Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald自从70年代后期加入摇滚乐团Doobie Brothers开始，他以独特的歌曲诠释方式和招牌的Blue-Eyed Soul唱腔迅速建立全球知名度，唱红"Taking It To The Street"、"Minute By Minute"、"Real Love "…等排行单曲。 选自全美冠军专辑「Minute By Minute」、由Michael McDonald与Kenny Loggins等人共同创作的冠军金曲"What A Fool Believes"一举横扫'79年第22届葛莱美奖「最佳流行乐团演唱」、 「年度单曲」、「年度唱片」、「最佳编曲」四项大奖。 '82年起，Michael McDonald以攻占全美流行榜Top 4的"I Keep Forgetting"成功展开个人单飞事业﹔'83年与黑人男歌手James Ingram合作的"Yah Mo B There"再为他赢得葛莱美奖「最佳节奏蓝调演唱组合」的殊荣﹔'85年与黑人实力女唱将Patti LaBelle对唱的"On My Own"更拿下全美流行与节奏蓝调单曲榜双料冠军！ '86年他为动作喜剧「Running Scared/双星赶月」演唱的电影主题曲"Sweet Freedom"是另一首脍炙人口的畅销代表作。 2003 年，Michael McDonald正式加盟环球音乐，连续推出两张重现"You Are Everything"、"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"、"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"…等一系列摩城经典的世纪情歌精选，除了创下多白金的销售佳绩，并再次获得葛莱美奖提名的肯定！
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
With his husky, soulful baritone, Michael McDonald became one of the most distinctive and popular vocalists to emerge from the laid-back California pop/rock scene of the late 70s. McDonald found the middle ground between blue-eyed soul and smooth soft rock, a sound that made him a star. He initially essayed his signature style with the Doobie Brothers, ushering in the groups most popular period with hits like What a Fool Believes and Taking It to the Streets. McDonald disbanded the group in 1982 to pursue a solo career, which was initially quite successful, but by the end of the decade his popularity had faded away, since he was reluctant to work regularly and hesitant to update his sound to suit shifting popular tastes.
After singing backup on several Steely Dan albums in the mid-70s, Michael McDonald joined the Doobie Brothers in 1977. He was largely responsible for moving the group away from boogie rock and toward polished, jazzy blue-eyed soul. Prior to the Doobies farewell tour in 1982, he sang harmony on several hit singles, including tracks by Donna Summer, Toto, Kenny Loggins, and Christopher Cross. As it turned out, McDonalds solo work was a cross between the Doobie Brothers white-bread soul and Cross adult contemporary ballads.
McDonald released his solo debut, If Thats What It Takes, in 1982. The record climbed to number six on the strength of the number four single I Keep Forgettin (Every Time Youre Near), which also crossed over into the R&B Top Ten. In 1983, he had another Top 20 pop hit (and a Top Ten R&B hit) with his duet with James Ingram, Yah Mo B There. McDonald didnt deliver his second solo album, No Lookin Back, until 1985. The record wasnt as successful as its predecessor, producing only one moderate hit in its title track. He bounced back the following year, when his duet with Patti LaBelle, On My Own, shot to number one and Sweet Freedom, his theme for the Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines comedy Running Scared, climbed into the Top Ten.
Instead of capitalizing on his revitalized success, McDonald didnt release another album until 1990. The resulting Take It to Heart was a bomb, peaking at number 110. Two years later, his fortunes were revived somewhat when he sang on Aretha Franklins minor hit Ever Changing Times and toured with Donald Fagens New York Rock and Soul Revue. The following year, he released Blink of an Eye, which was ignored. In 1994, I Keep Forgettin (Every Time Youre Near) was sampled heavily in Warren Gs smash hit Regulate. By 1996, McDonald had returned to the Doobie Brothers, touring the oldies circuit with the reunited group. The following year, McDonald released Blue Obsession, his first album of new material in three years. He released a Christmas album (In the Spirit: A Christmas Album) in 2001, and began a series of recordings devoted to the Motown catalog with 2003s Motown.