Doobie Brothers
FORMED: March 1970, San Jose, CA
DISBANDED: 1982
As one of the most popular Californian pop/rock bands of the '70s, the Doobie
Brothers evolved from a mellow, post-hippie boogie band to a slick, soul-inflected
pop band by the end of the decade. Along the way, the group racked up a string
of gold and platinum albums in the US, along with a number of radio hits
like "Listen to the Music," "Black Water" and "China Grove." The roots of
the Doobie Brothers lay in Pud, a short-lived Californian country-rock band
in the vein of Moby Grape featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Johnston and drummer
John Hartman. After Pud collapsed in 1969, the pair began jamming with bassist
John Shogren and guitarist Patrick Simmons. Eventually, the quartet decided
to form a group, naming themselves the Doobie Brothers after a slang term
for marijuna. Soon, the Doobies earned a strong following throughout Southern
California, especially among Hell's Angels, and they were signed to Warner
Bros. in 1970. The band's eponymous debut was ignored upon its 1971 release.
Following its release, Shogren was replaced by Tiran Porter and the group
added a second drummer, Michael Hossack for 1972's Toulouse Street. Driven
by the singles "Listen to the Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright," Toulouse
Street became the group's breakthrough. The Captain and Me (1973) was even
more successful, spawning the Top 10 hit "Long Train Runnin'" and "China
Grove." Keith Knudsen replaced Hossack as the group's second drummer for
1974's What Once Were Vices Are Now Habits, which launched their first number
one single, "Black Water," and featured heavy contributions from former Steely
Dan member Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter officially joined the
Doobie Brothers for 1975's Stampede. Prior to the album's spring release,
Johnston was hospitilized with a stomach ailment, and was replaced for the
supporting tour by keyboardist/vocalist Michael McDonald, who had also worked
with Steely Dan. Although it peaked at number four, Stampede wasn't as commercially
successful as its three predecessors, and the group decided to let McDonald
and Baxter, who were now official Doobies, revamp the band's light country-rock
and boogie. The new sound was showcased on 1976's Takin' It to the Streets,
a collection of light funk and jazzy pop that resulted in a platinum album.
Later that year, the group released the hits compilation, The Best of the
Doobies. In 1977, the group released Livin' on the Fault Line, which was
successful without producing any big hits. Johnston left the band after the
album's release to pursue an unsuccessful solo career. Following his departure,
the Doobies released their most successful album, Minute By Minute (1978)
which spent five weeks at number one on the strength of the number one single
"What a Fool Believes." Hartman and Baxter left the group after the album's
supporting tour, leaving the Doobie Brothers as McDonald's backing band.
Following a year of audition, the Doobies hired ex-Clover guitarist John
McFee, session drummer Chet McCracken and former Moby Grape saxophonist Cornelius
Bumpus and released One Step Closer (1980), a platinum album that produced
the Top Ten hit "Real Love." During the tour for One Step Closer, McCracken
was replaced by Newmark. Early in 1982, Doobie Brothers announced they were
breaking up after a farewell tour, which was documented on the 1983 live
album, The Doobie Brothers Farewell Tour. After the band's split, McDonald
pursued a successful solo career, while Simmons released one unsuccessful
solo record. In 1987, the Doobies reunited for a concert at the Hollywood
Bowl, which quickly became a brief reunion tour; McDonald declined to particpate
in the tour. By 1989, the early '70s lineup of Johnston, Simmons, Hartman,
Porter, and Hossack, augmented by percussionist and former Doobies roadie
Bobby La Kind, had signed a contract with Capitol Records. Their reunion
album, Cycles, went gold upon its summer release in 1989, spawning the Top
Ten hit "The Doctor." Brotherhood followed two years later, but it failed
to generate much interest. For the remainder of the '90s, the group toured
the US, playing the oldies circuit and '70s revival concerts. By 1995, Michael
McDonald had joined the group again and the following year saw the release
of Rockin' Down the Highway. But the line up had once again shifted by the
turn of the new millennium. 2000 saw the band -- Michael Hossack, Tom Johnston,
Keith Knudsen, John McFee, and Pat Simmons -- issue Sibling Rivalry, which
featured touring members Guy Allison on keyboards, Marc Russo on saxophone,
and Skylark on bass. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide