No biggie. Just Michael McDonald explaining how he wrote “What a Fool Believes” with Kenny Loggins. I’m so glad Loggins could hear through the door. Wow.

The true measure of a song’s greatness, IMO, is how often you can hear it and still enjoy it. This NEVER gets old. Underrated. Can listen to it every day.

Totally agree, which is true with a lot of the music from that “yacht rock” era. Great songwriting and great vocal harmonies. It’s why Keith Urban just released a cover album singing yacht rock favorites. It’s a great album. It’s also a tribute to the greatness of the music that an artist of that caliber would produce such an album.

For those who have asked, this is a clip from a 2024 episode of the PBS program "Recorded Live at Analog." Here's a link to the entire interview. It's a great one.

I ran into him in the parking lot of Fry’s Supermarket in Scottsdale, AZ. He was lost trying to get to WestWorld to perform at Bike Week and was looking for directions. He approached my younger brother, who was already out of the car and introduced himself. My brother replies with, “Who,” as I and my friend walk up. The look on his face was best described as hurt, but we knew who he was and helped him out. Nice guy. Genius.

A near-perfect pop masterpiece: deceptively complex chords, impactful modulation, incredible vocal (MM's version much better than KL's) & perhaps never truer than now that what a fool believes, no wise man has the power to reason away.

Bro. I’m late to this conversation hailing from Singapore. I’m sure you’ve seen the yacht rock doc streaming on HBO Max. But have you seen Rick Beato’s interview with McDonald? Pure gold. (PS: his autobiography is good, too):

"He might think you're writing circus music." -sister advice 🤣

@MDay411 I could watch videos like this for hours! Fascinates me how these genius song writers write songs.

St. Louis kid. Bought the book, still need to read it.

Love Michael McDonald and his voice. I was fortunate enough to meet him several times and he is so nice.

@kickitoldschool 🔥

When you casually listen it sounds so simple and natural that, unless you are a trained musician, you’d never understand the musical complexity. But when you try to dissect it, everything seems normal until the words “he’s watching her go”. After that, it’s full of surprises.

God damn, he still has the chops! God bless him.

He's a real musician/songwriter; a dying breed.

One of the best songs ever written. I had no idea that Kenny Loggins helped write it.

Misinformation. Everyone knows this is what really happened:

Is Paul Reiser interviewing him?

Actual photo taken the very moment Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins came up with the chorus to What a Fool Believes.

This is the very first song I can ever remember. My mom was taking me to KinderKare. I know every word. McDonald is one of a kind.

This is absolutely beautiful. I love the creative process. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't: but this is what makes us human.

COMPLETELY off topic. Paul Reiser’s sister Melanie was our secretary in the Production department at Young & Rubicam in the Mad Men days.

One of the 2 saddest songs ever written. He stopped loving her today is the other.

MM

Here’s the documentary on how they wrote it.

Ugh. He shouldn't be singing that. Time has passed.

Michael McDonald chatting with the funniest sweetest guy Paul Reiser.... This song was on the Juke Box at The Comedy Store NYC when Paul was performing there. Little did he know.... It all worked out Paul !

Michael’s a gift singer/song writer. So is Loggins.

Inject this into my veins. Just an incredible song. I literally tried to use it as an example to teach my progeny music, and explaining song patterns, phrasing, and chorus placement. Just a brilliant piece of music.

Michael still has his beautiful hair.

I have been unfixably stupid myself, so that song beats the hell out of me, but it is beautiful and brilliant even as it bludgeons. I hope he gave his sister hell for calling it circus music. 😂

Best Michael McDonald tribute ever:

I realize I'll be in the extreme minority here, but I liked the Doobies before old marble mouth here chopped their balls off and turned them into a sappy, slow dance, romantic ballad band. Nothing McDonald ever wrote could touch Long Train Runnin' and China Grove. Nothing.

I always loved that song from the first time I heard it at the skating rink as a kid.

McDonald is being far too humble here: That groove is a complex, driving piano & synthesizer progression that defined a genre. 🎶if love can come, and love can go, why can't love, return once more ...who's got the power🎵

Michael McDonald. I love love love his music. He's in my sleep playlist. Happy memories of listening to his soulful voice.