ABC Music Humpday Posts 2.0 - "D" is for...

I must really like this year, because here's another song from 1979.

Let me give you a hint.

This popular rock band appeared on an episode of "What's Happening!!" and it was through this episode that my siblings and I first learned the meaning of the word "bootleg".

As Dwayne would say, "Hey, HEY, hey!" (not to be confused with Fat Albert's "Hey Hey HEY!"

Figured it out yet?

No?

How about the name of the band is another word for "marijuana joint"?

Got it yet?

Here's another clue...the word was used as "nonsense" filler by doo-wop groups and even Frank Sinatra.

If you guessed "Doobie" as in the Doobie Brothers, then a brownie point for you. For you others who are pop-culture challenged and non musically oriented, epic fail. Just kidding. Not really.

Here's one of my favorite songs, "What a Fool Believes" (the video just shows scenery, not the band performing)

This song won the Doobies' several Grammies in 1979 - Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocals. I remember that song being played relentlessly on the radio that year

Long before Michael McDonald became a punchline in "The 40 Year Old Virgin",

or crooned the tender ballad "Eyes of a Child" as played in the end credits of "South Park - Bigger, Longer, and Uncut",

he was one of the soulful voices in the Doobie Brothers and also a respected session singer. If you listen carefully, you can hear Michael McDonald singing backup in these songs: "Peg" by Steely Dan, "Run Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross ("such a long way to go"), any many more.

Is it just me, but does Michael McDonald, with his grey mane of hair resemble George Lucas?

And because I had to include it, here's part of that "What's Happening" episode. As a young kid, I never knew that the word "doobie" was a drug reference.  That one dude has some majorly long hair! But then, a lot of musicians did at the time. This snippet has "Taking it to the Streets". At 3:35, Rerun's tape recorder falls out of his trenchcoat and he gets called on by the Doobies. Oh, just watch...

Imagine the excellent tape quality of that cassette recording. Ooh, that was so "high tech" back then.

Bootlegging = bad.

Napster, Limewire, Bearshare, wut?

Remember kids! Don't illegally record bands on your cassette tape recorder!