The Midnight Special: The Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin'

 I want to welcome you to our first installment of The Midnight Special which over time will feature some of the best music artists of the 1970s. 

I chose the name "The Midnight Special" in honor of the long-running late night live rock concert showcase by the same name that ran from 1972 to 1981 when it was replaced by the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV and eventually Friday Night Videos, which is what we call our 80s music video feature. 

Are you seeing a trend yet?

Over it's nine years The Midnight Special featured the top names in music from ABBA to KISS to ZZ Top. The show was hosted by Helen Reddy for several years along with the legendary Wolfman Jack. In 1979 the show briefly turned away from rock artists in favor of Disco acts and the set was transformed into a pseudo dance club. That only lasted a couple of months before the show reverted back to it's original format.

For our first trip back to the 70s I choose a performance by The Doobie Brothers of what is one of my all-time favorite songs Long Train Runnin'.

 

 History:

Doobie Brothers guitarist and lead singer Tom Johnston wrote this song, which they played live for three years before recording. Johnston told Songfacts: "Generally I write the music first, and sometimes I have a devil of a time getting the words. Sometimes they come right away, and sometimes it's like pulling teeth. We played 'Long Train Runnin'' for three years before it got recorded, and it got called several different names, and most of the time I would make up the words as we were playing the song.

Regarding the lyrics, Johnston said: "None of that stuff really had any basis in anything. It was just out the top of my head, which, quite frankly, is where all lyrics come from. Songwriting's a weird thing, and everybody does it differently. For me, I always write the music first, the words come later. But I've had songs that just seem to write themselves, and those are blessings for me, because you don't have to sit there and strain your brain for hours trying to come up with the lyrics, it seems like they just flow out on the paper, and you don't even have to think. Other songs, like 'Long Train Runnin'' - not that the words are that difficult or anything - it's just finding the words that I thought fit the track. Took me a long time. I got into the whole train mode, and it's just stuff that comes into your head. It's not like I had a point of reference with anybody named Lucy, I had been around trains on and off throughout my life. Coming from the Central Valley in California, there's a lot of trains running up and down that valley. And I assume that's where some of that stuff probably came from."

Here is your bonus track: Listen To The Music:

Born out of Northern California’s chaotic, late-1960s musical stew, The Doobie Brothers’ rugged, real and authentic approach to rock and roll made them biker bar stalwarts. But their self-titled debut album in ’71 went beyond just leather and motorcycles, revealing even more musical layers; sweet three-part harmonies and rootsy, introspective, acoustic flavors.

The Doobie Brothers’ legacy has been built upon not just hit records, but also an unrivaled commitment to musical integrity and a steadfast allegiance to their enthusiastic fan base. The bands ability to evolve in a constantly changing industry and connections to generations of listening audiences is a testament to their craft.

It all began in 1969, when a drummer named John Hartman arrived in Northern California. He was there to meet Skip Spence from the band Moby Grape and become part of a supposed band reunion that never quite got off the ground. But it wasn’t all for naught. Spence (who had also played in the Jefferson Airplane) introduced Hartman to his friend Tom Johnston, a local singer/songwriter/guitarist -and they connected. Hartman and Johnston began playing local Bay Area bars. They soon met singer/guitarist Pat Simmons, whose finger-style playing richly complimented Johnston’s R&B strumming-style, and the foundation for The Doobie Brothers was set.

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