The other day, I was driving to the grocery store, flipping between SiriusXM channels. As any self-respecting Rock & Romance cruiser would do, I stopped on the classic, “This Is It” from Kenny Loggins. Something to pump me up before tackling my shopping list. I naturally started singing along, hoping the guy in the car next to me wasn’t looking too closely. And then, I heard that old familiar, smoky backing voice, Michael McDonald.
It got me pondering. Just how many songs has Michael McDonald sung backup on? I knew it had to be a lot—especially considering the classic Saturday Night Live sketch "A Tribute to the Greatest Backing Vocalist of All Time."
So, after putting the groceries away, I sat down at my desk and Googled Michael to learn more. I knew that he was backup on "Peg" for Steely Dan but didn’t know that he also sang backup for their albums Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Gaucho, as well as Aja which featured "Peg".
While working with Steely Dan, he joined the Doobie Brothers, and we’re all familiar with his hits – “It Keeps You Runnin’”, “Minute by Minute”, and “What a Fool Believes”.
After the Doobies, he released his first solo album which had the single “I Keep Forgettin’” but continued to sing backup. You can hear him on Christopher Cross’s “Ride Like the Wind,” Toto’s “I’ll Be Over You”, and of course, “Yah Mo Be There” with James Ingram. I went down the Google rabbit hole even further trying to figure out what’s a Yah Mo, but I digress.
Anyway, some other songs where you can hear the vocal mastery of Michael McDonald include:
A Fool and His Money – Wang Chung Love Has No Color – The Winans On My Own – Patti LaBelle Let Me Go Love – Nicolette Larson Red Streamliner – Little Feat Better Man – The Warren Brothers
On an odd and comical note, you can even hear him belt out “Eyes of a Child,” a song written by Trey Parker for the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. And I could also go and on about Michael’s songwriting which may be a whole other post in the future.
Thank you, Michael McDonald, for being one hard-working singer songwriter!
Song of the Day: Yah Mo Be There – James Ingram and Michael McDonald