Doobie Brothers

For nearly 40 years the Doobie Brothers have been rocking down the highway, selling some 40 million albums worldwide, according to its management, and delivering more than two dozen charting singles, including such classics as "Black Water," "Listen to the Music," "China Grove and "Long Train Runnin'."

And the Northern California band -- which also includes founding vocalist Tom Johnston and two other longtime members, multi-instrumentalist John McFee and drummer Michael Hossack -- is far from done. The Doobies remain a strong live draw, and they're releasing their first album since 2000's "Sibling Rivalry."

"World Gone Crazy" was released September, 2010. The set features such classic Doobie-style songs as "Nobody" (a remake of a tune that appeared on the group's 1971 self-titled debut) but also sees the band stretching musically, such as on the gospel-inflected "A Brighter Day" and the New Orleans brass of the title track.

"It's the best thing we've done musically in forever," Johnston says of the album.

The set was recorded during a three-year period. It was co-produced by the band with Ted Templeman, the producer behind all of the group's classic hits, who was with the band in the beginning. It features guest appearances by Willie Nelson and former Doobie Michael McDonald.

"We'd been talking about some other people and then Ted came in," Simmons says. "We knew that would be a good partnership and just fun for us to return to our roots."

To release "World Gone Crazy," the Doobies turned to HOR Entertainment, a new independent company launched by industry veterans. Although initially leery of signing with an indie after the band's long career on major labels, longtime Doobies manager Bruce Cohn says, "HOR just surfaced as people who seemed to have genuine interest in bringing the band back into the forefront of their audience and gaining a new audience, and seemed to really have the fire."

The HOR deal includes a live CD/DVD package, as well as a concept album with the band re-creating its hits with special guests.

Still a staple on classic rock stations, the band is going to radio with new tracks for the first time in more than a decade. The opening salvo is the rollicking "Nobody." Plans are to take as many as four singles to various radio formats, including, Cohn says, possibly remixing "Far From Home" for country radio.

In concert, the Doobies perform three of the new songs -- "Nobody," "Chateau" and "World Gone Crazy" -- and are finding that the material blends in perfectly with the classics. "I was shocked" by the reception, Johnston says. "In the old days, when we'd start playing new songs, (the audience) would just sit around and stare at you. (Now), they've been very accepting and it's very rewarding."

With the new album, the Doobies toured Europe for the first time in a decade.

Even when they haven't had new material to showcase, the Doobies have kept their loyal concert audience on the strength of their catalog and their tight live show, which is bumper-to-bumper hits.

The Doobies played the Allman Brothers' Wanee Festival this year, alongside such acts as the Black Keys, as well as Louisville, Ky.'s Hullabalou Festival, which also featured Dave Matthews Band and Kenny Chesney.

The single, "Far From Home" impacts Hot AC on January 31st.

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