Yacht Rock Goes Rogue: 'Takin’ It To The Streets' Gets a Sizzling Makeover

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Some collaborations are expected: singers with songwriters, producers with popstars. But every once in a while, a musical collision catches you completely off guard—and makes you wonder why it hadn’t happened sooner.

Such is the case with a new cover of The Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It To The Streets,” freshly reimagined not as a soft rock singalong, but as a sleazy, stomping, leather-clad anthem.

This isn’t your dad’s yacht rock. This is yacht metal—a genre-hopping reinvention that gleams with West Coast polish and hits with Sunset Strip grit.

The players? A hard rock supergroup made up of musicians with deep pedigrees:

Bob Daisley, the legendary bassist behind Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman
Mick Box, eternal axe wizard of British prog titans Uriah Heep
Marq Torien and Fred Aching, vocalist and drummer for BulletBoys, kings of late-‘80s L.A. swagger

The result is something as unexpected—and glorious—as “a teapot on a Marshall stack.”

Remembering “Takin’ It to the Streets”: The Doobie Brothers’ Polished Power

Before we hit the throttle on the new version, let’s rewind to the source material.

“Takin’ It To The Streets” first dropped in 1976, marking a turning point in The Doobie Brothers’ sound and identity.

It was the first song written and sung by Michael McDonald, who had just joined the group.

His signature blue-eyed soul voice and sophisticated chord voicings took the band in a more polished, R&B-inspired direction.

“Takin’ It To The Streets” became a smash, climbing to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually earning status as one of the band’s all-time classics.

In a 2018 ranking by Billboard, it landed at No. 3 on their list of the greatest Doobie Brothers songs, just behind “Listen to the Music” and “What a Fool Believes.”

With its clean harmonies, soulful chorus, and silky production, “Takin’ It To The Streets” helped define what would later be dubbed yacht rock—a genre of smooth, groove-driven rock that pairs best with open collars and open waters.

But what happens when someone takes that smooth sail and injects it with pure octane?

A Reinvention Born on the High Seas of Rock: Welcome to Yacht Metal

The idea wasn’t just to cover “Takin’ It To The Streets,” but to reframe it entirely. This wasn’t about nostalgia—it was about transformation.

Yacht metal, in this context, isn’t just a punchline. It’s a deliberate hybrid, a way to take the sophisticated melodies of classic FM radio and run them through the same gear that powered L.A.’s glam and metal scenes in the late ’80s.

BulletBoys frontman Marq Torien leads the charge with a vocal that splits the difference between Michael McDonald’s soulful croon and the snarling bravado of David Lee Roth.

“We didn’t want to mock the original,” Torien recently said in an interview.

“We wanted to amplify it—give it a backbone of steel and a heart of fire.”

The performance walks a fine line: it’s reverent, but not restrained. It honors the song’s melodic roots while turning up the heat in all the right places.

The Supergroup Delivers Thunder and Shine

A key part of “Takin’ It To The Streets” success lies in its killer lineup.

These aren’t sidemen-for-hire. These are lifers.

Bob Daisley, whose basslines anchored the wildest moments in Ozzy Osbourne’s solo ascent, delivers a groove that’s more thunder than thump.

It locks in with Fred Aching’s precision drumming to give the track a low-end foundation that’s both heavy and hypnotic.

Then there’s Mick Box—a guitarist whose tone and flair have defined Uriah Heep for over 50 years.

His riffs on the track bring a sense of grandeur and menace, injecting a classic blues-metal crunch that serves as the perfect counterpoint to the song’s original groove.

This isn’t just a bunch of big names showing off. It’s chemistry. A jam that works because everyone involved is pushing the same direction: forward.

Behind “Takin’ It To The Streets”Boards: Analog Heart, Digital Bite

The track was produced in Los Angeles, where analog warmth still matters but digital precision is part of the workflow.

The production choices honor the gloss of the original while adding modern punch.

The guitars roar without drowning the groove. The vocals soar without losing clarity. The result is a sonic blend that feels made for three places:

A midnight highway cruise
The stickiest booth in a dive-bar jukebox corner
The upper deck of a cruise liner heading somewhere questionable but loud

This is not a tribute band’s sound. This is a seafaring reinvention—as if yacht rock grew up, started wearing leather, and stopped apologizing for being loud.

“Takin’ It To The Streets” Launch: Streaming Now and Sailing Soon

Released June 26, 2025, the track is now available across all major streaming platforms.

“Takin’ It To The Streets”official music video, which captures the band in full swagger mode—studio shots, stage lights, and oceanic visuals—is also streaming on YouTube.

But that’s not the end of the voyage.

This version of “Takin’ It To The Streets” is the flagship single from an upcoming “Yacht Metal” compilation, set for limited-edition vinyl release later this year. According to early reports, the LP will feature similarly reimagined classics—Steely Dan meets Skid Row, Toto by way of Twisted Sister.

The compilation, producers say, is “positively overflowing with like-minded reinventions” and is “sailing closer every day.”

“Takin’ It To The Streets” Standout Moments and Must-Hear Quotes

There are a few lines in the press rollout and interviews that perfectly capture the energy of this whole endeavor:

“It glides as smoothly as a speedboat in Monaco but hits like a bottle of Jack at soundcheck.”

This sums up the track’s identity—both stylish and dangerous.

“As unexpected as a teapot on a Marshall stack.”

A tongue-in-cheek nod to the track’s wild genre jump, and somehow, it works.

“We didn’t cover it. We commandeered it.”

Marq Torien’s declaration says it all: this was about ownership, not imitation.

Each of these moments underscores the central truth here: this isn’t parody. It’s passion with distortion pedals.

A Genre Flip That Actually Works

Reinventions can feel cheap. Covers can feel lazy.

But this version of “Takin’ It To The Streets” avoids both traps. It’s bold. It’s fun. And it’s done by people who know exactly what they’re doing.

For fans of The Doobie Brothers, it offers a new perspective.

For fans of BulletBoys, Ozzy, or Uriah Heep, it’s a fusion that doesn’t dilute their edge.

For anyone who’s ever wondered what happens when smooth rock gets rough, it’s an answer in high definition.

Who should listen?

Yacht rock fans with a mischievous streak
Metalheads who secretly love a hook
Anyone who thinks genres should be more like recipes and less like walls

Stream “Takin’ It To The Streets”. Watch it.

And prepare to hear yacht rock the way no boat party ever expected.

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