The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of mid-1970s hit singles that are staples of the classic rock radio format.-History:In 1965, Steve Miller and...
. The "Dreams Come True" tour featured all three primary songwriters and singers and reflected all phases of the band's career. Cornelius Bumpus joined the 1995 tour, with Chet McCracken replacing the absent Knudsen and Bernie Chiaravalle
Bernie chiaravalle
Bernie Chiaravalle is the guitarist for singer Michael McDonald and has also been a songwriting partner with McDonald since the late 1980s. Bernie's career with Michael started out by meeting singer/songwriter David Pack from the group Ambrosia who later introduced him to Michael. He and McDonald...
sitting in for John McFee. A 1996 double live album, Rockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert
Rockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert
Rockin’ 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...
, featured guest star McDonald on three of his signature tunes. McDonald remains an occasional "special guest" and has joined the group for benefits, private corporate shows and parties (such as the wedding reception of Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
and David Gest
David Gest
David Alan Gest is an American concert promoter and media personality, perhaps best known for his turbulent marriage to Liza Minnelli, friendship with The Jackson 5 and appearance on the 2006 series of the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity.....
), as well. Baxter has also played with the band during concerts and the band have stated that they have an "open door" policy for guest appearances by former members.
Keyboardist Guy Allison
Guy Allison
Guy Allison is an American composer, pianist and producer.-Biography:His first record deal was signed with a band called Lodgic on A&M Records in 1985. This band included Michael Sherwood, Billy Sherwood, Jimmy Haun and Gary Starnes...
(ex-Moody Blues and Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
) replaced Dale Ockerman in 1996. Marc Russo (ex-Yellow Jackets) joined in early 1998 replacing Danny Hull. A serious motorbike mishap sidelined Hossack from mid-2001 to 2002. Drummer/percussionist M. B. Gordy was recruited to play drums during Hossack's absence and remained on percussion until 2005. Ed Wynne substituted for Russo on saxophone from April to August in 2002.
In the late 1990s, the current band was forced to obtain an injunction preventing confusing or misleading uses of the "Doobie Brothers" moniker in advertisements promoting a tribute band
Tribute band
A tribute act is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act - sometimes one which has disbanded, ceased touring or is deceased. Probably the largest class of tributes acts are Elvis impersonators, individual performers who mimic the songs and style...
featuring former members McCracken, Bumpus and Shogren accompanied by several lesser known musicians. Unfortunately, this unpleasant episode appeared to have burned bridges between the band and the aforementioned former members (of whom only McCracken survives today).
In 1999, Rhino Records released the group's first box set, entitled Long Train Runnin': 1970–2000. The box featured remastered tunes from the band's entire catalog, a new studio recording of the live concert staple "Little Bitty Pretty One," and an entire disc of previously unreleased studio outtakes and live recordings. Rhino's 2000 release, Sibling Rivalry, offered the band's first new studio album in nine years. The material, which reflected significant contributions from both Knudsen and McFee, ranged from rock to hip-hop, jazz to adult contemporary, and even country. The album sold poorly, reflecting the declining sales throughout the adult-oriented rock musical scene. The band and some of its supporters felt it did not find the large audience it deserved. Others found the album to be musically and lyrically weak and unfocused, lacking in solid songwriting or inspired playing.
In an online interview at the time, even Tom Johnston had reservations regarding the democratic way they did the album and the final result, saying, in effect, that they'd needed someone to oversee the project.
To date, four members of the Doobies family are deceased: percussionist LaKind in 1992 following his lengthy struggle with cancer; original bassist Shogren of unreported causes in 1999; and Bumpus of a heart attack in 2004 while in the air on route to California for a solo tour. Drummer and activist Keith Knudsen died in 2005 of cancer and chronic pneumonia. Former Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...
drummer Ed Toth
Ed Toth
Ed Toth is currently one of the two drummers for The Doobie Brothers.Always interested in music, Ed says he's been drumming most of his life. He made good use of his father's record collection and was active in all music programs in East Lyme, Connecticut, playing in his high school band at East...
was selected to fill Knudsen's drum seat as the band soldiered on.
Johnston was forced to miss several shows in the summer of 2007 following an operation for a throat ailment. Upon his return, he received vocal assistance from Simmons and McFee on certain tunes that he had traditionally sung in their entirety.
The Doobies provided the half-time entertainment for the FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
Orange Bowl football game on January 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida.
For their 2010 summer tour they were (as previously in 1999 and 2008) once again paired with Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
. Both Skylark and Michael Hossack were forced to sit out this tour due to health reasons. Tony Pia (a veteran of several touring acts, including The Brian Setzer Orchestra
The Brian Setzer Orchestra
The Brian Setzer Orchestra is a swing and jump blues band formed in 1990 by Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer. The group had success covering Louis Prima's "Jump Jive an' Wail", which appeared on Prima's 1957 album The Wildest!...
) came in to sub for Hossack while John Cowan returned to play bass.
On July 6, 2010, The Doobie Brothers announced a new album entitled World Gone Crazy, produced with their long-time producer Ted Templeman, which was released on September 28, 2010. The first single from the album, entitled Nobody, can be listened to on their official website. They have also announced plans to release a DVD compilation of live performances and television appearances from throughout the group's long career.
Given the history of turnover, the current version of the band has proven to be remarkably stable in its core membership since 1993. It features one-half of the four original members - Johnston (1970–1977, 1987–present) and ever-present Simmons (1970–present, with only a brief hiatus in late 1981-early 1982) - plus veteran drummer Hossack (1971–1973, 1987–present) and longtime guitarist McFee (1979–1982, 1987, 1992–present). They are supported by Skylark on bass and vocals (joined 1995, replacing Cowan), keyboardist Guy Allison
Guy Allison
Guy Allison is an American composer, pianist and producer.-Biography:His first record deal was signed with a band called Lodgic on A&M Records in 1985. This band included Michael Sherwood, Billy Sherwood, Jimmy Haun and Gary Starnes...
(joined 1996, replacing Dale Ockerman), and Marc Russo on saxophone (joined 1998, replacing Danny Hull). With Hossack, newest member Toth (joined 2005) keeps the trademark double-drummers driven sound going. The group continues to tour heavily and remains a popular concert draw. From 2005 through 2007 they headlined benefit concerts at manager Cohn's B.R. Cohn Winery
B. R. Cohn Winery
- History :Bruce Cohn, manager of the California rock band, The Doobie Brothers, purchased the original area in 1974. He named the property the Olive Hill Estate Vineyards after the grove of 145-year-old olive Picholine Olive trees, from which he continues to make ultra-premium olive oil.After...
in Glen Ellen
Glen Ellen, California
Glen Ellen is a census-designated place in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA. The population was 784 at the 2010 census, down from 992 at the 2000 census. Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London State Historic Park , Sonoma Valley Regional Park, and a former home of Hunter S....
(once again sharing the stage with "special guest" McDonald in 2006). They have maintained a continuous and active presence on the Internet through their official website since 1996.
Tiran Porter still performs in and around northern California, occasionally with Moby Grape and regularly with Stormin' Norman and the Cyclones and Beatles tribute band, Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble. His only solo album, the self-produced Playing to an Empty House, has become a collector's item.
Band members
| 1970–1971 |
|
|---|---|
| 1971–1972 |
Michael Hossack Michael 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, percussion |
| 1972–1973 |
Tiran Porter Tiran 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... – bass, vocals |
| 1973–1974 |
Keith Knudsen Keith Knudsen was an American rock drummer, vocalist and songwriter.-Career:Knudsen was born in Le Mars, Iowa. He began drumming while attending Princeton High School in Princeton, Illinois, where he graduated from in 1966... – drums, percussion, vocals |
| 1974–1975 |
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... – guitars, backing vocals |
| 1975–1977 |
Michael McDonald (singer) Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan... – keyboards, synthesizers, vocals |
| 1977–1979 |
Bobby LaKind Bobby LaKind was a conga player, vocalist, songwriter and occasional live backup drummer with The Doobie Brothers. He was originally a lighting roadie for the band... – percussion, backing vocals |
| 1979–1980 |
John McFee John McFee is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, and long time member of the Doobie Brothers.-Biography:... – guitars, violin, vocals Cornelius Bumpus Cornelius Bumpus was an American woodwind, keyboard player and vocalist from Santa Cruz, California.He began his career playing alto saxophone at ten for the school band and by 12 was playing at Luso-American dances... – saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals |
| 1980–1982 |
Willie Weeks Willie Weeks is an American bass guitarist. He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career. Weeks has also gained notoriety touring with many of rock's heavyweights throughout his career... – bass, backing vocals Bobby LaKind Bobby LaKind was a conga player, vocalist, songwriter and occasional live backup drummer with The Doobie Brothers. He was originally a lighting roadie for the band... – percussion, backing vocals |
| 1982–1987 |
Disbanded |
| 1987 (plus October 1992) |
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| 1988–1989 |
Dale Ockerman Dale Ockerman is a keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter who has worked with a variety of internationally-recognized musicians since the late 1960s... – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals |
| 1989–1990 |
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| 1990–1991 |
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| 1991–1992 |
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| 1993 |
John McFee John McFee is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, and long time member of the Doobie Brothers.-Biography:... – guitars, violin, vocals Willie Weeks Willie Weeks is an American bass guitarist. He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career. Weeks has also gained notoriety touring with many of rock's heavyweights throughout his career... – bass, backing vocals Keith Knudsen Keith Knudsen was an American rock drummer, vocalist and songwriter.-Career:Knudsen was born in Le Mars, Iowa. He began drumming while attending Princeton High School in Princeton, Illinois, where he graduated from in 1966... – drums, percussion, vocals |
| 1993–1995 |
John Cowan John Cowan is an American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival... – bass, backing vocals |
| 1995 |
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| 1996–1998 |
Guy Allison Guy Allison is an American composer, pianist and producer.-Biography:His first record deal was signed with a band called Lodgic on A&M Records in 1985. This band included Michael Sherwood, Billy Sherwood, Jimmy Haun and Gary Starnes... – keyboards, backing vocals |
| 1998–2001 |
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| 2001–2002 |
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| 2002 |
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| 2002–2005 |
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| 2005–2010 |
Ed Toth Ed Toth is currently one of the two drummers for The Doobie Brothers.Always interested in music, Ed says he's been drumming most of his life. He made good use of his father's record collection and was active in all music programs in East Lyme, Connecticut, playing in his high school band at East... – drums, percussion |
| 2010–present |
John Cowan John Cowan is an American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival... - bass, backing vocals |
Substitutes/Guests
- Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (singer)Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
– 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...
/synthesizers/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...
1992 (two shows), 1995 tour (as a special guest) (McDonald still appears as a guest at certain shows) - Chet McCracken – 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...
1993 (filled in for Hossack in July), 1995 (filled in for Knudsen) - Andy NewmarkAndy NewmarkAndrew "Andy" Newmark is an American musician, best known as a popular session drummer, and for playing with the funk band Sly & the Family Stone from 1972 to 1973....
– drums, percussion (subbed for Knudsen in 1981) - Bernie ChiaravalleBernie chiaravalleBernie Chiaravalle is the guitarist for singer Michael McDonald and has also been a songwriting partner with McDonald since the late 1980s. Bernie's career with Michael started out by meeting singer/songwriter David Pack from the group Ambrosia who later introduced him to Michael. He and McDonald...
– 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...
/backing vocals (1995 tour) - 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...
– 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...
(early 1974, toured with the group for a short period) - Ed Wynne – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
(2002) - Tony Pia – drums, percussion (filled in for Hossack in 2010)
The Memphis Horns
- Wayne JacksonThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
– trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... - Andrew LoveThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
– saxophone - Lewis CollinsThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
– saxophone - Jack HaleThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
– tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
/trumpet/French horn - James MitchellThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
– baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
Discography
- The Doobie BrothersThe Doobie Brothers (album)The Doobie Brothers is the first studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1971 . It is their only official studio album to feature original bass player Dave Shogren on all tracks, who left during the recording of their second album.The first single from the album,...
(1971) - Toulouse StreetToulouse StreetToulouse Street is the second studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1972 . Toulouse Street is the name of a street in the French Quarter of New Orleans.-Track listing:Side One...
(1972) - The Captain and MeThe Captain and MeThe 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.- Recording and content :This time...
(1973) - What Were Once Vices Are Now HabitsWhat Were Once Vices Are Now HabitsWhat Were Once Vices Are Now Habits is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1974.-Recording and content:...
(1974) - Stampede (1975)
- Takin' It to the Streets (1976)
- Livin' on the Fault LineLivin' on the Fault LineLivin' on the Fault Line is the seventh studio album by the American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1977. It is one of the few Doobie Brothers albums which did not produce a hit . Still, the album received modest critical acclaim...
(1977) - Minute by MinuteMinute by MinuteMinute by Minute is the eighth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1978. The album contains their biggest hit, the Grammy-winning "What a Fool Believes". "Depending on You" and the title track were also released as singles...
(1978) - One Step Closer (1980)
- Cycles (1989)
- Brotherhood (1991)
- Sibling Rivalry (2000)
- World Gone CrazyWorld Gone Crazy (The Doobie Brothers album)World Gone Crazy is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released on September 28, 2010. It debuted at number 39 on the Billboard top 200 albums chart, their highest charting position since 1989. The first single is a remake of their 1971 debut single Nobody...
(2010)
See also
- Eikichi YazawaEikichi Yazawais an influential Japanese singer-songwriter, and important figure in Japanese popular music.Yoko Yazawa of The Generous is his daughter.-Biography:...
, Japanese rock musician who has hired most of The Doobie Brothers as his back-up band.