Takin' It To The Streets - The Doobie Brothers
(Michael McDonald)

From the Doobie Brothers album Takin' It To The Streets. An edited version was issued as Warner Bros. single #WBS-8196 (3-17-76); Pop #13
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, keyboards • Patrick Simmons: guitar, vocals • Jeffrey Baxter: guitar • Tiran Porter: bass, vocals • John Hartman: drums, percussion • Keith Knudsen: drums, vocals
With/Jesse Butler: organ • Bobby LaKind: congas

It Keeps You Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers
(Michael McDonald)

From the Doobie Brothers album Takin' It To The Streets. Also issued as Warner Bros. single #WBS-8282 (10-5-76); Pop #37
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, keyboards • Patrick Simmons: guitar, vocals • Jeffrey Baxter: guitar • Tiran Porter: bass, vocals • John Hartman: drums, percussion • Keith Knudsen: drums, vocals
With/Bobby LaKind: congas

You Belong To Me - The Doobie Brothers
(Michael McDonald/Carly Simon)

From the Doobie Brothers album Livin' On The Fault Line.
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, keyboards • Patrick Simmons: guitar, vocals • Jeffrey Baxter: guitar • Tiran Porter: bass, vocals • John Hartman: drums, percussion • Keith Knudsen: drums, vocals
With/Bobby LaKind: congas • David Paich: string & horn arrangements • Rosemary Butler: vocals

What A Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers
(Michael McDonald/Kenny Loggins)

From the Doobie Brothers album Minute By Minute. Also issued as Warner Bros. single #WBS-8725 (1/79); Pop #1
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, keyboards, synthesizer • Patrick Simmons: guitar, vocals • Jeffrey Baxter: guitar • Tiran Porter: bass, vocals • John Hartman: drums, percussion • Keith Knudsen: drums, vocals
With/Bill Payne: additional synthesizer • Bobby LaKind: congas, vocals

I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)
(Jerry Leibner/Mike Stoller/Michael McDonald/Ed Sanford)

From the album If That's What It Takes. Also issued as Warner Bros. single #29933 (7/21/82); Pop #4, R&B #7, AC #8
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer • Greg Phillinganes: clavinet • Steve Lukather: guitar • Louis Johnson: bass • Jeff Porcaro: drums • Maureen McDonald: background vocals

No Lookin' Back
(Michael McDonald/Kenny Loggins/Ed Sanford)

From the album No Lookin' Back. Also issued as Warner Bros. single #28960 (7/10/85); Pop #34, AC #18
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, keyboards • David Pack: guitar • Willie Weeks: bass • Jeff Porcaro: drums • George Perilli: tom (drum) solo

I Gotta Try
(Michael McDonald/Kenny Loggins)

From the album If That's What It Takes. Also issued as Warner Bros. single #29862 (10/20/82); Pop #44, AC #28
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, piano, synthesizer • Michael Boddicker: synthesizer • Greg Phillinganes: Fender Rhodes • Steve Lukather: guitar • Willie Weeks: bass • Steve Gadd: drums • Paulinho Da Costa & Ted Templeman: percussion • Kenny Loggins: background vocals

Yah Mo B There (Single version) - with James Ingram
(James Ingram/Michael McDonald/Rod Temperton/Quincy Jones)

From the James Ingram album It's Your Night. This remixed version was issued as Qwest single #29394 (10/12/83); Pop #19, R&B #5, AC #10
Featuring/Michael McDonald & James Ingram: vocals, synthesizer • Michael Boddicker & Rod Temperton: synthesizer • John Robinson: drums • Paulinho Da Costa: percussion • Quincy Jones: African voices

On My Own - with Patti LaBelle
(Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager)

From the Patti LaBelle album Winner In You. An edited version was also issued as MCA single #52770 (3/86); Pop #1, R&B #1, AC #2
Featuring/Michael McDonald & Patti LaBelle: vocals • Burt Bacharach: acoustic piano • Greg Phillinganes: DX-7 • David Foster & Peter Wolf: synthesizer • Dann Huff: guitar • Neil Stubenhaus: bass • Carlos Vega: drums • Paulinho Da Costa: percussion • Carla Benson, Evette Benton, Barbara Ingram, Clydene Jackson, Julia Tillman Waters & Maxine Willard Waters: background vocals

By Heart
(Michael McDonald/Chuck Sabatino/David Pack)

From the album No Lookin' Back. Also issued as Warner Bros. single #28847 (10/9/85) & #28787 (1/29/85)
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, synthesizer • Scott Plunkett: synth horns • Chris Pelonis: Emulator programming • David Pack: guitar, synthesizer • Willie Weeks: bass • Jeff Porcaro: drums • George Perilli: drum programming • Staff Fieldhouse: Simmons toms • Paulinho Da Costa: percussion

Sweet Freedom (Single Version)
(Rod Temperton)

From the album Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack "Running Scared" (Various artists). This edited version was issued as MCA single #52857 (5/86); Pop #7, R&B #17, AC #4
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals • Larry Williams: keyboards, synthesizer, horns • Anthony Patler, Greg Phillinganes, Danny Sembello & Rod Temperton: keyboards • Wells Christy: Synclavier • Paul Jackson JR. & Michael Thompson: guitar • Chuck Findley, Gary Grant & Jerry Hey: trumpet • William Reichenback: trombone • Dave Boruff & Kim Hutchcroft: sax, flute • Rod Temperton & Larry Williams: horn arrangement • Siedah Garrett: background vocals

I Just Can't Let Go - with David Pack & James Ingram
(David Pack)

From the David Pack album Anywhere You Go. Also issued as Warner Bros. single #28605 (9/86); AC #13
Featuring/Michael McDonald & James Ingram: vocals • David Pack: vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass synthesizer • Ernie Watts: sax • George Perilli: drums • Burleigh Drummond: percussion

Take It To Heart
(Diane Warren/Michael McDonald)

From the album Take It To Heart. Also issued as Reprise single #19828 (4/27/90); Pop #98, AC #4
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, synthesizer • Michael Hanna, Michael Mason, John Tesh & Don Was: synthesizer programming & sequencing • Bernie Chiaravalle: guitar, Coral sitar • George Perilli: drums • Paulinho Da Costa: percussion • Sweet Pea Atkinson, Sir Harry Bowens & David Lasley: background vocals • Paul Riser: string arrangement

Ever Changing Times - with Aretha Franklin
(Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager/Bill Conti)

From the Aretha Franklin album What You See Is What You Sweat. Also issued as Arista single #12394 (2/92); AC #11
Featuring/Michael McDonald & Aretha Franklin: vocals • Michael Boddicker: keyboards, programming • Burt Bacharach & David Foster: keyboards • Larry Williams: programming • Dean Parks: guitar

Minute By Minute - The New York Rock And Soul Revue
(Michael McDonald/Lester Abrams)

From The New York Rock And Soul Revue album Live At The Beacon.
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, DX piano • Donald Fagen: piano, Fender piano, Melodica, vocals • Danny Caron, Larry Debari & Jimmy Vivino: guitar • Philip Hamilton: percussion, vocals • Mindy Jostyn: harmonica, vocals • Chris Anderson: trumpet • Bob Gurland: trumpet, vocals • Cornelius Bumpus: tenor sax • Ula Hedwig, Boz Scaggs, Phoebe Snow &/or Dian Sorel: vocals
With/Jeff Young & The Youngsters (Jeff Young: keyboards, vocals • Drew Zingg: guitar • Lincoln Schleifer: bass • Dennis McDermott: drums • John Hagen: tenor sax, vocals)

Higher Ground (Previously Unissued)
(Stevie Wonder)

From sessions for the album Take It To Heart.
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, synthesizer • Other personnel unknown

Blink Of An Eye
(George Perilli/Michael McDonald)

From the album Blink Of An Eye.
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, Wurlitzer piano • Benmont Tench: Hammond organ • Jeff Bova: clavinet, synth bass • David Frank: synth horns, horn arrangement • Warren Haynes: guitar solo • Robben Ford & Randy Jacobs: rhythm guitar • Pino Palladino: bass • Manu Katche, George Perilli & John Robinson: drums • Jimmy Bralower: drum programming • Lee Thornberg: trumpet • Brandon Fields: alto sax • Albert Wing: tenor sax

Tell It Like It Is (Previously Unissued)
(George Davis/Lee Diamond)

From the sessions for the album Blue Obsession.
Featuring/Michael McDonald: vocals, synthesizer • Dan Needham: drums • Tommy Sims: bass • Kirk Whalum: sax • Other personnel unknown

When The Doobie Brothers disbanded in 1982 singer/keyboardist Michael McDonald faced the daunting task of matching the level of success he had achieved with that much-loved combo. After joining the group in 1975 he quickly emerged a colead vocalist (with Patrick Simmons) and contributed such memorable tunes as "Takin' It To The Streets", "It Keeps You Runnin'" and "Minute By Minute" to the Doobies' catalog. Most Impressive of all was "What A Fool Believes", which topped the U.S. Singles chart in 1979 and earned three Grammys. At the dawn of the '80s McDonald was a talent on the rise with no limit in sight.
Three years after "What A Fool Believes" hit #1, the Doobies embarked on a farewell tour and McDonald emerged as a solo artist with his album "If That's What It Takes", featuring the single "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)". Since then the curve of his career has taken him from the synthesizer-driven sounds of the '80s back to the rootsier rhythms he delves into today. Through it all, he has continued to tour and compose, proving himself an artist of enduring appeal above and beyond the pop fads of the moment. As this collection demonstrates, McDonald's songs have become classics in their own right, their messages heartfelt and timeless, their grooves still unstoppable. He remains a voice with soul to spare.

- Barry Alfonso

Compilation produced by Michael McDonald & David McLees
Executive Producer: David McLees
Project Coordination: Olivier Goulon (WSM), Jo Motta, Peter Pasternak, Marc Salata
Sound Produced by Bill Inglot
Remastering: Dan Hersch & Bill Inglot/DigiPrep
Tape Research & Discographical Annotation: Gary Peterson
Editorial Supervision: Sheryl Farber
A&R Editorial Coordination: Shawn Amos
Art Direction: Hugh Brown
Design: Nancy L. Hopkins
Cover Photo: Deluze/Retna ltd.
Photos courtesy Michael Ochs Archives, Venice, CA
Licensing: Wendi Cartwright
Project Assistance: Ken Levitan, Emily Cagan, Amy Utstein & Randy Perry
Rhino's Special Thanks: Gregg Geller, Steve Lang, John Strother & Rose Landauer (at Penguin Recording)

Representation:
Ken Levitan
Vector Management
P.P. Bos 120479
Nashville, TN 37212
vectormgmt@earthlink.net

Also Check Out Michael's latest album - Blue Obsession, Ramp #1005 (Released 2/21/00)

All selections 1976, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1993 & 2000 Warner Bros. Records Inc., except: "Yah Mo Be There" 1983 Qwest Records, produced under license from Warner bros. Records Inc. • "On My Own" 1986 MCA Records, Inc., and "Sweet Freedom" 1986 MCA Records, Inc., under license from Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. • "Minute By Minute" 1991 Giant records, produced under license from Warner Bros. Records Inc. • "Ever Changing Times" 1992 Arista records, licensed from Arista records, Inc. • "Tell It Like It Is" 2000

This compilation 2000 Warner Bros. Records Inc. & Rhino Entertainment Company.

2000 Warner Bros. Records Inc. & Rhino Entertainment Company