Michael McDonald joined the Doobie Brothers in 1975 and almost immediately turned the band from a Southern rock-influenced group of neo-hippies into a smooth pop/soul powerhouse. By the time McDonald left the band six years later, they were the Grammy-winning alpha males of pop/rock. McD picked up right where the band left off, scoring a Top 10 pop and soul single in late 1982/early 1983 with the classic “I Keep Forgettin'”. As you can see from the video (or you would’ve been able to see had I been allowed to embed the video), McDonald may have lost the Doobies, but he certainly didn’t lose the beard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsvNaOg459w
Prior to McDonald joining the band, the Doobies’ best known song was “Black Water”, a #1 smash in spring 1975. That particular song was vocalized by Patrick Simmons. Did you know that just over half a year after McDonald hit the charts as a solo artist, Simmons did too? His song “So Wrong” was a top 40 pop hit and also scored a ranking on the R&B chart.
(it’s not the entire video, but enough to give you a good taste)
It was Simmons’ only Hot 100 appearance as a solo artist. The resulting album, “Arcade” was not a big seller, and the Doobies (minus McDonald) reformed in the late Eighties.
What I find a little strange, however, is how much like McDonald “So Wrong” sounds. It’s a little more streetwise and danceable than the stuff McD was doing around this time, but check out the vocals. Did Mike contribute background vocals or something?