'What a Fool Believes' & 'Steal Away'

Apologies all around if this is a beaten to death subject, but what is the deal with the similarities between The Doobie Brothers 'What A Fool Believes' and Robbie Dupree's 'Steal Away?'

Is 'Steal Away' a homage? Or is this a plaigarism suit that never happened? The instrumental/keyboard riff is definately too close for comfort. However, I do love both songs.

Anyone have any insight on this ever being an issue, or am I off my rocker?

 

It's a plaigarism suit that never happened, or so I haven't heard about one...

 

Doesn't Michael McDonald sing backup on "Steal Away"? I swear I remember Casey Kasem mentioning that on American Top 40. Or am I delusional?

 

I believe you are correct. Perhaps Robbie played the "plagiarism suit avoidance" card.

Michael McDonald got to be so omnipresent in those days (among other places, he was on hit records by Christopher Cross, Amy Holland, Nicolette Larson and James Ingram, all seemingly within months of each other, and I think he also might have been on a Kenny Loggins hit) that it was almost a joke after a while.

 

Patti Labelle too (On my Own), and yes, Kenny Loggins, Carly Simon (You Belong to Me) and a bunch of others.

There is a new DVD Video with DTS 5.1 of a "tribute" concert with Michael and a lot of these "co-artists" performing their co-written tunes.

Unfortunatly, it is horrible! Age has taken it's effect.

 

I thought the Doobies were the backing band on Steal Away, sort of like
how Fleetwood Mac does the backing on (ex-member) Bob Welch's
"Sentimental Lady".

 

Michael McDonald seemed to guest on many recordings in the 70's and early 80's. He also had a couple of solo LPs around this time.

I never put two and two together, but, "Steal Away" does sound a bit like, "What a Fool Believes."

 

I just checked the discography on Robbie Dupree's web site http://robbiedupree.com, and according to the personnel listing for his debut record, there's no sign of Michael McDonald, or any other Doobie Brothers anywhere on "Steal Away" or the rest of the album

I'd completely forgotten about the follow up single "Hot Rod Hearts" though. That one was all over radio when I was a teen.

 

There was a lot of silent guest starring on records back in those days. Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Michael McDonald, Carly Simon, the Bee Gees, all sang on each other's records.

That was the sound of southern California rock!

 

Ironically was listening to random soft rock on spotify which inspired me to search this topic when Steely Dan's Peg came on which of course meant MM backing two tracks back to back (for me at this moment anyway).

 

For those like myelf who do not like Michael McDonald or the entire LA soft rock sound, check out a classic SCTV bit from around the time of C. Cross' album. We see the recording session for "Ride Like The Wind", and M. McDonald (Rick Moranis) reading a magazine, then rushing to the microphone to get in his "Such a long way to go" backing vocal. He'll be chatting with the producer, drinking, a coke, eating a donut, or some other mundane activity, then racing back to the mike just in time to sing his line.

I was the only person I knew who hated that whole LA sound and it was omnipresent on the radio where I lived. I remember I saw this sketch when it first aired, and I was in hysterics -- a wee bit of revenge I guess.

ETA: Holy Sheesh -- you bumped a thread from 2003?

 

Also in a similar jaunty r&b type song that Michael McDonald co-wrote and actually the Doobies did first... but Carly Simon's "You Belong To Me" has a similar vibe to me. And Laura Branigan's "Gloria" felt like a faster version of the same sort of vibe.

 

Same deal with "He's So Shy" by the Pointer Sisters. Same drum beat and similar keyboard line.

 

Oh, you mean THIS?

 

^^ oh man, my sides are hurting from laughter!!!

 

Why do you think the song is called "Steal Away"?

 

I kinda remember that! Fun stuff!

It was all over the radio where I lived, too, and was the only real counterpoint to disco and funk music also on top 40 radio. But, I loved soft rock/California rock. It was all kinds of things: folk, classical, jazz, R&B, disco, country, and rock all rolled into one.

I once made a nice CD-R collection of it about fifteen years ago. I sent my buddy in Florida a copy of it, but as I put paper labels on them, they probably don't play anymore. Now, with these Doobie Brother threads, i'm in the mood to make a new comp.

 

It was just one big musical community. They were all friends and acquaintances. Top musicians and songwriters. You can also include Steely Dan and Toto in that bunch.

For me, the late 70s/early 80s was a great time for pop music. I loved it.

This CD contains a few rare singles from the time period, including one hit by James Taylor's brother Livingston:


This next CD is part of a nice 5-CD series that somewhat wraps up a lot of the hits that straddled the line between Rhino's "Have a Nice Day" series and their "Just Can't Get Enough" collections:

 

"A wee bit of revenge," indeed... Never tick off anyone from Toto.

 

Can I just say that both songs are equally terrible?

 

Yet secretly, you wish Double M sang on both, don't you?

 

I always considered the L.A. soft rock sound to be Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Redd Kross, and The Minutemen.

 

So busted

 

I could go for the rest of my life without hearing either one again.