The Doobie Brothers
This is a direct excerpt from UNCLE JOE'S RECORD GUIDE - AMERICANS, Volume One, Copyright (c) 1989 by J. Benson Unlimited. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
In September 1970, the power trio of guitarist/vocalist Tom Johnston, drummer John Hartman and bassist Dave Shogren were joined by guitarist/vocalist Patrick Simmons. Calling themselves the Doobie Brothers, the quartet played the bar and party circuit around San Jose. Soon, their six-song demo got them signed to Warner Brothers, and the Doobies' debut album was released in early 1971.
By the time the Doobie Brothers' second album was finished, bassist Tiran Porter and second drummer Michael Hossack had been added to the line-up and the band's unique sound was defined. That second album, Toulouse Street, produced two hit singles; but it was their third album, The Captain And Me, which made the Doobie Brothers major stars.
Although the Doobie Brothers featured the same double-guitar/double-drums line-up as their contemporaries, the Allman Brothers Band, the Doobies had developed a much different sound. Avoiding virtuoso jams, the Doobies' music was based on catchy melodies, vocal harmonies, increasingly intricate rhythmic interplay and tight performance skills. Throughout their career, the band's live show was a full celebration of those elements.
The hit singles, million-selling albums (over 40 million worldwide) and constant touring continued. Steely Dan alumni Jeff "Skunk" Baxter joined the Doobies in 1975 and, one year later, Michael McDonald was recruited to fill in for the ailing Tom Johnston. The Doobies' line-up continued to shift throughout the late seventies, as the band produced some of the decade's most memorable music, including the Grammy Award winning Minute By Minute album.
By 1982, the band, tired of the constant grind, decided to pack it in following a giant farewell tour.
Having reunited each year for their Children's Hospital Christmas benefit, 12 of the former Doobies agreed to do an 11-city tour for a variety of charities in 1987. That experience proved so positive that the original line-up of Johnston, Hartman, Simmons, Porter and Hossack re-formed with the addition of percussionist Bobby LaKind. Their 1988 album, Cycles, and the subsequent tour saw the Doobie Brothers again sharing their music and fun with audiences around the world.
Doobie Brothers Birth Dates
Cornelius Bumpus - 1/13/52
John Hartman - 3/18/50
Tom Johnston - 8/15/48
Bobby LaKind - 11/3/45-12/26/92
Keith Knudsen - 10/18/52
Chet McCracken - 7/17/52
Michael McDonald - 1952
John McFee - 11/18/53
Tiran Porter - 9/26/48
Patrick Simmons - 10/19/48
Dave Shogren - 1948
The Doobie Brothers
The Captain And Me
3rd LP, released 3/73 - about eight months after their last. When this album was recorded in late 1972, the 24-year-old Doobie Brothers still had a rowdy, partying edge to their music. The Captain And Me was recorded at the Warner Brothers Studios in North Hollywood by the Doobies' second line-up of guitarist/vocalists Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, bassist Tiran Porter, and drummers John Hartman and Michael Hossack - the same crew that made most of Toulouse Street. Johnston again did most of the writing, keyboardist Billy Payne (of Little Feat) returned to help in the studio, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (of Steely Dan) was recruited for his steel guitar work. Also, for the first time, orchestration was used on a few songs. The production and engineering of The Captain And Me was handled, as usual, by Ted Templeman and Donn Landee (both of whom were later responsible for Van Halen's sound).
While this line-up of the Doobie Brothers featured the same double-guitarist/double-drummer set-up as the Allman Brothers Band, the Doobies had developed a much different sound. Avoiding virtuoso jams, their music was based on catchy melodies, vocal harmonies and occasionally intricate rhythmic interplay. By this stage of their career, the band's live show was a full celebration of those elements.
The Captain And Me quickly became the Doobies' second gold album and first Top 10 effort (it reached #7). It yielded their first Top 10 single and secured their position as one of America's premiere rock bands.
** Special Note: The Captain And Me album cover photograph was taken on the partially built Interstate 5 Golden State Freeway, north of Los Angeles and south of Newhall, near the Balboa exit.
