The Captain and Me

Bass, backing vocals, and co-wrote “Without You”

Right about here things started to go really fast. This album had two more big hits and it really launched us into a new commercial kind of success. I thought, Oh wow, now I'm really in this and it's moving quickly. It was time to keep up with the pace while still keeping my head on tight. We played over a hundred shows in 1973 for this album's release and had made a big transition from playing clubs and theaters to much bigger venues. The rigorous touring life style was in full swing with the Captain and Me.

On the song “Evil Woman” I really wanted a little distortion on my bass. By distorting the sound of my bass it would give it an edge that I felt would complement the arrangement. It’s not a pretty song, it’s angry and has an intensity to it; “No matter how you beg her she don't ever let you go. Well, you can cry, you can plead. It won't help you none. She'll keep you in the shadows, never see the sun. Try to run, try to hide. Find a place to stay. No matter where you go you can't get away.” Ted and I weren’t in agreement about the distortion, actually he was adamantly against it. So, we compromised. I put my bass to a small amplifier, and he recorded that on one track, and then he recorded his clean sound on another track, so it's half and half. I sang the harmony and the octave on that song with Pat.

Jeff Baxter plays the pedal steel on South City Midnight Lady, and this was the first time he recorded with us. Steely Dan had been opening for the Doobies and Jeff sometimes sat in with the band. And when Steely Dan wasn't touring, which was often, he'd play with us. Stampede was his official introduction as a member of the band. The Captain and Me was kind of the end of our early classic Doobies sound.