1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:12,262 --> 00:00:15,056 ♪ (THEME MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 4 00:00:26,276 --> 00:00:27,986 In the late '70s in Los Angeles, 5 00:00:28,069 --> 00:00:29,446 there was a very particular sound 6 00:00:29,487 --> 00:00:30,989 and it was dominating pop culture. 7 00:00:31,072 --> 00:00:33,116 And then, 25 years after the fact, 8 00:00:33,199 --> 00:00:35,452 a group of comedians create this web series 9 00:00:35,493 --> 00:00:37,620 and all of a sudden the name "yacht rock" was branded. 10 00:00:37,704 --> 00:00:38,788 But what I was interested in 11 00:00:38,872 --> 00:00:40,790 was talking to the artists and giving them an opportunity 12 00:00:40,832 --> 00:00:43,543 to define the music they were making at that time. 13 00:00:46,713 --> 00:00:48,465 ♪ (THEME MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 14 00:00:54,721 --> 00:00:57,766 (CROWD CHEERING) 15 00:01:08,777 --> 00:01:12,572 ♪ ("TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS" BY DOOBIE BROTHERS PLAYING) ♪ 16 00:01:25,835 --> 00:01:29,714 FRED ARMISEN: Yacht rock, to me, it's a very relaxing feeling. 17 00:01:29,798 --> 00:01:33,593 It's like the singers all seem to be saying, 18 00:01:33,677 --> 00:01:35,220 "Hey, it's gonna be okay." 19 00:01:46,690 --> 00:01:51,277 It has this certain-- It sits in a certain zone 20 00:01:51,361 --> 00:01:54,197 where it's not-- it's not that it doesn't rock, 21 00:01:54,239 --> 00:01:55,657 but it doesn't rock too hard. 22 00:01:55,740 --> 00:02:00,245 You know what I mean? It doesn't rock, but it rocks. 23 00:02:00,328 --> 00:02:06,376 ♪ You don't know me But I'm your brother ♪ 24 00:02:06,459 --> 00:02:11,339 ♪ I was raised here In this living hell... ♪ 25 00:02:12,340 --> 00:02:15,218 It's one of those things that you know it 26 00:02:15,301 --> 00:02:18,471 when you hear it. It's like pornography. 27 00:02:18,555 --> 00:02:21,016 You can't define it necessarily, 28 00:02:21,099 --> 00:02:22,600 but it's very clear when something 29 00:02:22,684 --> 00:02:24,102 is or is not yacht rock. 30 00:02:24,185 --> 00:02:25,395 ♪ You ♪ 31 00:02:27,230 --> 00:02:31,484 ♪ Telling me the things You're gonna do for me ♪ 32 00:02:33,361 --> 00:02:36,406 ♪ I ain't blind and I don't like What I think I see ♪ 33 00:02:36,448 --> 00:02:37,699 ♪ Takin' it to the street ♪ 34 00:02:37,782 --> 00:02:39,367 ♪ We're takin' it To the street ♪ 35 00:02:39,409 --> 00:02:41,244 ♪ Takin' it to the street... ♪ 36 00:02:41,327 --> 00:02:43,079 QUESTLOVE: For me, it's a utility 37 00:02:43,163 --> 00:02:44,622 more than it is music. 38 00:02:44,706 --> 00:02:47,959 Like, it's just always there when you're shopping, 39 00:02:48,043 --> 00:02:49,753 when you're at the dentist's office, 40 00:02:49,836 --> 00:02:52,422 and in my case, even in the principal's office. 41 00:02:52,464 --> 00:02:56,217 Like, it's always there... (CHUCKLES) ...when you need it 42 00:02:56,259 --> 00:02:58,386 and it's always there when you don't need it. 43 00:02:58,428 --> 00:03:00,263 ♪ Takin' it to the street ♪ 44 00:03:00,305 --> 00:03:01,765 ♪ Takin' it, takin' it ♪ 45 00:03:01,806 --> 00:03:03,350 ♪ Takin' it to the street ♪ 46 00:03:03,433 --> 00:03:05,602 ♪ Yeah, yeah... ♪ 47 00:03:05,685 --> 00:03:08,104 THUNDERCAT: I've never identified it as yacht rock. 48 00:03:08,188 --> 00:03:09,606 I've never looked at it as, like, a... 49 00:03:09,689 --> 00:03:12,567 Something that was... "Oh, yeah, that's over here." 50 00:03:12,609 --> 00:03:14,444 I, like-- I've always looked at it 51 00:03:14,486 --> 00:03:16,404 from the inside being like, 52 00:03:16,446 --> 00:03:18,823 "Dang, that's just amazing songwriting." 53 00:03:18,907 --> 00:03:20,742 ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ 54 00:03:20,825 --> 00:03:22,494 ♪ Takin' it to the ♪ 55 00:03:22,577 --> 00:03:25,288 (CHEERING) 56 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:31,211 ♪ ("RIDE LIKE THE WIND" BY CHRISTOPHER CROSS PLAYING) ♪ 57 00:03:31,294 --> 00:03:34,339 Let's try "yacht rock sails again" for two. 58 00:03:34,422 --> 00:03:36,841 Yacht rock is a genre, but it's also just a vibe. 59 00:03:36,925 --> 00:03:38,760 MICKEY GUYTON: Hey, y'all been listening to yacht rock? 60 00:03:38,802 --> 00:03:40,136 I listen to it on the app... 61 00:03:40,220 --> 00:03:42,931 -(CLEARS THROAT) -...24/7, no card required. 62 00:03:44,557 --> 00:03:45,600 KYLE RICHARDS: What's yacht rock? 63 00:03:45,642 --> 00:03:47,727 It's music you listen to on a yacht. 64 00:03:47,811 --> 00:03:49,479 Oh... 65 00:03:49,562 --> 00:03:51,314 CLEVELAND BROWN: There's a yacht rock cruise 66 00:03:51,356 --> 00:03:53,942 that leaves from the Quahog Marina tomorrow. 67 00:03:54,025 --> 00:03:56,236 And I'm not even kidding! 68 00:03:57,362 --> 00:03:58,697 PHILLIP DANIEL: For those of you who don't know 69 00:03:58,780 --> 00:04:00,657 what yacht rock is, you do know what it is. 70 00:04:00,699 --> 00:04:02,742 It's all of your favorite hits from the '70s and '80s. 71 00:04:02,826 --> 00:04:05,704 It just happens to be its own special genre. 72 00:04:05,787 --> 00:04:07,664 ♪ And I've got Such a long way to go... ♪ 73 00:04:07,747 --> 00:04:09,165 KEVIN SUCHER: So we'd play the stuff that, 74 00:04:09,249 --> 00:04:10,291 you know, when I was younger, 75 00:04:10,375 --> 00:04:11,710 I listened to in the dance chair. 76 00:04:11,793 --> 00:04:13,837 ♪ So I'll ride Like the wind... ♪ 77 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:19,342 ♪ I don't wanna do Your dirty work no more ♪ 78 00:04:19,426 --> 00:04:21,636 ♪ I was born the son...♪ 79 00:04:21,678 --> 00:04:23,763 LIZ LEMON: You know, the whole thing would turn out like a movie 80 00:04:23,847 --> 00:04:26,474 where Christopher Cross sings a song like... 81 00:04:26,516 --> 00:04:28,852 ♪ All my days I've been waiting ♪ 82 00:04:28,893 --> 00:04:31,855 ♪ Gunned down ten Gonna ride like the wind... ♪ 83 00:04:31,896 --> 00:04:35,567 ♪ You don't know me But I'm your brother ♪ 84 00:04:35,650 --> 00:04:38,028 ♪ And I've got Such a long way to go ♪ 85 00:04:38,111 --> 00:04:40,280 ♪ Such a long way to go ♪ 86 00:04:40,363 --> 00:04:43,700 I've drugged all the concessions so you'll do what I say. 87 00:04:43,783 --> 00:04:47,662 Drugs at a Steely Dan concert? I never thought I'd see the day. 88 00:04:49,497 --> 00:04:51,041 ♪ Gonna ride like the wind ♪ 89 00:04:51,082 --> 00:04:54,544 ♪ (VOCALIZING) ♪ 90 00:05:03,386 --> 00:05:05,930 ♪ (SONG CONCLUDES) ♪ 91 00:05:06,014 --> 00:05:07,932 ♪ (MELLOW MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 92 00:05:08,516 --> 00:05:09,768 (NOTIFICATION DINGS) 93 00:05:09,851 --> 00:05:12,312 QUESTLOVE: I remember on my Myspace page, 94 00:05:12,395 --> 00:05:13,813 someone gave me a link 95 00:05:13,897 --> 00:05:15,523 to something called Yacht Rock. 96 00:05:17,108 --> 00:05:18,401 This is like pre-YouTube. 97 00:05:18,443 --> 00:05:21,988 Like, YouTube is 2006 and this came out in 2005. 98 00:05:22,072 --> 00:05:24,282 Just like a whole bunch of these comedians 99 00:05:24,366 --> 00:05:26,201 that decided to put these vignettes 100 00:05:26,242 --> 00:05:29,579 of like, "How this song got made." 101 00:05:29,662 --> 00:05:32,082 STEVE HUEY: We were living in Los Angeles. 102 00:05:32,165 --> 00:05:33,667 We weren't making very much money. 103 00:05:33,750 --> 00:05:35,251 And one of the things that we did 104 00:05:35,293 --> 00:05:36,753 was we bought dollar vinyl records 105 00:05:36,836 --> 00:05:39,631 from the local Amoeba Records store. 106 00:05:39,714 --> 00:05:41,925 And the stuff that was available for a dollar 107 00:05:41,966 --> 00:05:44,302 was a lot of soft rock. 108 00:05:44,386 --> 00:05:46,429 We'd read the credits on the back of these albums 109 00:05:46,471 --> 00:05:48,348 and we'd see the same names popping up 110 00:05:48,431 --> 00:05:50,183 over and over and over again. 111 00:05:50,266 --> 00:05:51,810 And eventually, it clicked, like... 112 00:05:53,186 --> 00:05:54,854 "This is a scene." 113 00:05:54,938 --> 00:05:56,314 JD RYZNAR: I was obsessed with, like, 114 00:05:56,398 --> 00:05:57,691 "Guys, you wouldn't believe it, 115 00:05:57,774 --> 00:05:59,609 but the guys in Toto are on this Michael Jackson album. 116 00:05:59,693 --> 00:06:01,736 The guys in Toto are on this Steely Dan album. 117 00:06:01,820 --> 00:06:03,405 Listen to Michael McDonald on here. 118 00:06:03,488 --> 00:06:05,281 I bet you never heard him here before. 119 00:06:05,323 --> 00:06:07,534 Oh, Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald wrote 120 00:06:07,617 --> 00:06:08,910 'What a Fool Believes' together. 121 00:06:08,952 --> 00:06:11,496 Oh, look at this cover of Full Sail 122 00:06:11,579 --> 00:06:13,456 with Loggins and Messina. They're on a boat. 123 00:06:13,540 --> 00:06:15,083 And there's this vibe. 124 00:06:15,166 --> 00:06:17,127 This is well-crafted stuff. 125 00:06:17,168 --> 00:06:19,337 This is relaxing stuff. 126 00:06:19,421 --> 00:06:21,631 It's high-class music. 127 00:06:21,673 --> 00:06:24,634 It's like a yacht. Yacht rock." 128 00:06:24,676 --> 00:06:27,846 From 1976 to 1984, the radio airwaves 129 00:06:27,929 --> 00:06:31,016 were dominated by really smooth music, 130 00:06:31,099 --> 00:06:33,685 also known as yacht rock. 131 00:06:33,768 --> 00:06:36,146 HUEY: The way we like to explain it is 132 00:06:36,187 --> 00:06:38,481 almost all yacht rock is soft rock, 133 00:06:38,523 --> 00:06:40,608 but not all soft rock is yacht rock. 134 00:06:40,692 --> 00:06:42,235 We always meant something 135 00:06:42,318 --> 00:06:43,486 that sounded like a million bucks. 136 00:06:43,570 --> 00:06:46,531 It wasn't literally about, like, boats or whatever. 137 00:06:46,614 --> 00:06:49,993 RYZNAR: And so you've got bands like Steely Dan, 138 00:06:50,076 --> 00:06:51,327 Michael McDonald, 139 00:06:51,369 --> 00:06:53,163 with and without the Doobie Brothers. 140 00:06:53,246 --> 00:06:56,291 Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, 141 00:06:56,374 --> 00:06:59,336 Toto, all of these great musicians. 142 00:06:59,377 --> 00:07:01,296 They were making elevated pop music 143 00:07:01,338 --> 00:07:03,340 that's infused with jazz and R&B. 144 00:07:03,423 --> 00:07:04,924 That's what a fool believes, Kenny! 145 00:07:05,008 --> 00:07:08,678 That's what... That's what a fool believes. 146 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,514 (HUMMING) 147 00:07:11,598 --> 00:07:13,516 QUESTLOVE: Somehow, we had a space in our heart 148 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:15,101 for this Yacht Rock series, 149 00:07:15,185 --> 00:07:19,647 which gave people this sort of newfound look at this music 150 00:07:19,689 --> 00:07:23,068 that no one wanted to claim as their own, 151 00:07:23,151 --> 00:07:25,195 but we loved it all along. 152 00:07:25,236 --> 00:07:26,946 We were just afraid to let you know 153 00:07:27,030 --> 00:07:29,407 that we have a soft space in our heart 154 00:07:29,491 --> 00:07:30,867 for this genre of music. 155 00:07:30,909 --> 00:07:32,660 ♪ (“LOVE WILL FIND A WAY” BY PABLO CRUISE PLAYING) ♪ 156 00:07:32,702 --> 00:07:34,954 RYZNAR: All of a sudden, this new "genre" we made up 157 00:07:35,038 --> 00:07:37,707 started to get embraced by the world. 158 00:07:37,749 --> 00:07:40,210 It's now time for a very special yacht rock tradition, 159 00:07:40,293 --> 00:07:43,046 a visit from our old friend, Captain Zog, who's going to come 160 00:07:43,088 --> 00:07:45,632 and teach us all the latest yacht rock dances. 161 00:07:45,715 --> 00:07:47,217 JAKE TAPPER: There were more expressions of love 162 00:07:47,258 --> 00:07:50,887 in that press briefing than on the average yacht rock album. 163 00:07:50,970 --> 00:07:52,931 Look, I love yacht rock as much as the next person, 164 00:07:53,014 --> 00:07:54,599 but eventually, I want to see Journey, right? 165 00:07:54,683 --> 00:07:57,394 ♪ It's all right Once you get past the pain... ♪ 166 00:07:57,477 --> 00:07:58,812 HUEY: I think the moment that we realized 167 00:07:58,895 --> 00:08:00,980 it really transcended its origins 168 00:08:01,064 --> 00:08:03,525 in the web series was when SiriusXM 169 00:08:03,608 --> 00:08:05,485 debuted their yacht rock channel. 170 00:08:05,568 --> 00:08:07,654 ADAM RITZ: It's the weekend Yacht Rock Radio. 171 00:08:07,737 --> 00:08:11,574 We will connect the dots between the Marvel Cinematic Universe 172 00:08:11,658 --> 00:08:14,077 and the Yacht Rock Radio universe. 173 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,788 RYZNAR: Now, there's all these yacht rock cover bands 174 00:08:16,871 --> 00:08:19,624 wearing captain's hats and doing silly dances. 175 00:08:21,126 --> 00:08:22,961 ♪ Love will find a way ♪ 176 00:08:23,044 --> 00:08:25,088 AMANDA PETRUSICH: The fact that the term emerged 177 00:08:25,171 --> 00:08:26,506 from what was essentially 178 00:08:26,589 --> 00:08:29,759 a comedy show, did have a really big impact 179 00:08:29,801 --> 00:08:33,346 on the way that the music is now ironically appreciated. 180 00:08:33,430 --> 00:08:34,681 When in fact, I think the records 181 00:08:34,764 --> 00:08:37,434 that they were making were entirely sincere 182 00:08:37,475 --> 00:08:38,810 and earnest and pure. 183 00:08:38,893 --> 00:08:40,812 Yacht rock! 184 00:08:40,895 --> 00:08:42,564 STEVEN HYDEN: All the caricatures 185 00:08:42,647 --> 00:08:44,357 that people use 186 00:08:44,441 --> 00:08:46,776 to define this made-up genre, 187 00:08:46,860 --> 00:08:49,612 like the mustaches and the leisure suits 188 00:08:49,654 --> 00:08:52,574 and the smooth grooves are pretty reductive. 189 00:08:52,657 --> 00:08:54,451 Some of the caricatures aren't even true. 190 00:08:54,534 --> 00:08:57,787 No musician in California in the '70s, 191 00:08:57,829 --> 00:08:59,622 I guess other than, like, the Captain 192 00:08:59,706 --> 00:09:01,374 from Captain & Tennille 193 00:09:01,458 --> 00:09:04,669 was actually wearing a sailor's hat. 194 00:09:04,753 --> 00:09:07,797 You really have to get past these superficialities 195 00:09:07,881 --> 00:09:10,175 to understand what this music really is. 196 00:09:10,258 --> 00:09:11,843 And when you do that, 197 00:09:11,926 --> 00:09:15,221 it actually becomes a much richer saga 198 00:09:15,305 --> 00:09:16,973 of how this thing came to be. 199 00:09:17,015 --> 00:09:19,601 And that's the story I think that people need to know. 200 00:09:20,310 --> 00:09:23,188 (TRAFFIC RUMBLING) 201 00:09:23,271 --> 00:09:25,565 ♪ ("CAVES OF ALTAMIRA" BY STEELY DAN PLAYING) ♪ 202 00:09:25,648 --> 00:09:27,984 ANNOUNCER: The nation's bicentennial holiday is down to 203 00:09:28,068 --> 00:09:30,487 its last hour, and it has been a day of... 204 00:09:30,570 --> 00:09:33,615 JIMMY CARTER: 1976 will be the year 205 00:09:33,698 --> 00:09:35,658 of inspiration and hope. 206 00:09:36,451 --> 00:09:38,536 ♪ I recall when I was small ♪ 207 00:09:38,620 --> 00:09:39,954 ♪ How I spent my days alone... ♪ 208 00:09:39,996 --> 00:09:41,790 ROBERT W. MORGAN: This week, on the Special of the Week 209 00:09:41,873 --> 00:09:44,167 it's the Dan of Steel, Steely Dan. 210 00:09:44,250 --> 00:09:46,753 The bizarre brainchild of the bizarre brains 211 00:09:46,836 --> 00:09:48,838 of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, 212 00:09:48,922 --> 00:09:51,174 Steely Dan have proven that weird words 213 00:09:51,216 --> 00:09:54,844 and wired melodies can exist side by side. 214 00:09:54,928 --> 00:09:57,347 ♪ Made alive a worldly wonder ♪ 215 00:09:57,430 --> 00:09:59,099 ♪ Often told but never seen... ♪ 216 00:09:59,182 --> 00:10:01,810 We like to call Steely Dan the primordial ooze 217 00:10:01,893 --> 00:10:04,145 from whence yacht rock sprang. 218 00:10:04,187 --> 00:10:06,147 ALEX PAPPADEMAS: Donald and Walter from Steely Dan 219 00:10:06,189 --> 00:10:09,901 never really set out to become what they became. 220 00:10:09,984 --> 00:10:11,778 When they entered into the music business, 221 00:10:11,861 --> 00:10:14,155 professionally, it was as staff songwriters. 222 00:10:14,197 --> 00:10:16,991 The problem with the songs that Donald and Walter 223 00:10:17,075 --> 00:10:19,577 were writing at this time is that nobody 224 00:10:19,661 --> 00:10:20,870 could really record them. 225 00:10:20,954 --> 00:10:23,665 There was always something sort of inscrutably weird 226 00:10:23,748 --> 00:10:25,750 about the lyrics. 227 00:10:25,834 --> 00:10:28,211 GARY KATZ: I don't know that I ever asked Fagen, 228 00:10:28,253 --> 00:10:29,212 "What does this mean?" 229 00:10:29,295 --> 00:10:32,132 For one, I didn't want him to think I didn't know. 230 00:10:32,799 --> 00:10:35,844 And for two, most of the time 231 00:10:35,927 --> 00:10:39,055 it wasn't a matter of knowing literally as it was 232 00:10:39,097 --> 00:10:40,098 how it made me feel. 233 00:10:40,181 --> 00:10:41,808 ♪ ("REELIN' IN THE YEARS" BY STEELY DAN PLAYING) ♪ 234 00:10:41,891 --> 00:10:44,477 ♪ Your everlasting summer You can see it fading fast ♪ 235 00:10:44,561 --> 00:10:45,937 ♪ So you grab A piece of something ♪ 236 00:10:46,021 --> 00:10:47,689 ♪ That you think is gonna last ♪ 237 00:10:47,772 --> 00:10:49,566 ♪ Well, you wouldn't even know A diamond ♪ 238 00:10:49,649 --> 00:10:51,609 ♪ If you held it in your hand ♪ 239 00:10:51,693 --> 00:10:53,236 ♪ The things you think Are precious ♪ 240 00:10:53,278 --> 00:10:54,863 ♪ I can't understand ♪ 241 00:10:54,946 --> 00:10:58,616 ♪ Are you reelin' In the years? ♪ 242 00:10:58,700 --> 00:11:01,369 MICHAEL MCDONALD: I moved out west in 1970. 243 00:11:01,411 --> 00:11:04,706 I was signed to and dropped from a couple of labels, 244 00:11:04,748 --> 00:11:06,750 you know, and I was kind of going the way 245 00:11:06,791 --> 00:11:08,752 of most people who come to LA with a dream 246 00:11:08,835 --> 00:11:11,129 and realize that it probably ain't gonna happen. 247 00:11:12,797 --> 00:11:14,257 I started playing clubs 248 00:11:14,299 --> 00:11:16,718 to get out and meet other players and stuff. 249 00:11:16,801 --> 00:11:18,094 And along the way, I met some guys 250 00:11:18,178 --> 00:11:20,055 who were auditioning for bands that were getting ready 251 00:11:20,138 --> 00:11:22,349 to go on the road. One of them was Steely Dan. 252 00:11:22,432 --> 00:11:23,600 About a year later, I got a call 253 00:11:23,641 --> 00:11:25,685 from the kid who sat in on drums. 254 00:11:25,769 --> 00:11:27,437 It was Jeff Porcaro, and he said, 255 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,899 "Man, I was thinking about you, and you need to come down 256 00:11:30,982 --> 00:11:33,234 to this rehearsal I'm at. It's with Steely Dan. 257 00:11:33,276 --> 00:11:35,278 We're getting ready to go on the road." 258 00:11:35,362 --> 00:11:39,282 So I threw my piano in my Pinto and drove down to rehearsal. 259 00:11:39,366 --> 00:11:40,950 ♪ ("BAD SNEAKERS" BY STEELY DAN PLAYING) ♪ 260 00:11:41,034 --> 00:11:42,869 MICHAEL: It was interesting because there had been many gigs 261 00:11:42,952 --> 00:11:45,538 that I had practiced the material for 262 00:11:45,622 --> 00:11:46,831 weeks in advance, 263 00:11:46,915 --> 00:11:48,875 and didn't get the gig, you know? 264 00:11:48,958 --> 00:11:50,168 And here's one where I walked in, 265 00:11:50,251 --> 00:11:52,295 I didn't even know half the songs, you know, 266 00:11:52,337 --> 00:11:54,673 and they were just teaching it to me on the spot. 267 00:11:54,756 --> 00:11:56,174 But I was so determined 268 00:11:56,257 --> 00:11:58,468 that I wound up learning the songs 269 00:11:58,510 --> 00:12:01,888 basically from being taught by Donald what the songs were. 270 00:12:02,806 --> 00:12:04,307 It certainly wasn't my piano playing 271 00:12:04,391 --> 00:12:05,517 that got me the gig. 272 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,603 It was pretty much my ability to sing high. (CHUCKLES) 273 00:12:08,687 --> 00:12:12,899 ♪ Yes, I'm going insane ♪ 274 00:12:12,982 --> 00:12:17,696 ♪ You know I'm laughing At the frozen rain ♪ 275 00:12:17,779 --> 00:12:19,698 ALEX: By the Katy Lied album, 276 00:12:19,781 --> 00:12:21,741 the band is essentially Donald and Walter 277 00:12:21,825 --> 00:12:23,493 and whoever is there that day. 278 00:12:23,576 --> 00:12:25,078 Basically, they start bringing in 279 00:12:25,161 --> 00:12:28,998 these really talented LA-based session guys who can play 280 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:30,375 anything they put in front of them. 281 00:12:33,169 --> 00:12:35,755 JAY GRAYDON: Jeff Porcaro and I were working a session. 282 00:12:35,839 --> 00:12:37,173 During the hour break, 283 00:12:37,257 --> 00:12:40,844 Jeff says, "I've got a 15 IPS tape 284 00:12:40,885 --> 00:12:42,178 of Katy Lied." 285 00:12:42,220 --> 00:12:45,390 The album wasn't out yet. And my jaw was on the floor. 286 00:12:45,473 --> 00:12:49,102 ♪ When Black Friday comes ♪ 287 00:12:49,185 --> 00:12:53,231 ♪ I'll stand down By the door... ♪ 288 00:12:53,314 --> 00:12:56,693 JAY: My first thought was, "These guys sound like me." 289 00:12:56,735 --> 00:13:01,948 Jazz chord changes, but rock, pop grooves. 290 00:13:02,032 --> 00:13:04,200 People would say, "Well, you sound like Steely Dan." 291 00:13:04,242 --> 00:13:06,953 And I'd go, "Well, we think the same. 292 00:13:07,037 --> 00:13:09,330 We're in the same lines melodically. 293 00:13:09,372 --> 00:13:13,043 We're closet jazzers that are making pop records." 294 00:13:13,084 --> 00:13:14,836 (LAUGHS) 295 00:13:14,919 --> 00:13:16,713 ♪ When Black Friday comes... ♪ 296 00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:18,590 GARY: We were getting more successful. 297 00:13:18,673 --> 00:13:20,800 People wanted to play on our records. 298 00:13:20,884 --> 00:13:22,594 For me, it was like going to the candy store. 299 00:13:23,845 --> 00:13:25,305 TOM SCOTT: There was a period of time, 300 00:13:25,388 --> 00:13:27,891 particularly in the middle to late '70s, 301 00:13:27,932 --> 00:13:30,101 in which there was a group of LA musicians, 302 00:13:30,185 --> 00:13:32,020 they could play virtually anything. 303 00:13:32,103 --> 00:13:34,981 Sit down and read anything and any style. 304 00:13:36,024 --> 00:13:37,359 STEVE LUKATHER: People call you on the phone, 305 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:39,361 say be it Village, be it Sunset Sound, 306 00:13:39,444 --> 00:13:41,071 be it, you know, Capitol. 307 00:13:41,112 --> 00:13:43,198 In 12 to six, they hire for the week or whatever. 308 00:13:43,281 --> 00:13:45,283 Sometimes we knew the artist, sometimes we didn't. 309 00:13:45,367 --> 00:13:47,243 Every day was a thrill because you didn't know-- 310 00:13:47,327 --> 00:13:49,204 We didn't know what we were gonna do. 311 00:13:49,287 --> 00:13:51,915 There was no demos, there was no rehearsals. 312 00:13:51,956 --> 00:13:53,583 Most of the time we listened to the song once 313 00:13:53,667 --> 00:13:55,335 and all of us have arranger ears. 314 00:13:55,418 --> 00:13:57,921 And that just means we can hear parts 315 00:13:57,962 --> 00:14:00,423 in between the basic chords and the melody. 316 00:14:00,465 --> 00:14:03,134 And that's what they hired us to do, to fill in the blanks, 317 00:14:03,218 --> 00:14:04,594 because we were good at it. 318 00:14:05,595 --> 00:14:06,596 When I got into high school 319 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:08,431 is when I really found out about studio musicians. 320 00:14:08,515 --> 00:14:10,266 When I met the Porcaro brothers, you know, 321 00:14:10,308 --> 00:14:12,560 Steve Porcaro, and Jeff and Mike. 322 00:14:12,602 --> 00:14:14,896 Jeff was in Steely Dan when we were in high school, 323 00:14:14,979 --> 00:14:17,273 and David Paich was his best friend, 324 00:14:17,315 --> 00:14:20,068 and Dave was working on those records too. 325 00:14:20,151 --> 00:14:23,571 GARY: They were cocky, really young, full of piss, 326 00:14:23,613 --> 00:14:27,450 but we'd get perfect performance almost every time. 327 00:14:27,492 --> 00:14:30,412 DAVID PAICH: I started doing sessions when I was 16. 328 00:14:30,453 --> 00:14:32,580 My father had been in the business 329 00:14:32,664 --> 00:14:33,832 as an arranger. 330 00:14:33,915 --> 00:14:36,626 Everything with sessions was word of mouth. 331 00:14:36,668 --> 00:14:38,211 If you played on a hit, everybody wanted 332 00:14:38,294 --> 00:14:40,547 the person that was on the hit record. 333 00:14:40,630 --> 00:14:41,965 So I started getting calls. 334 00:14:42,007 --> 00:14:43,466 Jeff and I, we'd always hang out, 335 00:14:43,508 --> 00:14:46,636 and we'd each try and get each other on that session. 336 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:48,930 STEVE PORCARO: My brother Jeff was the one who was 337 00:14:49,014 --> 00:14:51,057 just so naturally gifted 338 00:14:51,141 --> 00:14:53,268 and he started getting hired all over town 339 00:14:53,351 --> 00:14:57,063 and he would recommend us to these guys. 340 00:14:57,147 --> 00:15:00,608 It was an amazing time for us and for music too. 341 00:15:00,650 --> 00:15:03,820 Basically, we're all trying to do what George Martin 342 00:15:03,903 --> 00:15:05,447 and the Beatles and Brian Wilson did 343 00:15:05,488 --> 00:15:07,907 in the studio, and just take it another step. 344 00:15:09,159 --> 00:15:11,077 BRIAN WILSON: Watch me on that part. 345 00:15:11,161 --> 00:15:12,495 RYZNAR: Back in California, 346 00:15:12,579 --> 00:15:14,748 the Beach Boys were looking at what the Beatles were doing 347 00:15:14,831 --> 00:15:16,666 and wanted to copy that 348 00:15:16,708 --> 00:15:18,543 and used a lot of The Wrecking Crew, 349 00:15:18,626 --> 00:15:20,253 the early LA session guys. 350 00:15:20,337 --> 00:15:22,964 And the yacht rockers were sort of the second generation 351 00:15:23,006 --> 00:15:25,133 of session guys after The Wrecking Crew. 352 00:15:26,593 --> 00:15:28,053 JAY: On "Pet Sounds," 353 00:15:28,136 --> 00:15:31,931 you've got gorgeous pop with hip changes, 354 00:15:32,015 --> 00:15:35,852 great melodies, great harmonies, everything, man. 355 00:15:35,894 --> 00:15:38,855 It was the beginning of a new era. 356 00:15:38,938 --> 00:15:40,440 JASON KING: If you think of the music 357 00:15:40,523 --> 00:15:42,025 that was coming out of LA 358 00:15:42,067 --> 00:15:44,736 in the early 1970s, the Troubadour, 359 00:15:44,819 --> 00:15:46,488 and the Whiskey a Go Go, and Carole King 360 00:15:46,529 --> 00:15:49,908 and James Taylor, Laurel Canyon, The Eagles. 361 00:15:49,991 --> 00:15:52,118 And then on top of that, Motown had moved 362 00:15:52,202 --> 00:15:55,246 to Southern California in the early 1970s. 363 00:15:55,330 --> 00:15:57,874 JAY: So that means we've got Stevie Wonder. 364 00:15:57,957 --> 00:16:00,335 Now we're getting into R&B. 365 00:16:00,418 --> 00:16:01,711 RYZNAR: Well, there's a lot of elements 366 00:16:01,795 --> 00:16:03,213 to proto-yacht. 367 00:16:03,254 --> 00:16:05,298 Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire, 368 00:16:05,382 --> 00:16:08,134 who were doing incredible forward-thinking things 369 00:16:08,218 --> 00:16:09,427 with their music. 370 00:16:09,511 --> 00:16:13,473 And another element was jazz fusion, The Crusaders, 371 00:16:13,556 --> 00:16:14,557 Herbie Hancock. 372 00:16:14,599 --> 00:16:17,477 These were the guys that were early adapters 373 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,438 of the Fender Rhodes electric piano. 374 00:16:20,522 --> 00:16:23,483 That's sort of the backbone of the yacht rock sound. 375 00:16:23,566 --> 00:16:24,984 Then we got Joni Mitchell. 376 00:16:25,068 --> 00:16:27,070 And she goes from the simple three-chord stuff 377 00:16:27,112 --> 00:16:29,781 to using jazzers. 378 00:16:29,864 --> 00:16:31,908 RYZNAR: Then there's Seals & Crofts 379 00:16:31,950 --> 00:16:35,120 who were becoming more studio perfectionists 380 00:16:35,203 --> 00:16:37,080 and bringing in guys like David Paich 381 00:16:37,163 --> 00:16:38,873 and Jeff Porcaro, who were bringing in 382 00:16:38,957 --> 00:16:42,002 more complex ideas into the sessions. 383 00:16:42,085 --> 00:16:44,421 HUEY: These guys take the Steely Dan sound 384 00:16:44,504 --> 00:16:47,215 out into their own projects, incorporate it 385 00:16:47,257 --> 00:16:48,842 into everything else that they're doing. 386 00:16:48,925 --> 00:16:53,096 It widens the sonic palette of the Los Angeles music scene 387 00:16:53,179 --> 00:16:55,140 and all this other stuff that's kind of bubbling 388 00:16:55,223 --> 00:16:56,391 under the surface. 389 00:16:56,474 --> 00:16:59,269 JAY: This all comes together into this group 390 00:16:59,310 --> 00:17:02,397 of all different kinds of artists 391 00:17:02,439 --> 00:17:03,440 that got melodic 392 00:17:03,523 --> 00:17:06,151 and used jazzy kind of chord changes. 393 00:17:06,234 --> 00:17:10,613 ♪ ("I BELIEVE IN LOVE" BY KENNY LOGGINS PLAYING) ♪ 394 00:17:12,198 --> 00:17:14,909 Good evening. Elvis Presley died today. 395 00:17:14,993 --> 00:17:16,244 He was 42. 396 00:17:16,286 --> 00:17:19,205 REPORTER: The moviegoers wait for six hours or more. 397 00:17:19,289 --> 00:17:21,332 They are waiting to escape. 398 00:17:21,416 --> 00:17:22,792 INTERVIEWER: I mean, we've just had so many... 399 00:17:22,876 --> 00:17:24,044 Kinda burnt out 400 00:17:24,127 --> 00:17:25,754 on all the social commentary movies we've had. 401 00:17:25,795 --> 00:17:27,922 MICHAEL SHEEHY: You're in tune with the mellow sound 402 00:17:28,006 --> 00:17:29,924 of KNX FM 93. 403 00:17:30,008 --> 00:17:32,635 Loggins and Messina, now just Loggins 404 00:17:32,677 --> 00:17:33,803 with a new kind of sound. 405 00:17:33,845 --> 00:17:36,723 Moving from country rock to the late '70s, it's all 406 00:17:36,806 --> 00:17:40,101 about being soulful, funky, and oh, so smooth. 407 00:17:40,143 --> 00:17:42,270 Just the thing to get a rocker on the radio 408 00:17:42,312 --> 00:17:44,564 in the disco-fied times. 409 00:17:44,647 --> 00:17:48,026 Do you believe in love? Well, Kenny does. Listen up. 410 00:17:48,109 --> 00:17:49,861 ♪ I see faces ♪ 411 00:17:50,487 --> 00:17:52,197 ♪ Coverin' an empty 'I' ♪ 412 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,949 ♪ Empty spaces where... ♪ 413 00:17:55,033 --> 00:17:56,242 KENNY LOGGINS: We were on the road, 414 00:17:56,326 --> 00:17:59,162 and I remember hearing Stevie Wonder 415 00:17:59,204 --> 00:18:02,374 and going, "Well, this is really different." 416 00:18:02,457 --> 00:18:03,333 "Wow, I wanna-- 417 00:18:03,416 --> 00:18:05,377 How do I do that? What do I do to do that?" 418 00:18:06,211 --> 00:18:09,839 ♪ I believe in love, I do! ♪ 419 00:18:10,924 --> 00:18:12,175 ♪ I believe I'm feelin' good ♪ 420 00:18:12,217 --> 00:18:13,843 KENNY: And I'm hearing all these chords 421 00:18:13,885 --> 00:18:15,470 that I've never heard before. 422 00:18:15,512 --> 00:18:19,099 And it's totally influencing my songwriting. 423 00:18:19,182 --> 00:18:21,601 So I evolved from the folky thing 424 00:18:21,685 --> 00:18:24,354 into sort of a synthesis of smooth jazz 425 00:18:24,437 --> 00:18:26,690 and a synthesis of R&B. 426 00:18:26,773 --> 00:18:28,942 And then I start to want to move 427 00:18:29,025 --> 00:18:32,195 my voice around a little bit, and play with how I sing. 428 00:18:32,237 --> 00:18:36,491 ♪ I believe in love ♪ 429 00:18:36,533 --> 00:18:39,411 RYZNAR: The thing about Kenny Loggins is he tried shit. 430 00:18:39,494 --> 00:18:41,287 Like, he tried cool, interesting stuff, 431 00:18:41,371 --> 00:18:42,580 and his albums are, like, 432 00:18:42,664 --> 00:18:45,542 really experimental for pop albums. 433 00:18:45,583 --> 00:18:47,919 HUEY: Kenny Loggins cannot be contained 434 00:18:48,003 --> 00:18:49,212 in one genre. 435 00:18:49,254 --> 00:18:51,589 He has to explore. He has to push his boundaries. 436 00:18:51,673 --> 00:18:54,718 So even when Kenny Loggins does yacht rock, 437 00:18:54,801 --> 00:18:56,302 he's only doing it 438 00:18:56,386 --> 00:18:58,346 a couple tracks an album most of the time. 439 00:18:58,388 --> 00:19:01,725 But when he does it, it's so good 440 00:19:01,808 --> 00:19:03,643 and so genre-defining 441 00:19:03,727 --> 00:19:05,770 that he's still up on the Mount Rushmore. 442 00:19:09,858 --> 00:19:11,192 (CROWD CHEERING) 443 00:19:11,234 --> 00:19:14,320 KENNY: There was some bounce-back on going solo. 444 00:19:14,404 --> 00:19:16,948 I didn't realize at the time how difficult it was 445 00:19:17,032 --> 00:19:21,369 to go from a successful duo into being a successful soloist. 446 00:19:21,411 --> 00:19:25,123 And I credit Stevie Nicks a lot with my breakthrough 447 00:19:25,206 --> 00:19:27,751 because it was the duet with Stevie 448 00:19:27,834 --> 00:19:29,461 that really made, ultimately, 449 00:19:29,544 --> 00:19:31,963 the huge difference in launching my solo career, 450 00:19:32,047 --> 00:19:33,757 'cause she was so loved at the time. 451 00:19:33,798 --> 00:19:37,677 ♪ Sweet love showin' us A heavenly light ♪ 452 00:19:37,761 --> 00:19:41,264 ♪ I've never seen Such a beautiful sight ♪ 453 00:19:41,348 --> 00:19:45,477 ♪ Sweet love flowin' Almost every night... ♪ 454 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:47,187 KENNY: I had become fortunate 455 00:19:47,270 --> 00:19:50,857 in becoming the opening act for Fleetwood Mac 456 00:19:50,940 --> 00:19:52,776 during the rise of Rumours. 457 00:19:52,817 --> 00:19:55,278 I like to say I went on the Rumours ride with them 458 00:19:55,362 --> 00:19:57,280 because I was out with them for, 459 00:19:57,364 --> 00:20:01,034 you know, six, seven months and became friends with the band 460 00:20:01,117 --> 00:20:02,619 and especially Nick and Stevie. 461 00:20:02,702 --> 00:20:06,539 And she said to me one day, probably 462 00:20:06,623 --> 00:20:09,084 we were drunk out somewhere and she said, 463 00:20:09,167 --> 00:20:10,794 "If you need a chick singer, give me a call." 464 00:20:10,835 --> 00:20:13,505 And it's like, "Okay, got that going for me." 465 00:20:13,588 --> 00:20:17,175 ♪ You and I were meant to be Forever and ever... ♪ 466 00:20:17,258 --> 00:20:18,677 KENNY: The thing I learned early on is, 467 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:20,178 I'm not writing for other people, 468 00:20:20,261 --> 00:20:23,807 I'm writing for me. And if I can hit that nerve 469 00:20:23,890 --> 00:20:27,394 that either makes me wanna dance or makes me wanna cry, 470 00:20:27,477 --> 00:20:29,145 then I've got that song. 471 00:20:29,187 --> 00:20:34,442 ♪ I always wanna Call you friend ♪ 472 00:20:34,484 --> 00:20:37,487 KENNY: I've discovered that when I care about a lyric, 473 00:20:37,570 --> 00:20:40,990 when a lyric really touches the heart of the matter, 474 00:20:41,074 --> 00:20:42,492 it touches other people. 475 00:20:42,534 --> 00:20:44,494 So, my job has been to try to 476 00:20:44,577 --> 00:20:47,622 really nail that emotion so that the song 477 00:20:47,706 --> 00:20:49,708 becomes a soundtrack to your life. 478 00:20:50,834 --> 00:20:54,379 ♪ ("MINUTE BY MINUTE" BY THE DOOBIE BROTHERS PLAYING) ♪ 479 00:21:02,679 --> 00:21:05,849 STEVEN: I think if you want, like, a microcosm of how 480 00:21:05,890 --> 00:21:08,893 mainstream rock music changed from the beginning of the '70s 481 00:21:08,977 --> 00:21:11,730 to the end of the '70s, that-- like, the Doobie Brothers 482 00:21:11,813 --> 00:21:14,607 are probably the best place to go. 483 00:21:14,691 --> 00:21:19,529 ♪ Hey, don't you worry I've been lied to... ♪ 484 00:21:19,612 --> 00:21:21,031 STEVEN: You look at the beginning of the '70s 485 00:21:21,072 --> 00:21:24,534 and the Doobie Brothers are like this post-Woodstock, good time 486 00:21:24,576 --> 00:21:28,621 boogie band that bikers listen to in bars. 487 00:21:28,705 --> 00:21:31,458 And then by the end of the '70s, they've evolved 488 00:21:31,541 --> 00:21:36,588 into this jazzy pop R&B band that is using a lot of chords 489 00:21:36,671 --> 00:21:39,215 and playing songs with tricky time signatures. 490 00:21:39,299 --> 00:21:41,343 It's a big, big change. 491 00:21:41,426 --> 00:21:43,053 ♪ But minute ♪ 492 00:21:43,136 --> 00:21:46,181 ♪ By minute, by minute By minute ♪ 493 00:21:46,222 --> 00:21:48,224 ♪ I keep holding on ♪ 494 00:21:48,308 --> 00:21:50,560 ♪ I'll be holding on... ♪ 495 00:21:50,643 --> 00:21:53,355 MICHAEL: You know, at that time, Jeff Baxter was touring 496 00:21:53,438 --> 00:21:54,647 with the Doobies for the greater part 497 00:21:54,731 --> 00:21:56,775 of a couple of years and became an integral part 498 00:21:56,858 --> 00:21:57,984 of their live show. 499 00:21:58,068 --> 00:22:01,571 And, well, they needed one other guy to kind of fill in 500 00:22:01,613 --> 00:22:04,115 for vocals and backgrounds and stuff. 501 00:22:04,199 --> 00:22:06,493 And Jeff threw my name in the hat. 502 00:22:06,576 --> 00:22:09,162 He pretty much guaranteed that I could handle the gig 503 00:22:09,245 --> 00:22:11,748 because they didn't have time to really audition anybody. 504 00:22:11,790 --> 00:22:13,500 So I met up with them in New Orleans. 505 00:22:13,583 --> 00:22:16,419 I showed up again with my trusty Wurlitzer piano 506 00:22:16,461 --> 00:22:18,296 and I practiced for two days, 507 00:22:18,380 --> 00:22:21,424 and finished out the tour from there. 508 00:22:21,508 --> 00:22:24,094 ♪ But minute, by minute ♪ 509 00:22:24,177 --> 00:22:26,554 ♪ By minute, by minute... ♪ 510 00:22:26,638 --> 00:22:27,722 TED TEMPLEMAN: The evolvement 511 00:22:27,764 --> 00:22:29,724 of Michael McDonald joining the band, 512 00:22:29,766 --> 00:22:32,227 instrumentally, it's changed a lot 513 00:22:32,268 --> 00:22:34,396 because there's been emphasis on keyboards 514 00:22:34,479 --> 00:22:35,480 rather than guitars. 515 00:22:35,563 --> 00:22:36,856 And now the guitars 516 00:22:36,940 --> 00:22:39,192 in a lot of the instances are secondary to the keyboard 517 00:22:39,275 --> 00:22:40,902 in terms of how you cut your tracks. 518 00:22:42,278 --> 00:22:45,782 ♪ Call my name And I'll be gone... ♪ 519 00:22:45,865 --> 00:22:47,283 MICHAEL: It's been said that I changed 520 00:22:47,367 --> 00:22:49,285 the band or something, but you gotta understand 521 00:22:49,369 --> 00:22:51,162 the Doobies were always that kind of band. 522 00:22:51,246 --> 00:22:52,539 Long before I joined them, 523 00:22:52,622 --> 00:22:55,375 they really hearkened to that template of bringing 524 00:22:55,458 --> 00:22:58,378 a lot of different types of songs to one album. 525 00:22:58,461 --> 00:23:00,130 So it was really a group effort. 526 00:23:00,171 --> 00:23:01,464 ♪ Someone ♪ 527 00:23:01,548 --> 00:23:03,425 ♪ Minute by minute, By minute... ♪ 528 00:23:03,466 --> 00:23:04,592 MICHAEL: You know, we were big fans 529 00:23:04,676 --> 00:23:05,760 of like, Earth, Wind & Fire 530 00:23:05,802 --> 00:23:07,804 and Ray Charles, and some of these acts, 531 00:23:07,846 --> 00:23:09,764 their music was fairly sophisticated. 532 00:23:09,806 --> 00:23:11,641 You know, we weren't nearly as good. 533 00:23:11,725 --> 00:23:14,561 But inadvertently, we brought something to it 534 00:23:14,644 --> 00:23:16,438 that we didn't even realize, you know? 535 00:23:16,479 --> 00:23:21,985 The Doobie Brothers? Were you a half-brother? 536 00:23:22,068 --> 00:23:25,113 QUESTLOVE: When the Doobie Brothers were on What's Happening!!, 537 00:23:25,155 --> 00:23:27,323 I thought they were like a scary rock group. 538 00:23:27,407 --> 00:23:30,869 And then I was like, "Okay, I like this guy." 539 00:23:30,952 --> 00:23:37,167 He has a really comforting voice akin to a really funky Muppet. 540 00:23:37,250 --> 00:23:40,545 That episode came on and then 541 00:23:40,628 --> 00:23:44,090 every Black person I knew watched it. 542 00:23:44,174 --> 00:23:47,969 And then suddenly, we were Doobie Brothers fans. 543 00:23:50,180 --> 00:23:52,682 HUEY: To us, yacht rock has to be 544 00:23:52,724 --> 00:23:55,185 conscious of the existence of Black music. 545 00:23:55,226 --> 00:23:58,855 Whether it's a jazzier artist or more of an R&B artist, 546 00:23:58,897 --> 00:24:01,149 there has to be some of that element in there for it 547 00:24:01,191 --> 00:24:03,651 to sound like yacht to us. 548 00:24:03,693 --> 00:24:05,779 JASON: What's interesting, I think, about yacht rock 549 00:24:05,862 --> 00:24:09,115 is that you had these sensational White musicians 550 00:24:09,199 --> 00:24:11,701 who had been acculturated on Black music styles, 551 00:24:11,785 --> 00:24:14,579 on R&B, on jazz, on gospel. 552 00:24:14,662 --> 00:24:17,040 They could play that music authentically. 553 00:24:17,123 --> 00:24:18,416 They were not musical tourists. 554 00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:21,378 They were kind of musical cosmopolitans. 555 00:24:21,419 --> 00:24:23,088 PORCARO: The Black influence on our music 556 00:24:23,171 --> 00:24:24,589 is obvious on our records. 557 00:24:24,673 --> 00:24:27,092 It's for real, you know? That's all I can say. 558 00:24:27,175 --> 00:24:29,219 It was really in our bones. 559 00:24:29,260 --> 00:24:30,845 KENNY: We were taking elements of R&B 560 00:24:30,929 --> 00:24:32,639 and putting our own sensibilities 561 00:24:32,722 --> 00:24:36,559 of melody and style to that. That's what you do. 562 00:24:36,601 --> 00:24:40,647 You write what you hear. You write what you feel. 563 00:24:40,730 --> 00:24:42,816 BRENDA RUSSELL: There was more of an open feeling 564 00:24:42,899 --> 00:24:46,486 about all music in general with musicians, you know. 565 00:24:46,569 --> 00:24:49,531 I heard it described as cross-pollination. 566 00:24:49,614 --> 00:24:52,158 You could play anything in the '70s. 567 00:24:52,242 --> 00:24:54,035 There were no rules, so to speak. 568 00:24:54,911 --> 00:24:56,996 JAY: I never had any problems, 569 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,749 'cause as soon as they heard the White kid play, 570 00:24:59,833 --> 00:25:01,501 the White kid's accepted. 571 00:25:01,584 --> 00:25:03,586 It's, "Where do you put the pocket?" 572 00:25:03,628 --> 00:25:05,588 "Do you got the right groove, man?" 573 00:25:05,630 --> 00:25:07,382 "Can you play in tune?" 574 00:25:07,465 --> 00:25:10,260 "Whatever, that's all that matters!" 575 00:25:10,301 --> 00:25:11,428 PRINCE PAUL: For me, growing up, 576 00:25:11,511 --> 00:25:13,054 a lot of the artists we listened to, 577 00:25:13,138 --> 00:25:14,723 it just goes by melody. 578 00:25:14,764 --> 00:25:17,642 It goes by, "Oh, that's funky." Or, "It's soulful." 579 00:25:17,726 --> 00:25:19,686 And a lot of those artists, at least in my community, 580 00:25:19,769 --> 00:25:21,938 we didn't even know that they were White artists. 581 00:25:22,022 --> 00:25:23,440 You know, you hear it on the radio, 582 00:25:23,523 --> 00:25:26,276 you get a vibe, all your friends are singing it. 583 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:27,652 And, you know, later on, 584 00:25:27,736 --> 00:25:30,155 when you buy the album, you go, "Oh!" 585 00:25:30,238 --> 00:25:32,240 (LAUGHS) 586 00:25:32,282 --> 00:25:36,202 Oh, he's not Black. Okay. (LAUGHS) 587 00:25:36,286 --> 00:25:39,664 NARRATOR: Welcome to the land of Steely Dan. 588 00:25:39,748 --> 00:25:41,750 ALEX: Steely Dan's Aja is the record 589 00:25:41,833 --> 00:25:44,127 that stereo salesmen use 590 00:25:44,169 --> 00:25:47,672 to demonstrate how good a set of speakers is. 591 00:25:47,756 --> 00:25:49,466 Whatever you think about 592 00:25:49,507 --> 00:25:51,051 the production sound of the '70s, 593 00:25:51,134 --> 00:25:55,055 that is the pinnacle of what they were aiming for. 594 00:25:55,138 --> 00:25:57,098 Even if you hate it, you have to acknowledge 595 00:25:57,140 --> 00:25:59,893 that it is the most perfectly recorded album 596 00:25:59,976 --> 00:26:01,102 of all time. 597 00:26:01,186 --> 00:26:03,813 GARY: We showed up at the studio until we were dead tired. 598 00:26:03,855 --> 00:26:05,899 We stayed at the studio. 599 00:26:05,982 --> 00:26:08,985 In all the time we worked, neither Donald 600 00:26:09,027 --> 00:26:13,198 or Walter ever said, "How much have we spent?" 601 00:26:14,157 --> 00:26:15,033 Never once. 602 00:26:15,116 --> 00:26:17,327 As Donald would say, "It's my money." 603 00:26:17,369 --> 00:26:20,872 ♪ ("PEG" BY STEELY DAN PLAYING) ♪ 604 00:26:25,502 --> 00:26:28,171 Donald wanted to use me alone again, you know, 605 00:26:28,213 --> 00:26:29,839 'cause I had done it on a couple tracks 606 00:26:29,923 --> 00:26:31,800 on the Katy Lied album. 607 00:26:32,926 --> 00:26:35,011 ♪ I've seen your picture... ♪ 608 00:26:36,930 --> 00:26:40,350 MICHAEL: They liked the sound of me singing all the parts 609 00:26:40,392 --> 00:26:41,643 and then doubling myself. 610 00:26:41,726 --> 00:26:43,561 So, they looked for opportunities to kind of 611 00:26:43,645 --> 00:26:46,690 use that as a... almost like an instrument, 612 00:26:46,731 --> 00:26:49,025 you know, more than just backgrounds, you know. 613 00:26:49,109 --> 00:26:52,070 ♪ So won't you smile For the camera... ♪ 614 00:26:52,153 --> 00:26:53,655 MICHAEL: But I realized that the harmonies 615 00:26:53,738 --> 00:26:54,823 were a little more complex 616 00:26:54,906 --> 00:26:57,075 than I was really astute enough to handle. 617 00:26:57,158 --> 00:26:59,869 So, I found that I was having difficulty singing 618 00:26:59,911 --> 00:27:01,079 to the part I had just done. 619 00:27:01,162 --> 00:27:03,623 And I said, you know, "Donald, do me a favor." 620 00:27:03,707 --> 00:27:07,502 I said, "Just show me each part, note for note." 621 00:27:07,544 --> 00:27:09,796 GARY: I remember, you know, Donald would go out as he would 622 00:27:09,879 --> 00:27:11,214 and he'd say, "This is the part." 623 00:27:11,297 --> 00:27:14,467 And Michael sang it, you know, perfect the first time. 624 00:27:14,551 --> 00:27:17,721 And I pushed the button, I said, "Okay, let's double it." 625 00:27:17,804 --> 00:27:19,723 And Donald leaned over me and said, 626 00:27:19,806 --> 00:27:22,851 "He sounds like a thousand camels in the courtyard." 627 00:27:22,934 --> 00:27:26,896 ♪ Peg It will come back to you ♪ 628 00:27:26,980 --> 00:27:30,734 ♪ Peg It will come back to you... ♪ 629 00:27:30,817 --> 00:27:32,068 MICHAEL: When we heard it back, 630 00:27:32,110 --> 00:27:35,030 I kind of went, "Wow, that's amazing." 631 00:27:35,113 --> 00:27:36,406 WALTER BECKER: We were very fortunate. 632 00:27:36,448 --> 00:27:40,201 We got some really great performances from musicians. 633 00:27:40,243 --> 00:27:43,580 We took a long time doing it, so things that didn't work out, 634 00:27:43,663 --> 00:27:44,998 we just kept throwing them away 635 00:27:45,081 --> 00:27:47,459 until we got something really special. 636 00:27:47,542 --> 00:27:48,835 MICHAEL: I was always looking at Donald 637 00:27:48,918 --> 00:27:51,129 to see how I was doing. (LAUGHING) 638 00:27:51,212 --> 00:27:54,758 And if he ever shot me a look, my immediate go-to was, 639 00:27:54,841 --> 00:27:57,177 "Oh, my God, I'm getting fired," you know. 640 00:27:57,260 --> 00:28:00,555 Steely Dan is famous for rejecting drummers 641 00:28:00,597 --> 00:28:02,474 and bass players and guitarists. 642 00:28:05,852 --> 00:28:07,062 JAY: With "Peg," 643 00:28:07,103 --> 00:28:09,939 I was the seventh guy to take a shot at the solo. 644 00:28:09,981 --> 00:28:11,608 ALEX: Jay Graydon will go down 645 00:28:11,691 --> 00:28:14,569 in history as the man who pulled the sword 646 00:28:14,611 --> 00:28:16,780 from the stone, and it ends up being 647 00:28:16,863 --> 00:28:19,199 one of the greatest solos in the Steely Dan catalog. 648 00:28:19,282 --> 00:28:22,994 ♪ ("PEG" BY STEELY DAN CONTINUES) ♪ 649 00:28:28,249 --> 00:28:29,584 BRIAN ROBERT JONES: I've tried to learn 650 00:28:29,668 --> 00:28:31,294 the guitar solo from "Peg." 651 00:28:31,336 --> 00:28:33,296 I made it, like, three seconds in and I was like, 652 00:28:33,380 --> 00:28:35,965 "I can't play this." Like, "This is too hard." 653 00:28:36,049 --> 00:28:38,093 He bends two strings at the same time. 654 00:28:38,176 --> 00:28:40,553 And he's doing it all over the neck in perfect tune. 655 00:28:40,637 --> 00:28:44,808 And, like, no one can do that. Like, no one's doing that now. 656 00:28:44,891 --> 00:28:46,351 There's maybe a guy, 657 00:28:46,434 --> 00:28:49,354 maybe a guy, maybe one guy is gonna do that now. 658 00:28:50,397 --> 00:28:51,981 JAY: Fortunately, it worked, 659 00:28:52,023 --> 00:28:54,693 and I got away with musical murder. 660 00:28:54,776 --> 00:28:56,820 ♪ (SENTIMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 661 00:28:56,861 --> 00:28:59,489 THUNDERCAT: I remember my dad brings home Aja, 662 00:28:59,572 --> 00:29:02,075 eyes dilated immediately. 663 00:29:02,367 --> 00:29:03,993 (GASPS) 664 00:29:04,035 --> 00:29:06,246 AMANDA: For a long time, I thought, "Steely Dan, 665 00:29:06,329 --> 00:29:08,998 man, that's just music for dorks and weirdos." 666 00:29:09,082 --> 00:29:12,752 And I felt myself sort of allergic to the idea 667 00:29:12,836 --> 00:29:14,963 that music was a kind of math equation 668 00:29:15,046 --> 00:29:16,172 that could be solved. 669 00:29:16,256 --> 00:29:17,924 And if you just worked hard enough in the studio 670 00:29:18,008 --> 00:29:19,092 and you did enough takes 671 00:29:19,175 --> 00:29:21,011 and you programmed everything perfectly, 672 00:29:21,094 --> 00:29:24,389 that somehow you could make this cultural artifact 673 00:29:24,472 --> 00:29:28,852 that would be gleaming and wonderful and timeless. 674 00:29:28,935 --> 00:29:31,271 And that to me is so antithetical 675 00:29:31,354 --> 00:29:32,147 to the idea of punk rock 676 00:29:32,230 --> 00:29:34,024 that it's almost like the circle closes 677 00:29:34,065 --> 00:29:37,193 and it becomes somehow incredibly punk rock 678 00:29:37,235 --> 00:29:38,820 that they did that. 679 00:29:38,862 --> 00:29:42,032 PRINCE: When you listen to the album, it is flawless. 680 00:29:42,073 --> 00:29:44,242 From the mixing to the production 681 00:29:44,325 --> 00:29:45,326 to the musicianship, 682 00:29:45,368 --> 00:29:48,705 but it still doesn't sacrifice the soul. 683 00:29:48,747 --> 00:29:50,874 And that to me is pretty amazing. 684 00:29:50,915 --> 00:29:52,250 How do you get perfection 685 00:29:52,334 --> 00:29:56,504 and kind of a soulful vibe at the same time? 686 00:29:56,588 --> 00:29:58,840 It's hard to achieve. 687 00:29:58,882 --> 00:30:01,968 RYZNAR: Aja is probably the creative apex of this music 688 00:30:02,052 --> 00:30:05,263 because along with it being hugely influential 689 00:30:05,347 --> 00:30:06,306 to other artists 690 00:30:06,389 --> 00:30:08,892 who wanted to emulate that level of complexity, 691 00:30:08,975 --> 00:30:11,269 it also sold like hotcakes and got the public ready 692 00:30:11,353 --> 00:30:14,856 for, like, this smoother, more complicated pop music. 693 00:30:14,939 --> 00:30:16,316 MICHAEL: I remember, with Steely Dan, 694 00:30:16,399 --> 00:30:17,359 thinking, "It's amazing, 695 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,028 these guys were the darlings of pop radio, 696 00:30:20,111 --> 00:30:22,489 and these songs are so atypical." 697 00:30:22,572 --> 00:30:26,826 And the audience never hesitated to love this music, you know, 698 00:30:26,910 --> 00:30:28,328 from the first time they heard it. 699 00:30:28,411 --> 00:30:31,623 Their music doesn't fit the mold of what the rules 700 00:30:31,706 --> 00:30:33,583 for pop music are at all, you know. 701 00:30:34,876 --> 00:30:36,127 It's funny, I was actually thinking 702 00:30:36,211 --> 00:30:39,964 "Peg" was recorded here at the studio, and Aja. 703 00:30:43,259 --> 00:30:44,636 LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM: Sing the melody for a second, 704 00:30:44,719 --> 00:30:47,555 'cause I just want to see if it sounds any good at all to you. 705 00:30:48,973 --> 00:30:50,266 If we left your melody on there 706 00:30:50,350 --> 00:30:52,268 and I just sang, like, the lower part or something... 707 00:30:52,352 --> 00:30:53,687 LUKATHER: This is a legendary studio, 708 00:30:53,770 --> 00:30:54,938 Village Recorders. 709 00:30:54,979 --> 00:30:57,649 And this particular room, studio D, 710 00:30:57,732 --> 00:30:59,776 was added later in the '70s, 711 00:30:59,859 --> 00:31:01,945 right before Fleetwood Mac did Tusk. 712 00:31:02,028 --> 00:31:04,781 And they hired a bunch of studio guys and friends 713 00:31:04,823 --> 00:31:07,283 and stuff to come in and hire us to play 714 00:31:07,367 --> 00:31:10,370 and just kind of work the bugs out of the new Neve desk 715 00:31:10,453 --> 00:31:11,454 that was in here. 716 00:31:11,496 --> 00:31:13,289 We were the first ones to make new music 717 00:31:13,373 --> 00:31:14,624 in this beautiful room. 718 00:31:15,291 --> 00:31:17,794 ♪ It's not your situation ♪ 719 00:31:17,836 --> 00:31:22,173 ♪ I just need contemplation Over you ♪ 720 00:31:25,468 --> 00:31:27,470 ♪ I'm not so systematic ♪ 721 00:31:27,512 --> 00:31:32,017 ♪ It's just that I'm an addict For your love ♪ 722 00:31:32,100 --> 00:31:35,437 FILM CREW MEMBER: Countdown, roll nine. Toto, take one. 723 00:31:36,980 --> 00:31:38,690 (ALL LAUGH) 724 00:31:38,773 --> 00:31:40,817 INTERVIEWER: Just tell us a little of how the group formed 725 00:31:40,859 --> 00:31:42,318 and... uh, Steve? 726 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:44,904 Well, we've known each other for a long time 727 00:31:44,988 --> 00:31:47,907 in different ways, like David and Jeff Porcaro 728 00:31:47,991 --> 00:31:49,159 went to school together, 729 00:31:49,242 --> 00:31:51,286 and myself and Steve Porcaro went to school together 730 00:31:51,327 --> 00:31:53,163 just a couple years behind these guys. 731 00:31:53,204 --> 00:31:55,248 PAICH: We were Valley dudes, literally, 732 00:31:55,331 --> 00:31:57,834 and the heart of the Valley is, like, Grant High School, 733 00:31:57,917 --> 00:32:01,379 where we used to work homecomings and dances. 734 00:32:01,463 --> 00:32:03,048 We tried to get experience whenever we could, 735 00:32:03,131 --> 00:32:05,675 you know, playing with anybody, any jazz band, 736 00:32:05,759 --> 00:32:07,010 any rock band you could. 737 00:32:07,093 --> 00:32:08,928 We were just thirsty for music. 738 00:32:09,012 --> 00:32:12,015 We were kind of like a nonviolent gang, 739 00:32:12,057 --> 00:32:13,516 you know? (CHUCKLES) 740 00:32:13,558 --> 00:32:16,186 PORCARO: I had always hoped that David Paich and my brother, 741 00:32:16,269 --> 00:32:18,229 that they were going to put together their own band, 742 00:32:18,313 --> 00:32:19,981 but then they started doing so well 743 00:32:20,023 --> 00:32:22,192 in the studios, I'd kind of 744 00:32:22,233 --> 00:32:23,860 given up hope. I figured, "You know what?" 745 00:32:23,943 --> 00:32:26,613 David Paich was this burgeoning producer 746 00:32:26,696 --> 00:32:27,697 and songwriter, 747 00:32:27,781 --> 00:32:30,700 and Jeff was working day and night in the studios. 748 00:32:30,784 --> 00:32:35,205 I figured, "They're not going to stop that to start a band. 749 00:32:35,288 --> 00:32:37,957 No way is that going to happen." 750 00:32:38,041 --> 00:32:41,002 HUEY: In 1976, you get David Paich 751 00:32:41,086 --> 00:32:42,921 and Jeff Porcaro touring 752 00:32:43,004 --> 00:32:45,799 and playing on Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees album, 753 00:32:45,882 --> 00:32:49,427 and David Paich is Boz Scaggs' co-writer on that album. 754 00:32:49,511 --> 00:32:51,221 Makes himself a name in the music industry 755 00:32:51,304 --> 00:32:52,931 by turning this album into a hit. 756 00:32:53,014 --> 00:32:54,766 Suddenly, these guys make Boz Scaggs 757 00:32:54,849 --> 00:32:55,934 into a rock star, 758 00:32:56,017 --> 00:32:57,602 and the music industry says, 759 00:32:58,228 --> 00:32:59,688 "Wait, who are they?" 760 00:32:59,771 --> 00:33:01,231 ♪ Hey, boy ♪ 761 00:33:01,272 --> 00:33:03,692 ♪ You better Bring the chick around ♪ 762 00:33:03,775 --> 00:33:05,944 ♪ To the sad, sad truth ♪ 763 00:33:06,027 --> 00:33:07,696 ♪ The dirty lowdown... ♪ 764 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:11,908 RYZNAR: When Silk Degrees came out 765 00:33:11,991 --> 00:33:16,079 it became the new sound of LA. 766 00:33:16,121 --> 00:33:18,248 PAICH: Boz and I just sat down and we just clicked. 767 00:33:18,289 --> 00:33:20,208 We just started writing tunes like "Lowdown" 768 00:33:20,250 --> 00:33:21,334 and "Lido Shuffle." 769 00:33:21,418 --> 00:33:24,087 It was just organic and spontaneous, 770 00:33:24,129 --> 00:33:27,424 and I think we got to bring the initial Toto sound 771 00:33:27,465 --> 00:33:28,633 to those records. 772 00:33:28,717 --> 00:33:32,595 PORCARO: As soon as Boz toured, I joined their touring band, 773 00:33:32,637 --> 00:33:34,097 and then Lukather. 774 00:33:34,180 --> 00:33:35,932 LUKATHER: You know, I look back at pictures of myself 775 00:33:36,016 --> 00:33:37,809 and, like, I thought I was so grown up, man. 776 00:33:37,892 --> 00:33:40,770 I look like I'm 12 years old, zits on my face, you know. 777 00:33:40,812 --> 00:33:42,605 (LAUGHING) It's pretty funny, man. 778 00:33:42,647 --> 00:33:46,234 I mean, I was really young, and I was still a teenager. 779 00:33:46,276 --> 00:33:48,111 PAICH: Someone came up and suggested, 780 00:33:48,194 --> 00:33:49,487 "Well, hey, you guys should form your own group." 781 00:33:49,571 --> 00:33:51,448 And we were, like, winking out the corner of our eye, 782 00:33:51,489 --> 00:33:53,158 "Oh, that's a great idea," you know, 783 00:33:53,241 --> 00:33:56,327 'cause we'd always planned to reform our high school band, 784 00:33:56,411 --> 00:33:58,830 and Toto ended up being that band. 785 00:33:58,913 --> 00:34:00,248 ♪ Hold the line ♪ 786 00:34:02,125 --> 00:34:04,836 ♪ Love isn't always on time ♪ 787 00:34:05,837 --> 00:34:08,131 ♪ Oh, oh, oh... ♪ 788 00:34:08,214 --> 00:34:09,632 LUKATHER: You know, like, our first single came out, 789 00:34:09,716 --> 00:34:11,134 everybody dug it, and it was all over. 790 00:34:11,217 --> 00:34:14,971 We had a hit record. My God, the dream comes true. 791 00:34:15,013 --> 00:34:16,639 And we started selling a lot of records 792 00:34:16,723 --> 00:34:18,308 and we would go out for, 793 00:34:18,350 --> 00:34:19,851 you know, a couple of months here and there 794 00:34:19,934 --> 00:34:21,144 and then get back in the studios 795 00:34:21,227 --> 00:34:23,480 because we had this great studio career. 796 00:34:23,563 --> 00:34:25,607 We wanted to figure out a way to do both. 797 00:34:25,648 --> 00:34:27,817 PAICH: Toto was just a really popular band 798 00:34:27,859 --> 00:34:31,279 to call for sessions because we were kind of a unit 799 00:34:31,321 --> 00:34:33,573 and we are a little bit more rock and roll, 800 00:34:33,656 --> 00:34:37,160 a little bit more cutting-edge than most session players. 801 00:34:37,202 --> 00:34:39,245 LUKATHER: If you look at the collective discography, 802 00:34:39,329 --> 00:34:40,663 it would be staggering. 803 00:34:40,705 --> 00:34:43,833 We were everywhere. I mean, crossed a lot of party lines. 804 00:34:43,917 --> 00:34:45,001 ♪ Hold the line... ♪ 805 00:34:45,043 --> 00:34:46,795 PAICH: People like Jackson Browne, 806 00:34:46,878 --> 00:34:48,421 Steely Dan, Seals & Crofts. 807 00:34:48,505 --> 00:34:51,132 Lukather would get calls from Cheap Trick 808 00:34:51,216 --> 00:34:52,258 and Alice Cooper. 809 00:34:52,342 --> 00:34:54,052 Jeff would play with Dire Straits, 810 00:34:54,135 --> 00:34:55,136 Bruce Springsteen. 811 00:34:55,178 --> 00:34:57,514 But I played on over 2,000 records, 812 00:34:57,555 --> 00:35:00,266 and I know Luke probably did, like, four or five thousand, 813 00:35:00,350 --> 00:35:02,394 and Jeff probably did four or five thousand. 814 00:35:02,477 --> 00:35:05,021 We were, uh... We were pretty busy. 815 00:35:05,105 --> 00:35:07,148 PORCARO: Whatever success we had with Toto, 816 00:35:07,190 --> 00:35:09,567 we still loved getting called for other things. 817 00:35:09,651 --> 00:35:12,529 And then taking the studio chops that we had, 818 00:35:12,612 --> 00:35:14,989 not having to hire other people to come in, 819 00:35:15,073 --> 00:35:17,450 we were, uh, self-contained. 820 00:35:17,534 --> 00:35:19,661 PAICH: We really had a confidence at the time, 821 00:35:19,703 --> 00:35:22,706 and because of the level that the musicians were at, 822 00:35:22,789 --> 00:35:25,041 music was obtainable real fast, 823 00:35:25,125 --> 00:35:27,377 and the creativity level set a bar 824 00:35:27,419 --> 00:35:29,421 that was there at the very beginning. 825 00:35:30,922 --> 00:35:33,925 ♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 826 00:35:36,720 --> 00:35:38,263 CHRISTOPHER CROSS: My band in San Antonio 827 00:35:38,346 --> 00:35:41,057 at the time was called Flash, and my manager, Joe Miller, 828 00:35:41,141 --> 00:35:42,392 he had a club called The Jam Factory, 829 00:35:42,475 --> 00:35:45,311 and he booked Deep Purple on their first US show. 830 00:35:45,395 --> 00:35:46,980 And Ritchie Blackmore, the guitar player, 831 00:35:47,063 --> 00:35:50,066 got a reaction to a flu shot, and he couldn't perform. 832 00:35:50,150 --> 00:35:51,860 So, Joe talked to the band and said, 833 00:35:51,943 --> 00:35:53,903 "Look, I got this guy, you know, Chris Geppert, 834 00:35:53,945 --> 00:35:56,781 he's a big fan of Ritchie's, and he could probably sit in." 835 00:35:56,865 --> 00:35:58,408 So, they told people, "Ritchie's not here, 836 00:35:58,491 --> 00:35:59,659 Chris is gonna get up and play guitar." 837 00:35:59,743 --> 00:36:01,077 "You can get a refund if you want," 838 00:36:01,161 --> 00:36:02,954 but 80 percent of the people stayed. 839 00:36:06,166 --> 00:36:07,584 Ritchie later told me that, 840 00:36:07,667 --> 00:36:09,961 "We had people sit in over the years, 841 00:36:10,045 --> 00:36:13,256 but no one ever subbed for me in my entire career except you." 842 00:36:13,340 --> 00:36:15,550 And I said, "Well, you know, there you go." 843 00:36:15,592 --> 00:36:17,927 ♪ ("NEVER BE THE SAME" BY CHRISTOPHER CROSS PLAYING) ♪ 844 00:36:18,011 --> 00:36:19,179 CHRISTOPHER: The original demos I did, 845 00:36:19,262 --> 00:36:21,097 all the songs ended up on the record. 846 00:36:21,139 --> 00:36:24,684 I financed my original songs by selling weed. 847 00:36:24,768 --> 00:36:26,770 I had a very successful weed business, 848 00:36:26,811 --> 00:36:28,271 and I bought, you know, 849 00:36:28,355 --> 00:36:29,981 a tape machine and some consoles and stuff 850 00:36:30,065 --> 00:36:31,441 and invested in the studio in Austin. 851 00:36:31,524 --> 00:36:33,276 And then when I got my demo done, 852 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:35,737 I looked at Billboard magazine, saw Mo Astin, 853 00:36:35,779 --> 00:36:37,697 chairman of the board at Warner Brothers. 854 00:36:37,781 --> 00:36:39,949 And I said, "Well, Mo Astin, he's too important. 855 00:36:40,033 --> 00:36:41,076 I can't get to him." 856 00:36:41,159 --> 00:36:42,285 Well, I didn't know anything about A&R. 857 00:36:42,369 --> 00:36:44,537 I sent my tape to Mo Astin's assistant. 858 00:36:44,621 --> 00:36:46,373 He had nothing to do with A&R. 859 00:36:46,456 --> 00:36:48,249 But he got my tape, and he kind of liked it. 860 00:36:48,291 --> 00:36:50,126 And he went to lunch that day with Lenny Waronker, 861 00:36:50,210 --> 00:36:52,837 head of A&R, and forced Lenny to listen 862 00:36:52,921 --> 00:36:53,880 to the tape in the car. 863 00:36:53,963 --> 00:36:57,133 ♪ The way that you did That very first day ♪ 864 00:36:57,175 --> 00:36:58,551 ♪ And I'll ♪ 865 00:36:59,678 --> 00:37:03,973 ♪ Never be the same Without you here... ♪ 866 00:37:04,057 --> 00:37:05,141 CHRISTOPHER: Lenny told me years later 867 00:37:05,183 --> 00:37:06,476 that had I just sent it to A&R, 868 00:37:06,559 --> 00:37:07,769 it would've been rejected outright 869 00:37:07,811 --> 00:37:09,604 because they weren't really accepting anything. 870 00:37:09,646 --> 00:37:12,315 So it was pretty serendipitous that I sent it to the wrong guy. 871 00:37:12,399 --> 00:37:13,858 ♪ No, I'll... ♪ 872 00:37:15,110 --> 00:37:17,195 RYZNAR: Christopher Cross came in wanting to make 873 00:37:17,278 --> 00:37:18,488 a Steely Dan album. 874 00:37:18,530 --> 00:37:20,490 And he had a producer who worked with Steely Dan, 875 00:37:20,573 --> 00:37:23,076 who didn't want him to make a Steely Dan album. 876 00:37:23,159 --> 00:37:25,620 And as a result of that tension, 877 00:37:25,662 --> 00:37:28,164 they came up with something totally original. 878 00:37:28,248 --> 00:37:29,582 CHRISTOPHER: Michael Omartian, my producer, 879 00:37:29,666 --> 00:37:31,584 I drove him crazy with Steely Dan. 880 00:37:31,668 --> 00:37:33,461 Like, "Everything we have to do as good as Steely Dan. 881 00:37:33,503 --> 00:37:34,838 "We gotta do this, Steely Dan, Steely Dan." 882 00:37:34,921 --> 00:37:36,631 So, I came in the studio, the lights were dim. 883 00:37:36,673 --> 00:37:38,675 He was at the piano, he'd just played the piano solo. 884 00:37:38,717 --> 00:37:40,677 I came in, and he said, "What do you think?" And I said, 885 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:42,303 "I think there's a note in the second bar 886 00:37:42,387 --> 00:37:45,348 that's a little late." And he said, "I was emoting." 887 00:37:45,390 --> 00:37:47,183 You know, I said, "Well... 888 00:37:47,225 --> 00:37:48,393 But, I mean, I don't think Steely Dan--" 889 00:37:48,476 --> 00:37:50,186 But he said, "That's it, I'm done." 890 00:37:50,270 --> 00:37:52,605 And he left. He got in his Porsche and left. 891 00:37:52,689 --> 00:37:56,359 HUEY: Anytime Steely Dan fans get mad at us online 892 00:37:56,401 --> 00:37:58,153 that Steely Dan isn't yacht rock, 893 00:37:58,194 --> 00:37:59,696 the artist they most wanna be 894 00:37:59,738 --> 00:38:01,781 disassociated from is Christopher Cross 895 00:38:01,865 --> 00:38:02,699 because they don't think 896 00:38:02,741 --> 00:38:05,035 he has anything to do with Steely Dan. 897 00:38:05,118 --> 00:38:07,954 And that means that they're not reading album credits. 898 00:38:08,872 --> 00:38:10,373 Christopher Cross's albums were produced 899 00:38:10,457 --> 00:38:12,542 by Michael Omartian, who did a lot of arranging 900 00:38:12,625 --> 00:38:14,461 and piano work for Steely Dan. 901 00:38:14,544 --> 00:38:17,213 He's got guest spots from Larry Carlton. 902 00:38:17,297 --> 00:38:19,007 He has guest work from Jay Graydon 903 00:38:19,090 --> 00:38:20,300 on guitar as well. 904 00:38:20,383 --> 00:38:22,719 And very important, he's got backing vocals 905 00:38:22,802 --> 00:38:24,554 from Michael McDonald. 906 00:38:24,637 --> 00:38:26,890 MICHAEL: We were working at Amigo Studios, 907 00:38:26,973 --> 00:38:29,726 and I knew Michael Omartian, his producer. 908 00:38:29,809 --> 00:38:31,603 There was a track that he thought it would be great 909 00:38:31,686 --> 00:38:33,355 if I could do some backups. I said, "Sure," you know? 910 00:38:33,396 --> 00:38:34,439 He was so gracious about everything. 911 00:38:34,522 --> 00:38:36,274 We were nobody, you know, but he-- 912 00:38:36,358 --> 00:38:37,650 It's not the way Mike's mind works. 913 00:38:37,734 --> 00:38:39,486 He's not trying to evaluate, "Who are you?" 914 00:38:39,569 --> 00:38:41,696 You know, "What is this going to mean in my career?" 915 00:38:41,738 --> 00:38:43,531 "Is this something worth me doing?" 916 00:38:43,573 --> 00:38:44,657 You know, "I'm Michael McDonald." 917 00:38:44,741 --> 00:38:45,992 It's just not the way he thinks. 918 00:38:46,076 --> 00:38:48,370 It didn't take us very long to do it, really, did it? 919 00:38:48,953 --> 00:38:49,871 It went pretty quickly, 920 00:38:49,913 --> 00:38:52,791 and I knew I liked Chris, I had no idea that 921 00:38:52,874 --> 00:38:55,377 we would be friends the rest of our lives. (CHUCKLES) 922 00:38:55,460 --> 00:38:57,504 ♪ ("RIDE LIKE THE WIND" BY CHRISTOPHER CROSS PLAYING) ♪ 923 00:38:57,587 --> 00:38:58,963 CHRISTOPHER: I was playing at a club in Houston. 924 00:38:59,047 --> 00:39:01,758 We were doing "1985" by McCartney of Wings. 925 00:39:01,841 --> 00:39:04,678 And in the middle of that song, I started doing this... 926 00:39:04,761 --> 00:39:05,553 (VOCALIZES) 927 00:39:05,595 --> 00:39:07,847 It's a C minor, sort of. (VOCALIZES) 928 00:39:07,931 --> 00:39:08,807 People would go crazy. 929 00:39:08,890 --> 00:39:10,433 They'd start dancing and moving around. 930 00:39:10,475 --> 00:39:12,268 It just seemed to really connect with the audience, 931 00:39:12,310 --> 00:39:14,104 so we would jam on that riff. 932 00:39:14,145 --> 00:39:16,564 And then we drove from Houston down to Austin to record, 933 00:39:16,606 --> 00:39:18,400 and I was sitting in the front seat of the van 934 00:39:18,441 --> 00:39:21,069 and I'd taken acid, and I wrote the words 935 00:39:21,152 --> 00:39:22,404 to "Ride Like The Wind," 936 00:39:22,445 --> 00:39:25,490 driving from Houston to Austin on acid. 937 00:39:25,573 --> 00:39:29,619 ♪ It is the night My body's weak ♪ 938 00:39:29,661 --> 00:39:33,289 ♪ I'm on the run No time to sleep ♪ 939 00:39:33,331 --> 00:39:37,168 ♪ I've got to ride Ride like the wind 940 00:39:37,252 --> 00:39:39,129 ♪ To be free again ♪ 941 00:39:41,381 --> 00:39:43,633 ♪ And I've got Such a long way to go... ♪ 942 00:39:43,717 --> 00:39:45,593 CHRISTOPHER: It was really cool, but it happened so fast. 943 00:39:45,635 --> 00:39:47,554 "Ride Like the Wind" was at the top of the charts 944 00:39:47,637 --> 00:39:49,973 and then the next thing I know, 945 00:39:50,015 --> 00:39:50,974 I was out with The Eagles, 946 00:39:51,016 --> 00:39:52,767 and then on the road with Fleetwood. 947 00:39:52,851 --> 00:39:54,602 But my first tour was with Bonnie Raitt, 948 00:39:54,644 --> 00:39:56,980 and in the middle of the tour, Bonnie came to me and said, 949 00:39:57,022 --> 00:40:00,316 "I think I should be opening for you." (CHUCKLES) 950 00:40:00,358 --> 00:40:03,653 ♪ And I've got Such a long way to go ♪ 951 00:40:03,695 --> 00:40:05,488 ♪ Such a long way to go... ♪ 952 00:40:05,530 --> 00:40:07,490 RYZNAR: "Ride Like the Wind" is such a strange song, 953 00:40:07,574 --> 00:40:09,868 because Christopher Cross is singing like an outlaw, 954 00:40:09,951 --> 00:40:11,494 and you don't believe it for a minute, 955 00:40:11,536 --> 00:40:13,663 'cause his voice is so friendly and kind. 956 00:40:13,747 --> 00:40:15,665 And then Michael McDonald comes in with... 957 00:40:15,749 --> 00:40:17,751 ♪ Such a long way to go ♪ 958 00:40:17,834 --> 00:40:21,171 And you're like, "Oh, maybe they are criminals. 959 00:40:21,212 --> 00:40:22,589 He's hanging out with this guy? 960 00:40:22,672 --> 00:40:25,008 Okay, they're up to trouble. I get it now." 961 00:40:25,050 --> 00:40:27,135 ALEX: One way to know if you are listening to yacht rock 962 00:40:27,177 --> 00:40:30,347 is if you hear the sound of Michael McDonald's voice. 963 00:40:30,388 --> 00:40:33,183 He is such an important sonic element 964 00:40:33,266 --> 00:40:35,310 to so many of these records. 965 00:40:35,393 --> 00:40:37,771 There's that SCTV sketch 966 00:40:37,854 --> 00:40:40,190 where Rick Moranis plays Michael McDonald, 967 00:40:40,231 --> 00:40:41,691 and it depicts the life 968 00:40:41,733 --> 00:40:43,610 that I think Michael McDonald lived at this time, 969 00:40:43,693 --> 00:40:46,529 which is that he is running from session to session. 970 00:40:46,571 --> 00:40:47,697 MAC DEMARCO: I love that. 971 00:40:47,739 --> 00:40:49,783 In the '70s, the sessions are happening. 972 00:40:49,866 --> 00:40:51,576 Michael's so busy that he can only come in 973 00:40:51,659 --> 00:40:54,412 and do that and he's got to go. You know, it's amazing. 974 00:40:54,496 --> 00:40:57,540 ♪ And I've got Such a long way to go ♪ 975 00:40:57,582 --> 00:40:58,875 ♪ Such a long way to go ♪ 976 00:40:58,958 --> 00:41:01,544 ♪ To make it To the border of Mexico... ♪ 977 00:41:01,628 --> 00:41:02,837 MICHAEL: We were in some hotel 978 00:41:02,921 --> 00:41:04,964 and just sitting there smoking a joint. 979 00:41:05,048 --> 00:41:06,549 And in the middle of it I just said, 980 00:41:06,633 --> 00:41:08,635 "I think I gotta go. I'm a little too high." 981 00:41:08,718 --> 00:41:10,720 And I said, "I wanna go lay down." 982 00:41:10,762 --> 00:41:12,972 (CHUCKLES) So I went into my room. 983 00:41:13,056 --> 00:41:14,391 I used to leave the TV on. 984 00:41:14,474 --> 00:41:16,643 As I walked in, it was-- SCTV was on. 985 00:41:16,726 --> 00:41:19,562 And I thought maybe I was hallucinating. 986 00:41:19,646 --> 00:41:21,815 The whole time, I'm saying, "Is this really happening, 987 00:41:21,898 --> 00:41:23,858 or am I just losing it," you know? 988 00:41:23,942 --> 00:41:27,487 And years later, Rick Moranis apologized to me. 989 00:41:27,570 --> 00:41:29,280 I'll probably need you next week. I'll give you a call. 990 00:41:29,364 --> 00:41:30,448 Okay, see you. 991 00:41:30,532 --> 00:41:31,783 MICHAEL: Because I guess he wondered 992 00:41:31,866 --> 00:41:33,493 if I was offended by it or something. 993 00:41:33,576 --> 00:41:35,620 I said, "No, quite the opposite," 994 00:41:35,704 --> 00:41:36,913 you know? (CHUCKLES) 995 00:41:36,996 --> 00:41:39,791 It was-- I got a lot of mileage out of that, you know? 996 00:41:39,874 --> 00:41:44,504 ♪ ("YOU BELONG TO ME" BY THE DOOBIE BROTHERS PLAYING) ♪ 997 00:41:44,587 --> 00:41:46,047 JASON: When you hear Michael McDonald, 998 00:41:46,131 --> 00:41:47,424 he has this ability to do 999 00:41:47,465 --> 00:41:49,676 what some of the great R&B singers did, 1000 00:41:49,759 --> 00:41:51,177 which is to testify, 1001 00:41:51,261 --> 00:41:52,762 which is really a kind of, 1002 00:41:52,804 --> 00:41:55,432 you know, gospel kind of church tradition. 1003 00:41:55,515 --> 00:41:59,185 And, you know, he doesn't sound like anybody else. 1004 00:41:59,269 --> 00:42:01,646 ♪ Why'd you tell me this ♪ 1005 00:42:01,730 --> 00:42:05,400 ♪ While you look For my reaction... ♪ 1006 00:42:05,483 --> 00:42:06,943 I remember they said, 1007 00:42:06,985 --> 00:42:09,237 "We got this song called, 'You Belong to Me,' 1008 00:42:09,279 --> 00:42:11,781 and we just need some background." 1009 00:42:11,865 --> 00:42:14,743 And so Michael starts to sing it for us. 1010 00:42:14,826 --> 00:42:16,494 And when he starts singing... 1011 00:42:16,578 --> 00:42:21,583 ♪ I've got lovin' eyes... ♪ 1012 00:42:21,666 --> 00:42:24,502 ...we just froze. I was like, "Oh, my God, 1013 00:42:24,586 --> 00:42:26,880 what is that coming out of his mouth?" 1014 00:42:27,422 --> 00:42:28,631 ♪ Tell him ♪ 1015 00:42:28,715 --> 00:42:30,925 ♪ You belong to me ♪ 1016 00:42:31,009 --> 00:42:33,428 ♪ Tell him you were foolin' ♪ 1017 00:42:33,511 --> 00:42:35,805 -♪ You belong to me ♪ -♪ Oh... ♪ 1018 00:42:35,889 --> 00:42:37,474 BETHANY COSENTINO: His style of singing, 1019 00:42:37,557 --> 00:42:39,392 like it's such a thing. 1020 00:42:39,476 --> 00:42:40,935 And I think that it is something 1021 00:42:41,019 --> 00:42:44,481 that like a lot of people mock or have made fun of 1022 00:42:44,564 --> 00:42:46,775 at certain points in time, but really it's like 1023 00:42:46,858 --> 00:42:49,027 what makes a person their own artist 1024 00:42:49,110 --> 00:42:50,487 is their individuality. 1025 00:42:50,570 --> 00:42:51,780 And I think that Michael McDonald 1026 00:42:51,863 --> 00:42:53,323 just has one of those voices and it's like 1027 00:42:53,406 --> 00:42:56,701 you could hear it from a fucking football field away 1028 00:42:56,785 --> 00:42:57,952 and you'd be like, "Oh, there he is, 1029 00:42:58,036 --> 00:42:59,621 Michael McDonald, that's his voice." 1030 00:42:59,704 --> 00:43:03,875 -♪ Tell him ♪ -♪ You belong to me ♪ 1031 00:43:04,542 --> 00:43:06,336 ♪ That you belong to me ♪ 1032 00:43:06,378 --> 00:43:08,213 ♪ You belong to me... ♪ 1033 00:43:09,005 --> 00:43:10,256 HUEY: I don't know if it was us 1034 00:43:10,340 --> 00:43:12,133 who dubbed Michael McDonald the king of yacht rock, 1035 00:43:12,175 --> 00:43:14,761 but if it wasn't, it should have been. 1036 00:43:14,844 --> 00:43:16,388 You hear Michael McDonald popping up 1037 00:43:16,471 --> 00:43:18,932 on so many other yacht rock tracks. 1038 00:43:19,015 --> 00:43:21,476 It underlines that this was a scene and everybody worked 1039 00:43:21,559 --> 00:43:22,894 on each other's records. 1040 00:43:22,977 --> 00:43:26,731 ♪ (FUNKY MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1041 00:43:27,941 --> 00:43:29,776 KENNY: When I first heard Mike McDonald, 1042 00:43:29,859 --> 00:43:31,528 I said, "I got to write with that guy. 1043 00:43:31,569 --> 00:43:33,488 This is what I've been looking for." 1044 00:43:33,530 --> 00:43:35,532 And the first thing we wrote together was 1045 00:43:35,615 --> 00:43:36,991 "What a Fool Believes," 1046 00:43:37,033 --> 00:43:40,286 which is like the quintessential yacht rock song 1047 00:43:40,370 --> 00:43:42,622 of the era for some reason. 1048 00:43:42,706 --> 00:43:44,541 Still trying to figure that out. 1049 00:43:44,582 --> 00:43:46,292 I tell the story of my poor sister. 1050 00:43:46,376 --> 00:43:47,377 She's gonna hate me. 1051 00:43:47,460 --> 00:43:50,046 About-- She came over to my house to clean the house 1052 00:43:50,130 --> 00:43:52,007 'cause she knew Kenny Loggins was coming over. 1053 00:43:52,090 --> 00:43:54,134 I hadn't met Kenny yet, and she was, 1054 00:43:54,217 --> 00:43:56,511 like myself, a big fan of his, you know. 1055 00:43:56,553 --> 00:43:58,138 So I was playing things at the piano 1056 00:43:58,221 --> 00:44:00,640 while my sister was cleaning my house, you know? 1057 00:44:00,724 --> 00:44:02,642 And then just as I was about to head up 1058 00:44:02,726 --> 00:44:04,519 to his front door, I heard the... 1059 00:44:04,561 --> 00:44:08,481 (HUMMING "WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES") 1060 00:44:08,565 --> 00:44:09,691 And he's singing... 1061 00:44:09,774 --> 00:44:11,860 (HUMMING "WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES") 1062 00:44:11,943 --> 00:44:13,278 'Cause there were no words. 1063 00:44:13,361 --> 00:44:15,613 And then when he got to the end of that part 1064 00:44:15,697 --> 00:44:17,615 of the verse, he stopped. 1065 00:44:17,699 --> 00:44:20,076 I said, "I'm thinking about playing this for Kenny. 1066 00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:22,287 What do you think?" She goes, "I don't know about that one." 1067 00:44:22,370 --> 00:44:24,039 And she goes, "He might think you're trying 1068 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:25,915 to write a circus song or something," you know. 1069 00:44:25,999 --> 00:44:29,419 And just at that moment, Kenny was outside the door 1070 00:44:29,461 --> 00:44:30,754 and the doorbell rings. 1071 00:44:30,795 --> 00:44:32,505 KENNY: And I said, "That thing you were just playing, 1072 00:44:32,589 --> 00:44:33,673 can you play that again? 1073 00:44:33,757 --> 00:44:35,675 I think I know how the next part goes." 1074 00:44:35,759 --> 00:44:37,677 So I looked at my sister and kind of, 1075 00:44:38,094 --> 00:44:39,179 you know, but... 1076 00:44:39,262 --> 00:44:40,680 And if it had been ten minutes later? 1077 00:44:40,764 --> 00:44:42,223 If it had been ten minutes later... 1078 00:44:42,265 --> 00:44:43,892 -Song of the year. -...I would have never played it for him, yeah. 1079 00:44:43,933 --> 00:44:47,812 ♪ He came from somewhere Back in her long ago ♪ 1080 00:44:49,731 --> 00:44:51,983 ♪ The sentimental fool Don't see ♪ 1081 00:44:52,067 --> 00:44:53,943 ♪ Tryin' hard to recreate ♪ 1082 00:44:53,985 --> 00:44:57,655 ♪ What had yet To be created... ♪ 1083 00:44:57,739 --> 00:44:59,741 "What a Fool Believes" gets a 100 1084 00:44:59,824 --> 00:45:01,618 on what we call the "yachtski scale," 1085 00:45:01,659 --> 00:45:03,870 where we rate all the yacht rock songs. 1086 00:45:03,953 --> 00:45:05,955 RYZNAR: This is 100. This is the high bar 1087 00:45:05,997 --> 00:45:08,750 from which we measure all other songs. 1088 00:45:08,833 --> 00:45:14,756 ♪ She had a place in his life ♪ 1089 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:22,806 ♪ He never made her Think twice ♪ 1090 00:45:23,723 --> 00:45:27,811 ♪ As he rises to her apology ♪ 1091 00:45:27,852 --> 00:45:29,729 ♪ Anybody else Would surely know... ♪ 1092 00:45:29,813 --> 00:45:31,940 DONNA SUMMER: The song of the year is... 1093 00:45:34,484 --> 00:45:36,945 Whoo! "What a Fool Believes." 1094 00:45:37,028 --> 00:45:41,574 ♪ What a fool believes ♪ 1095 00:45:41,658 --> 00:45:43,743 ♪ He sees... ♪ 1096 00:45:43,827 --> 00:45:45,161 MICHAEL: I always enjoyed writing with Kenny 1097 00:45:45,245 --> 00:45:47,831 because I always thought he was such a great composer. 1098 00:45:47,914 --> 00:45:49,499 For me, I always felt like that brought 1099 00:45:49,541 --> 00:45:50,834 my writing up to another level. 1100 00:45:50,917 --> 00:45:53,461 I had to kind of reach a little higher. 1101 00:45:53,503 --> 00:45:56,256 They were something different from what I wrote 1102 00:45:56,339 --> 00:45:57,465 on my own, you know? 1103 00:45:58,508 --> 00:46:00,635 KENNY: It took a long time for Michael and I 1104 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:02,012 to recontact each other 1105 00:46:02,053 --> 00:46:03,805 after "What a Fool Believes" won a Grammy. 1106 00:46:03,888 --> 00:46:07,851 There was this unspoken feeling of how do you top that? 1107 00:46:07,892 --> 00:46:09,686 What do you do for a second song? 1108 00:46:09,769 --> 00:46:11,646 Like a sophomore jinx thing. 1109 00:46:11,688 --> 00:46:14,190 Finally, I ran into him on the street one day 1110 00:46:14,274 --> 00:46:15,734 and I said, "We gotta get together 1111 00:46:15,817 --> 00:46:17,736 and write a second song." 1112 00:46:17,819 --> 00:46:19,320 So, let's just write a shitty song, 1113 00:46:19,362 --> 00:46:20,655 get that out of the way. 1114 00:46:20,697 --> 00:46:22,699 You know, do that thing that we're afraid of. 1115 00:46:22,741 --> 00:46:26,619 And then-- So the shitty song that we wrote was "This Is It," 1116 00:46:26,703 --> 00:46:28,538 which won a Grammy the next year. 1117 00:46:28,580 --> 00:46:30,415 ♪ This is it ♪ 1118 00:46:30,498 --> 00:46:32,167 ♪ Make no mistake ♪ 1119 00:46:32,208 --> 00:46:34,878 -♪ Where you are ♪ -♪ This is it ♪ 1120 00:46:34,919 --> 00:46:37,714 ♪ Your back's to the corner ♪ 1121 00:46:37,797 --> 00:46:39,424 ♪ This is it... ♪ 1122 00:46:39,507 --> 00:46:41,426 RYZNAR: "This Is It" was huge at the time. I mean, 1123 00:46:41,509 --> 00:46:45,889 you watch NCAA basketball in the early '80s or late '70s 1124 00:46:45,972 --> 00:46:47,140 and they're playing "This Is It." 1125 00:46:47,223 --> 00:46:49,351 That's the theme song to like NBC's coverage. 1126 00:46:49,392 --> 00:46:51,311 HUEY: They also co-wrote "Heart to Heart" 1127 00:46:51,394 --> 00:46:52,854 with David Foster. 1128 00:46:52,937 --> 00:46:54,439 And that's, I think, 1129 00:46:54,522 --> 00:46:57,901 Loggins's finest yacht rock moment of all time. 1130 00:46:57,984 --> 00:47:00,445 ♪ Does anything last forever? ♪ 1131 00:47:00,904 --> 00:47:03,823 ♪ I don't know ♪ 1132 00:47:03,907 --> 00:47:05,992 ♪ Baby, we're near the end... ♪ 1133 00:47:06,076 --> 00:47:07,243 THUNDERCAT: One of my favorite songs, 1134 00:47:07,327 --> 00:47:09,162 for real, for real is "Heart to Heart." 1135 00:47:09,245 --> 00:47:11,706 I don't think there's ever been a moment psychologically 1136 00:47:11,790 --> 00:47:13,249 where I didn't feel the pain 1137 00:47:13,333 --> 00:47:15,794 of what Kenny was expressing in that song. 1138 00:47:15,877 --> 00:47:16,961 I was like, "Oh, my gosh, 1139 00:47:17,045 --> 00:47:18,505 this guy's pouring his heart out." 1140 00:47:18,588 --> 00:47:21,299 ♪ Heart to heart ♪ 1141 00:47:21,383 --> 00:47:24,177 ♪ Does anything Last forever... ♪ 1142 00:47:24,260 --> 00:47:28,264 QUESTLOVE: Oftentimes, you hear these great songwriting duos 1143 00:47:28,306 --> 00:47:29,265 in music history, 1144 00:47:29,307 --> 00:47:32,060 and I really wish that Loggins and McDonald 1145 00:47:32,143 --> 00:47:34,312 wrote and did more songs together 1146 00:47:34,396 --> 00:47:37,732 because clearly there's a magic synergy there. 1147 00:47:37,774 --> 00:47:39,943 It's the perfect marriage of poetry, 1148 00:47:40,026 --> 00:47:42,362 the right musicianship, the right emotions. 1149 00:47:42,445 --> 00:47:45,865 ♪ Heart to heart... ♪ 1150 00:47:45,949 --> 00:47:47,826 HUEY: Around the late '70s and early '80s, 1151 00:47:47,909 --> 00:47:50,120 you start to hear other people copying 1152 00:47:50,203 --> 00:47:52,580 the "What a Fool Believes" piano riff. 1153 00:47:52,622 --> 00:47:56,459 The most obvious example is Robbie Dupree's "Steal Away." 1154 00:47:56,543 --> 00:47:57,794 It's in the title. 1155 00:47:57,877 --> 00:48:02,924 ♪ Why don't we steal away ♪ 1156 00:48:04,634 --> 00:48:06,011 ♪ Why don't we steal... ♪ 1157 00:48:06,094 --> 00:48:09,639 I mean, one of the things that unites some of the songs 1158 00:48:09,723 --> 00:48:11,975 that we would call yacht rock is 1159 00:48:12,017 --> 00:48:14,102 this thing that's been coined the "Doobie bounce," 1160 00:48:14,185 --> 00:48:16,646 which is basically a rhythmic motif. 1161 00:48:17,814 --> 00:48:20,608 ♪ No, I can't take it... ♪ 1162 00:48:20,650 --> 00:48:23,987 HUEY: You hear how much that piano riff gets reused 1163 00:48:24,029 --> 00:48:27,323 or reconfigured into somebody else's own idea. 1164 00:48:27,407 --> 00:48:28,950 ♪ Baby, goodbye ♪ 1165 00:48:28,992 --> 00:48:31,828 ♪ Can't you see You're not changing? ♪ 1166 00:48:31,870 --> 00:48:32,912 ♪ Oh, baby ♪ 1167 00:48:32,996 --> 00:48:34,956 ♪ When the band is In the groove ♪ 1168 00:48:35,040 --> 00:48:36,291 ♪ He's so shy ♪ 1169 00:48:36,332 --> 00:48:38,043 QUESTLOVE: It's that sound of the Fender Rhodes, 1170 00:48:38,126 --> 00:48:39,502 basically, translating 1171 00:48:39,586 --> 00:48:42,213 what your body feels as you're sitting down. 1172 00:48:42,297 --> 00:48:46,176 It's perfect sitting down dancing music. 1173 00:48:46,217 --> 00:48:48,845 ♪ Watch your step Or you'll end up... ♪ 1174 00:48:48,928 --> 00:48:50,347 ♪ Get used to it ♪ 1175 00:48:51,264 --> 00:48:53,058 ♪ When nobody's watching I'll cry... ♪ 1176 00:48:53,141 --> 00:48:54,809 ♪ Open your hearts ♪ 1177 00:48:54,851 --> 00:48:57,395 ♪ If you don't want me to ♪ 1178 00:49:00,065 --> 00:49:03,026 ♪ ("KISS ON MY LIST" BY HALL & OATES PLAYING) ♪ 1179 00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:09,491 HUEY: We also hear "Kiss on My List" 1180 00:49:09,574 --> 00:49:13,370 as a little bit of a "What a Fool Believes" rewrite, 1181 00:49:13,453 --> 00:49:16,247 just in the little back-and-forth piano riff. 1182 00:49:16,331 --> 00:49:18,041 But Hall & Oates are not actually 1183 00:49:18,083 --> 00:49:19,709 a yacht rock artist. 1184 00:49:19,751 --> 00:49:21,211 RYZNAR: They're from a different world. 1185 00:49:21,294 --> 00:49:22,879 They have R&B influences, 1186 00:49:22,921 --> 00:49:24,714 but they're Philadelphia influences, 1187 00:49:24,798 --> 00:49:26,216 very specific. 1188 00:49:26,299 --> 00:49:29,219 Another example is Fleetwood Mac. 1189 00:49:29,302 --> 00:49:31,554 Fleetwood Mac should be yacht rock 1190 00:49:31,596 --> 00:49:33,390 by all definitions of the term, 1191 00:49:33,473 --> 00:49:37,060 but they don't really have the jazz there. 1192 00:49:37,143 --> 00:49:38,561 HUEY: The Eagles are not yacht rock 1193 00:49:38,645 --> 00:49:41,314 because The Eagles are a country rock band. 1194 00:49:41,398 --> 00:49:43,983 They might be a real smooth, mellow country rock band, 1195 00:49:44,067 --> 00:49:46,736 and they might be from LA, but they're not yacht rock 1196 00:49:46,820 --> 00:49:50,073 because there's way too much country. 1197 00:49:50,156 --> 00:49:52,742 RYZNAR: The thing about the villains in the web series, 1198 00:49:52,784 --> 00:49:55,578 we put them in there as villains because they weren't yacht rock. 1199 00:49:55,662 --> 00:49:58,456 They were the opposite of what we felt the scene was. 1200 00:49:58,540 --> 00:50:01,543 ♪ Be on the beach In the Caribbean ♪ 1201 00:50:01,584 --> 00:50:04,295 ♪ With the cheeseburgers ♪ 1202 00:50:04,379 --> 00:50:07,340 RYZNAR: The scene was friends who like, wanted to make cool, 1203 00:50:07,424 --> 00:50:10,093 smooth, interesting music together. 1204 00:50:10,135 --> 00:50:11,845 That was the time when, like, 1205 00:50:11,928 --> 00:50:14,681 yacht rock was exploding on the radio 1206 00:50:14,764 --> 00:50:15,765 and to get a hit, 1207 00:50:15,807 --> 00:50:18,101 you just had to sound like "What a Fool Believes." 1208 00:50:18,143 --> 00:50:20,103 It was a really influential song and I don't think 1209 00:50:20,186 --> 00:50:23,148 a lot of people give credit to it for that. 1210 00:50:23,231 --> 00:50:26,109 You can really see a world before "What A Fool Believes" 1211 00:50:26,151 --> 00:50:27,777 and a world after. 1212 00:50:27,819 --> 00:50:30,613 ♪ (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1213 00:50:30,697 --> 00:50:32,323 DAVID PACK: It was just such a beautiful time. 1214 00:50:32,407 --> 00:50:34,200 Everybody's influencing each other. 1215 00:50:34,284 --> 00:50:36,369 And we had spent so much time 1216 00:50:36,453 --> 00:50:38,288 on the road with the Doobie Brothers. 1217 00:50:38,329 --> 00:50:41,958 Michael was just crushing me with his voice, his songs, 1218 00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:43,501 and the Doobies with their two drummers. 1219 00:50:43,585 --> 00:50:45,128 I mean, if you could have heard him back then 1220 00:50:45,170 --> 00:50:48,048 like I did in '78, '79. 1221 00:50:48,131 --> 00:50:52,302 It was just, like, a soul Pavarotti on steroids. 1222 00:50:52,385 --> 00:50:54,763 (VOCALIZES) It was like, "Oh, my God," one note 1223 00:50:54,846 --> 00:50:56,806 and the auditorium was just like... 1224 00:50:56,848 --> 00:50:58,641 It was like, "Oh, my God." 1225 00:50:58,683 --> 00:51:01,311 And I thought Ambrosia, I think in comparison, 1226 00:51:01,353 --> 00:51:04,439 like, "Oh, my God, we got a long way to go, guys." 1227 00:51:04,481 --> 00:51:06,316 And I think it was that frustration 1228 00:51:06,358 --> 00:51:09,319 of, "I wanna break through with something great." 1229 00:51:09,361 --> 00:51:11,988 One day I went to Michael, "How did you come up 1230 00:51:12,072 --> 00:51:14,115 with those changes for 'Minute by Minute'?" 1231 00:51:14,199 --> 00:51:15,325 He said, he goes, "You know, David, 1232 00:51:15,408 --> 00:51:18,953 those practice books by Handel, I study those 1233 00:51:19,037 --> 00:51:21,414 and I kind of study how chords work 1234 00:51:21,498 --> 00:51:23,416 with each other and interlock with each other 1235 00:51:23,500 --> 00:51:25,168 and interesting key changes." 1236 00:51:25,210 --> 00:51:27,504 And all of a sudden, that sort of unlocked something 1237 00:51:27,587 --> 00:51:30,256 in my imagination to go out further. 1238 00:51:30,340 --> 00:51:33,259 ♪ ("BIGGEST PART OF ME" BY AMBROSIA PLAYING) ♪ 1239 00:51:36,179 --> 00:51:38,139 PACK: So, after that little tip by Michael, 1240 00:51:38,181 --> 00:51:39,391 I'm messing around. 1241 00:51:39,474 --> 00:51:41,393 All of a sudden, I just hit on the chord sequence. 1242 00:51:41,476 --> 00:51:45,021 (HUMMING) 1243 00:51:45,105 --> 00:51:47,065 On the way to a party for the Fourth of July, 1244 00:51:47,148 --> 00:51:48,525 my family was running late. 1245 00:51:48,608 --> 00:51:51,444 I set up the piano for a few minutes, and that all popped out. 1246 00:51:51,528 --> 00:51:54,864 -♪ There's a new sun arisin' ♪ -♪ In your eyes ♪ 1247 00:51:54,906 --> 00:51:56,908 ♪ I can see a new horizon ♪ 1248 00:51:56,991 --> 00:51:58,076 ♪ Realize ♪ 1249 00:51:58,159 --> 00:52:00,370 ♪ That will keep me realizin' ♪ 1250 00:52:00,412 --> 00:52:03,206 ♪ You're the biggest Part of me... ♪ 1251 00:52:03,289 --> 00:52:04,541 PACK: I came back the next day 1252 00:52:04,582 --> 00:52:06,251 forgetting that I had written something, 1253 00:52:06,334 --> 00:52:07,711 played the cassette and I was like, 1254 00:52:07,794 --> 00:52:09,713 "Whoa, that's-- that's cool." 1255 00:52:09,796 --> 00:52:10,964 So the next day I was like... 1256 00:52:11,047 --> 00:52:13,008 ♪ Make a wish, baby ♪ 1257 00:52:13,091 --> 00:52:15,885 Oh, now that works. "Make a wish," you know? 1258 00:52:15,969 --> 00:52:18,680 Then the whole thing opened up. 1259 00:52:18,763 --> 00:52:21,349 ♪ Make a wish, baby ♪ 1260 00:52:21,391 --> 00:52:24,728 ♪ Well, And I will make it Come true ♪ 1261 00:52:24,769 --> 00:52:27,564 ♪ Make a list baby ♪ 1262 00:52:27,647 --> 00:52:31,109 ♪ Of the things I'll do for you... ♪ 1263 00:52:31,192 --> 00:52:33,361 PACK: Honestly, if Ambrosia hadn't toured 1264 00:52:33,403 --> 00:52:35,739 with the Doobies all those months, 1265 00:52:35,780 --> 00:52:37,657 I don't think I would have written that song. 1266 00:52:37,741 --> 00:52:40,201 I want to give credit that Michael inspired me 1267 00:52:40,243 --> 00:52:42,912 because he was doing what I would call 1268 00:52:42,954 --> 00:52:44,581 progressive R&B pop. 1269 00:52:46,082 --> 00:52:50,670 That song, "Biggest Part of Me," has become sort of my signature. 1270 00:52:50,754 --> 00:52:53,965 I sang it for President Clinton for his first dance. 1271 00:52:54,049 --> 00:52:57,093 He was right in front of me with Hillary Clinton dancing, 1272 00:52:57,177 --> 00:52:58,178 and I sang, you know... 1273 00:52:58,261 --> 00:52:59,846 ♪ Make a wish, baby ♪ 1274 00:52:59,929 --> 00:53:02,474 He turned around, he goes, "I love that song." 1275 00:53:02,974 --> 00:53:04,142 ♪ Together ♪ 1276 00:53:04,225 --> 00:53:06,770 -♪ We are gonna stay together ♪ -♪ Forever ♪ 1277 00:53:06,853 --> 00:53:09,647 PACK: When we're creating it, we're just... 1278 00:53:09,731 --> 00:53:12,776 we're just putting our hearts and souls into it. 1279 00:53:12,817 --> 00:53:15,653 We're putting our pain, I mean, Paul McCartney even said, 1280 00:53:15,737 --> 00:53:18,198 "I never paid for a therapist, I just did music." 1281 00:53:18,281 --> 00:53:22,243 ♪ Part of me ♪ 1282 00:53:23,578 --> 00:53:26,414 ALEX: I think yacht rock became a safe space 1283 00:53:26,456 --> 00:53:30,627 for a certain kind of man to express emotions 1284 00:53:30,710 --> 00:53:34,964 at a time when men were maybe just starting 1285 00:53:35,006 --> 00:53:36,591 to learn how to do that. 1286 00:53:36,633 --> 00:53:39,135 I think, you know, it's the '70s, 1287 00:53:39,219 --> 00:53:40,470 we're going to therapy, 1288 00:53:40,553 --> 00:53:43,348 we're exploring parts of ourselves 1289 00:53:43,431 --> 00:53:45,809 that maybe we hadn't explored before. 1290 00:53:45,892 --> 00:53:49,229 And there was something about not having to put up 1291 00:53:49,312 --> 00:53:52,565 a macho front in quite the same way. 1292 00:53:53,650 --> 00:53:56,486 ♪ Hello, yeah It's been a while ♪ 1293 00:53:56,569 --> 00:54:00,407 ♪ Not much, how about you? ♪ 1294 00:54:02,158 --> 00:54:04,494 ♪ I'm not sure why I called ♪ 1295 00:54:04,577 --> 00:54:08,415 ♪ I guess I really just Wanted to talk to you ♪ 1296 00:54:08,498 --> 00:54:11,167 RYZNAR: It's men talking about their mistakes, 1297 00:54:11,209 --> 00:54:14,879 and it's men talking about how sad they are 1298 00:54:14,963 --> 00:54:16,548 about their breakups. 1299 00:54:16,631 --> 00:54:18,091 And there's always been music like that. 1300 00:54:18,174 --> 00:54:19,384 But there's something about yacht rock 1301 00:54:19,467 --> 00:54:23,179 where men just embrace being the sad sack loser 1302 00:54:23,221 --> 00:54:25,557 in a really big way. 1303 00:54:25,640 --> 00:54:28,601 ♪ I'm not talking About moving in ♪ 1304 00:54:28,685 --> 00:54:32,355 ♪ And I don't wanna Change your life... ♪ 1305 00:54:32,439 --> 00:54:33,690 HUEY: Repeated over and over again 1306 00:54:33,732 --> 00:54:36,276 in a lot of yacht rock songs, you have this theme 1307 00:54:36,359 --> 00:54:38,695 of the heartbroken fool, 1308 00:54:38,778 --> 00:54:40,196 hearts running free, 1309 00:54:40,238 --> 00:54:42,532 a lot of guys singing very sensitively 1310 00:54:42,574 --> 00:54:45,118 about how their love affair didn't work out 1311 00:54:45,201 --> 00:54:47,037 or their love affair never happened 1312 00:54:47,078 --> 00:54:48,371 in the first place, 1313 00:54:48,455 --> 00:54:52,167 or, "Man, that girl really loves someone else and not me." 1314 00:54:52,250 --> 00:54:55,003 ♪ Stay at home and watch TV ♪ 1315 00:54:55,086 --> 00:54:59,090 ♪ You see, it really Doesn't matter much to me... ♪ 1316 00:54:59,174 --> 00:55:02,635 QUESTLOVE: Hard rock is supposed to be like the machismo, 1317 00:55:02,719 --> 00:55:05,722 cis-hetero male affirmative soundtrack music. 1318 00:55:05,805 --> 00:55:09,142 And, you know, yacht rock is kind of the opposite of that 1319 00:55:09,225 --> 00:55:12,228 'cause it's emo, it's emotional. 1320 00:55:12,312 --> 00:55:14,564 ♪ I'd really love To see you tonight... ♪ 1321 00:55:14,647 --> 00:55:16,566 MOLLY LAMBERT: That's part of what gives it its longevity, 1322 00:55:16,608 --> 00:55:19,402 is it's like these songs are about timeless issues 1323 00:55:19,486 --> 00:55:22,405 of, like, wanting to love and be loved. 1324 00:55:22,489 --> 00:55:25,575 And that never goes out of style 1325 00:55:25,617 --> 00:55:28,203 'cause that's the human experience. 1326 00:55:28,286 --> 00:55:31,748 ♪ Say I love you Then say goodbye... ♪ 1327 00:55:31,831 --> 00:55:35,418 ROB TANNENBAUM: You could declare not just your sensitivity 1328 00:55:35,502 --> 00:55:39,589 but your torment at how sensitive you are, 1329 00:55:39,631 --> 00:55:45,345 your sense of being ravaged by having feelings, 1330 00:55:45,428 --> 00:55:49,724 which, I think, is fairly unique to yacht rock. 1331 00:55:49,766 --> 00:55:51,935 ♪ ("SAILING" BY CHRISTOPHER CROSS PLAYING) ♪ 1332 00:56:01,611 --> 00:56:03,071 CHRISTOPHER: I was just sitting at home, 1333 00:56:03,154 --> 00:56:05,615 my oldest son was in the crib, 1334 00:56:05,699 --> 00:56:07,617 and, uh, I was just kind of messing around, 1335 00:56:07,659 --> 00:56:08,952 and I started playing this riff, 1336 00:56:08,993 --> 00:56:10,954 and believe it or not, I just started singing, 1337 00:56:10,995 --> 00:56:12,539 and I sang the first verse 1338 00:56:12,622 --> 00:56:15,333 and the chorus to the song completely unsolicited. 1339 00:56:15,417 --> 00:56:17,377 It just sort of came out. 1340 00:56:17,460 --> 00:56:18,837 Where? I don't know where from. 1341 00:56:18,920 --> 00:56:22,382 ♪ Well, it's not far down To paradise ♪ 1342 00:56:23,049 --> 00:56:25,510 ♪ At least it's not for me ♪ 1343 00:56:25,593 --> 00:56:28,638 ♪ And if the wind is right You can sail away ♪ 1344 00:56:29,472 --> 00:56:31,558 ♪ And find tranquility ♪ 1345 00:56:31,641 --> 00:56:35,645 ♪ Oh, the canvas Can do miracles... ♪ 1346 00:56:35,729 --> 00:56:38,398 CHRISTOPHER: And once I got the verse and chorus, 1347 00:56:38,481 --> 00:56:40,859 I just got up, walked around the linoleum floor 1348 00:56:40,942 --> 00:56:42,986 of my shitty apartment and just said, 1349 00:56:43,028 --> 00:56:45,363 "Wow, that's something-- there's something there." 1350 00:56:45,447 --> 00:56:47,657 ♪ Sailing ♪ 1351 00:56:47,699 --> 00:56:53,830 ♪ Takes me away to where I've always heard it could be ♪ 1352 00:56:57,625 --> 00:57:00,086 ♪ Just a dream And the wind to carry me... ♪ 1353 00:57:00,170 --> 00:57:02,505 CHRISTOPHER: To me, the song, it's about transition 1354 00:57:02,589 --> 00:57:04,382 that you experience through art 1355 00:57:04,466 --> 00:57:05,925 and that place that art takes you. 1356 00:57:06,009 --> 00:57:08,178 But I did some sailing when I was young 1357 00:57:08,219 --> 00:57:09,346 with an older friend of mine, 1358 00:57:09,387 --> 00:57:11,348 and, uh, I always joked that, you know, 1359 00:57:11,389 --> 00:57:12,474 had he taken me bowling, 1360 00:57:12,515 --> 00:57:14,017 it probably would have been about bowling. 1361 00:57:14,100 --> 00:57:16,853 But it doesn't matter. If you dig the groove, 1362 00:57:16,936 --> 00:57:19,022 whatever you like about it, just enjoy it. 1363 00:57:19,064 --> 00:57:21,608 I used to get irritated when people didn't think it was 1364 00:57:21,691 --> 00:57:24,652 anything more than just sailing in a boat. 1365 00:57:24,694 --> 00:57:27,197 And it was cool, NSYNC did it, they had a huge hit 1366 00:57:27,238 --> 00:57:28,990 with it and it brought it to a much younger audience 1367 00:57:29,032 --> 00:57:30,950 and I've had some people bring their kids 1368 00:57:31,034 --> 00:57:32,535 to shows who are younger, 1369 00:57:32,619 --> 00:57:34,954 and this one little girl came up to the booth and said, 1370 00:57:35,038 --> 00:57:37,665 "That's so cool you played that NSYNC song tonight." 1371 00:57:38,166 --> 00:57:39,042 And her mother said, 1372 00:57:39,125 --> 00:57:41,878 "That's not it, that's his song, it's not NSYNC." 1373 00:57:41,920 --> 00:57:44,005 ♪ If the wind is right You can sail away... ♪ 1374 00:57:44,047 --> 00:57:45,674 HUEY: "Sailing" is where you finally get 1375 00:57:45,715 --> 00:57:48,468 a yacht rock song that's literally about sailing. 1376 00:57:49,135 --> 00:57:51,054 It's not as overtly jazzy 1377 00:57:51,096 --> 00:57:53,556 as a lot of the other cornerstones of the genre, 1378 00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:55,600 but considering who it's coming from 1379 00:57:55,684 --> 00:57:58,603 and what it's about lyrically, it has to be up there. 1380 00:57:58,687 --> 00:58:00,480 We've got to take at least one thing literally. 1381 00:58:00,563 --> 00:58:02,857 ♪ Sailing ♪ 1382 00:58:02,941 --> 00:58:05,735 ♪ Takes me away to where... ♪ 1383 00:58:05,777 --> 00:58:08,321 THUNDERCAT: That song, I'm again belting 'em out loud. 1384 00:58:08,405 --> 00:58:09,906 You know, don't catch me in, like, Ralphs. 1385 00:58:09,948 --> 00:58:11,908 I'm, like, juggling pomegranates and, like, 1386 00:58:11,991 --> 00:58:13,118 singing into bananas. 1387 00:58:14,202 --> 00:58:15,578 PETER ALLEN: Okay, open it up. 1388 00:58:15,620 --> 00:58:17,997 -The winner is... -They're my friends. 1389 00:58:19,457 --> 00:58:21,459 -"Sailing," Christopher Cross! -Yes! "Sailing." 1390 00:58:21,543 --> 00:58:25,171 -(AUDIENCE CHEERING) -Christopher Cross, "Sailing"! 1391 00:58:25,255 --> 00:58:26,798 YOUNGER CHRISTOPHER: "Sailing" was really never 1392 00:58:26,881 --> 00:58:28,049 supposed to be released as a single, 1393 00:58:28,091 --> 00:58:32,095 but I gotta say, I'm really glad it was. And... 1394 00:58:32,178 --> 00:58:34,097 It's certainly my favorite song off the album, 1395 00:58:34,180 --> 00:58:35,932 and I don't know what to say. I'm speechless. 1396 00:58:35,974 --> 00:58:37,475 This is the greatest night of my life. 1397 00:58:37,559 --> 00:58:38,935 Thank you very much. 1398 00:58:38,977 --> 00:58:42,147 STEVEN: I mean, most people don't sell five million records 1399 00:58:42,230 --> 00:58:43,106 on their debut. 1400 00:58:43,189 --> 00:58:46,276 You know, most people don't win five Grammys 1401 00:58:46,317 --> 00:58:47,610 for their first record. 1402 00:58:47,694 --> 00:58:51,781 You beat out some biggies who will probably never forget. 1403 00:58:51,865 --> 00:58:54,492 -Dangerous people? -Yeah. 1404 00:58:54,576 --> 00:58:55,869 MAC DEMARCO: And everyone was like, "My God, 1405 00:58:55,952 --> 00:58:58,121 he's taken all the Grammys." Like, "What's going on?" 1406 00:58:58,204 --> 00:58:59,956 People must have been pretty angry about that, 1407 00:59:00,040 --> 00:59:01,708 which is funny. You know, it's funny. 1408 00:59:01,791 --> 00:59:03,501 Streisand, Sinatra. 1409 00:59:03,585 --> 00:59:05,503 -Yeah. -Huh? Did you hear from them? 1410 00:59:05,587 --> 00:59:07,464 Did they send you congratulatory telegrams 1411 00:59:07,547 --> 00:59:09,257 -and say... -No. Um... 1412 00:59:09,299 --> 00:59:10,925 (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) 1413 00:59:11,009 --> 00:59:12,302 CHRISTOPHER: She was not a happy camper. 1414 00:59:12,385 --> 00:59:14,637 I think someone had told her that she was gonna win. 1415 00:59:14,679 --> 00:59:15,722 As a matter of fact, I think 1416 00:59:15,805 --> 00:59:16,806 it might have been Aretha or somebody. 1417 00:59:16,890 --> 00:59:17,932 And I said, "This is so exciting. 1418 00:59:18,016 --> 00:59:19,142 I'd love to meet Barbra Streisand." 1419 00:59:19,184 --> 00:59:21,686 She said, "Honey, tonight is not the night." 1420 00:59:22,812 --> 00:59:25,565 ROB: He swept the three major categories, 1421 00:59:25,648 --> 00:59:28,943 and he added a fourth, which was Best New Artist. 1422 00:59:28,985 --> 00:59:32,614 And that's kind of incredible, that in your rookie season, 1423 00:59:32,655 --> 00:59:36,159 you win the triple crown and win rookie of the year. 1424 00:59:36,242 --> 00:59:37,660 And no one duplicated that 1425 00:59:37,702 --> 00:59:40,955 until a few years ago when Billie Eilish did it. 1426 00:59:41,873 --> 00:59:43,166 MOLLY: Truly a song like "Sailing" 1427 00:59:43,249 --> 00:59:45,669 becoming the most popular song in the world 1428 00:59:45,710 --> 00:59:50,048 feels to me like a viral hit now, you know? 1429 00:59:50,131 --> 00:59:51,758 Where you're like, you couldn't predict 1430 00:59:51,841 --> 00:59:54,469 that that would be the song that everybody would love. 1431 00:59:54,511 --> 00:59:56,054 ♪ ("ROSANNA" BY TOTO PLAYING) ♪ 1432 00:59:56,137 --> 00:59:58,848 And that's it. The biggest revolution in... 1433 00:59:58,890 --> 01:00:02,143 Today marks my first State of the Union address to you. 1434 01:00:02,185 --> 01:00:05,021 PRESENTER: It's NBC week and tonight, what's so funny? 1435 01:00:05,063 --> 01:00:06,523 JACK T. COLTON: God damn it, man. 1436 01:00:06,564 --> 01:00:07,857 The Doobie Brothers broke up. 1437 01:00:07,941 --> 01:00:10,860 Shit. When did that happen? 1438 01:00:11,444 --> 01:00:12,529 ♪ All I wanna do ♪ 1439 01:00:12,570 --> 01:00:14,072 ♪ When I wake up In the morning... ♪ 1440 01:00:14,155 --> 01:00:15,990 PORCARO: Toto did real good out of the gate, 1441 01:00:16,074 --> 01:00:19,327 but, um, we maybe got a little indulgent 1442 01:00:19,369 --> 01:00:21,287 and thought we could do whatever we wanted to do, 1443 01:00:21,371 --> 01:00:24,582 and the second album did not do quite as well. 1444 01:00:24,666 --> 01:00:26,292 PAICH: I never thought I'd experience 1445 01:00:26,376 --> 01:00:27,836 pressure from a record company. 1446 01:00:27,877 --> 01:00:31,715 But after our third album also failed to do results, 1447 01:00:31,798 --> 01:00:34,884 they said, "Well, can you still come out with another hit?" 1448 01:00:34,926 --> 01:00:37,220 And it was kinda like a do-or-die situation. 1449 01:00:37,262 --> 01:00:38,930 So I realized that we had to put everything 1450 01:00:39,014 --> 01:00:42,559 that we possibly knew about making a great record 1451 01:00:42,642 --> 01:00:45,770 into one album. And I started writing "Rosanna." 1452 01:00:45,854 --> 01:00:49,399 ♪ Not quite a year Since she went away ♪ 1453 01:00:50,692 --> 01:00:53,236 ♪ Rosanna, yeah... ♪ 1454 01:00:53,319 --> 01:00:54,237 PAICH: I'd written a song, 1455 01:00:54,320 --> 01:00:56,906 and the day that I was finishing the song, 1456 01:00:56,990 --> 01:00:58,658 Steve Porcaro walked into the house, 1457 01:00:58,742 --> 01:01:00,660 and he was with Rosanna Arquette. 1458 01:01:00,744 --> 01:01:02,829 And of course, she charmed everybody. 1459 01:01:02,912 --> 01:01:05,248 Everybody fell in love with her, including me. 1460 01:01:05,290 --> 01:01:07,709 And I just said, "Rosanna, huh?" 1461 01:01:07,792 --> 01:01:10,086 PORCARO: I think her name just fit perfect. 1462 01:01:10,128 --> 01:01:11,755 And I'm sure he had a little crush on her, 1463 01:01:11,838 --> 01:01:14,758 like everyone else did at some point, probably. 1464 01:01:14,841 --> 01:01:16,926 ♪ Meet you all the way ♪ 1465 01:01:16,968 --> 01:01:19,929 LUKATHER: "Rosanna" is like the Toto track. 1466 01:01:20,013 --> 01:01:22,182 We knew we had something there, and when it came out 1467 01:01:22,265 --> 01:01:24,976 and was a hit again, we were like... Phew! 1468 01:01:25,060 --> 01:01:26,853 ♪ ("AFRICA" BY TOTO PLAYING) ♪ 1469 01:01:26,936 --> 01:01:29,064 PAICH: We already had the Toto IV album done, 1470 01:01:29,105 --> 01:01:31,691 so we were just messing around with some new keyboards, 1471 01:01:31,775 --> 01:01:32,984 and I played this riff. 1472 01:01:34,819 --> 01:01:36,071 And then I wrote a song 1473 01:01:36,154 --> 01:01:38,239 and brought it into the studio, and everybody decided, 1474 01:01:38,281 --> 01:01:40,658 "Well, we have a little bit of spare time here. 1475 01:01:40,742 --> 01:01:43,161 Let's-- Let's fool around with it a little bit." 1476 01:01:43,244 --> 01:01:46,331 ♪ I hear the drums Echoing tonight ♪ 1477 01:01:47,040 --> 01:01:49,000 ♪ But she hears only whispers ♪ 1478 01:01:49,084 --> 01:01:53,963 ♪ Of some Quiet conversation... ♪ 1479 01:01:54,047 --> 01:01:56,257 PORCARO: Let's talk about the song "Africa." 1480 01:01:56,299 --> 01:01:58,009 Last song on side two. 1481 01:01:58,093 --> 01:02:01,638 Who puts their only number one song 1482 01:02:01,721 --> 01:02:05,266 as the last song on side two? It was buried. 1483 01:02:05,308 --> 01:02:07,977 Now we worked our asses off on it for sure. 1484 01:02:08,019 --> 01:02:09,646 Jeff did all these tape loops. 1485 01:02:09,688 --> 01:02:12,315 It was very, very cool what we did. 1486 01:02:12,399 --> 01:02:13,900 I killed myself on that song. 1487 01:02:13,983 --> 01:02:15,652 I was doing all kinds of weird stuff 1488 01:02:15,694 --> 01:02:16,986 with my modular synths. 1489 01:02:17,070 --> 01:02:19,489 You know, we worked hard on everything we did. 1490 01:02:19,531 --> 01:02:20,824 Having said that, 1491 01:02:20,907 --> 01:02:23,618 Lukather and I didn't even think it should be on the album. 1492 01:02:23,660 --> 01:02:24,911 LUKATHER: Oh, I did say 1493 01:02:24,994 --> 01:02:27,288 that I would run naked down Hollywood Boulevard 1494 01:02:27,330 --> 01:02:28,540 if it was a hit record. 1495 01:02:28,623 --> 01:02:34,004 ♪ It's gonna take a lot To drag me away from you... ♪ 1496 01:02:34,087 --> 01:02:35,839 PORCARO: The lesson in humility for us, 1497 01:02:35,922 --> 01:02:37,090 you know, shows what we know. 1498 01:02:37,173 --> 01:02:39,134 And it's our only number one hit. 1499 01:02:39,217 --> 01:02:44,180 ♪ I bless the rains Down in Africa ♪ 1500 01:02:44,264 --> 01:02:46,975 ♪ Gonna take some time To do the things ♪ 1501 01:02:47,058 --> 01:02:52,689 ♪ We never had, ooh-hoo ♪ 1502 01:02:52,731 --> 01:02:54,149 GARRET PRICE: 1503 01:02:54,232 --> 01:02:55,734 PAICH: Oh, boy, that's a deep one. 1504 01:02:55,817 --> 01:02:59,571 I usually don't respond to that question anymore. 1505 01:02:59,654 --> 01:03:02,657 But just my desire to travel and stuff. 1506 01:03:02,741 --> 01:03:04,242 I'd never been to Africa, 1507 01:03:04,325 --> 01:03:06,870 but that didn't let that stop me writing a song 1508 01:03:06,911 --> 01:03:08,496 about it, you know? 1509 01:03:08,538 --> 01:03:10,165 ♪ For some solitary company ♪ 1510 01:03:10,206 --> 01:03:11,708 LUKATHER: You know, we've made the whole record 1511 01:03:11,791 --> 01:03:13,209 before the lyrics were on it, 1512 01:03:13,251 --> 01:03:16,421 so we didn't really know all the Serengeti stuff, 1513 01:03:16,504 --> 01:03:19,341 you know, which we still laugh and cringe at. 1514 01:03:19,424 --> 01:03:24,012 ♪ Rises like Olympus Above the Serengeti... ♪ 1515 01:03:24,095 --> 01:03:26,222 PORCARO: We, of course, gave him a hard time. 1516 01:03:26,264 --> 01:03:28,391 We would repeat some of those lines 1517 01:03:28,433 --> 01:03:30,435 back to him mercilessly, you know what I mean? 1518 01:03:30,518 --> 01:03:33,396 "What? What is..." You know? But the record company 1519 01:03:33,480 --> 01:03:35,899 was real big on "Africa," and I remember I was 1520 01:03:35,982 --> 01:03:38,151 in a hospital, and I was walking down the halls, 1521 01:03:38,234 --> 01:03:40,403 and I heard "Africa" coming out of the radio, 1522 01:03:40,445 --> 01:03:42,864 and I was like, "What?" I couldn't believe it, 1523 01:03:42,947 --> 01:03:44,741 that they were playing it on the radio. 1524 01:03:44,824 --> 01:03:46,659 You know, that tune? 1525 01:03:46,743 --> 01:03:51,331 ♪ I bless the rains Down in Africa ♪ 1526 01:03:51,414 --> 01:03:55,043 ♪ Gonna take some time To do the things... ♪ 1527 01:03:55,126 --> 01:03:58,755 HUEY: I think "Africa" has that quality of, "What is this? 1528 01:03:58,838 --> 01:04:00,340 Where did this come from? 1529 01:04:00,423 --> 01:04:02,258 Why are those the lyrics? 1530 01:04:02,300 --> 01:04:04,386 Why can't I get this out of my head?" 1531 01:04:05,762 --> 01:04:07,180 BRIAN: It's one of those songs 1532 01:04:07,263 --> 01:04:09,557 that you've heard it so many times 1533 01:04:09,599 --> 01:04:13,645 and it almost gets annoying, but then that chorus hits. 1534 01:04:15,063 --> 01:04:19,442 ♪ It's gonna take a lot To drag me away from you... ♪ 1535 01:04:19,484 --> 01:04:21,361 You're like, "No, that's pretty good, isn't it? 1536 01:04:21,444 --> 01:04:23,571 That's-- That's-- That's pretty good." 1537 01:04:26,074 --> 01:04:27,325 JASON: I actually love Toto. 1538 01:04:27,409 --> 01:04:29,119 I mean, in terms of writing melodies, 1539 01:04:29,202 --> 01:04:32,997 the quality of the musicianship itself is also superb. 1540 01:04:33,081 --> 01:04:36,626 What I don't love about Toto is the lyrics. 1541 01:04:36,710 --> 01:04:38,712 Just the chutzpah, 1542 01:04:38,795 --> 01:04:41,798 the audacity of a White rock band 1543 01:04:41,881 --> 01:04:43,550 making a song about Africa, 1544 01:04:43,633 --> 01:04:46,136 a continent that you've never actually been to. 1545 01:04:46,219 --> 01:04:47,470 And don't get me started on the video. 1546 01:04:47,554 --> 01:04:50,724 The music video, that was-- that's crazy. 1547 01:04:50,807 --> 01:04:52,392 Um, I don't even think you can imagine 1548 01:04:52,475 --> 01:04:53,476 anyone doing that now. 1549 01:04:53,560 --> 01:04:57,313 Although, what's weird is that because of this hipster, 1550 01:04:57,397 --> 01:04:59,232 ironic detachment moment we live in, 1551 01:04:59,315 --> 01:05:00,650 people think it's the greatest song 1552 01:05:00,734 --> 01:05:01,776 that's ever been written. 1553 01:05:01,860 --> 01:05:06,865 Here we go with the song, "Africa," Weezer! 1554 01:05:06,948 --> 01:05:10,618 ♪ I bless the rains Down in Africa ♪ 1555 01:05:10,702 --> 01:05:11,619 (GROANS) 1556 01:05:11,661 --> 01:05:14,831 ♪ Gonna take some time To do the things ♪ 1557 01:05:14,914 --> 01:05:19,127 ♪ We never had ♪ 1558 01:05:21,046 --> 01:05:22,714 LUKATHER: Nobody laughs harder than we do. 1559 01:05:22,797 --> 01:05:23,840 God bless, you know? 1560 01:05:23,923 --> 01:05:25,342 It's connected with a lot of people 1561 01:05:25,425 --> 01:05:26,885 and it drives a lot of people crazy, 1562 01:05:26,968 --> 01:05:29,179 but come on, man, we cut that in 1981. 1563 01:05:29,262 --> 01:05:31,848 Think I haven't heard this song a couple times, huh? 1564 01:05:31,931 --> 01:05:33,850 STEVIE WONDER: The winner for Album of The Year 1565 01:05:33,892 --> 01:05:37,228 -is Toto. Toto IV. -(AUDIENCE CHEERING) 1566 01:05:40,315 --> 01:05:42,984 ♪ ("AFRICA" CONTINUES PLAYING OVER TV) ♪ 1567 01:05:43,068 --> 01:05:45,528 His first solo album on the Warner Brothers label. 1568 01:05:45,612 --> 01:05:48,907 Let's put some hands together, gang, for Mr. Michael McDonald. 1569 01:05:48,990 --> 01:05:51,034 (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING, CHEERING) 1570 01:05:51,117 --> 01:05:53,453 ♪ ("'I KEEP FORGETTIN'" BY MICHAEL MCDONALD PLAYING) ♪ 1571 01:05:53,536 --> 01:05:55,455 QUESTLOVE: I remember that episode of Soul Train, 1572 01:05:55,538 --> 01:05:59,250 seeing Porcaro and Lewis Johnson and Greg Phillinganes 1573 01:05:59,334 --> 01:06:02,712 playing with Michael McDonald. That's a staple episode. 1574 01:06:02,754 --> 01:06:04,214 Like, anytime that a White artist 1575 01:06:04,255 --> 01:06:06,049 ever appeared on Soul Train, 1576 01:06:06,091 --> 01:06:08,176 that's just a different type of cosign. 1577 01:06:08,218 --> 01:06:10,512 We say that, you know, you get a lifetime pass 1578 01:06:10,595 --> 01:06:11,638 to the barbecue. 1579 01:06:11,721 --> 01:06:16,601 ♪ I keep forgettin' We're not in love anymore ♪ 1580 01:06:16,685 --> 01:06:21,690 ♪ I keep forgettin' things Will never be the same again ♪ 1581 01:06:21,773 --> 01:06:22,982 ♪ I keep forgettin'... ♪ 1582 01:06:23,066 --> 01:06:24,359 MICHAEL: A lot of the Black stations, 1583 01:06:24,442 --> 01:06:25,819 those were the stations that picked up 1584 01:06:25,902 --> 01:06:28,113 my first single, "Keep Forgettin'." 1585 01:06:28,196 --> 01:06:30,407 They made it a hit. When I stopped by 1586 01:06:30,490 --> 01:06:32,075 while I was on the road with the Doobies, 1587 01:06:32,117 --> 01:06:33,243 they would play your whole album. 1588 01:06:33,326 --> 01:06:35,495 And the DJ would talk to you about each song. 1589 01:06:35,578 --> 01:06:37,539 And by the time you got to the airport 1590 01:06:37,622 --> 01:06:38,540 to go to the next town, 1591 01:06:38,623 --> 01:06:40,417 there'd be people in the baggage claim going, 1592 01:06:40,500 --> 01:06:42,669 "Hey, I just heard you on the radio." 1593 01:06:42,752 --> 01:06:44,087 And it was very electric. 1594 01:06:44,170 --> 01:06:50,010 It caused a buzz, you know, that we weren't used to getting. 1595 01:06:50,093 --> 01:06:52,178 ♪ And I know ♪ 1596 01:06:52,262 --> 01:06:54,389 ♪ That it's hard for you ♪ 1597 01:06:55,098 --> 01:06:57,017 ♪ To say the things ♪ 1598 01:06:57,100 --> 01:06:59,978 ♪ That we both know are true ♪ 1599 01:07:00,061 --> 01:07:01,938 ♪ But tell me how come... ♪ 1600 01:07:02,022 --> 01:07:05,692 JASON: You have these White rock musicians 1601 01:07:05,775 --> 01:07:07,444 essentially making R&B music, 1602 01:07:07,485 --> 01:07:09,946 and some of them get played on Black radio, 1603 01:07:09,988 --> 01:07:12,365 but also there are some Black artists 1604 01:07:12,449 --> 01:07:15,368 who'd figure out that in order to get radio play 1605 01:07:15,452 --> 01:07:17,287 at a time of great segregation 1606 01:07:17,370 --> 01:07:19,664 in the music industry, they need to be able 1607 01:07:19,748 --> 01:07:22,292 to do adult contemporary music. 1608 01:07:22,375 --> 01:07:25,795 QUESTLOVE: Oftentimes, I think yacht rock is associated 1609 01:07:25,837 --> 01:07:27,213 with, like, White groups 1610 01:07:27,297 --> 01:07:29,049 and White songwriters and producers, 1611 01:07:29,132 --> 01:07:31,509 but I know more Black yacht rock 1612 01:07:31,593 --> 01:07:36,056 than I do "traditional" yacht rock. 1613 01:07:36,139 --> 01:07:38,141 Al Jarreau's music, yacht rock. 1614 01:07:38,224 --> 01:07:40,477 Pointer Sisters' "Slow Hand," yacht rock. 1615 01:07:40,560 --> 01:07:42,729 You know, George Benson, "Turn Your Love Around," 1616 01:07:42,812 --> 01:07:44,189 like, that's yacht rock. 1617 01:07:44,272 --> 01:07:47,150 ♪ Turn your love around ♪ 1618 01:07:48,902 --> 01:07:51,613 ♪ Don't you turn me down ♪ 1619 01:07:53,615 --> 01:07:56,368 ♪ I can show you how ♪ 1620 01:07:58,119 --> 01:08:02,040 ♪ Turn your love around ♪ 1621 01:08:02,123 --> 01:08:03,792 RYZNAR: George Benson is an example 1622 01:08:03,875 --> 01:08:05,794 of a jazz guy who goes pop 1623 01:08:05,835 --> 01:08:10,674 and just the act of doing that makes yacht rock. 1624 01:08:10,715 --> 01:08:12,467 JASON: A lot of these artists are realizing 1625 01:08:12,509 --> 01:08:14,511 that in order to have the kind of careers 1626 01:08:14,594 --> 01:08:16,763 that they'd like to be able to cross over, 1627 01:08:16,846 --> 01:08:19,808 and to be able to reach non-Black audiences as well, 1628 01:08:19,891 --> 01:08:21,184 they had to sort of curb 1629 01:08:21,267 --> 01:08:23,520 some of the more aggressively funky aspects 1630 01:08:23,603 --> 01:08:26,356 and make a more polished, genteel music. 1631 01:08:26,439 --> 01:08:29,192 But I also think they gravitated to that sound. 1632 01:08:29,275 --> 01:08:32,278 So many Black musicians, like, we love 1633 01:08:32,362 --> 01:08:35,615 some of the White easy-listening and adult contemporary music. 1634 01:08:35,699 --> 01:08:37,867 ♪ Lucky ♪ 1635 01:08:37,909 --> 01:08:41,496 ♪ I feel in love with you... ♪ 1636 01:08:41,538 --> 01:08:44,541 BRENDA: You had to really know who you were as a Black artist 1637 01:08:44,582 --> 01:08:47,419 because I remember walking into a record company 1638 01:08:47,502 --> 01:08:50,463 and I said, "Okay, I'm not R&B." 1639 01:08:50,547 --> 01:08:53,216 And he said, "Honey, you Black, you R&B." 1640 01:08:53,258 --> 01:08:56,511 (LAUGHS) I went, "Oh, excuse me, I didn't know." 1641 01:08:57,971 --> 01:09:01,474 So, you know, it was hard to cross over into the pop thing 1642 01:09:01,558 --> 01:09:03,560 because people had a preconceived idea 1643 01:09:03,601 --> 01:09:05,770 of what you're supposed to sound like. 1644 01:09:06,896 --> 01:09:09,024 THUNDERCAT: Al Jarreau, George Benson, George Duke, 1645 01:09:09,107 --> 01:09:10,525 and many to name off. 1646 01:09:10,567 --> 01:09:12,485 There's a part where I'm just like, 1647 01:09:12,569 --> 01:09:16,072 "That was allowing the art to lead." 1648 01:09:16,156 --> 01:09:18,575 There was a moment that was golden. 1649 01:09:18,616 --> 01:09:21,286 There was a time when you could see Steely Dan, 1650 01:09:21,369 --> 01:09:23,955 Stanley Clark, George Duke, and Frank Zappa 1651 01:09:24,039 --> 01:09:25,248 on the same bill. 1652 01:09:25,290 --> 01:09:27,834 And Stevie Wonder, and it'd be like this... 1653 01:09:27,917 --> 01:09:30,211 "You lucky motherfuckers. 1654 01:09:31,796 --> 01:09:35,050 You lucky son of a--" If you got to see that, 1655 01:09:35,133 --> 01:09:37,010 you could chop one of my toes off. 1656 01:09:37,093 --> 01:09:39,888 Yeah, you could. Doobie Brothers? 1657 01:09:39,971 --> 01:09:43,558 (HESITATES) Take the pinky. Take it, it's worth it. 1658 01:09:44,517 --> 01:09:46,186 QUESTLOVE: All of these artists, 1659 01:09:46,269 --> 01:09:49,564 they just provided the soundtrack of our lives, 1660 01:09:49,606 --> 01:09:52,442 and then suddenly all that changed, 1661 01:09:52,484 --> 01:09:55,070 where not only did you have to sound a certain way, 1662 01:09:55,111 --> 01:09:56,446 you had to look a certain way. 1663 01:09:56,529 --> 01:10:00,700 This is it. Welcome to MTV, Music Television, 1664 01:10:00,784 --> 01:10:04,829 the world's first 24-hour stereo video music channel. 1665 01:10:04,913 --> 01:10:08,333 ♪ I heard you on The wireless back in '52... ♪ 1666 01:10:08,416 --> 01:10:10,460 ALEX: MTV sort of scrambles everything 1667 01:10:10,543 --> 01:10:13,630 because suddenly it's about who's coming up with the visual 1668 01:10:13,713 --> 01:10:15,882 and who can be a rock star changes. 1669 01:10:15,965 --> 01:10:17,092 ♪ Oh, oh ♪ 1670 01:10:17,175 --> 01:10:20,804 AMANDA: Artists of the MTV era, you know, Prince, Madonna, 1671 01:10:20,845 --> 01:10:24,516 Michael Jackson, they were visually astounding. 1672 01:10:24,599 --> 01:10:26,309 You couldn't take your eyes off them. 1673 01:10:26,393 --> 01:10:28,687 So I think there was this sense of music 1674 01:10:28,770 --> 01:10:31,731 becoming a more multidimensional enterprise. 1675 01:10:31,815 --> 01:10:35,276 And I think a few yacht rock artists probably got left behind 1676 01:10:35,318 --> 01:10:37,612 in that transition. 1677 01:10:37,654 --> 01:10:41,449 ♪ Video killed The radio star... ♪ 1678 01:10:41,908 --> 01:10:45,203 GARRET: 1679 01:10:45,286 --> 01:10:47,330 Hated it. I didn't study to be an actor. 1680 01:10:47,414 --> 01:10:48,998 I didn't work on my look. 1681 01:10:49,082 --> 01:10:50,417 You know, that was always a beef 1682 01:10:50,500 --> 01:10:53,003 about we didn't have an image, we didn't look the part. 1683 01:10:53,086 --> 01:10:54,713 CHRISTOPHER: The "Video Killed the Radio Star" thing, 1684 01:10:54,796 --> 01:10:56,631 it was just absolutely true in my case. 1685 01:10:57,799 --> 01:11:00,510 I just wasn't comfortable. I think my physicality, 1686 01:11:00,552 --> 01:11:02,345 I think part of it was that I was never-- 1687 01:11:02,387 --> 01:11:03,805 I was always kind of a shy guy. 1688 01:11:03,888 --> 01:11:05,098 ♪ Oh, oh ♪ 1689 01:11:05,181 --> 01:11:06,349 MICHAEL: When videos came along, 1690 01:11:06,391 --> 01:11:08,685 I felt like one of the silent screen stars 1691 01:11:08,727 --> 01:11:11,187 who was entering the realm of the talkies. 1692 01:11:11,229 --> 01:11:13,481 It's like, "Well, why are they doing that?" 1693 01:11:13,523 --> 01:11:15,775 Because we've developed this whole art form 1694 01:11:15,859 --> 01:11:18,945 that is based on listening to the songs. 1695 01:11:19,029 --> 01:11:21,281 I was afraid that with videos, 1696 01:11:21,364 --> 01:11:23,366 people were gonna start watching music 1697 01:11:23,408 --> 01:11:25,201 and not listen to it anymore, you know? 1698 01:11:25,285 --> 01:11:27,370 ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ 1699 01:11:27,412 --> 01:11:30,373 ROB: You didn't have to be great looking to be on MTV, 1700 01:11:30,457 --> 01:11:33,501 but you did need to have an interesting look 1701 01:11:33,585 --> 01:11:36,671 or to be deadpan or have a wink. 1702 01:11:36,713 --> 01:11:38,757 Phil Collins was a huge star on MTV. 1703 01:11:38,840 --> 01:11:40,342 Was he a matinee idol? 1704 01:11:40,425 --> 01:11:42,927 No. But he played along. 1705 01:11:43,011 --> 01:11:45,430 Cyndi Lauper is a gorgeous woman who went far 1706 01:11:45,513 --> 01:11:48,058 out of her way to make herself look weird 1707 01:11:48,099 --> 01:11:49,392 and crazy. 1708 01:11:49,434 --> 01:11:52,979 So the videos become bigger, funnier, more colorful. 1709 01:11:53,063 --> 01:11:56,733 And there are bands that want to play along with this 1710 01:11:56,816 --> 01:11:58,651 and bands that don't. 1711 01:11:58,735 --> 01:12:01,237 HUEY: You have MTV putting all these new stars 1712 01:12:01,279 --> 01:12:03,782 on the airwaves that crowds these guys out. 1713 01:12:03,865 --> 01:12:05,533 You get the influence of new wave 1714 01:12:05,575 --> 01:12:07,660 and synth pop. And then on top of that, 1715 01:12:07,744 --> 01:12:09,704 you also get the immediate impact 1716 01:12:09,746 --> 01:12:12,540 of this big blockbuster album that knocks 1717 01:12:12,582 --> 01:12:15,043 a lot of these more adult contemporary artists 1718 01:12:15,126 --> 01:12:16,461 off the pop charts. 1719 01:12:16,544 --> 01:12:18,630 ANNOUNCER: Michael Jackson is back in action 1720 01:12:18,713 --> 01:12:21,341 with his new album, Thriller. 1721 01:12:21,424 --> 01:12:24,177 ALEX: Thriller certainly helps hasten the end 1722 01:12:24,260 --> 01:12:26,763 of this moment because among other things, 1723 01:12:26,805 --> 01:12:29,307 it's the dawn of the mega music video 1724 01:12:29,391 --> 01:12:31,267 that turns everything upside down. 1725 01:12:31,351 --> 01:12:34,229 But at the same time, even Thriller is stocked 1726 01:12:34,270 --> 01:12:36,731 with guys who came from that scene. 1727 01:12:36,773 --> 01:12:40,610 It's, uh, the-- the final result of a dream 1728 01:12:40,694 --> 01:12:44,781 that we had in a studio a year and a half ago, and it worked. 1729 01:12:44,864 --> 01:12:47,283 This kind of a thing only happens as a reaction 1730 01:12:47,325 --> 01:12:48,993 of what the world wants, I think. 1731 01:12:49,077 --> 01:12:51,955 JASON: In a lot of ways, Thriller was Michael Jackson's 1732 01:12:52,038 --> 01:12:53,581 transactional commercial album. 1733 01:12:53,623 --> 01:12:55,750 They were really strategic and really shrewd, 1734 01:12:55,792 --> 01:12:58,086 and they decided to make the album 1735 01:12:58,169 --> 01:12:59,379 a kind of marketing exercise. 1736 01:12:59,462 --> 01:13:01,589 What if every song on the album could appeal 1737 01:13:01,673 --> 01:13:03,717 to a different audience? 1738 01:13:04,843 --> 01:13:06,928 HUEY: Thriller is very eclectic. 1739 01:13:07,012 --> 01:13:08,805 It's got a bunch of different styles 1740 01:13:08,847 --> 01:13:09,806 of music on it, 1741 01:13:09,889 --> 01:13:12,308 but they didn't have a lot of time to record it. 1742 01:13:12,350 --> 01:13:13,810 If you're going to pump out an album 1743 01:13:13,852 --> 01:13:16,980 in a short amount of time, you need supporting musicians 1744 01:13:17,063 --> 01:13:18,481 who can also do it all. 1745 01:13:18,523 --> 01:13:20,942 And that's where the Toto guys came in. 1746 01:13:21,026 --> 01:13:23,319 LUKATHER: I met Quincy Jones through David Foster 1747 01:13:23,403 --> 01:13:25,488 when Quincy was doing The Dude record. 1748 01:13:25,572 --> 01:13:28,324 Q took a shine to me, man. I just went in there. 1749 01:13:28,366 --> 01:13:29,534 He said, "I'm doing Michael's next record. 1750 01:13:29,617 --> 01:13:31,661 I want you to be part of it." 1751 01:13:31,703 --> 01:13:35,040 RYZNAR: The first thing we cut was the Paul McCartney duet, 1752 01:13:35,123 --> 01:13:36,499 "The Girl Is Mine." 1753 01:13:36,583 --> 01:13:39,294 Quincy began to collect Totos. 1754 01:13:39,377 --> 01:13:40,962 Quincy would use Steve Porcaro often 1755 01:13:41,004 --> 01:13:43,882 to do keyboard parts and to program synthesizers. 1756 01:13:43,965 --> 01:13:45,675 By the time Thriller came around, 1757 01:13:45,759 --> 01:13:48,470 he also brought in David Paich and Jeff Porcaro. 1758 01:13:48,511 --> 01:13:49,971 So now you've got almost the entire band 1759 01:13:50,013 --> 01:13:52,515 of Toto working with Quincy Jones 1760 01:13:52,557 --> 01:13:55,185 to back up Michael Jackson on a lot of the tracks. 1761 01:13:55,226 --> 01:13:58,021 But Quincy just needed one special song 1762 01:13:58,104 --> 01:14:00,231 to finish off the album. 1763 01:14:00,315 --> 01:14:05,695 ♪ Looking out Across the nighttime ♪ 1764 01:14:05,737 --> 01:14:08,198 ♪ She hopes To be the first in line... ♪ 1765 01:14:08,239 --> 01:14:09,491 PORCARO: When I wrote "Human Nature," 1766 01:14:09,532 --> 01:14:11,951 we were at a point after Toto IV, 1767 01:14:12,035 --> 01:14:14,579 they were wanting to do more stadium rock. 1768 01:14:14,662 --> 01:14:17,040 I played it for him and no one jumped up and down 1769 01:14:17,123 --> 01:14:20,377 and said, "Boy, did you knock one out of the park." 1770 01:14:20,418 --> 01:14:23,129 But, uh, Quincy heard it accidentally and just, 1771 01:14:23,213 --> 01:14:25,507 I think, loved the atmosphere, 1772 01:14:25,548 --> 01:14:28,051 which is always what I've kind of been about. 1773 01:14:28,093 --> 01:14:31,346 What was great is he let me reproduce my demo 1774 01:14:31,429 --> 01:14:32,555 for the most part. 1775 01:14:32,597 --> 01:14:34,808 ♪ Why, Why? ♪ 1776 01:14:34,891 --> 01:14:37,394 ♪ Tell her That it's human nature ♪ 1777 01:14:37,477 --> 01:14:42,190 ♪ Why, Why Do they do me that way? ♪ 1778 01:14:42,232 --> 01:14:44,984 QUESTLOVE: There are literally no words of what it was like 1779 01:14:45,068 --> 01:14:48,738 to be alive watching the Thriller effect 1780 01:14:48,822 --> 01:14:50,699 happen to the music industry. 1781 01:14:50,740 --> 01:14:54,244 But 40 years down the line, I think it did a lot 1782 01:14:54,327 --> 01:14:58,998 of damage to what we knew as a certain type of music 1783 01:14:59,082 --> 01:15:00,709 or a certain type of creative process. 1784 01:15:00,750 --> 01:15:04,587 Because once Thriller comes, your visuals have to be right. 1785 01:15:04,629 --> 01:15:07,674 It just started a tsunami effect 1786 01:15:07,757 --> 01:15:10,260 that if you didn't get down with it, 1787 01:15:10,343 --> 01:15:13,430 you just drowned and you're out of it. 1788 01:15:13,471 --> 01:15:15,265 INTERVIEWER: Um, how do you see this album 1789 01:15:15,306 --> 01:15:16,641 different from your first one? 1790 01:15:16,725 --> 01:15:18,435 This album will be a little more plain. 1791 01:15:18,518 --> 01:15:19,936 It'll be like, um... 1792 01:15:20,812 --> 01:15:22,480 Well, maybe simpler in places. 1793 01:15:22,564 --> 01:15:25,233 There may be songs without drums or whatever. 1794 01:15:25,275 --> 01:15:29,654 And, you know, more space to the record, probably. 1795 01:15:29,738 --> 01:15:32,615 INTERVIEWER: (LAUGHS) So wish you lots of luck 1796 01:15:32,657 --> 01:15:34,325 -and please... -Thanks. 1797 01:15:34,409 --> 01:15:35,577 INTERVIEWER: Let your smash coming, 1798 01:15:35,660 --> 01:15:36,703 you know, keep coming here. 1799 01:15:36,786 --> 01:15:37,954 Good. Everybody will be looking for it. 1800 01:15:38,038 --> 01:15:40,331 Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait. 1801 01:15:40,415 --> 01:15:41,583 CHRISTOPHER: Radio had been embracing 1802 01:15:41,666 --> 01:15:43,376 my first album across formats, 1803 01:15:43,460 --> 01:15:45,879 and they sort of decided I was a balladeer at that point. 1804 01:15:45,962 --> 01:15:48,548 He's in a tuxedo, riding with Burt Bacharach. 1805 01:15:48,631 --> 01:15:49,799 He's schmoozy, he's schmaltzy. 1806 01:15:49,841 --> 01:15:52,719 So then work reflects your personal life. 1807 01:15:52,802 --> 01:15:54,054 And I'd been through a divorce, 1808 01:15:54,137 --> 01:15:56,681 and I wrote a very ballad-heavy, 1809 01:15:56,765 --> 01:15:57,891 torchy kind of record. 1810 01:15:57,974 --> 01:15:59,267 Some very pretty songs on it, 1811 01:15:59,309 --> 01:16:02,812 but it wasn't as eclectic and balanced as my first record. 1812 01:16:02,854 --> 01:16:05,273 And I think I lost a lot of momentum at radio. 1813 01:16:05,315 --> 01:16:07,067 And so as time went on, 1814 01:16:07,150 --> 01:16:09,319 I was always battling that sophomore jinx. 1815 01:16:09,361 --> 01:16:11,654 (AUDIENCE CHEERING) 1816 01:16:11,738 --> 01:16:12,822 STEVEN: With Christopher Cross, 1817 01:16:12,864 --> 01:16:15,742 what explains his career is gravity. 1818 01:16:15,825 --> 01:16:17,827 The winners are Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, 1819 01:16:17,869 --> 01:16:19,996 -Christopher Cross, and Peter Allen. -(AUDIENCE CHEERING) 1820 01:16:20,080 --> 01:16:23,500 STEVEN: He had all these extraordinary achievements 1821 01:16:23,541 --> 01:16:25,335 right away. 1822 01:16:25,418 --> 01:16:27,212 He shot into the stratosphere, 1823 01:16:27,295 --> 01:16:29,381 and there just was nowhere else 1824 01:16:29,464 --> 01:16:31,841 left to go but down at that point. 1825 01:16:31,883 --> 01:16:33,760 His albums speak for themselves. They sell in the millions. 1826 01:16:33,843 --> 01:16:35,762 He's here tonight with a song from his second album. 1827 01:16:35,845 --> 01:16:37,180 Here's another great talent for you to meet. 1828 01:16:37,222 --> 01:16:40,141 -Christopher Cross, here. -(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) 1829 01:16:41,226 --> 01:16:42,435 CHRISTOPHER: It was sort of meteoric 1830 01:16:42,519 --> 01:16:43,728 and there was nowhere to go but down. 1831 01:16:43,812 --> 01:16:44,938 I was not prepared for it. 1832 01:16:45,021 --> 01:16:46,898 I went from playing clubs to 20,000 seaters. 1833 01:16:46,981 --> 01:16:49,067 So I don't think I handled the whole thing very well. 1834 01:16:49,150 --> 01:16:51,152 And, you know, kind of wish I could go back and do it again. 1835 01:16:51,236 --> 01:16:55,573 But I think that period of time was just kind of a big blur. 1836 01:16:55,657 --> 01:16:59,077 And I was just treading water to keep up. 1837 01:16:59,160 --> 01:17:00,995 I didn't really acclimate to my success 1838 01:17:01,037 --> 01:17:02,747 until I wasn't sort of famous anymore. 1839 01:17:02,831 --> 01:17:04,249 HOWARD STERN: Oh, you know who's stopping by? 1840 01:17:04,332 --> 01:17:05,542 Uh, Christopher Cross. 1841 01:17:05,625 --> 01:17:07,877 Remember that guy? 1842 01:17:07,961 --> 01:17:10,672 HUEY: Once we get into the '80s, movie soundtracks 1843 01:17:10,755 --> 01:17:14,926 become a safe haven for a lot of these yacht rock guys 1844 01:17:15,010 --> 01:17:17,595 to extend their pop stardom careers 1845 01:17:17,679 --> 01:17:19,139 at least a few more years. 1846 01:17:19,222 --> 01:17:20,890 That's where the commercial opportunities 1847 01:17:20,932 --> 01:17:22,726 are available for them all of a sudden 1848 01:17:22,809 --> 01:17:25,812 in this new, video-centric MTV age. 1849 01:17:25,895 --> 01:17:27,939 Thanks to soundtrack success with songs like 1850 01:17:28,023 --> 01:17:30,442 "Footloose," "I'm Alright," and "Danger Zone," 1851 01:17:30,525 --> 01:17:32,402 this star continues to mix movie hits 1852 01:17:32,444 --> 01:17:34,612 with his own singing and songwriting. 1853 01:17:34,696 --> 01:17:36,656 RYZNAR: Once Kenny Loggins started to transition 1854 01:17:36,740 --> 01:17:39,951 to movie soundtracks, he blew up. 1855 01:17:40,035 --> 01:17:42,954 That turned out to be his bread and butter. 1856 01:17:43,038 --> 01:17:44,622 STEVEN: The thing with Kenny Loggins is 1857 01:17:44,706 --> 01:17:47,125 that he's still a yacht rock artist, 1858 01:17:47,208 --> 01:17:50,587 but he's not really making yacht rock songs. 1859 01:17:50,628 --> 01:17:52,756 But really, like, that was the point, 1860 01:17:52,797 --> 01:17:55,258 that he was maybe the most successful 1861 01:17:55,300 --> 01:17:58,636 at distancing himself from this sound 1862 01:17:58,720 --> 01:18:01,181 that by then had become passé. 1863 01:18:02,265 --> 01:18:04,225 RYZNAR: And then you get "Sweet Freedom," 1864 01:18:04,309 --> 01:18:06,770 Michael McDonald's chance to finally do 1865 01:18:06,811 --> 01:18:08,897 a successful movie song like his buddy Kenny Loggins 1866 01:18:08,980 --> 01:18:10,732 had been doing for the last couple of years. 1867 01:18:10,815 --> 01:18:12,859 And it's the exclamation point at the end 1868 01:18:12,942 --> 01:18:14,611 of the yacht rock era. 1869 01:18:14,694 --> 01:18:17,113 STEVEN: In a way, the "Sweet Freedom" video 1870 01:18:17,197 --> 01:18:19,449 is almost like the beginning of what you see 1871 01:18:19,491 --> 01:18:23,578 at yacht rock tribute concerts. It's almost like the genesis 1872 01:18:23,620 --> 01:18:25,830 of what that genre is going to be 1873 01:18:25,914 --> 01:18:27,707 like, 20 years in the future. 1874 01:18:27,791 --> 01:18:30,210 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ 1875 01:18:30,293 --> 01:18:32,462 HUEY: When you get into the mid-'80s, 1876 01:18:32,545 --> 01:18:33,588 all the major figures 1877 01:18:33,630 --> 01:18:35,173 of yacht rock pretty much slipped 1878 01:18:35,256 --> 01:18:36,424 one way or another. 1879 01:18:36,466 --> 01:18:39,761 Michael McDonald is struggling trying to make his second album. 1880 01:18:39,803 --> 01:18:42,681 Donald Fagen has writer's block after The Nightfly, 1881 01:18:42,764 --> 01:18:46,267 and he just sort of retreats into the background. 1882 01:18:46,309 --> 01:18:50,271 Kenny Loggins is getting into synth pop and soundtrack work. 1883 01:18:50,313 --> 01:18:53,441 Christopher Cross, he's also having some writer's block. 1884 01:18:53,525 --> 01:18:55,610 Toto fired Bobby Kimball, 1885 01:18:55,652 --> 01:18:57,821 the guy who did all the high vocals, 1886 01:18:57,862 --> 01:19:00,699 and was struggling to replace him. 1887 01:19:00,782 --> 01:19:03,702 ROB: Artists run out of hits. It happens. 1888 01:19:03,785 --> 01:19:06,204 The zeitgeist moves on without you. 1889 01:19:06,287 --> 01:19:10,000 The fact is Top 40 careers have a natural end. 1890 01:19:10,083 --> 01:19:12,669 They always do and always will. 1891 01:19:12,711 --> 01:19:14,504 PORCARO: I'll quote my brother Mike. 1892 01:19:14,587 --> 01:19:15,714 Mike used to always say, 1893 01:19:15,797 --> 01:19:18,133 "The groove is a delicate thing." 1894 01:19:18,174 --> 01:19:20,719 You know, especially when you have success, 1895 01:19:20,802 --> 01:19:23,805 it's hard to keep your humility, uh, and not think, 1896 01:19:23,847 --> 01:19:25,432 "Oh, I've got it figured out now." 1897 01:19:26,599 --> 01:19:29,185 STEVEN: And you can only have so many hit albums 1898 01:19:29,269 --> 01:19:32,022 and number-one singles and Grammys 1899 01:19:32,063 --> 01:19:34,983 before the public just says, "Enough. 1900 01:19:35,025 --> 01:19:38,445 No matter how good you are, like, we need something new." 1901 01:19:39,237 --> 01:19:40,447 1985? 1902 01:19:41,156 --> 01:19:42,240 Poof! 1903 01:19:43,366 --> 01:19:45,452 Like a fucking fart, man. 1904 01:19:45,535 --> 01:19:47,328 ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 1905 01:19:53,418 --> 01:19:55,503 (RECORD SCRATCHING) 1906 01:19:57,255 --> 01:19:59,716 PRINCE: It just caught us from the first play. 1907 01:19:59,758 --> 01:20:02,635 As soon as you heard it, you just like-- 1908 01:20:02,719 --> 01:20:04,554 it just spoke to you. 1909 01:20:04,637 --> 01:20:06,598 ♪ I've seen your picture... ♪ 1910 01:20:07,724 --> 01:20:09,809 PRINCE: The Aja album, but specifically "Peg," 1911 01:20:09,893 --> 01:20:11,061 was definitely a hood song 1912 01:20:11,102 --> 01:20:12,437 because you heard it in the hood. 1913 01:20:12,520 --> 01:20:16,858 You could hear it blasting in people's houses, at parties, 1914 01:20:16,941 --> 01:20:18,943 and that's probably one of the big influences 1915 01:20:19,027 --> 01:20:21,279 why when Pos from De La heard it, he's like, 1916 01:20:21,363 --> 01:20:22,906 "Yo, we gotta use this." 1917 01:20:22,947 --> 01:20:26,826 Because it was etched in our childhood growing up. 1918 01:20:26,910 --> 01:20:28,953 ♪ ("EYE KNOW" BY DE LA SOUL PLAYING) ♪ 1919 01:20:32,916 --> 01:20:35,168 ♪ Greetings, girl And welcome to my world ♪ 1920 01:20:35,251 --> 01:20:37,420 ♪ Of phrase I'm right up to bat... ♪ 1921 01:20:37,462 --> 01:20:38,922 PRINCE: The music was incredible to begin with 1922 01:20:39,005 --> 01:20:40,382 because you're starting out with a base 1923 01:20:40,465 --> 01:20:42,592 that's already hit song just based on 1924 01:20:42,676 --> 01:20:43,927 the instrumental itself. 1925 01:20:43,968 --> 01:20:47,138 But then the inspiration of the lyrics 1926 01:20:47,222 --> 01:20:49,432 and how the lyrics were and it was beautiful. 1927 01:20:49,474 --> 01:20:52,018 It's about, you know, love, relationships. 1928 01:20:52,102 --> 01:20:55,271 But he could have rhymed about buckling my shoe 1929 01:20:55,313 --> 01:20:58,233 and eating crap over that beat and it would have worked 1930 01:20:58,316 --> 01:21:00,777 because the music is just so... (CHUCKLES) 1931 01:21:00,819 --> 01:21:02,862 ...you know what I'm saying, just so dope. 1932 01:21:04,322 --> 01:21:06,116 QUESTLOVE: In the case of De La Soul, 1933 01:21:06,157 --> 01:21:07,450 they decided, "You know what?" 1934 01:21:07,534 --> 01:21:11,037 "You mere peasants are taking from the low-hanging fruit 1935 01:21:11,121 --> 01:21:13,373 of James Brown and George Clinton 1936 01:21:13,456 --> 01:21:15,083 and the incredible bongo rock band. 1937 01:21:15,166 --> 01:21:16,584 Like, anybody can do that. 1938 01:21:16,626 --> 01:21:19,587 But can you do something with this Hall & Oates thing? 1939 01:21:19,629 --> 01:21:22,966 Can you do something with this Steely Dan thing? 1940 01:21:23,049 --> 01:21:27,137 Can we find magic on records by groups 1941 01:21:27,178 --> 01:21:30,265 that are not under the funk ilk?" 1942 01:21:30,348 --> 01:21:32,225 And the answer is a resounding yes. 1943 01:21:32,308 --> 01:21:36,312 If it has a pulse, and if it has life, 1944 01:21:36,396 --> 01:21:37,647 it's up for grabs. 1945 01:21:37,731 --> 01:21:40,108 ♪ Eye know I love you better... ♪ 1946 01:21:41,317 --> 01:21:42,986 HUEY: Yacht rock has a foundation 1947 01:21:43,028 --> 01:21:44,195 in jazz and R&B, 1948 01:21:44,279 --> 01:21:47,991 and the result of that is that Black audiences 1949 01:21:48,074 --> 01:21:49,993 appreciate this stuff sometimes more 1950 01:21:50,076 --> 01:21:52,162 than the White audiences did at the time. 1951 01:21:52,203 --> 01:21:55,081 So that's how you get Warren G sampling 1952 01:21:55,165 --> 01:21:59,586 a Michael McDonald record for a gangster rap hit. 1953 01:21:59,669 --> 01:22:02,589 ♪ It was a clear black night A clear white moon ♪ 1954 01:22:02,672 --> 01:22:03,631 ♪ Warren G was on the streets ♪ 1955 01:22:03,673 --> 01:22:06,176 ♪ Tryin' to consume Some skirts for the eve ♪ 1956 01:22:06,217 --> 01:22:08,845 ♪ So I can get some phones Rollin' in my ride ♪ 1957 01:22:08,928 --> 01:22:10,055 ♪ Chillin' all alone ♪ 1958 01:22:10,138 --> 01:22:12,349 ♪ Just hit the eastside Of the L-B-C... ♪ 1959 01:22:12,432 --> 01:22:15,560 When I first heard "Regulate," I'm like, 1960 01:22:15,643 --> 01:22:18,146 "I know what this is." (LAUGHS) 1961 01:22:18,188 --> 01:22:21,024 It becomes a point when you're making hip-hop songs, 1962 01:22:21,107 --> 01:22:22,734 who has the smarts to use it first? 1963 01:22:22,817 --> 01:22:25,195 And I'll give them credit for taking it 1964 01:22:25,236 --> 01:22:26,696 and hearing something and go, 1965 01:22:26,738 --> 01:22:29,532 "We're gonna make something out of this. This moves us." 1966 01:22:29,574 --> 01:22:31,534 MAC: It makes sense, though, because it's like, 1967 01:22:31,618 --> 01:22:33,536 the records just sound so good. 1968 01:22:33,620 --> 01:22:35,288 Like, I'm sitting there with the headphones on, 1969 01:22:35,372 --> 01:22:37,332 being like, "Oh, my God," like, "How did they mic the drums?" 1970 01:22:37,374 --> 01:22:39,626 Like, this is insane, you know? But it's like, 1971 01:22:39,709 --> 01:22:41,753 it sounds that good. You might as well just use it. 1972 01:22:41,836 --> 01:22:43,546 And that Warren G song is dope. 1973 01:22:43,588 --> 01:22:46,174 So it's like, they already did it once. 1974 01:22:46,216 --> 01:22:48,385 Let's just bring it back. 1975 01:22:48,426 --> 01:22:50,553 JASON: When you look at the rise of G-funk music 1976 01:22:50,595 --> 01:22:53,723 in the 1990s, that is a kind of smooth, 1977 01:22:53,807 --> 01:22:55,475 laid-back approach to hip-hop. 1978 01:22:55,558 --> 01:22:58,311 It made sense in a lot of ways that they would reach back 1979 01:22:58,395 --> 01:23:01,898 to the West Coast sound of the smooth funk 1980 01:23:01,940 --> 01:23:03,733 and jazz of that time period. 1981 01:23:05,193 --> 01:23:08,029 ♪ I'm tweakin' Into a whole new era ♪ 1982 01:23:08,113 --> 01:23:10,657 ♪ G-funk, step to this I dare ya... ♪ 1983 01:23:10,740 --> 01:23:14,119 He's talking about G-funk and G is for Gangsta. 1984 01:23:14,619 --> 01:23:15,453 You know what I mean? 1985 01:23:15,537 --> 01:23:20,250 Like, the lineage of N.W.A. is Warren G. 1986 01:23:20,291 --> 01:23:22,210 And one of the most important songs 1987 01:23:22,252 --> 01:23:25,588 of the G-funk era is "Regulate." 1988 01:23:25,672 --> 01:23:28,883 And he's, like, giving Michael McDonald new life. 1989 01:23:28,967 --> 01:23:31,803 It's almost like he gets a second chance 1990 01:23:32,554 --> 01:23:33,972 at going to the top. 1991 01:23:34,055 --> 01:23:36,433 ♪ Gangster twist If you smoke... ♪ 1992 01:23:36,516 --> 01:23:38,268 MICHAEL: Warren liked the groove. 1993 01:23:38,351 --> 01:23:40,603 He loved Jeff's drumming, and he just loved 1994 01:23:40,687 --> 01:23:42,814 the chord progression we had come up with. 1995 01:23:42,897 --> 01:23:45,984 So he sampled it for this track of his, 1996 01:23:46,067 --> 01:23:48,862 and it became a massive hit. 1997 01:23:48,945 --> 01:23:50,071 And of course, that was the version 1998 01:23:50,113 --> 01:23:51,865 my kids liked. They'd go, "Why don't you do 1999 01:23:51,948 --> 01:23:54,034 the... Warren G's version, 2000 01:23:54,117 --> 01:23:56,953 because, you know, yours is lame?" 2001 01:23:56,995 --> 01:23:58,788 ♪ ("SHOW YOU THE WAY" BY THUNDERCAT PLAYING) ♪ 2002 01:23:58,872 --> 01:24:00,665 THUNDERCAT: From the beginnings of hip-hop to now, 2003 01:24:00,749 --> 01:24:03,585 the value of the right sample, the right chop, 2004 01:24:03,668 --> 01:24:06,463 the right beat is just as important to me 2005 01:24:06,504 --> 01:24:09,090 as the value of the song that was created. 2006 01:24:09,132 --> 01:24:10,300 And you can play an instrument, 2007 01:24:10,342 --> 01:24:11,801 but that doesn't mean you have feel. 2008 01:24:11,843 --> 01:24:15,138 And there's a certain froth of what these moments create 2009 01:24:15,221 --> 01:24:17,891 that you can only get from that. 2010 01:24:17,974 --> 01:24:19,517 You can try to call somebody to replay it 2011 01:24:19,601 --> 01:24:21,436 and it'd be like, "Man, that sucks." 2012 01:24:21,478 --> 01:24:22,729 It's like, well, yeah, because you're talking 2013 01:24:22,812 --> 01:24:24,481 about Donald Fagen. Like, what are you talking? 2014 01:24:24,522 --> 01:24:25,648 You can't... 2015 01:24:25,690 --> 01:24:27,317 There is one of these people, 2016 01:24:27,400 --> 01:24:29,027 even though we all have similar traits 2017 01:24:29,110 --> 01:24:30,945 and we've all been given the same sets 2018 01:24:30,987 --> 01:24:32,280 of fingers and hands for the most part, 2019 01:24:32,322 --> 01:24:34,407 there's a part where, nah, man, 2020 01:24:34,491 --> 01:24:37,077 when that person does it, that's theirs. 2021 01:24:37,160 --> 01:24:38,703 So you can only get it from them. 2022 01:24:38,787 --> 01:24:40,580 ♪ Where no one can tell Their worlds apart ♪ 2023 01:24:40,663 --> 01:24:44,668 ♪ We'll live with dark Just take the ride ♪ 2024 01:24:44,751 --> 01:24:46,378 ♪ It's your boy... ♪ 2025 01:24:46,461 --> 01:24:48,129 THUNDERCAT: "Show You the Way" is this moment for me. 2026 01:24:48,171 --> 01:24:50,340 Like, "What can I do to this? What is this?" 2027 01:24:50,423 --> 01:24:52,175 It's always ticking in my mind. 2028 01:24:52,217 --> 01:24:54,427 And in the back of my mind, I was definitely like, 2029 01:24:54,511 --> 01:24:59,015 "Man, this is Kenny and Michael." (LAUGHS) 2030 01:24:59,099 --> 01:25:02,018 ♪ Your heart Is struggling, baby ♪ 2031 01:25:02,060 --> 01:25:04,979 ♪ Trying to believe ♪ 2032 01:25:05,021 --> 01:25:09,734 ♪ There might be something That you just couldn't see ♪ 2033 01:25:09,818 --> 01:25:13,196 KENNY: Thundercat, somebody asked him on camera, 2034 01:25:13,279 --> 01:25:15,365 you know, who he would like to write with. 2035 01:25:15,407 --> 01:25:17,701 And he said, Kenny Loggins and Mike McDonald. 2036 01:25:17,742 --> 01:25:23,415 ♪ Let me show you Show you the way... ♪ 2037 01:25:24,249 --> 01:25:25,750 MICHAEL: So we all met up at the studio. 2038 01:25:25,834 --> 01:25:27,711 Steve played us a bunch of stuff he was doing. 2039 01:25:27,794 --> 01:25:30,422 And there was one thing he had already started. 2040 01:25:30,505 --> 01:25:32,757 And one of us, Kenny or I, said, 2041 01:25:32,841 --> 01:25:36,678 "That kind of rings our bell, you know, right there." 2042 01:25:36,761 --> 01:25:38,596 ♪ Wake up and dream ♪ 2043 01:25:39,848 --> 01:25:41,766 ♪ Tear down the wall ♪ 2044 01:25:42,934 --> 01:25:45,562 ♪ Before you believe... ♪ 2045 01:25:45,645 --> 01:25:47,480 THUNDERCAT: I would always introduce Michael McDonald, 2046 01:25:47,564 --> 01:25:49,149 like, "Michael fucking McDonald." 2047 01:25:49,232 --> 01:25:51,443 You know, like, I'd make sure to emphasize that. 2048 01:25:51,526 --> 01:25:54,279 To be able to share the stage with him, like, 2049 01:25:54,362 --> 01:25:55,905 this guy's, you know, 2050 01:25:55,989 --> 01:25:57,907 like, you've influenced every decision I've made 2051 01:25:57,949 --> 01:26:00,118 when it comes to the types of way I express myself, 2052 01:26:00,201 --> 01:26:01,995 when it comes to musically. 2053 01:26:02,078 --> 01:26:03,705 It was a trip, man. It's-- 2054 01:26:03,747 --> 01:26:05,498 Anytime he's ever come out, and even Kenny, 2055 01:26:05,582 --> 01:26:07,792 it's like, it's been a trip for me. 2056 01:26:07,876 --> 01:26:11,421 Thundercat, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins. 2057 01:26:11,463 --> 01:26:12,922 -(AUDIENCE CHEERING) -Fantastic! 2058 01:26:12,964 --> 01:26:15,467 I fully expected to be totally forgotten by the end 2059 01:26:15,550 --> 01:26:19,179 of the '80s, you know, and gone the wayside 2060 01:26:19,262 --> 01:26:21,598 of other musical genres that had their moment 2061 01:26:21,681 --> 01:26:22,599 in the sun, you know. 2062 01:26:22,640 --> 01:26:24,893 (SING-SONG) The tambour in my voice allows me 2063 01:26:24,976 --> 01:26:26,770 to communicate with whales. 2064 01:26:26,811 --> 01:26:28,438 ♪ Maybe that can help ♪ 2065 01:26:28,521 --> 01:26:30,899 FRED: There's nothing greater in a way for any genre 2066 01:26:30,982 --> 01:26:32,942 of anything to be joked about 2067 01:26:33,026 --> 01:26:35,403 because it means that it's relevant. 2068 01:26:35,445 --> 01:26:38,281 It means that it's identifiable. 2069 01:26:38,323 --> 01:26:42,202 -♪ Catalina Breeze ♪ -♪ Catalina ♪ 2070 01:26:42,285 --> 01:26:47,415 -♪ Catalina Breeze ♪ -♪ Catalina ♪ 2071 01:26:47,457 --> 01:26:49,459 FRED: I mean, in a way, Blue Jean Committee, 2072 01:26:49,542 --> 01:26:50,752 you could see it as a joke 2073 01:26:50,835 --> 01:26:54,631 but it's still completely done out of love. 2074 01:26:54,714 --> 01:26:56,132 When I hear those songs, I'm like, 2075 01:26:56,174 --> 01:26:57,801 "How did they do this?" 2076 01:26:57,842 --> 01:26:59,344 Boy, they were not in a rush. 2077 01:26:59,427 --> 01:27:02,347 -WALTER WHITE: Steely Dan. -Uh, no. 2078 01:27:02,430 --> 01:27:04,474 WALTER: Yes, absolutely. No, look. 2079 01:27:04,557 --> 01:27:06,810 No, in terms of pure musicianship, 2080 01:27:06,851 --> 01:27:07,644 I would put them up 2081 01:27:07,686 --> 01:27:09,312 against any current band you can name. 2082 01:27:09,354 --> 01:27:12,023 AMANDA: In recent years, there has been a shift 2083 01:27:12,107 --> 01:27:14,192 that I think has opened up some space 2084 01:27:14,275 --> 01:27:16,236 for dunking on White guys, you know? 2085 01:27:16,319 --> 01:27:18,822 And I think yacht rock is folded into that. 2086 01:27:18,905 --> 01:27:21,324 Warren, you lucky motherfucker. 2087 01:27:21,366 --> 01:27:24,703 You need a smooth groove? Sample this. 2088 01:27:24,786 --> 01:27:26,621 ALEX: This thing, you come to it jokingly, 2089 01:27:26,663 --> 01:27:28,289 but then you suddenly find yourself 2090 01:27:28,373 --> 01:27:29,666 appreciating it sincerely. 2091 01:27:29,749 --> 01:27:31,710 And I think that that's sort of beautiful that like 2092 01:27:31,793 --> 01:27:34,170 all of these records were sitting in the dollar bin 2093 01:27:34,212 --> 01:27:36,339 waiting for somebody to pull them out 2094 01:27:36,423 --> 01:27:37,882 and kind of make a case for them. 2095 01:27:37,966 --> 01:27:41,511 And it feels fresh and it feels like a '70s 2096 01:27:41,553 --> 01:27:45,682 that we haven't necessarily strip-mined culturally. 2097 01:27:45,765 --> 01:27:47,392 And I think it's an amazing achievement 2098 01:27:47,475 --> 01:27:50,020 to retroactively name a genre 2099 01:27:50,103 --> 01:27:52,772 through your low-budget web series 2100 01:27:52,856 --> 01:27:55,650 that you're filming in your apartment. 2101 01:27:55,692 --> 01:27:58,069 STEVEN: I can't really think of another genre 2102 01:27:58,153 --> 01:28:00,947 that was like invented to describe music 2103 01:28:01,031 --> 01:28:03,283 25 years after the fact. 2104 01:28:03,366 --> 01:28:07,579 Another genre that, uh, wasn't named at the time, 2105 01:28:07,662 --> 01:28:10,415 that was named way after was classical. 2106 01:28:10,498 --> 01:28:13,043 Beethoven, you know, Mozart, none of these people were going 2107 01:28:13,126 --> 01:28:14,878 like, "Yeah, we're classical artists, 2108 01:28:14,961 --> 01:28:16,046 we do classical." 2109 01:28:16,087 --> 01:28:17,547 And they were like, "Do you wanna do something else?" 2110 01:28:17,630 --> 01:28:19,716 Like, "No, we're gonna play classical." 2111 01:28:21,009 --> 01:28:23,595 QUESTLOVE: Upon his passing, I was trying to figure out 2112 01:28:23,678 --> 01:28:26,222 the most heartfelt, loving tribute 2113 01:28:26,264 --> 01:28:29,893 that I could pay to my pal, Anthony Bourdain. 2114 01:28:29,976 --> 01:28:33,938 And I crafted a playlist. 2115 01:28:34,022 --> 01:28:37,359 And I think of all my playlists, 2116 01:28:37,400 --> 01:28:39,569 that's probably the most followed. 2117 01:28:39,652 --> 01:28:43,865 Like, everyone and their mom comes to me either to start 2118 01:28:43,907 --> 01:28:46,451 an argument with, "Take that off the playlist, 2119 01:28:46,534 --> 01:28:50,622 that is not yacht rock," to "You forgot these ten." 2120 01:28:50,705 --> 01:28:52,665 So, go figure. 2121 01:28:53,750 --> 01:28:56,252 But you're drowning in the past, Mike. 2122 01:28:56,336 --> 01:28:58,421 And I got your life jacket right here. 2123 01:28:58,463 --> 01:29:00,715 It's called the '80s. 2124 01:29:00,757 --> 01:29:02,217 And it's gonna be around forever. 2125 01:29:02,258 --> 01:29:03,551 Fuck you, Loggins. 2126 01:29:04,678 --> 01:29:08,723 KENNY: At first, I felt, like, a little insulted, 2127 01:29:08,807 --> 01:29:10,600 like we were being made fun of. 2128 01:29:10,642 --> 01:29:13,603 But I began to see that it was also 2129 01:29:13,687 --> 01:29:16,106 a kind of ass-backwards way to honor us. 2130 01:29:16,147 --> 01:29:19,025 And it was pretty funny, you know, the whole sort of 2131 01:29:19,109 --> 01:29:22,487 alternate reality history that they were creating. 2132 01:29:22,570 --> 01:29:25,031 They had taken what we were doing 2133 01:29:25,115 --> 01:29:27,283 and defined it as a genre. 2134 01:29:27,367 --> 01:29:28,576 We hadn't really seen it that way. 2135 01:29:28,618 --> 01:29:31,830 To us, it was just the next logical step in making, 2136 01:29:31,913 --> 01:29:33,373 you know, pop music. 2137 01:29:33,456 --> 01:29:34,457 When are we gonna be done? 2138 01:29:34,541 --> 01:29:35,917 TODD BISHOP: Till you get it perfect. 2139 01:29:35,959 --> 01:29:37,419 Take 537. 2140 01:29:37,460 --> 01:29:39,713 MICHAEL: What's funny about it to me was my son 2141 01:29:39,796 --> 01:29:42,549 couldn't wait to show me this thing he'd found 2142 01:29:42,632 --> 01:29:44,300 on the Internet. And it was hysterical. 2143 01:29:44,342 --> 01:29:46,136 I couldn't deny that it was funny. 2144 01:29:46,177 --> 01:29:48,638 I thought it was kind of uncanny at times how they made up 2145 01:29:48,722 --> 01:29:51,474 these personalities that more or less 2146 01:29:51,516 --> 01:29:55,395 had some basis of truth, whether they knew it or not. 2147 01:29:55,478 --> 01:29:56,855 I always thought it was kind of flattering 2148 01:29:56,938 --> 01:30:00,442 to be made fun of because obviously, 2149 01:30:00,525 --> 01:30:02,318 it made an impression on somebody. 2150 01:30:02,360 --> 01:30:03,486 Whether it's good or bad, 2151 01:30:03,528 --> 01:30:05,447 it doesn't really matter at that point, you know. 2152 01:30:05,488 --> 01:30:07,157 -We love yacht rock! -(CHEERS) 2153 01:30:07,198 --> 01:30:09,951 It's a funny thing. It's sort of like forensic labeling. 2154 01:30:10,035 --> 01:30:11,202 It's way after the fact 2155 01:30:11,286 --> 01:30:13,246 that this term has come into parlance. 2156 01:30:13,329 --> 01:30:14,539 And as a result, 2157 01:30:14,622 --> 01:30:17,167 it's probably done more for that kind of music. 2158 01:30:17,208 --> 01:30:19,461 So, you know, in the end, 2159 01:30:19,502 --> 01:30:21,671 I guess it was a good idea. (CHUCKLES) 2160 01:30:21,755 --> 01:30:23,340 PACK: I've made peace with yacht rock, 2161 01:30:23,423 --> 01:30:25,800 but for the first few years, I just hated it. 2162 01:30:25,842 --> 01:30:29,346 I'm like, why did they pick our generation 2163 01:30:29,429 --> 01:30:32,390 to make all of our music into like a big joke, 2164 01:30:32,474 --> 01:30:34,434 but it's turned into this cottage industry 2165 01:30:34,517 --> 01:30:36,519 as... (CHUCKLES) I mean... 2166 01:30:36,561 --> 01:30:38,188 I'd love to see what Donald Fagen says 2167 01:30:38,271 --> 01:30:40,065 about Yacht Rock Radio. 2168 01:31:08,385 --> 01:31:09,844 (DISCONNECT TONE BEEPING) 2169 01:31:13,807 --> 01:31:15,642 LUKATHER: I don't know what it is about all the music 2170 01:31:15,725 --> 01:31:16,935 that I've ever been involved with, 2171 01:31:17,018 --> 01:31:19,104 but there has to be a silly title involved 2172 01:31:19,187 --> 01:31:20,605 with it as well. 2173 01:31:20,689 --> 01:31:23,149 "Yacht Rock." Where's my fucking yacht? 2174 01:31:23,233 --> 01:31:25,610 I played on all those records. 2175 01:31:25,694 --> 01:31:28,196 At the same time, call it what you want. 2176 01:31:28,238 --> 01:31:29,364 People like the music. 2177 01:31:29,447 --> 01:31:31,074 GARRET: 2178 01:31:31,157 --> 01:31:34,411 It was called my career. I'm going to work today, 2179 01:31:34,494 --> 01:31:36,705 and that's the music I'm playing. 2180 01:31:36,788 --> 01:31:39,165 PORCARO: Every day, I wake up real early, 2181 01:31:39,249 --> 01:31:42,085 and I go to work in my studio writing songs, 2182 01:31:42,168 --> 01:31:43,962 trying to come up with the next "Human Nature." 2183 01:31:44,045 --> 01:31:47,215 That's all I do now, and I'm in heaven. 2184 01:31:47,257 --> 01:31:49,384 I'm loving it. Um... 2185 01:31:49,467 --> 01:31:51,261 I'm 65, and there's not that many people 2186 01:31:51,302 --> 01:31:54,347 that care anymore, but in my head, 2187 01:31:54,431 --> 01:31:57,142 I'm living the dream, so... 2188 01:31:57,225 --> 01:32:00,145 KENNY: I really never imagined that I'd be doing it this long. 2189 01:32:00,228 --> 01:32:02,939 I'm so lucky that I get to sing for a living. 2190 01:32:03,023 --> 01:32:04,482 How sweet can that be? 2191 01:32:04,566 --> 01:32:06,985 Even though my later records didn't sell, you know, 2192 01:32:07,068 --> 01:32:09,946 and I made 12 of them, the drive to do it 2193 01:32:10,030 --> 01:32:11,114 never really dissipated. 2194 01:32:11,156 --> 01:32:12,240 I just kept on doing it 2195 01:32:12,282 --> 01:32:14,701 because it seemed like sort of a natural process 2196 01:32:14,784 --> 01:32:17,495 and an insatiable need I needed to do it. 2197 01:32:17,579 --> 01:32:18,913 I think I know why I was put here, 2198 01:32:18,997 --> 01:32:21,291 and I think I did my best to honor that, you know? 2199 01:32:21,332 --> 01:32:25,545 But my fantasy has been like, you know, if I do retire, 2200 01:32:25,628 --> 01:32:29,466 I'll be able to do all the things I promised myself 2201 01:32:29,507 --> 01:32:30,800 I'd do, which I probably wouldn't do. 2202 01:32:30,884 --> 01:32:33,136 But, uh, you know, like exercise 2203 01:32:33,219 --> 01:32:35,138 and eat right and paint 2204 01:32:35,221 --> 01:32:38,975 and get a little gig somewhere, three nights a week, 2205 01:32:39,017 --> 01:32:42,395 learning all these songs I've always wanted to do live. 2206 01:32:42,479 --> 01:32:44,522 But I realized the reality of that is 2207 01:32:44,606 --> 01:32:46,316 I'd have some drunk sitting there... 2208 01:32:46,358 --> 01:32:48,068 -(LAUGHS) Yeah. -...asking me to... 2209 01:32:48,151 --> 01:32:50,487 requesting songs, I'd have to get some sign 2210 01:32:50,570 --> 01:32:52,489 that says, "No fucking requests." 2211 01:32:52,572 --> 01:32:54,157 ♪ ("I GOTTA TRY" BY MICHAEL MCDONALD PLAYING) ♪ 2212 01:32:54,199 --> 01:32:56,993 ♪ Maybe it's true What they say about ♪ 2213 01:32:57,077 --> 01:33:01,164 ♪ Maybe we can't Make the ends meet ♪ 2214 01:33:01,247 --> 01:33:05,543 ♪ Maybe we'll all have To do without ♪ 2215 01:33:05,627 --> 01:33:09,923 ♪ Maybe this world's Just incomplete ♪ 2216 01:33:10,006 --> 01:33:14,928 ♪ Well, we all look For truth in this life ♪ 2217 01:33:15,011 --> 01:33:18,848 ♪ Searching with hope inside ♪ 2218 01:33:18,890 --> 01:33:22,977 ♪ If it's so hard living In a desperate world ♪ 2219 01:33:23,019 --> 01:33:26,564 ♪ We all do the best That we can ♪ 2220 01:33:26,648 --> 01:33:30,068 ♪ Some people see a change ♪ 2221 01:33:30,860 --> 01:33:34,072 ♪ Some will remain the same ♪ 2222 01:33:34,989 --> 01:33:39,202 ♪ Others will live their lives ♪ 2223 01:33:39,285 --> 01:33:41,746 ♪ Under the gun ♪ 2224 01:33:43,415 --> 01:33:47,544 ♪ Some see the road as clear ♪ 2225 01:33:47,585 --> 01:33:51,506 ♪ Some say the end is here ♪ 2226 01:33:51,548 --> 01:33:54,384 ♪ They say It's a hopeless fight ♪ 2227 01:33:54,467 --> 01:33:58,680 ♪ But I say I gotta try now ♪ 2228 01:34:00,473 --> 01:34:03,143 ♪ Oh, I've gotta try, baby ♪ 2229 01:34:04,269 --> 01:34:08,481 ♪ Maybe it's too much To think about ♪ 2230 01:34:08,565 --> 01:34:12,652 ♪ Maybe there ain't nothing Left to say ♪ 2231 01:34:12,736 --> 01:34:15,780 ♪ But if our time Is really runnin' ♪ 2232 01:34:16,906 --> 01:34:20,410 ♪ Then this ain't no time To run away ♪ 2233 01:34:21,286 --> 01:34:23,872 ♪ 'Cause we're Destined to look ♪ 2234 01:34:23,955 --> 01:34:26,374 ♪ For the truth in this life ♪ 2235 01:34:26,416 --> 01:34:30,086 ♪ Searching with tearful eyes ♪ 2236 01:34:30,170 --> 01:34:34,507 ♪ If it's so hard living In a desperate world ♪ 2237 01:34:34,591 --> 01:34:37,927 ♪ Then tell me why was I born? ♪ 2238 01:34:37,969 --> 01:34:41,306 ♪ Some people see a change ♪ 2239 01:34:42,390 --> 01:34:45,477 ♪ Some will remain the same ♪ 2240 01:34:46,561 --> 01:34:50,565 ♪ Others will live their lives ♪ 2241 01:34:50,607 --> 01:34:54,778 -♪ Under the gun ♪ -♪ Gun ♪ 2242 01:34:54,861 --> 01:34:58,323 ♪ Some see the road as clear ♪ 2243 01:34:58,990 --> 01:35:02,869 ♪ Some say the end is here ♪ 2244 01:35:02,952 --> 01:35:05,747 ♪ They say It's a hopeless fight ♪ 2245 01:35:05,830 --> 01:35:09,417 ♪ But I say I gotta try now ♪ 2246 01:35:09,501 --> 01:35:10,835 ♪ (SONG FADES OUT) ♪