The fourth album of Doobie Brothers, "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" released in 1974, included "Black Water," the band's first #1 record which eventually sold more than 2 million copies, and was the first hit to feature Simmons as lead vocalist. In the midst of recording sessions for their album Hossack abruptly departed the band citing burnout from constant touring. Drummer, songwriter and vocalist Keith Knudsen was recruited promptly and left with the Doobies on a major tour within days of joining in September 1973. Hossack subsequently replaced Knudsen in the band Bonaroo, which served as an opening act for the Doobies shortly thereafter. Both Hossack's drums and Knudsen's voice are heard on Vices.Doobie Brothers Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market on nominal rates
The third album of Doobie Brothers, "The Captain and Me" was released in 1973. A string of hits followed, including Johnston's "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove," from The Captain and Me album. Other noteworthy songs on the album were Simmons' country-ish ode "South City Midnight Lady" and the explosive, hard rocking raveup, "Without You," for which the entire band received songwriting credit. Onstage, the latter song would sometimes stretch into a 15-minute jam with additional lyrics ad-libbed by Johnston. A 1973 appearance on the debut episode of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert featured one such epic performance of the tune.Doobie Brothers Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market on nominal rates
Doobie Brothers second album "Toulouse Street" in 1972 brought the band their breakthrough success. In collaboration with manager Bruce Cohn, producer Ted Templeman and engineer Donn Landee, the band put forward a more polished and eclectic set of songs. They also made a change to the line-up, supplementing Hartman's drumming with that of Navy veteran Michael Hossackthe band recorded several songs on the second album with Shogren on bass, guitar & background vocals. But during the album's recording, Shogren left after disagreements with producer Templeman. Shogren was replaced with singer, songwriter and bass guitarist Tiran Porter. Porter and Hossack were both stalwarts of the northern California music scene, Porter having previously played in Scratch with Simmons. Porter brought a funkier bass style to the band and added his husky baritone to the voices of Johnston and Simmons, resulting in a rich three part harmonic vocal blend.Doobie Brothers Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market on nominal rates
The band's self-titled 1971 debut album, "The Doobie Brothers", yielded no hit singles. It was departed significantly from that image and their live sound of the period. The album, which failed to chart, emphasized acoustic guitars and frequently reflected country influences. The bouncy lead-off song "Nobody," the band's first single, has surfaced in their live set several times over the ensuing decades.Doobie Brothers Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market on nominal rates
The Doobie Brothers improved their playing by performing live all over Northern California in 1970. They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels and got a recurring gig at one of the bikers'favorite venues, the Chateau Liberte' in the Santa Cruz Mountains. An energetic set of demos, eight of which were briefly and illegally released on Pickwick Records in 1980 under the title Introducing the Doobie Brothers, and have since been bootlegged on CD under that title and On Our Way Up as well, both with expanded song selections, showcased fuzz-toned dual lead electric guitars, three-part harmonies and Hartman's frenetic drumming and earned the rock group a contract at Warner Bros. Records. At this point in their history, the band's image reflected that of their biggest fans - leather jackets and motorcycles.
Drummer John Hartman arrived in California in 1969 determined to meet Skip Spence of Moby Grape and join an aborted Grape reunion. Spence introduced Hartman to singer, guitarist and songwriter Tom Johnston and the two proceeded to form the nucleus "The Doobie Brothers" Johnston and Hartman called their fledgling group "Pud", and experimented with lineups and styles as they performed in and around San Jose. They were mostly a power trio but briefly worked with a horn section. In 1970 they teamed up with bass player Dave Shogren and singer, guitarist and songwriter Patrick Simmons. Simmons, who had belonged to several area groups, an acoustic trio with future Doobies bassist Tiran Porte and also performed as a solo artist, was already an accomplished fingerstyle player whose approach to the instrument complemented Johnston's rhythmic R&B strumming. In a recent interview, Johnston attributed the band's eventual name to friend and housemate Keith "Dyno" Rosen, who noted the guys' fondness for "doobies". They considered the new moniker an improvement over "pud" and named their band "Doobie Brothers".Doobie Brothers Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market on nominal rates
With over two decades worth of great music to feed their hungry fans, a band called "Doobie Brothers" continued to rock, playing 47 dates with Foreigner in the summer of 1994 alone. This included tours of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970. The group is comprised of founding members Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons & Michael Hossack, as well as guitarist/violinist John McFee and ; but the band has often had a large cast list, and many members have come and gone. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. Modeled roughly on the three-guitar, three-part vocal harmony sound of the San Francisco band Moby Grape, The Doobie Brothers were founded in San Jose, California in 1970. The blending of the folk-style finger-picking of Pat Simmons with the rough-hewn rock licks of Tom Johnston, whose soulful lead vocals gave the band its initial distinctive sound, helped to define what would become known as the California sound of the 70s. They have sold over 30 million albums in the United States from the 1970s to the present. As they entered their second quarter century together, The Doobies Brothers continued the musicianship and showmanship that made them into one of the most popular American rock bands of all time.Doobie Brothers Tickets are available at
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