Yacht rock is one of the more unexpected musical success stories of the last couple of decades. Conceived in the 2000s as an online series that semi-ironically celebrated the super-smooth easy-listening sounds of the 70s and 80s, it went on to become a legitimate phenomenon that ultimately re-popularised the likes of Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross and Toto.
Surprisingly, many of the people it sought to lovingly lampoon actually had no problem with the series, or the idea of ‘yacht rock’ as a whole. Among them was quintessential yacht rock poster boy Michael McDonald.
Speaking in the brand new issue of Classic Rock, Doobie Brothers singer and solo star McDonald has nothing but praise for the genre and its creator, JD Ryznar.
“As far as that goes, I feel fortunate to be counted as one of the people in that genre, along with Hall & Oates, Toto, the Eagles and whoever,” he explains affably. “I have no problem with it due to the company I’m keeping. My kids made me watch those videos as they went viral and I found them pretty amusing.”
But one person apparently unamused by it all was Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, who made internet headlines by swearing at director Garret Price when the filmmaker called about licensing the band’s music for his HBO movie Music Box: Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary. Except McDonald, who was an auxiliary member of Steely Dan in the 70s, suggests that all was not what it was it seemed.
“You have to know Donald’s sense of humour,” McDonald grins. “When the guy called him, Donald said: ‘You can have the licence, but do something for me. Hang up, pretend like we haven’t talked and let’s have another conversation.’ So that’s what happened. He called back and Donald told him: ‘Go fuck yourself’ and hung up. That’s my understanding. It was a total set-up.”
Read the full interview with McDonald as part of a feature on the latest Doobie Brothers in the brand new issue of Classic Rock, onsale now. Order it online and have it delivered straight to your door.
