Stories behind memorable albums of the 1970s as told by the artists

Tag: Tropicana

‘Takin’ It to the Streets’ with Michael McDonald on the Atlantic City Boardwalk

Michael McDonald closed his show Saturday night at the Tropicana in Atlantic City with “Takin’ It to the Streets,” which made sense.

The song, from a 1976 Doobie Brothers album by the same name, was the first single written by McDonald released from the first album on which he appeared as a member of the Doobie Brothers. The song made it to No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles chart. It’s a great tune and likely holds a special spot for McDonald among his vast library of songs.

McDonald had replaced Tom Johnston, who was sidelined in 1975 with health issues, in the Doobie Brothers, and “Takin’ It to the Streets” – both the song and album itself – was a signal that the band was going in a completely different direction.

The intro to “Takin’ It to the Streets” came to McDonald in his car while driving through … Read more

Shake, shake, shaking booty with KC and The Sunshine Band

Once tickets had been secured for the KC and The Sunshine Band show Aug. 8 at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, it occurred to me that I maybe hadn’t put enough thought into the specifics of attending the concert.

In the days leading up to the show, one question loomed large: At this age, could I actually shake my booty for an entire KC concert without pulling a hamstring, throwing out my back or asking a paramedic to sit in the seat next to me with a defibrillator at the ready?

At the height of its popularity in the 1970s, KC and The Sunshine Band was all about dance music. No surprise there for those of us who grew up listing to it. The opening lines to one of the band’s biggest hits are, “Everybody, get on the floor, let’s dance. Don’t fight your feelings, give yourself a chance. Oh … Read more

CCR provides an unexpected and wonderful memory

It was a long drive, negotiating traffic in some of the major metropolitan areas on the East Coast – Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia – all in the same day, just to see one of my favorite bands.

But oh my, what a sweet and memorable payoff.

We had taken our daughter to the nation’s capital to start her college career at Catholic University (Motto: Don’t Even Think About Drinking a Beer on This Campus). It was a highly emotional couple of days, as these things tend to be when one sends a child away to college. Two-and-half days of orientation, priests dressed like the San Diego Padres mascot and me threatening any young man who dared cast a leery eye in our direction (My motto: If You Even Think About Laying A Hand on My Daughter, I Will Snap Your Arm Clean Off Your Body and Shove It in Your … Read more

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén