Three years after The Doobie Brothers signed with Warner Bros. Records they notched their first #1 hit with the funky “Black Water” from their album What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. Songs from their sophomore effort, Toulouse Street, put them on the map with popular tracks like “Listen to the Music” and “Jesus Is Just Alright.” Fast forward to 2015 and The Doobie Brothers are still “Rockin’ Down the Highway” as they tour North America, selling over 46 million albums during their outstanding career.
The Doobies’ triumphs over twelve years with Warner Bros. creates a lengthy list of successes and Rhino Records is saluting the group with a new 10-CD boxed set that features some of the band’s greatest albums made while under Warner Bros. Records. THE WARNER BROS. YEARS 1971-1983 will be available on July 24 for $79.98 and includes more than 110 songs from 10 albums: The Doobie Brothers (1971), Toulouse Street (1972), The Captain And Me (1973), What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (1974), Stampede (1975), Takin’ It To The Streets (1976), Livin’ On The Fault Line (1977), Minute By Minute (1978), One Step Closer (1980), and Farewell Tour (1983).
The American rock band started out in 1969 as a northern California bar band, before signing with Warner Bros. in 1970. A year later, they released a self-titled debut album, igniting their 12-year streak during which they released ten albums. In 1975, the band expanded on Pat Simmons’ and Tom Johnston’s rock and country influences with R&B and even scored a hit with its cover the Motown track, “Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While.)” When Michael McDonald joined the band in 1976, the Doobies introduced more R&B and keyboards to their rocking sound. Three years later, The Doobie Brothers won four Grammy® Awards for their triple-platinum album, Minute By Minute. This 10-CD Set captures the outstanding body of work from one of America’s most iconic bands and includes every album the band recorded for Warner Bros. between 1971 and 1983.
By: Sarah Kelleher