Memorial Coliseum

October 10, 1975

By the time the Doobie Brothers came to Tuscaloosa the California band’s impressive reputation preceded their arrival. This was one of the world’s premiere rock acts. The band’s line-up included founding members Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons, bassist Tiran Porter, and drummers John Hartman and Keith Knudsen. They were all veterans who found success with an astounding string of hits like “Long Train Runnin,’” “Listen to the Music,” “Jesus is Just Alright,” “China Grove” and more. The Doobie’s songs were all over AM radio stations by the time they were booked for the show in Tuscaloosa. But the band was in transition; Johnston was experiencing health problems, and versatile guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, who’d been touring with Steely Dan, joined the band. He’d learned Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were planning to “retire” from the road and focus exclusively on studio work. Baxter needed a job. The Doobie Brothers were on a tour promoting their recent “Stampede” album, which had dropped the previous April. It was a departure, to say the least. The biggest single from “Stampede” was a classic Motown number, “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me),” punctuated by strings, horns, and an all-star cast of big league players like Ry Cooder, Curtis Mayfield, Maria Muldaur, Bobbye Hall, Victor Feldman, and pianist Billy Payne of Little Feat fame. Heartsfield opened the show, a Chicago-based country rock outfit driven by guitars and three and four-part harmonies. They were on tour to promote songs from a group’s second album, “The Wonder of It All,” and singles, including the title track, and the folk-rocker, “House of Living,” which had gotten good radio play in Tuscaloosa on WUAL. There was a good deal of cross-pollination between the UPC and the college-run FM station in those days, which facilitated a lot of extra promotion for concerts, weekly movies, and special events. The Doobie Brothers took the Memorial Coliseum stage opening with “Listen to the Music,” the band’s signature song and a suitable scene-setter for the evening. Most of the focus was on their recent material and best-known rock songs. But guitarist Patrick Simmons led the way on a series of country-flavored numbers like “Black Water,” which became his signature moment at the microphone, and “South City Midnight Lady.”