The Doobie Brothers

About The Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers started in San Jose in 1970 when Skip Spence introduced guitarist Tom Johnston to bassist John Hartman. They needed a name, someone suggested Doobie as slang for joints, and apparently no one had a better idea. The lineup shifted constantly from the start, but Johnston's raspy voice and their stacked harmonies gave them a sound that split the difference between biker rock and the softer California scene.

Their first two albums went nowhere particularly fast, but 1972's "Toulouse Street" had "Listen to the Music," which became the template for pretty much everything they'd do successfully. It was groove-based rock with enough edge to avoid being completely toothless but smooth enough for FM radio. "The Captain and Me" the following year gave them "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove," both of which you've heard at every barbecue and classic rock station for the past five decades.

They were doing fine as a touring bar band that happened to sell millions of records, then Johnston's health fell apart in 1975. Enter Michael McDonald, who'd been playing keyboards in the background. McDonald took over lead vocals and fundamentally changed what the band sounded like. Out went the boogie rock, in came blue-eyed soul and those stacked jazz chords. "Takin' It to the Streets" in 1976 was the transition album. By "Minute by Minute" in 1978, they were a completely different group, and "What a Fool Believes" became their biggest hit and won them a Grammy.

The McDonald era made them more successful commercially but divided the fanbase in the way these things always do. People who wanted "China Grove" weren't necessarily interested in yacht rock, even if it was extremely well-crafted yacht rock. The band split in 1982, mostly because they were exhausted and probably sick of each other.

They reunited in 1987 with Johnston back in front, and they've been a functioning touring act ever since. McDonald has come and gone from the lineup depending on his schedule and apparently everyone's mood. They got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, which felt about 15 years late but whatever.

The thing about the Doobies is they represent two entirely different sounds that somehow existed under the same name. The early stuff was roadhouse rock with motorcycle energy. The later stuff was sophisticated R&B for people who owned sailboats. Both versions were competent and successful. Neither was particularly cool, but they didn't seem bothered by that. They're still out there playing casinos and amphitheaters, and people still show up because the songs work, even if no one can quite explain why a band this uncomplicated ended up mattering as much as they did.

They deliver exactly what you want: tight, polished versions of songs people have loved for fifty years. Crowds sing along to every word. The band plays with the ease of people who've performed these songs countless times, which somehow makes it feel effortless rather than tired. There's no pretense, just professional musicians going through what works.

Known for Listen to What the Man Said, Black Water, Long Train Runnin', China Grove, What a Fool Believes

See The Doobie Brothers Live