Pat Simmons of The Doobie Brothers was recently interviewed by Ultimate Classic Rock where he mentioned Steely Dan many times. Touring with Steely Dan in 2018, Simmons revealed what he regrets from the shared tour. He said:
“When we were out with Steely Dan, Donald Fagan asked us if we would like to sit in on their last tune, which happened to be ‘Pretzel Logic.‘ Because of the logistics of travel, and getting out before the crowds to the next concert location, we were never able to get out there for the jam.
He continued:
Sometimes we might be pulling out of the venue as they began the song. I was always regretful because the idea of sitting in with Steely Dan was incredibly cool, and the song just had this low-down killer-in-the-pocket blues groove that made it so compelling, as well as interesting chord changes that enabled simple blues guitar licks to have so much more melodic breadth.”
Simmons then explained how ‘Pretzel Logic’ became a part of their setlist for most of their shared shows:
“When we were adding the new tunes to the set, I suggested the track to the guys as maybe a bonus tune to present wherever we felt the audience deserved a little extra. So far that’s been at most of the gigs! People want to hear more, and that’s what we’re there for.
Simmons told how he saw it as an ‘opportunity’:
We embrace the ride-out as an opportunity to jam and stretch out a little, and it really works for us and the audience. Everybody seems to do a double-take when we start the song. ‘Are they really doing that? Yes, they are! Holy shit!'”
The two bands have had connections throughout the years.
In 1974, Jeff Baxter, who had toured with Steely Dan, joined The Doobie Brothers as their third guitarist. A year later, Tom Johnston, Doobie Brothers’ lead vocal, was forced to depart due to his severe stomach ulcers. After Johnston’s temporary departure, Michael McDonald, Steely Dan’s previous touring backup singer, joined the band.
Johnston, once again, had to leave the road recently due to a back injury. The singer will undergo surgery and was told by doctors to not perform at this time.
The Doobie Brothers shared their 50th-anniversary tour dates, which you can find here.
