'Listen to the Music'

The Doobie Brothers roll out the hits at the 13th annual City of Palo Alto's Black & White Ball

by Jim Harrington

Even if you aren't a classic rock fan, you probably know the songs: "Minute by Minute," "What a Fool Believes," "Takin' It to the Streets," "Listen to the Music," "Black Water," "China Grove."

If you want to hear the songs, just listen to the radio for a while or pull out some vinyl records from the '70s. But if you want to hear the music performed live, make plans to attend the City of Palo Alto's Black & White Ball Saturday night. The Doobie Brothers headline the benefit gala at SAP Labs in the Stanford Research Park.

After dominating the charts in the '70s, the Doobie Brothers in the years since have kept a relatively low profile. They've split up, reunited, split up and reunited again, finally re-establishing over the past five years a pretty steady rhythm of touring and recording. They haven't scored any hits, but they really don't need to. Having already sold 50 million albums, they now just focus on playing the tunes.

"We don't have to have that hit record. We don't have to have that video on MTV," said Doobies drummer Keith Knudsen during a recent phone interview from his home in Sonoma. "That entitles us to have fun with it."

Fun has always been a key ingredient to the Doobies experience. The song writing has never been deep, nor has the singing or playing been virtuoso. But the Doobies long have known how to find a sharp hook and fuel it with toe-tapping power chords. The band still has an active fan club, with new generations of listeners latching onto their music through the record collections of their parents or older siblings.

"Something about our music sticks with people--fortunately for us," Knudsen said.

Coming out of San Jose, the Doobie Brothers released their self-titled debut in 1971 to little regard. With their second work, "Toulouse Street," the Doobies found the right sound--modeled roughly on the triple-guitar, three-part-harmony sound of the seminal San Francisco band Moby Grape. Pat Simmons' folk-style finger picking blended into the rough rock licks of Tommy Johnston, and people listened. "Toulouse Street," featuring such classics as "Listen To the Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright," was a big hit.

The third record, "The Captain and Me," established the Doobies as concert headliners with the hits "Long Train Running" and "China Grove." That album was followed by "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits," which featured the band's signature piece, "Black Water."

After studio guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter led the charge with the appropriately titled "Stampede," singer Michael McDonald stepped in with 1976's hit "Takin' It to the Streets." Under McDonald's influence, the Doobies moved away from the funky guitar and mellow boogie that made them stars and toward a more slick, R&B pop sound perfectly suited to the singer's suave vocal style.

"It was just sort of a natural evolution," Knudsen recalled. Natural or not, it was definitely successful. Although the elegant penthouse serenades were a far cry from the band's origins, the McDonald-led band scored with 1978's "Minute by Minute," which featured the huge hit "What a Fool Believes." The album topped the charts and won four Grammys the following year.

The band would break up a few years later. There were a few reunions for charity functions and the like, but nothing permanent materialized until the early '90s, when they decided to give touring and recording another shot.

The current lineup is not the original one, but the band members are all longtime Doobies who were there for the glory years: Knudsen, guitarist/vocalist Tom Johnston, guitarist/vocalist Patrick Simmons, drummer Michael Hossack and guitarist/vocalist John McFee, as well as backing musicians.

"I guess you can call us as close to the founding members as you can get," Knudsen said.

It's a good time to be a Doobie. Rhino Records is set to release a four-CD retrospective of the band, and Sony Music has on the books a live greatest-hits work. The Doobies also are readying a CD of new material.

The Palo Alto crowd may hear a few new songs, but the focus of the evening will be the hits. These guys are no fools. They know why the people pay their money.

"People come to see the Doobie Brothers, and the Doobie Brothers to some people means 'China Grove,' 'Takin' It to the Streets' and 'Black Water,' Knudsen said. "We still play those songs--we have to. Even if we didn't want to, we'd have to. But we still enjoy playing those songs.

"I'm just one of those lucky people. I love what I do for a living."

What: The Doobie Brothers headline the 13th annual Palo Alto's Black & White Ball.

When: The ball gets under way Saturday at 7 p.m.

Where: SAP Labs Inc., 3475 Deer Creek Road, Palo Alto.

How much: Tickets are $150. Tickets are on sale until 2 p.m. Saturday at Lucie Stern Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Information: Call 329-2255 or visit www.paloaltobwball.com.

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