May 13, 2025 • 28 mins
New music from The Doobie Brother's is on it's way! The band will release their newest studio album "WALK THIS ROAD" in June featuring 10 newly recorded tracks including “Walk This Road,” “Call Me” and “Lahaina.”
Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons are with us today to give us the inside scoop on the album, the upcoming tour, and share their feelings about the group's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and upcoming inclusion in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Don't miss this episode! ~ Delilah
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
So how is your spring shaping up? Isn't it wonderful
to be greeted by the sun when we open our
eyes in the morning and have time for a walk
or to mow the lawn after our workday is over,
before we run out of daylight. I am so loving it. Luckily,
(00:26):
I have goats and horses who are my lawn mowers,
so I don't have to mow the lawn. Summer will
be here before you know it. But I don't want
to rush things. I'm telling myself to slow down and
appreciate the processes of the season. Everything is so sweet,
so fresh, so tender, and just so gentle right now.
(00:48):
I want to savor every moment. When summer does roll around,
there'll be lots to look forward to. Then barbecues and
picnics and swimming and campouts and concert birds. Oh I
love summer concerts. Today's podcast guests are doing their best
to get us excited. Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons of
(01:10):
the rock and roll legends the Doobie Brothers are dropping
in on us today. For over five decades, the Doobie
Brothers have been known for delivering mind blowing, roots based harmony.
Leaden guitar driven rock and roll, and they were recognized
for it with a well deserved induction into the Rock
(01:34):
and Roll Hall of Fame in twenty twenty. They have
sold more than forty eight million albums. They've won four Grammys.
Yet the Doobie Brothers continue to write and record new
material and tour the world. Their number one singles Blackwater,
what a Fool Believes Both gold led an incredible catalog
(01:56):
of songs that included Listen to the Music, China Grove,
Jesus is just alright, rocking down the Highway, long train running,
take Me in your arms, taking it to the streets,
minute by minute. Ha, so many more, so many more
great songs. A few years ago, Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald,
(02:20):
Pat Simmons, and John McPhee reunited and kicked off their
fiftieth anniversary tour, playing forty nine stops before wrapping it up.
And just this year, the Doobie Brothers have been included
in the twenty twenty five class of the Songwriters Hall
of Fame. About damn time. The induction ceremony is scheduled
(02:43):
for Thursday, June twelfth at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. My
favorite hotel in the whole World in New York City.
Most excitedly, the band will release their first new studio
album in over forty years this June. Walk This Road
featuring tom My, Pat and john contains ten newly recorded
(03:03):
tracks including Walk This Road, Call Me, and Lehina, and
they are once again hitting the road in August for
their Walk This Road tour. I'm so thrilled to be
joined today by band members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons.
Hopefully they'll share all kinds of details with us about
(03:24):
the new album and the tour, and maybe maybe get
them to spill some backstage ta Before we get into it, though,
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Love twenty four with me on Love Someone Today are
some ones that I have loved for decades, decades and decades,
My gosh. Tom Johnson Patrick, Welcome to Love Someone. You guys,
(05:39):
I know for you at second nature because it's your life.
It's like people ask me, what's the link you know
being that lady on the radio. I don't know. I've
always been that. But you guys set the standard. You
were the standard and have been for over forty years
for amazing music that you can crank until your ears bleed,
(06:01):
and yet it's still so damn lyrical and beautiful and fun.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
We tried to make those ears bleed that we love
doing that.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Oh my word, we want to share.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
He made hardly.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I bet like you do. You guys, like have any
hearing left Midgeons Smidgeons. So before we started this interview
with Love Someone, you met my podcast producer Deanna and
she's the one that orchestrated all this. And when she
(06:37):
called me and told me that I got to interview
to the Doobie Brothers, I was like screaming and we
both said, oh no, not themn We both said, oh
my god, Matt. Matt would love this. We had an
older brother who God called home when he was in
his twenties, but back in the seventies, he bought a
(07:02):
neighbor's jeep and he and my dad restored it and
then we painted it bright yellow. It was a Jeep
Willie's truck. I don't think it ever went sixty miles
an hour, you know. I don't think it ever even
made fifty really, But he and dad rebuilt the engine
and we completely restored it, and I painted Jeep on
(07:24):
the back of it. My mom reoppulsed in the furniture,
and we had an eight track tape.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Deck in it. Well knew you were going to say that.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
You knew it, you knew it was coming.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I was waiting for that.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And we grew up on the Oregon Beach, and you
can drive on the beach. The sun is shining, the
windows are down. We're driving as fast as we can
down the beach, jamming out to you guys, singing along.
It's like one of those core memories that is the sweetest.
(08:00):
Like that that was when you just I felt like
an eagle. I felt like I could soar, I felt
like we could fly. The freedom, the intense endorphins that
came with listening to you guys and singing along with
your music. Oh my word, such sweet memories. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
We thought we were such rebels.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Maybe had a bottle of Boons Farm tucked under the
front seat.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
I remember that, man, that's the nasty stuff, that red
Map and Thunderbirarry.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
And all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Thunder Bertff. You said drink during rehearsals and San Jose.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I actually haven't drank anything since the last time I
had some Strawberry Hill Boons Farm.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So a white decision, thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
That was right after you released your last album, I think.
So I'm excited because you guys have new music.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
We do we do on this road.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
How did that come about? Like how did all of
this come about? The tour and new music. It's like
nineteen seventy five all over again.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I know, there wasn't a grand plan. We just started
out on an LP that I recall. We're just going
to do like four tunes or five tunes. Then each
guy wrote more and next thing you know, we had
an album's worth. It wasn't a grand plan to do
a major album at that point. We just did an
album that came out in twenty one, which is called Lebertae.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
But we had Mike with us too.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
And Mike got involved in the process and he's obviously
on the album.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
I think he had three or four songs, and that's.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Made it kind of special for all the people that
are checking out the band and checking out this Really
I think, you know, it's not only the guys that
are always in it, but it's also Mike, who you know,
was a big part of the band when he was
around and has been with us for the last four
years touring.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
And so I think that bought a lot of innswers
to the project. I really do.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
And then organizationally, I take care of itself as far
as when we got it in the can, when it
was done.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Owners came in and they jumped all over just pick great.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
So how many years have you two, Tom and Patrick
known each other?
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well, fifty five you're something like that.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
And now you're mellowed out. But back in the day,
who was the wilder of the two.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
When we were back then? That is the fact.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Now you're all grown up. What's the craziest thing, Tom,
You've done in the last last month? What is something crazy?
Like mind blowing crazy? I'll tell you mine. Okay, I'll start, Okay,
go ahead. I bought four goose eggs offline and sent
my husband five hours to pick them up and bring
(11:07):
them home so I could incubate them. That is my
wildness today, you guys.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Indeed, I don't know. I don't know if I can.
I don't have anything that's quite that stupid.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Okay, so so kind of mellow these days, just working.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Patrick, you I built a chicken coop.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
There you go. That's getting really popular.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
I've got twenty three baby chicks I can share with you.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Oh wow, I've got three.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Little bantams that are only like an inch tall.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Oh, my favorite chickens.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
All right, now, take us back to the seventies, and
what's the wildest thing you can talk about on a
family friendly radio show here or podcast. You're both silent.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Well, what's the seventies? That's a lot of other thing
we did.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, you did it and you survived it.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Well we had we had the chicks, but kind of.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Chicks, different kind of checks. You weren't building a coop
for them, were yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
And back then, if I could have snuck out of
my parents' house, I would have been one of them.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
There you go. I bet you did sneak out of
your parents.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Maybe once, no more than twice once. I'll tell you what.
I only got caught once and that was enough.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Yeah, I didn't go over Well, I understand that.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Did not go over well. Yeah no. And now I've
raised like more than a dozen kids.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
And the kids today, like my daughter today is sixteen.
She doesn't even cross the street without asking my permission.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Wow. Different kind of rebellions too.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I don't know how I lucked out, but my daughter,
like she will not cross the street without texting me
or calling me and saying, mom, is is it okay?
If I go over to Maddie's house after school? But
I'm thinking, oh my god, the things I was, the
mine I was with when I was her age.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
If you keep it up, she's going to start sneaking out.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah yeah, no, So, uh, tell me about the tour.
Tell me how folks can come and see you and
rock out with you. And is there a good snack
(13:39):
bar in the venues that you play, because at our age,
we want good snack bars if we're going to go
to a concert.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
I had no knowledge b senter, but I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
About a snack How weird is it that you guys
were counterculture back in the seventies and now most of
the states you play weed is legal.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, that's weird, isn't it. Who would I have thought?
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Yeah, I don't think about him as to be honestly,
smell when we're playing so that.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
But that's not new either, that things going on the
entire time.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, yeah, it wasn't legal, but I'm sure the venues
always like got contact I from the stage. Well, very smart.
Tell me about the new music.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Well, the album is called Walk This Road. As Tom said,
there's ten songs on the album kind of all different
types of music. R and B, rock and roll, sort
of pop, soul kind of stuff, a little bit of
(14:50):
country rock stuff.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
There.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Oh yeah, there's a it's not really slack key, it's
but it's sort of a fusion kind of a thing
of a couple of different kinds of music. But you know,
I think it really has elements of things we've done,
you know, through the years, as well as some kind
of new approach to all those things. We worked with
(15:19):
John Shanks, who has produced our last record. And John's
a great producer and we really had a lot of
fun working with him. He's a great writer, great player himself,
so he participated in cutting the tracks, on writing all
the songs virtually. But it's you know, I think it's
(15:40):
a I really am proud of the record. I think
it's it's hard to you know, be in the middle
of it and say, oh, this one's better than that
one or whatever, you know. And I don't think we
look at it that way as much as as we
just enjoy each album as we make it. But I
think it's in terms of, you know, keeping the legacy alive,
(16:03):
you know. I think it's it's in there with a
lot of the stuff in them that we've done that
we're proud of. So you know, I'm as proud of
this one as I have been of any of the records.
But I think it's something that people are going to enjoy.
It's and again, having Mike on board, I think makes
it a little more special. I don't think we ever
(16:23):
really did a record where Mike and Tom kind of
participated together and that we you know, we sang on
each other's songs and stuff, so you know, it's a
little more of it's a little different in that respect.
I think Streets was a little bit of us playing together,
but this one has a lot more interaction and and
(16:47):
the fact that we're you know, we all have songs
on the record. Together. I think is speaks to kind
of a new era, if you will, in the band
as far as uh, you know, approach to making records.
So it's a little different. I hope we can do
another one. Really. I think everybody's feeling good about what
we've been doing, and you know, we've always kept the writing,
(17:11):
creative thing alive no matter what we've been doing. I
think we aspire to, you know, creating and doing records.
Whether you know, at any given time we actually accomplished that,
you know, we don't. We're not always able to get
in and do it or if there's you know, even
a label that's interested in releasing stuff. But in the
(17:34):
back of our minds, I think we're always wanting to
stay creative and do records. So hopefully this will be,
you know, a continuation of that.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
So you reunited in twenty twenty one. How many years
between that and when you were last collaborating?
Speaker 4 (17:54):
We started back together in eighty seven after what five
years something.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Like that With Mike it was it's parking.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
It just started.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
It's really been since One Step Closer, which was gosh,
nineteen eighty eighty one, eighty two, something like that. So
how many years. Is that that's a long time.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
That's a very long time.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Almost forty years, I think just about Yeah, it's definitely
forty years.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
So you guys know everything there is to know about
each other in the whole band, like you, you know everything.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Yeah, we need to get there a lot. Sometimes you
found out more than you wanted to know. But that's
all right.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
We know a whole lot. We did a book together a
couple of years ago, so I learned stuff about Tom
that I've ever known, and probably vice versus.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
And what's the name of this book? Why do I
not have a copy?
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Long Train Running?
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Of course it is Long Train Running. What year did
that come out? I'm going to have to go on
Amazon and order.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
It twenty two?
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (19:00):
And are you going to be touring this summer? And
if so, where are you kicking it off? And how
can we get there?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
We are going to be touring this summer.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
We're going to do a thing in New York, which
isn't really part of the touring per se. It's all
press and release stuff. And we are doing a show,
and we're doing another show in New York after we
do that, and then we're off.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
For a bit. And then we go to to the
UK and Ireland and Scotland and do some shows over there.
Then we come back here and hit it in the.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
US, probably mostly East coast, down south a little bit.
I think maybe some Midwest shows as well.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
How can we find them? How can we find our
way to you?
Speaker 2 (19:41):
To be Brothers dot com I believe is where you
can go look and see what's going on for us.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yeah, they'll have a list of all the shows.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Do you want me to call you and tell you
where you're supposed to be once I go there?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Very good for real.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
A lot of times you just get on deviusit say
drive we'll don't we get Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
We wake up and go where the hill are we today?
Speaker 1 (20:09):
I imagine that. I imagine best best food, Like do you
have a favorite place to go because every time you
go there you get their cheese steaks or their frozen
custard or something like? Is there food you love on
the road?
Speaker 4 (20:24):
New Orleans is a big one for me that I mean,
there's there are other places that have specialty that you
think about.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
You mentioned Philly, Chicago's another one. New Orleans kept it
to be because I love Cajun food.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Well, thank you for being here with us today. I
love someone good luck with the new album. I can't wait.
I can't wait to crank the windows down and uh
and drive on the beach and listen to Doobie Brothers
at their best.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Turn your eight track up, Yeah, get that eat track Roland.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
If I could find an a track player, I've found
some old eight track tapes in the garage. So I
am sat. I am set spending time with Pat Simmons
and Tom Johnson of the Doobie Brothers Today. We have
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So you guys were recently inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, and you've got a big induction
coming up in June in New York.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
It's all Riders Hall of Fame. Yeah, that's that's a
big deal. We're pretty impressed now ourselves are impressed with
the whole thought of doing that.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
I'm impressed with yourself. So rock and Roll Hall of
Fame was that like amazing.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
It was the only downside of that, and I shouldn't
even bring that up is because it was in the pandemic,
so we couldn't go back.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
And do the show, etc.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
But as far as getting into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, we've been talking about it, you know,
not like every day, all day anything like that, but
every once in a while we kick it around and
from my point of view, and probably everybody else that
that I'm going to speak from me. The thing that
makes it so special is everybody I grew up listening to,
everybody that I played with, everybody that I emulated singing
(23:29):
and playing wise and everything else. They're all in there,
and that makes it sacred territory for me. So it's
a big honor.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
To be in there and the Songwriters Hall of Fame
to me, that that validates your gift of lyrics, that
are they stand the test of time, you know, they
still touch hearts.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
We're happy about that.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
That's another big deal, you know for us for sure. Again,
amazing people that are a part of that. It's kind
of humbling actually to even think that, you know, we'd
be considered for something like that. That's just pretty awesome,
It really is.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
It is.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Do you have any idea, like when you're out there
on stage or when you're hanging out or writing, how
many millions of people you have touched? And and it's
you know, the term core memory is such a popular
term right now, but your music is like the defining
(24:37):
All you have to do is hear one note shark right,
and and we're back we're back there, you know, we're
back there with the First True Love Driving down the Beach.
It's so iconic.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Well, that part I.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Don't think anybody was thinking about when they wrote the tunes.
We have a tentence that to just write songs and
what happens, what happened with them. We've been extremely fortunate
that some of the songs have lasted in popularity this long.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
It's not something you can plan on, no way to know.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
That's what makes for such great shows because the people
that are there know stuff from fifty years ago.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
I mean, well not.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
All of there's a lot of younger people that don't,
but they've been introduced to it by their parents or whatever.
But the fact that you can reach people on that level,
which is somewhat of an emotional level and in a
very positive way, that's a huge pluss.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
That's great. You can't do better than that.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
The music kind of goes past beyond us as writers
and performers. It's like, you know, people go, are you
in a band? I go, yeah, they'll go what band?
I go the Doobie Brothers, and they go, who's that?
I'm not sure. I don't think he goes I go,
you know, like, well, who listen to music, they go,
(26:02):
ohthough you guys, Oh, I know you guys, you know,
so they know the music and that's what really keeps us,
you know, go on.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Your music puts a smile on your face, like you
cannot hear. Who listen to the music and not smile?
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Well, that that's kind of our job, right.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
I double dog dare somebody to listen to five seconds
of listen to the music or Jesus is just all
right or whatever and not smile like it just makes
you happy.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
That's a definite.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Plus definite plus. Well, it makes me happy. You guys
make me happy. So thank you, thank.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
You, thank you, Thank you, Delilah.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
And I hope that I get to see you, even
if I have to go out to the Marriot Marquee
and hang out with y'all. Got ada, Pat Tom, thank
you for taking the time to chat with me today.
I am absolutely thrilled about your induction into the Songwriters
Hall of Fame, even more excited about the fact that
fabulous new Doobie Brothers music is coming our way and
(27:11):
I got a sneak peek of it. It is so
Doobie Brothers through and through the band will release their
new studio album, Walk This Road in June. Featuring Tom Michael,
Paton John. It's the first new album by the foursome
in over forty years. Features ten newly recorded tracks, including
the title track, Walk This Road, also Call Me and Lehina.
(27:35):
It's going to be phenomenal, so pre order your album
so you can start listening as soon as it drops.
And produced by Live Nation, the Walk This Road Tour
kicks off in Detroit August fourth and features special guests
Jimmy Buffett's The Coral Reefer Band on all dates wrapping
(27:56):
up September eighteenth in Toronto. Tickets for the Walk This
Road Tour are on sale now at the Doobie Brothers
dot com. It's sure to feature all your old favorites
you know every single word, too, some new favorites you'll
soon have memorized, and they'll have you up on your
feet dancing. Walk or run. Get yourself to the Doobie
(28:19):
Brothers this summer and enjoy one of the greatest, the
greatest rock and roll groups of all time. Until then,
save or Spring, my friends, wonder at the warmth before
it becomes too hot to handle. Soak in the gentleness
of the sweet dewey mornings, and join me each evening
(28:40):
on the radio, when I'll share more stories from the
heart and music for your souls.
So how is your spring shaping up? Isn't it wonderful
to be greeted by the sun when we open our
eyes in the morning and have time for a walk
or to mow the lawn after our workday is over,
before we run out of daylight. I am so loving it. Luckily,
(00:26):
I have goats and horses who are my lawn mowers,
so I don't have to mow the lawn. Summer will
be here before you know it. But I don't want
to rush things. I'm telling myself to slow down and
appreciate the processes of the season. Everything is so sweet,
so fresh, so tender, and just so gentle right now.
(00:48):
I want to savor every moment. When summer does roll around,
there'll be lots to look forward to. Then barbecues and
picnics and swimming and campouts and concert birds. Oh I
love summer concerts. Today's podcast guests are doing their best
to get us excited. Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons of
(01:10):
the rock and roll legends the Doobie Brothers are dropping
in on us today. For over five decades, the Doobie
Brothers have been known for delivering mind blowing, roots based harmony.
Leaden guitar driven rock and roll, and they were recognized
for it with a well deserved induction into the Rock
(01:34):
and Roll Hall of Fame in twenty twenty. They have
sold more than forty eight million albums. They've won four Grammys.
Yet the Doobie Brothers continue to write and record new
material and tour the world. Their number one singles Blackwater,
what a Fool Believes Both gold led an incredible catalog
(01:56):
of songs that included Listen to the Music, China Grove,
Jesus is just alright, rocking down the Highway, long train running,
take Me in your arms, taking it to the streets,
minute by minute. Ha, so many more, so many more
great songs. A few years ago, Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald,
(02:20):
Pat Simmons, and John McPhee reunited and kicked off their
fiftieth anniversary tour, playing forty nine stops before wrapping it up.
And just this year, the Doobie Brothers have been included
in the twenty twenty five class of the Songwriters Hall
of Fame. About damn time. The induction ceremony is scheduled
(02:43):
for Thursday, June twelfth at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. My
favorite hotel in the whole World in New York City.
Most excitedly, the band will release their first new studio
album in over forty years this June. Walk This Road
featuring tom My, Pat and john contains ten newly recorded
(03:03):
tracks including Walk This Road, Call Me, and Lehina, and
they are once again hitting the road in August for
their Walk This Road tour. I'm so thrilled to be
joined today by band members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons.
Hopefully they'll share all kinds of details with us about
(03:24):
the new album and the tour, and maybe maybe get
them to spill some backstage ta Before we get into it, though,
let me tell you about a podcast sponsor that helps
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Love twenty four with me on Love Someone Today are
some ones that I have loved for decades, decades and decades,
My gosh. Tom Johnson Patrick, Welcome to Love Someone. You guys,
(05:39):
I know for you at second nature because it's your life.
It's like people ask me, what's the link you know
being that lady on the radio. I don't know. I've
always been that. But you guys set the standard. You
were the standard and have been for over forty years
for amazing music that you can crank until your ears bleed,
(06:01):
and yet it's still so damn lyrical and beautiful and fun.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
We tried to make those ears bleed that we love
doing that.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Oh my word, we want to share.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
He made hardly.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I bet like you do. You guys, like have any
hearing left Midgeons Smidgeons. So before we started this interview
with Love Someone, you met my podcast producer Deanna and
she's the one that orchestrated all this. And when she
(06:37):
called me and told me that I got to interview
to the Doobie Brothers, I was like screaming and we
both said, oh no, not themn We both said, oh
my god, Matt. Matt would love this. We had an
older brother who God called home when he was in
his twenties, but back in the seventies, he bought a
(07:02):
neighbor's jeep and he and my dad restored it and
then we painted it bright yellow. It was a Jeep
Willie's truck. I don't think it ever went sixty miles
an hour, you know. I don't think it ever even
made fifty really, But he and dad rebuilt the engine
and we completely restored it, and I painted Jeep on
(07:24):
the back of it. My mom reoppulsed in the furniture,
and we had an eight track tape.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Deck in it. Well knew you were going to say that.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
You knew it, you knew it was coming.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I was waiting for that.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And we grew up on the Oregon Beach, and you
can drive on the beach. The sun is shining, the
windows are down. We're driving as fast as we can
down the beach, jamming out to you guys, singing along.
It's like one of those core memories that is the sweetest.
(08:00):
Like that that was when you just I felt like
an eagle. I felt like I could soar, I felt
like we could fly. The freedom, the intense endorphins that
came with listening to you guys and singing along with
your music. Oh my word, such sweet memories. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
We thought we were such rebels.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Maybe had a bottle of Boons Farm tucked under the
front seat.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
I remember that, man, that's the nasty stuff, that red
Map and Thunderbirarry.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
And all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Thunder Bertff. You said drink during rehearsals and San Jose.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I actually haven't drank anything since the last time I
had some Strawberry Hill Boons Farm.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So a white decision, thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
That was right after you released your last album, I think.
So I'm excited because you guys have new music.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
We do we do on this road.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
How did that come about? Like how did all of
this come about? The tour and new music. It's like
nineteen seventy five all over again.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I know, there wasn't a grand plan. We just started
out on an LP that I recall. We're just going
to do like four tunes or five tunes. Then each
guy wrote more and next thing you know, we had
an album's worth. It wasn't a grand plan to do
a major album at that point. We just did an
album that came out in twenty one, which is called Lebertae.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
But we had Mike with us too.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
And Mike got involved in the process and he's obviously
on the album.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
I think he had three or four songs, and that's.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Made it kind of special for all the people that
are checking out the band and checking out this Really
I think, you know, it's not only the guys that
are always in it, but it's also Mike, who you know,
was a big part of the band when he was
around and has been with us for the last four
years touring.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
And so I think that bought a lot of innswers
to the project. I really do.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
And then organizationally, I take care of itself as far
as when we got it in the can, when it
was done.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Owners came in and they jumped all over just pick great.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
So how many years have you two, Tom and Patrick
known each other?
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well, fifty five you're something like that.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
And now you're mellowed out. But back in the day,
who was the wilder of the two.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
When we were back then? That is the fact.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Now you're all grown up. What's the craziest thing, Tom,
You've done in the last last month? What is something crazy?
Like mind blowing crazy? I'll tell you mine. Okay, I'll start, Okay,
go ahead. I bought four goose eggs offline and sent
my husband five hours to pick them up and bring
(11:07):
them home so I could incubate them. That is my
wildness today, you guys.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Indeed, I don't know. I don't know if I can.
I don't have anything that's quite that stupid.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Okay, so so kind of mellow these days, just working.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Patrick, you I built a chicken coop.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
There you go. That's getting really popular.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
I've got twenty three baby chicks I can share with you.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Oh wow, I've got three.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Little bantams that are only like an inch tall.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Oh, my favorite chickens.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
All right, now, take us back to the seventies, and
what's the wildest thing you can talk about on a
family friendly radio show here or podcast. You're both silent.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Well, what's the seventies? That's a lot of other thing
we did.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, you did it and you survived it.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Well we had we had the chicks, but kind of.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Chicks, different kind of checks. You weren't building a coop
for them, were yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
And back then, if I could have snuck out of
my parents' house, I would have been one of them.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
There you go. I bet you did sneak out of
your parents.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Maybe once, no more than twice once. I'll tell you what.
I only got caught once and that was enough.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Yeah, I didn't go over Well, I understand that.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Did not go over well. Yeah no. And now I've
raised like more than a dozen kids.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
And the kids today, like my daughter today is sixteen.
She doesn't even cross the street without asking my permission.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Wow. Different kind of rebellions too.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I don't know how I lucked out, but my daughter,
like she will not cross the street without texting me
or calling me and saying, mom, is is it okay?
If I go over to Maddie's house after school? But
I'm thinking, oh my god, the things I was, the
mine I was with when I was her age.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
If you keep it up, she's going to start sneaking out.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah yeah, no, So, uh, tell me about the tour.
Tell me how folks can come and see you and
rock out with you. And is there a good snack
(13:39):
bar in the venues that you play, because at our age,
we want good snack bars if we're going to go
to a concert.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
I had no knowledge b senter, but I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
About a snack How weird is it that you guys
were counterculture back in the seventies and now most of
the states you play weed is legal.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, that's weird, isn't it. Who would I have thought?
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Yeah, I don't think about him as to be honestly,
smell when we're playing so that.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
But that's not new either, that things going on the
entire time.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, yeah, it wasn't legal, but I'm sure the venues
always like got contact I from the stage. Well, very smart.
Tell me about the new music.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Well, the album is called Walk This Road. As Tom said,
there's ten songs on the album kind of all different
types of music. R and B, rock and roll, sort
of pop, soul kind of stuff, a little bit of
(14:50):
country rock stuff.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
There.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Oh yeah, there's a it's not really slack key, it's
but it's sort of a fusion kind of a thing
of a couple of different kinds of music. But you know,
I think it really has elements of things we've done,
you know, through the years, as well as some kind
of new approach to all those things. We worked with
(15:19):
John Shanks, who has produced our last record. And John's
a great producer and we really had a lot of
fun working with him. He's a great writer, great player himself,
so he participated in cutting the tracks, on writing all
the songs virtually. But it's you know, I think it's
(15:40):
a I really am proud of the record. I think
it's it's hard to you know, be in the middle
of it and say, oh, this one's better than that
one or whatever, you know. And I don't think we
look at it that way as much as as we
just enjoy each album as we make it. But I
think it's in terms of, you know, keeping the legacy alive,
(16:03):
you know. I think it's it's in there with a
lot of the stuff in them that we've done that
we're proud of. So you know, I'm as proud of
this one as I have been of any of the records.
But I think it's something that people are going to enjoy.
It's and again, having Mike on board, I think makes
it a little more special. I don't think we ever
(16:23):
really did a record where Mike and Tom kind of
participated together and that we you know, we sang on
each other's songs and stuff, so you know, it's a
little more of it's a little different in that respect.
I think Streets was a little bit of us playing together,
but this one has a lot more interaction and and
(16:47):
the fact that we're you know, we all have songs
on the record. Together. I think is speaks to kind
of a new era, if you will, in the band
as far as uh, you know, approach to making records.
So it's a little different. I hope we can do
another one. Really. I think everybody's feeling good about what
we've been doing, and you know, we've always kept the writing,
(17:11):
creative thing alive no matter what we've been doing. I
think we aspire to, you know, creating and doing records.
Whether you know, at any given time we actually accomplished that,
you know, we don't. We're not always able to get
in and do it or if there's you know, even
a label that's interested in releasing stuff. But in the
(17:34):
back of our minds, I think we're always wanting to
stay creative and do records. So hopefully this will be,
you know, a continuation of that.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
So you reunited in twenty twenty one. How many years
between that and when you were last collaborating?
Speaker 4 (17:54):
We started back together in eighty seven after what five
years something.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Like that With Mike it was it's parking.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
It just started.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
It's really been since One Step Closer, which was gosh,
nineteen eighty eighty one, eighty two, something like that. So
how many years. Is that that's a long time.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
That's a very long time.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Almost forty years, I think just about Yeah, it's definitely
forty years.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
So you guys know everything there is to know about
each other in the whole band, like you, you know everything.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Yeah, we need to get there a lot. Sometimes you
found out more than you wanted to know. But that's
all right.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
We know a whole lot. We did a book together a
couple of years ago, so I learned stuff about Tom
that I've ever known, and probably vice versus.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
And what's the name of this book? Why do I
not have a copy?
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Long Train Running?
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Of course it is Long Train Running. What year did
that come out? I'm going to have to go on
Amazon and order.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
It twenty two?
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (19:00):
And are you going to be touring this summer? And
if so, where are you kicking it off? And how
can we get there?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
We are going to be touring this summer.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
We're going to do a thing in New York, which
isn't really part of the touring per se. It's all
press and release stuff. And we are doing a show,
and we're doing another show in New York after we
do that, and then we're off.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
For a bit. And then we go to to the
UK and Ireland and Scotland and do some shows over there.
Then we come back here and hit it in the.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
US, probably mostly East coast, down south a little bit.
I think maybe some Midwest shows as well.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
How can we find them? How can we find our
way to you?
Speaker 2 (19:41):
To be Brothers dot com I believe is where you
can go look and see what's going on for us.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yeah, they'll have a list of all the shows.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Do you want me to call you and tell you
where you're supposed to be once I go there?
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Very good for real.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
A lot of times you just get on deviusit say
drive we'll don't we get Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
We wake up and go where the hill are we today?
Speaker 1 (20:09):
I imagine that. I imagine best best food, Like do you
have a favorite place to go because every time you
go there you get their cheese steaks or their frozen
custard or something like? Is there food you love on
the road?
Speaker 4 (20:24):
New Orleans is a big one for me that I mean,
there's there are other places that have specialty that you
think about.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
You mentioned Philly, Chicago's another one. New Orleans kept it
to be because I love Cajun food.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Well, thank you for being here with us today. I
love someone good luck with the new album. I can't wait.
I can't wait to crank the windows down and uh
and drive on the beach and listen to Doobie Brothers
at their best.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Turn your eight track up, Yeah, get that eat track Roland.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
If I could find an a track player, I've found
some old eight track tapes in the garage. So I
am sat. I am set spending time with Pat Simmons
and Tom Johnson of the Doobie Brothers Today. We have
more to cover, but let me interrupt for just a
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other ways you can get involved. That's Mercyships dot org.
So you guys were recently inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, and you've got a big induction
coming up in June in New York.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
It's all Riders Hall of Fame. Yeah, that's that's a
big deal. We're pretty impressed now ourselves are impressed with
the whole thought of doing that.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
I'm impressed with yourself. So rock and Roll Hall of
Fame was that like amazing.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
It was the only downside of that, and I shouldn't
even bring that up is because it was in the pandemic,
so we couldn't go back.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
And do the show, etc.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
But as far as getting into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, we've been talking about it, you know,
not like every day, all day anything like that, but
every once in a while we kick it around and
from my point of view, and probably everybody else that
that I'm going to speak from me. The thing that
makes it so special is everybody I grew up listening to,
everybody that I played with, everybody that I emulated singing
(23:29):
and playing wise and everything else. They're all in there,
and that makes it sacred territory for me. So it's
a big honor.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
To be in there and the Songwriters Hall of Fame
to me, that that validates your gift of lyrics, that
are they stand the test of time, you know, they
still touch hearts.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
We're happy about that.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
That's another big deal, you know for us for sure. Again,
amazing people that are a part of that. It's kind
of humbling actually to even think that, you know, we'd
be considered for something like that. That's just pretty awesome,
It really is.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
It is.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Do you have any idea, like when you're out there
on stage or when you're hanging out or writing, how
many millions of people you have touched? And and it's
you know, the term core memory is such a popular
term right now, but your music is like the defining
(24:37):
All you have to do is hear one note shark right,
and and we're back we're back there, you know, we're
back there with the First True Love Driving down the Beach.
It's so iconic.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Well, that part I.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Don't think anybody was thinking about when they wrote the tunes.
We have a tentence that to just write songs and
what happens, what happened with them. We've been extremely fortunate
that some of the songs have lasted in popularity this long.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
It's not something you can plan on, no way to know.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
That's what makes for such great shows because the people
that are there know stuff from fifty years ago.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
I mean, well not.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
All of there's a lot of younger people that don't,
but they've been introduced to it by their parents or whatever.
But the fact that you can reach people on that level,
which is somewhat of an emotional level and in a
very positive way, that's a huge pluss.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
That's great. You can't do better than that.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
The music kind of goes past beyond us as writers
and performers. It's like, you know, people go, are you
in a band? I go, yeah, they'll go what band?
I go the Doobie Brothers, and they go, who's that?
I'm not sure. I don't think he goes I go,
you know, like, well, who listen to music, they go,
(26:02):
ohthough you guys, Oh, I know you guys, you know,
so they know the music and that's what really keeps us,
you know, go on.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Your music puts a smile on your face, like you
cannot hear. Who listen to the music and not smile?
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Well, that that's kind of our job, right.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
I double dog dare somebody to listen to five seconds
of listen to the music or Jesus is just all
right or whatever and not smile like it just makes
you happy.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
That's a definite.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Plus definite plus. Well, it makes me happy. You guys
make me happy. So thank you, thank.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
You, thank you, Thank you, Delilah.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
And I hope that I get to see you, even
if I have to go out to the Marriot Marquee
and hang out with y'all. Got ada, Pat Tom, thank
you for taking the time to chat with me today.
I am absolutely thrilled about your induction into the Songwriters
Hall of Fame, even more excited about the fact that
fabulous new Doobie Brothers music is coming our way and
(27:11):
I got a sneak peek of it. It is so
Doobie Brothers through and through the band will release their
new studio album, Walk This Road in June. Featuring Tom Michael,
Paton John. It's the first new album by the foursome
in over forty years. Features ten newly recorded tracks, including
the title track, Walk This Road, also Call Me and Lehina.
(27:35):
It's going to be phenomenal, so pre order your album
so you can start listening as soon as it drops.
And produced by Live Nation, the Walk This Road Tour
kicks off in Detroit August fourth and features special guests
Jimmy Buffett's The Coral Reefer Band on all dates wrapping
(27:56):
up September eighteenth in Toronto. Tickets for the Walk This
Road Tour are on sale now at the Doobie Brothers
dot com. It's sure to feature all your old favorites
you know every single word, too, some new favorites you'll
soon have memorized, and they'll have you up on your
feet dancing. Walk or run. Get yourself to the Doobie
(28:19):
Brothers this summer and enjoy one of the greatest, the
greatest rock and roll groups of all time. Until then,
save or Spring, my friends, wonder at the warmth before
it becomes too hot to handle. Soak in the gentleness
of the sweet dewey mornings, and join me each evening
(28:40):
on the radio, when I'll share more stories from the
heart and music for your souls.
Host
Delilah
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