Sparkin’ A Few DOOBIES
Upon the occasion of the Rhino Records release, The Doobie Brothers Live From The Beacon Theatre, and at the outset of touring with Santana, Goldmine caught up with bandmates Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons.
GOLDMINE: Why aren’t The Doobie Brothers in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? You’ve been playing good rock and roll music since 1969!
TOM JOHNSTON: I just got off the phone with another guy saying the same thing. There’s several artists who I don’t understand why they’re not in and there are those artists who I don’t understand why they are in! But, y’know what? It’s not my job to understand. My job is to just play music and keep doing what we do. Everything’s going in the right direction that way so I think it’s going to happen. I just would never put a bet on when. Changing management as we did should help but it’s all so political. I don’t sit in those board rooms.
GM: You’ve been at it for so long, and have melded so many subgenres of rock and roll into a great tapesty, that I think you’re at the top of your game now in 2019, better than ever. Care to comment?
TJ: Nope. That’s not the kind of thing I think about. It just sorta happened. Michael McDonald had a lot to do with that. He kept the band name out there. Plus, the band got its first Grammy Award with Mike so hats off to that guy. Plus, he’s a really good guy.
GM: But musically speaking...
TJ: Well, it’s a totally different style of music.
GM: A lot of us old-school rock fans didn’t like that faux-soul affectation.
TJ: I hear ya. In fact, I’ve been hearing it for years. But it’s fine, man. Whatever floats your boat as long as you’re having a good time. After ’89, we got back to where we once belonged, so to speak, but with a much larger audience. And we’ve been going strong ever since.
GM:
