We Can’t Keep Forgettin’ These 4 Fantastic Songs Featuring Michael McDonald on Backing Vocals

Michael McDonald redefined the sound of The Doobie Brothers and, in so doing, also helped establish what we now know as Yacht Rock. As a solo artist, he brought his ultra-smooth grooves and golden voice to the top of the charts.

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All the while, he popped up again and again as a backing vocalist who always brought something special to the material. Here are four McDonald guest spots that we can’t stop spinning.

“Kid Charlemagne” by Steely Dan

Even before McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were putting him to work as a backing vocalist for Steely Dan. In fact, McDonald’s voice often came of the shadows and into the limelight on those tracks. We chose “Kid Charlemagne” for this list because it remains one of the Dan’s most iconic tracks. The tale of a drug dealer whose days running the streets are numbered, it features a ridiculously skilled guitar solo from Larry Carlton. Meanwhile, towards the end of the song, McDonald rises out of a sea of backing vocals to briefly take center stage, telling the main character to “get along.”

“Ride Like The Wind” by Christopher Cross

McDonald’s ties with Steely Dan helped him get other gigs as well. Michael Omartian had also played on some early Dan records before branching out into production. Omartian was hired to produce Christopher Cross on his debut record. It’s interesting to note that, for a relative unknown, Cross was able to summon some top talent for that album. And that was the case right from the jump. “Ride Like The Wind” was the first song recorded. Omartian brought McDonald on board to do a bit of call-and-response with Cross on a few lines. The song made it all the way to No. 2 on the charts as part of the runaway success of the Christopher Cross album.

“I’ll Be Over You” by Toto

The studio aces in Toto were still going strong in the mid-80s, although not quite to the level of their massive Toto IV album from 1982. Like most bands within the arena rock genre, they knew the importance of a good ballad to grab attention at radio. In the case of “I’ll Be Over You”, they made it the lead single from their 1986 album Fahrenheit. Guitarist Steve Lukather wrote the song and sang lead on it. Essentially a song about a guy regretting his decision to break up with someone, it proved the perfect vehicle for Michael McDonald to come aboard and add his golden touch. Sensing the sorrow within the song, he made sure to modulate his performance, lending a restrained yet soulful touch to the proceedings.

“I Just Can’t Let Go” by David Pack

This is probably the song on the list that might surprise people. After all, it only made a small dent on the Adult Contemporary charts upon release as a single in 1986. For those who might not recognize the name, David Pack made his bones as the lead singer of soft-rock stars Ambrosia. Pack’s solo debut album featured a who’s who of sidemen, including members of Kansas and Toto. On “I Just Can’t Let Go”, he not only secured the services of Michael McDonald, but he also nabbed James Ingram to help out as well. Hearing those three powerhouse voices go for the gusto in the refrains is truly something special.

Photo by Clay Patrick McBride