The Doobie Brothers and why there is a bigger symbiosis between Disco & Yacht Rock than you might think !

The Twelve Inch 128 : "What A Fool Believes" (The Doobie Brothers)

Welcome, I’m Pe Dupre and this is “The Twelve Inch”, a newsletter that tells the history of dance music between 1975 and 1995, one twelve inch at a time.

If you’ve received this newsletter, then you either subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. If you fit into the latter and want to subscribe, please do so. That way you will not miss a single episode.

A Crossroads of Sound: When Yacht Rock Met Disco

Have you ever wondered what happens when the smooth, laid-back vibes of yacht rock sail into the pulsating waters of disco? At first glance, they seem like oil and water—yacht rock with its West Coast cool, and disco with its urban, high-energy beats. Yet, the intersection of these two genres tells a fascinating story about the evolution of American music in the late 1970s. The remix of The Doobie Brothers' "What a Fool Believes" by legendary DJ and remixer Jim Burgess serves as a perfect entry point into this unexpected confluence.

Personal Journey: From Disco Kid to Yacht Rock Explorer

My musical journey began in the world of disco, It wasn’t until the release of albums like Talking Heads' Remain In Light and the Tubeway Army hit "Are Friends Electric.” that my horizon started to expand. But even before these revelations, I was drawn to artists like Hall & Oates, Boz Scaggs, Kenny Loggins, and Steely Dan—music that, while not disco, still resonated with me. In Europe, we didn't differentiate as meticulously between genres like our American counterparts did in the seventies. We called it pop or rock, but never yacht rock—not yet, at least. It wasn’t disco, but I loved it all the same. Only later did I realize that the step from disco to yacht rock wasn’t as big as it seemed.

You can order the Talking Heads artwork as a poster. Click on the Photo for the link

The Rise of Yacht Rock: A Soundtrack of Sophistication

Yacht rock, a genre that emerged in the mid-to-late 1970s, is part of the broader “soft rock” family. Known at the time as AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) or West Coast Sound, this genre was defined by its smooth, polished production and sophisticated musicianship. It was the sound of Southern California sunsets, sailing trips, and leisurely drives along the Pacific Coast Highway. As AllMusic's Matt Collier noted in 2014, the "key defining rules of the genre" include keeping it smooth, emphasizing melody over beat, and maintaining a light, catchy vibe. But yacht rock was more than just a sound; it was an attitude—a desire to escape the chaos of the world in favor of a relaxed, luxurious lifestyle.

The Disco Wave: A Cultural Phenomenon

At the same time that yacht rock was hitting its stride, disco was sweeping the world. Born from the underground clubs of New York, disco was in many ways the antithesis of yacht rock. Where yacht rock was introspective, disco was extroverted. Where yacht rock was smooth, disco was relentless. Disco music was about losing yourself in the beat, dancing until dawn, and feeling the collective euphoria of the dance floor.

Yet, despite their differences, these genres shared some common ground. Both yacht rock and disco were known for their polished, high-quality production values, often achieved with the help of session musicians, sophisticated studio techniques, and advanced recording equipment. Both genres also emphasized smooth, rhythmic grooves and often featured electric pianos, synthesizers, and harmonically rich arrangements, such as string sections and horns.

The basslines in both genres are often prominent and catchy, creating a laid-back yet engaging rhythm that listeners can move to, even if Yacht Rock is more about swaying than full-on dancing. Both were influenced by R&B and soul music, reflecting an aesthetic tied to leisure, luxury, and escapism.Both genres were popular among the upwardly mobile and reflect a certain aspirational lifestyle of the era.

The Doobie Brothers’ Evolution: Enter Michael McDonald

The Doobie Brothers, originally known for their bluesy rock origins, began to evolve into the yacht rock sound with the addition of Michael McDonald in 1975. His influence brought a more soulful, jazz-inflected style that would define their later hits, including "What a Fool Believes" and many tracks on their Minute by Minute album.

The Making of a Classic: "What a Fool Believes"

The journey to creating "What a Fool Believes" was anything but smooth. The song had been simmering for a few years, with Michael McDonald often toying with the riff during sessions for their previous album, Livin’ on the Fault Line.Despite its potential, the song remained unfinished, though producer Ted Templeman was relentless in urging McDonald to complete it, convinced it had the makings of a hit. The breakthrough moment finally came when Kenny Loggins made the trek from Santa Barbara to North Hollywood to collaborate with McDonald for the first time. As soon as he walked in, he found McDonald at the piano, still playing that elusive riff. The timing was perfect, and what followed was the magic that transformed a rough idea into a classic hit.

“I answered the door and he said, ‘Whatever that was you were playing, can you remember it?’ I said, ‘Sure, it’s something I’ve been messing around with,’ and he said, ‘That’s the one I want to write,” McDonald recalls. “We wrote a bridge to the song and I think the next day over the phone, we wrote the chorus. It was just one of those ‘right time, right place, right people’ things.”

In the studio, however, the song posed challenges. Numerous takes of the rhythm track were recorded over several days, but none satisfied the band. Templeman eventually resorted to cutting up the master tape and piecing together a version that worked. The final arrangement, featuring McDonald’s keyboard, vocals, and strings, was stylistically unlike anything the Doobie Brothers had done before. Despite Templeman’s initial reservations, Warner Bros. executives recognized its potential and insisted on its release.

A fine piece of songwriting

“What A Fool Believes” is one of the finest pieces of songwriting to ever grace the charts, writes Wayne Wadhams in his 2001 book “Inside The Hits” “It is both photographic and impressionistic in approach”. It’s about a potential relationship that fails to materialize when a couple fumbles through repeated faux pas.

The moment when Michael McDonald sings “As he rises to her apology, anybody else would surely know”, the drums and the synths stop cold, leaving only the vocal, bass, and a single piano phrase. It seems an awkward fumble, but works perfectly as intended, freezing the dramatic moment in time, the musical equivalent of “now or never”.

The rise to success : enter Jim Burgess

The day when “What a Fool Believes” hit Number One — April 14, 1979 — the Number Two song was the disco classic “I Will Survive,” and the Number Three tune was, Ami Stewart’s disco treatment of “Knock on Wood”. “What A Fool Believes” wasn’t disco per sé but it had enough elements for it to aim for the disco market as wel.

Enter Jim Burgess, a legendary DJ who became one of the most sought-after remixers of the late 1970s. Burgess had a knack for transforming rock and pop songs into dancefloor anthems. His remix of "What a Fool Believes" in 1979 exemplifies this talent. But the question remains: why would a quintessential yacht rock track get a remix for the discotheques ?

The Remix revolution

The answer lies in the growing trend of remixing popular songs for the dance floor. Disco was not just a genre; it was a cultural phenomenon that redefined how people listened to and interacted with music. The 12-inch single format allowed DJs to keep dancers moving all night long. Record labels, recognizing the lucrative potential, started commissioning remixes of non-disco tracks to tap into the market.

The success of “What A Fool Believes” wasn't just about the song itself—it was also about the perfect timing and circumstances. As I mentioned in episode 119 about Gino Soccio’s “Try It Out,” Ray Caviano played a crucial role in this era through his work with the Warner disco label, RFC Records. Beyond managing his own label, Ray was instrumental in promoting Warner releases to DJs and nightclubs. He was the driving force behind getting Jim Burgess to remix several Warner hits, including Rod Stewart’s “Do You Think I’m Sexy,” Nicolette Larson’s “Lotta Love,” and, of course, “What A Fool Believes.”

The Plan: The Doobie Brothers' Attitude Towards Disco

The Doobie Brothers, known for their versatile sound, were not entirely averse to the disco scene. Michael McDonald, in particular, had a strong connection to the dance world. His work with Steely Dan and as a solo artist often incorporated elements of R&B and funk, genres closely aligned with disco. However, the band was always careful to maintain their identity. They embraced elements of different styles without fully committing to any single genre.

When you piece together the different stories, it’s clear that “What A Fool Believes” hit the scene at the perfect time. Disco was at its peak, and with Ray Caviano’s expert guidance, the song was handed off to just the right remixer. Much like the tale of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” (Episode 122), the band was particular (and probably controlling) about preserving the integrity of the original track. The twelve-inch version extended the song and emphasized the beat, but there were no overdubs or extra edits. Its success in the clubs was relatively modest, only climbing to number 40 on the dance charts. The song's timing, combined with its careful handling, showcases how everything aligned for its release, even if it didn’t dominate the dance floors as expected.

Conclusion: A Smooth Sailing into the Future

The legacy of yacht rock after 1979 shows that it wasn’t crushed by the disco backlash, but rather, it found a way to adapt. The smooth sounds persisted, influencing artists in the 80s and even today, where the genre’s polished production and melodic richness are celebrated by new generations of listeners. The Doobie Brothers' foray into the dance world with the "What a Fool Believes" remix is just one example of how these boundaries were blurred.

Fun Fact : No, Michael Jackson did not sing background vocals on “What A Fool Believes”

Patrick Simmons refuted the rumor point blank when asked about it, explaining, "No, it’s not. He was kidding around while someone had a video camera going. I don’t know if he ever told her the truth."

However, as Simmons went on to tell us, a Doobies/MJ team-up actually could have happened during the 'Minute by Minute' sessions, if only the band had thought to ask. "He was a good guy -- he was always hanging around a lot, and he did come into the studio for our rehearsals once in awhile," he recalled. "I wish we had called him in for that, and I know he would have done it in a second, but I don’t think it ever entered our heads to invite him. I don’t know why -- I guess because we were a band and we wanted to do everything ourselves." You can hear the Yacht Rock influence all over “Off The Wall” the 1979 MJ album. Listen to this week’s mix and “Rock With You” to understand what I mean.

Call to Action

What are your memories of "What a Fool Believes"? Did you dance to the disco remix, or were you more into the original yacht rock vibe? Share your thoughts and experiences.

Further reading (or should I say watching)

There are a number of interesting video’s/links :

1. The official video

2. Michael McDonalds live/acoustic version of 6 years ago

3. A recent Michael McDonald interview

4. Michael McDonalds YouTube channel

5. The Yacht Rock series about the Doobie Brothers. Michael liked it, found it amusing but it wasn’t really how it all happened

6. Michael McDonald’s recently released autobiography

So You Wanna Hear More ?

I thought you would !

It’s fun to write about music but let’s be honest. Music is made to listen to.

Every week, together with this newsletter, I release a 1 hour beatmix on Mixcloud and Soundcloud. I start with the discussed twelve inch and follow up with 10/15 songs from the same timeframe/genre. The ideal soundtrack for…. Well whatever you like to do when you listen to dance music.

The MIXCLOUD Mix Of The Week

So what’s in this week’s mix ?

This week's mix takes a sharp turn from last week’s vibe as we dive into the unexpected fusion of Yacht Rock and disco! 🎶 We kick things off with Jim Burgess's iconic twelve-inch remix of "What A Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers. From there, we sail through the smooth grooves of The Love Unlimited Orchestra’s “Welcome Aboard” and The Invisible Man’s Band’s “All Night Thing.” As the mix unfolds, I blend in Olivia Newton-John’s “Deeper Than The Night,” Fleetwood Mac’s timeless “Dreams,” and Boz Scaggs' classic “Lowdown.”

The Short version of this week’s mix

But that's not all! You'll also catch the Jim Burgess remix of Nicolette Larson’s “Lotta Love,” Elton John’s soulful “Are You Ready For Love,” and I close out with Paul McCartney & Wings’ uplifting “Listen To What The Man Said.” 🎧

Enjoy !

Next week it’s time to shine a light on “the hardest working man in showbusiness” aka “Mr. Dynamite”