This enduring act evolved from Pud, a San Jose-based trio formed in March 1970 by Tom Johnston (b. 15 August 1948, Visalia, California, USA; guitar/vocals) and John Hartman (b. 18 March 1950, Falls Church, Virginia, USA; drums). Original bass player Greg Murphy was quickly replaced by Dave Shogren (b. San Francisco, California, USA, d. 2000, San Jose, California, USA). Patrick Simmons (b. 19 October 1948, Aberdeen, Washington, USA; guitar/vocals) then expanded the line-up, and within six months the band had adopted a new name, the Doobie Brothers, in deference to a slang term for a marijuana cigarette. Their muted 1971 debut album, although promising, was commercially unsuccessful and contrasted with the unit’s tougher live sound. A new bass player Tiran Porter (b. USA) and second drummer Michael Hossack (b. 17 October 1946, Paterson, New Jersey, USA) joined the line-up for Toulouse Street, which spawned the anthem-like (and successful) single, ‘Listen To The Music’. This confident selection was a marked improvement on its predecessor, while the twin-guitar and twin-percussionist format inspired comparisons with the Allman Brothers Band. A sparkling third set, The Captain And Me, contained two US hits, ‘Long Train Running’ and ‘China Grove’, which have both become standard radio classics, while What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, a largely disappointing album, did feature the Doobie Brothers’ first US chart-topper, ‘Black Water’.
By this point the band’s blend of harmonies and tight rock was proving highly popular, although critics pointed to a lack of invention and a reliance on proven formula. Hossack was replaced on the drums by the previous album’s guest vocalist Keith Knudsen (b. 18 February 1948, LeMars, Iowa, USA, d. 8 February 2005, Kentfield, California, USA) for Stampede, which also introduced ex-Steely Dan guitarist, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter (b. 13 December 1948, Washington, DC, USA). In April 1975, his former colleague, Michael McDonald, (b. 12 February 1952, St. Louis, Missouri, USA; keyboards/vocals) also joined the band when founder member Johnston succumbed to a recurrent ulcer problem. Although the guitarist rejoined the band in 1976, he left again two years later to concentrate on a solo career, which began with the release of 1979’s Everything You’ve Heard Is True. The arrival of McDonald heralded a new direction. He gradually assumed control of their sound, dominating Takin’ It To The Streets and instilling the soul-based perspective revealed on 1978’s excellent Minute By Minute (the band’s first album without Johnston) and its attendant US number 1 single, the ebullient ‘What A Fool Believes’.
Both Hartman and Baxter then left the line-up, but McDonald’s impressive, distinctive voice proved a unifying factor. 1980’s One Step Closer featured newcomers John McFee (b. 9 September 1950, Santa Cruz, California, USA; guitar, ex-Clover), Cornelius Bumpus (b. 13 January 1946, USA, d. 3 February 2004, USA; saxophone/keyboards) and Chet McCracken (b. 17 July 1952, Seattle, Washington, USA; drums), yet it was probably the band’s most accomplished album. Willie Weeks subsequently replaced Porter, but by 1981 the Doobie Brothers’ impetus was waning. They split in October the following year, with McDonald and Simmons embarking on contrasting solo careers.
A re-formed Doobie Brothers, comprising the Toulouse Street line-up of Johnston, Simmons, Porter, Hartman and Hossack plus long-time conga player Bobby LaKind (d. 24 December 1992), completed a 1989 release, Cycles, on which traces of their one-time verve were still apparent. They found a similar audience and ‘The Doctor’ made the US Top 10. A second album, Brotherhood, was less successful with both the critics and the general public. In 1993, a remixed version of ‘Long Train Running’ put the Doobie Brothers back in the charts, although to many 70s fans the Ben Liebrand production added little to the original classic. McDonald, McFee and Knudsen returned to the fold in the mid-90s, but by 2000’s new studio album, Sibling Rivalry, the line-up comprised Johnston, Simmons, Hossack, Knudsen and McFee.
The Doobie Brothers remain critically underrated, their track record alone making them one of the major US rock bands of the 70s. Their sizeable catalogue of hits is perfect when heard in a live environment.
