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Jan 2, 2021 · The group's 1982 split stemmed in part from musical disagreements. Per Rolling Stone, from the band's start in 1970 through 1975, the Doobies were heavily known for their rock-driven tunes such as "Listen To The Music" and "Long Train Runnin'." It was only when founding member Tom Johnston left the band due to health issues that Michael ...
- The Tragic Real-Life Story Of The Doobie Brothers - Grunge
Since their first break up, the Doobie Brothers would...
- The Tragic Real-Life Story Of The Doobie Brothers - Grunge
Feb 27, 2021 · Michael McDonald recalled the moment he told his Doobie Brothers bandmates that he didn’t think the group had a future, leading to their farewell tour of 1982. He’d been a member for seven ...
- Martin Kielty
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1970. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five decades, with their greatest success taking place in the 1970s. The group's current lineup consists of founding members Tom ...
Dec 1, 2020 · Since their first break up, the Doobie Brothers would reunite and go on more tours to play to thousands of loyal fans around the world. It wasn't until 2020 when the band was given a residency at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, where they were expected to make as much as $300,000 a night, writes Rolling Stone. However, as the band was in the ...
- Overview
- Early years
- The Michael McDonald era
- Later years
the Doobie Brothers, American rock band whose shift from Southern rock and blues-inspired compositions toward a commercially appealing soft rock sound resulted in its relevance and popularity throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was formed in San Jose, California, in 1970 by vocalist-guitarist Tom Johnston (b. August 15, 1958, Visalia, Ca...
Marked by dual-lead guitars and stacked vocal harmonies, the first Doobie Brothers lineup honed its musical chops and found its audience in Northern California’s biker bars. Demo tapes of the band’s music caught the attention of record producer Ted Templeman, who had signed the Doobie Brothers to Warner Brothers Records by the end of 1970. Templeman went on to produce every studio album by the band until Cycles (1989).
Whereas the band’s debut album, The Doobie Brothers (1971), failed to capture the energy of its live performances, its sophomore album, Toulouse Street (1972), launched the band into the limelight. Buoyed by the now classic tracks “Listen to the Music”, “Jesus Is Just Alright,” and “Rockin’ Down the Highway,” Toulouse Street featured a more polished sound and an expanded lineup, including bassist Tiran Porter (who replaced Shogren) and an additional drummer, Michael Hossack. The band’s third album, The Captain and Me (1973), achieved double-platinum sales and features the rockers “Long Train Runnin’ ” and “China Grove,” which peaked at number 8 and number 15, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Captain and Me also showcases contributions from Little Feat keyboardist Bill Payne, who plays piano on “China Grove” and other tracks, and then Steely Dan guitarist Jeff Baxter, who added a pedal steel guitar part to “South City Midnight Lady.”
Prior to the release of Stampede, Johnston fell ill with a bleeding ulcer and was replaced on the album’s promotional tour by vocalist-keyboardist Michael McDonald, who had worked with Baxter in Steely Dan. The band was impressed with McDonald’s soulful vocals and gospel-tinged keyboard style and invited him to become a full-time member. Under McDonald, the band smoothed out its raucous, feel-good rock and roll sound into a soulful rhythm and blues (R&B) approach.
The revamped Doobie Brothers followed Stampede with the light funk and pop-oriented Takin’ It to the Streets (1976), scoring hits with the album’s title track and “It Keeps You Runnin’,” which were both written by McDonald. The band’s next album, the jazz-influenced Livin’ on the Fault Line (1977), did not produce any hits and met with mixed reviews.
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The band’s sound continued to mellow, evolving into a more polished style under McDonald. In late 1978 the Doobie Brothers released the chart-topping album Minute by Minute, anchored by the title track, which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the number-one hit “What a Fool Believes,” which was written by McDonald and Kenny Loggins. In 1980 “What a Fool Believes” and “Minute by Minute” won Grammy Awards for record of the year and best vocal performance by a duo, group, or chorus, respectively.
The rigors of touring wore on the band. Baxter and Hartman left the Doobie Brothers in 1979 and were replaced by multi-instrumentalist John McFee and drummer Chet McCracken. The 1980 release One Step Closer showcased the band’s signature harmonies and McDonald’s soulful touch but did not achieve the commercial or critical success of Minute by Minute. One Step Closer produced the hit song “Real Love,” which peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Doobie Brothers disbanded in 1982 after Simmons and McDonald left to pursue solo careers. In 1983 Warner Brothers issued the live double album Farewell Tour, which documents the band’s 30-date 1982 tour.
In 1987 Johnston, Simmons, Baxter, Hartman, Hossack, Porter, and other band members embarked on a successful reunion tour, which breathed new life into the band’s legacy. In the years that followed, the Doobie Brothers continued to tour and record, releasing the albums Cycles (1989), Brotherhood (1991), Sibling Rivalry (2000), and Southbound (2014)...
May 12, 2022 · May 11, 2022 5:47 PM PT. When it finally happened last summer, the Doobie Brothers’ long-anticipated reunion with Michael McDonald took just more than a week to run into trouble. Nine days after ...
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Doobie Brothers Break Up. By Geoffrey Himes, Musician, 1982. Part of Rock's Backpages, The ultimate library of rock music writing and journalism. Thousands of articles, interviews and reviews from the world's best music writers and critics, from the late 1950s to the present day.
