After more than four decades, the Doobie Brothers are set to release a new album featuring Michael McDonald, marking the singer’s first contribution of original material with the band since 1980’s “One Step Closer.”
The forthcoming album, “Walk This Road,” will be the San Jose band’s 16th studio recording and is slated for release this summer.
The announcement, made in a year-end Facebook post, not only highlights the impending new music but also celebrates nearly 56 years of the band’s creative journey since its formation in 1970.
“It’s been a long winding road since those early days but we’re still working together, doing our best to remain creative, and looking forward to bringing our music to you folks out there again next year,” the Doobie Brothers wrote.
“Walk This Road” will feature 10 new songs, sung by McDonald, founding member Pat Simmons and original vocalist Tom Johnston. The three band members collaborated on writing the tracks.
“We had a lot of fun recording it and we feel very proud of the results,” they said.
Known for their fusion of rock, R&B and soul, the Doobie Brothers worked alongside producer John Shanks, who also played on the album. Longtime collaborator John McFee also returned for the project.
McDonald, who first joined the band in 1975, helped shape some of their most popular albums, including “Takin’ It to the Streets” and “Minute by Minute.”
After leaving the group in 1982, he returned intermittently for various studio projects, including the 2014 covers album “Southbound.” But he was notably absent from the band’s 2021 album “Liberté,” which came out a year after their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
McDonald’s full-time return to the Doobie Brothers in 2019 paved the way for “Walk This Road,” which promises to blend the band’s signature yacht rock sound with his soulful influence.
