The Doobie Brothers “Black Water” hit #1

Black Water The Doobie Brothers

Writer(s): Patrick Simmons (see lyrics here) Released: November 15, 1974 First Charted: December 20, 1974 Peak: 11 US, 3 CB, 11 HR, 12 RR, 38 AC, 1 CL, 11 CN, 22 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 23.6 video, 94.62 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “You can almost feel the warm breeze blowing in as the summery sounds of wind chimes lead into the acoustic guitar and fiddle during the opening of…the Doobie Brothers’ ‘Black Water.’” UCR This was a “California band’s blissed-out reverie about an imagined American South, a place where you can drift on a raft down the Mississippi River and then go to hear ‘some funky dixieland’” SG in “a world where rock ‘n’ roll has yet to exist.” SG “Like Creedence Clearwater Revival, another Bay Area rock band who dreamed about Louisiana bayous, the Doobie Brothers felt a longing for a version of Americana that they’d never actually experienced.” SG The Doobie Brothers formed in 1970 in San Jose after “Skip Spence — former frontman of bugged-out San Francisco psych-rock weirdos Moby Grape” SG introduced his bandmate, drummer John Hartman, to guitarist Tom Johnston. The pair formed the Doobie Brothers with singer and guitarist Patrick Simmons, taking their name from “the suggestion of a roommate, who was probably making fun of them for all the weed they smoked. They hated the name, and it was only supposed to be a placeholder for the first few shows. But somehow, they never came up with anything better.” SG The band released their fourth album, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, in 1974. It featured “Black Water,” which was never intended as a single. It was relegated to the B-side of “Another Park, Another Sunday,” which only made it to #33. “However, in an oft-repeated tale in rock history, an intrepid DJ [at a Roanoke, Virginia radio station SG] flipping the record over and playing the other side led to the song hitting the No. 1 spot” UCR more than a year after the album had been released. “Written and sung by guitarist Patrick Simmons, ‘Black Water’ was a change up from the more rootsy rock and roll that had established the band.” UCR Simmons recorded the song solo, “playing acoustic guitar along with a primitive drum machine, and producer Ted Templeman overdubbed the rest of the band in later.” SG It “featured a subtle-but-clear country influence, and a lovely breakdown a cappella section.” UCR Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Doobie Brothers FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 397. SG Stereogum (7/3/2019). “The Number Ones” by Tom Breihan UCR UltimateClassicRock.com (6/20/2013). “Top 100 Classic Rock Songs” WK Wikipedia First posted 7/27/2022.

The Doobie Brothers “China Grove” released

China Grove The Doobie Brothers

Writer(s): Tom Johnston (see lyrics here) Released: July 25, 1973 First Charted: August 18, 1973 Peak: 15 US, 8 CN, 10 HR, 13 RR, 2 CL, 9 CN, 61 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 2.0 radio, 19.1 video, 113.0 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The Doobie Brothers formed in 1970 in San Jose, California. Their self-titled debut came out the next year and went nowhere chartwise. However, the follow-up, Toulouse Street, got to #21 on the Billboard album chart in the U.S. and became a platinum seller. It was propelled by two top-40 hits, “Listen to the Music” (#11) and “Jesus Is Just Alright” (#35). That set the bar higher for the band’s third release, but they didn’t disappoint. The Captain and Me came out in 1973, got to #7 on the charts, and went double platinum. The lead single, “Long Train Runnin’,” became the band’s first top-10 hit and was followed by “China Grove,” which reached #15. The song is based on an actual small town in Texas named China Grove which is about 10 miles from San Antonio. However, Tom Johnston – who wrote and sang the song – wrote about a fictional place, only to find out later from a cab driver that a real such town existed. Johnston determined he must have seen a road sing for China Grove while on his way to or from San Antonio. WK Like most of his work, he composed the music first. In this case, he started with a guitar riff which he and drummer John Hartman developed into a jam with a chord structure. He said, the words “were made up around this whole idea of this wacky little town with a sheriff that had a samurai sword.” SF He also said, “I really owe [Little Feat pianist] Billy Payne for the words because he played this wacky bridge that started the thinking process with this wacky sheriff, samurai swords, and all that.” WK Michael Gallucci of Ultimate Classic Rock called “China Grove” “the group’s toughest-sounding song.” WK Billboard referred to the guitar riffs that begin the song as “the stuff of air guitar legend.” WK Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Doobie Brothers SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 7/27/2022.