The Doobie Brothers Reunion years and beyond
 In 1969, singer, guitarist and songwriter Tom Johnston and drummer John Hartman formed the nucleus of what would become The Doobie Brothers. Skip Spence of Moby Grape (formerly of Jefferson Airplane) introduced them to one another after Hartman arrived in California determined to meet Spence and join an aborted Grape reunion. New bandmates Johnston and Hartman called their fledgling group Pud and experimented with different lineups and styles as they performed in and around San Jose. They were briefly a power trio, and 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 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, Tom Johnston attributed the band's eventual name to friend and housemate Keith Dyno Rosen, who considered it an improvement over Pud.[citation needed]
The Doobie Brothers honed their chops by performing live all over northern California in 1970. They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels and scored a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the rustic Chateau Liberte in the Santa Cruz Mountains. An energetic set of demos (some of which were briefly released on Pickwick Records in 1980 under the title Introducing the Doobie Brothers), 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. However, the group's 1971 self-titled debut album 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 and even appears on the 2004 DVD Live at Wolf Trap.
The following year's second album, Toulouse Street (which spawned the classic rock staples Listen To The Music, Rockin' Down the Highway and Jesus Is Just Alright), 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 necessary improvements to the line-up. First, they replaced Shogren with singer, songwriter and bass guitarist Tiran Porter. Second, they supplemented Hartman's drumming with that of Navy veteran Michael Hossack. Porter and Hossack were both stalwarts of the northern California music scene. Pianist Bill Payne of Little Feat contributed keyboards for the first time (He added keys to their studio recordings for many years thereafter and once briefly joined their touring band.) With an improved rhythm section and the songwriting of Johnston and Simmons, the Doobies' trademark sound - an amalgam of R&B, country, bluegrass, heavy metal and rock and roll - emerged fully formed.
A string of hits followed, including Johnston's Long Train Runnin' and China Grove, from the 1973 album The Captain and Me. Other noteworthy songs on the album were Simmons' country-ish ode South City Midnight Lady and the explosive, heavy metal raveup, Without You, for which the entire band received songwriting credit. Onstage, the latter song would stretch into a 15-minute jam with additional lyrics ad-libbed by Johnston. A 1974 appearance on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert featured one such epic performance of the tune.
Simmons' signature tune Black Water (from 1974's What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits) became the band's first #1 single. Black Water, which featured the memorable refrain, I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland, pretty mama come and take me by the hand, eventually propelled the album to multi-platinum status. Johnston's lyrical Another Park, Another Sunday (as a single, Black Water was its B-side) and his horn-driven funk song Eyes of Silver also charted as minor hits at #32 & #52 respectively.
Before completing the Vices recording sessions, Hossack abruptly departed the band. Drummer, songwriter and vocalist Keith Knudsen was recruited quickly and left with the Doobies on a major tour within days of joining. Both Hossack's drums and Knudsen's voice are heard on Vices.
Also in 1974, Steely Dan co-lead guitarist Jeff Skunk Baxter learned that his band was retiring from the road and that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker intended to work almost exclusively with session players in the future. In need of a steady gig, he segued into the Doobie Brothers as third lead guitarist in the middle of their current tour. He had previously worked with the band in the studio, adding pedal steel guitar to both Captain (South City Midnight Lady) and Vices (Black Water, Tell Me What You Want). During this period and for several subsequent tours, the Doobies were often supported onstage by Stax Records legends, The Memphis Horns. Live recordings with the horn section have aired on radio on the King Biscuit Flower Hour, though none has been officially released. They also appeared as session players on multiple Doobies albums.
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