Farewell Tour (album)

Farewell Tour
Live album by The Doobie Brothers
Released June, 1983
Recorded 1982
Genre Rock
Length 67:06
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Ted Templeman
The Doobie Brothers chronology

One Step Closer
(1980)		 Farewell Tour
(1983)		 Cycles
(1989)

Farewell Tour is the first live album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1983. (see 1983 in music). It documents the group's 1982 Farewell Tour.

By the early 1980s, the Doobie Brothers had evolved from the guitar-boogie sound under original band frontman Tom Johnston to a soulful keyboard-driven AOR sound under Michael McDonald. Despite the many personnel changes in the group, Patrick Simmons remained from the original incarnation of the group.

In 1982, Simmons decided to retire from the group after years of constant touring and recording. When the band decided to break up in light of his impending departure, Simmons encouraged the group to make one last tour during the summer of 1982 as a way of thanking the group's loyal fanbase. This tour became known as the "Farewell Tour."

The front cover shows Keith Knudsen cutting the strings on John McFee's guitar as a symbolic gesture.[1] The last two songs on the album were recorded at the final concert of the tour in Berkeley, California, on September 11, 1982 with vocals by original lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Johnston. For a long time the album was available on CD only in Japan, but ultimately it was re-released on CD by Rhino/WEA on August 26, 2008.

Track listing

  1. "Slippery St. Paul" (Simmons) [excerpt from The Doobie Brothers, 1971]
  2. "Takin' It to the Streets" (McDonald)
  3. "Jesus Is Just Alright" (A. Reynolds)
  4. "Minute by Minute" (McDonald, Abrams)
  5. "Can't Let It Get Away" (McFee, Nicolette Larson, Simmons)
  6. "Listen to the Music" (Johnston)
  7. "Echoes of Love" (Simmons, Mitchell, Randle)
  8. "What a Fool Believes" (McDonald, Kenny Loggins)
  9. "Black Water" (Simmons)
  10. "You Belong to Me" (McDonald, Carly Simon)
  11. "Slat Key Soquel Rag" (Simmons)
  12. "Steamer Lane Breakdown" (Simmons)
  13. "South City Midnight Lady" (Simmons)
  14. "Olana" (McDonald)
  15. "Don't Start Me to Talkin'" ("Sonny Boy" Williamson)
  16. "Long Train Runnin'" (Johnston)
  17. "China Grove" (Johnston)
    • "Can't Let It Get Away" and "Olana" are songs that the band had recorded in the studio but not released on albums. The studio version of "Can't Let It Get Away" was released only on a one-sided single in Japan in 1981, while the studio version of "Olana" remained unreleased until it appeared on Long Train Runnin': 1970-2000.

Personnel

with Tom Johnston - guitar and lead vocals on "China Grove" and "Listen to the Music"' (and "Slippery St. Paul")

Dave Shogren & John Hartman appear, uncredited, on "Slippery St. Paul."

Production

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1983 Pop Albums 79
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1983 "You Belong To Me" Pop Singles 79

References

  1. ↑ According to a post at the forum (now retired) at the Doobie Brothers Official Website, by the Webmaster/Forum Administrator, who is John McFee's son.