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Yacht Rock. 100% smooth from Yachty by Nature

By : Captain Carl | Comments : No comment | Category : Yachty by Nature

Yacht Rock

yacht rock band bands yachty by nature smooth sailing music concert show sailing crewAhoy, let’s talk about Yacht Rock!  Even better, let’s talk about the music from the perspective of a working crew of Yachty musicians.  The captains of smooth here at Yachty by Nature have been working at the art of 70’s and 80’s soft rock-ish hits since 2016.  In fact, our origin story can be found on this link.  It’s a pretty interesting read!  It’s been kismet.  Working with amazing musicians and rockin’ epic vintage tunes!  And, playing to crowds hungry for well-done Toto & Steely Dan tunes has been magic.  Ultimately, we celebrate the smooth songs, the groovy vibe, and hardcore soft rock, in general.

History Lesson

What is yacht rock?  For the purists, it’s the smooth, lushly produced, jazzy and R&B-tinged music emanating from the years between 1976 and 1984.  In fact, the originators of the YR label have rated some 400 songs based on their Yachtski scale.  Yes, you can find out exactly how Yachty a song is!  Simply check out JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair, Dave Lyons, and Hollywood Steve’s rating scale.  Importantly, these are the guys that created the 2006 YouTube series of the same name.  This show launched the idea of a smooth rock genre in the first place.  For any depth on the subject, these are required viewing and reading.

Doobie Bounce

Let’s take a look at some of the KEY elements of the genre.  First, the Doobie Bounce and complicated musical arrangements featuring Electric Piano, guitar and some sax.  Also, look for the contributions of Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross and Michael McDonald and that studio polish of session musicians like the musicians in Toto.

First, the Yachtski Scale places the 1979 Doobie Brothers recording of What a Fool Believes as a perfect 100.  That Doobie Bounce and the syncopated E-piano line give it that yachty feel.  In addition, the buttery Michael McDonald vocal exhibits the ultimate in smooth groove.  Other notable and high scoring songs would be Rosanna by Toto, Kenny Loggins’ This is It, and Christopher Cross’ Ride Like the Wind (all 98+ points).  Conversely, let’s look at the lower end of the spectrum which is a minimum score of 50.  Little River Band’s hit Reminiscing just makes the grade with a score of 51.75.  Lastly, Captain & Tennille’s Love Will Keep us Together, ONJ’s Magic, and even Warren G’s Regulate just make the cut.

Guilty Pleasures

In the past, such songs may have been labeled Dad Rock, songs from the dentist chair, or even Yuppie Rock.  However, the resurgence of these smooth cuts seems right on time.  Escaping the perils of world tumult and a worldwide pandemic have only increased the need for this music.  In fact, the genre seems to be equal parts here.  Guilty pleasures from the past, the zenith height of record making, and a genre ripe for campy fun and self deprecating wit and fun.

Subsequently, the genre takes on an air of “don’t take yourself too seriously” and channels an energy that Ron Burgundy’s playlist would be proud of.  In fact, the cast of Anchorman croons an acapella version of Afternoon Delight in the movie and offers us great inspiration.  Likewise, the Andy Samberg gem, “I’m on a Boat” seems to say that we all want to wear a captain’s hat live the Yachty life!

Laissez Yacht Rock

For the more laid back listener, many have found Yachty songs that flow ubiquitously from Yacht Rock radio stations.  In fact, Sirius/XM committed to the genre back in 2016 and Amazon, Spotify, and Apple have plenty of offerings.  This preponderance of radio airplay and playlist popularity has certainly led to a much more liberal interpretation.  Indeed, many of those new to the boat are finding it difficult to discern songs Yacht or Nyacht.

Curiously, on the Yacht Rock Facebook page, there are daily arguments about the songs that make or miss the grade.  In fact, there seems to be a constant education to which many newcomers to the genre simply reject a stiff rating system.  Often, they favor notably Nyacht Rock songs like the Piña Colada song, most of Hall and Oates and certainly Fleetwood Mac and Eagles tunes.  Even more disconcerting to purists may be the assertion that Jimmy Buffett tunes should make the boat!

Yachty by Nature

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Far back in 2011, I was playing keyboards in an 80’s band.  Remarkably, we stumbled on the term Yacht Rock from a hipster girl at an LA party.  This was the start of something truly HUGE.  Myself, Captain Carl and our singer, Scotty McYachty began playing Yachty songs at sound check with our 80’s band.  Slowly, that morphed into creating a new band in 2016, naming it Yachty by Nature and the rest is history.

When the band was formed nearly 7 years ago, there were really no other working yacht rock bands in Southern California.  However, the bands High Tide Society in San Diego and Harbor Party in Los Angeles were doing some local shows.  As well, the band Yacht Rock Revue were the Yachtfathers of covering smooth music and doing nationwide shows since around 2009.

Ultimately, we began to conquer Orange County and turn heads when this crew of captain-hatted musicians grew to play not only House of Blues, but travel to the East Coast in 2017.  Quickly, we became a juggernaut on the national YR scene.  By 2018, we appeared on the Rich Eisen show, opened for Snoop in 2019 and won best OC Cover Band, and made the KTLA morning news in 2020. So, check the calendar and join the fun of this one of a kind Yacht Rock band.

Yacht Rock the Boat

Apart from the music, the vibe is contagious.  Ground zero for the mojo of yacht rock seems to be 1978 Marina del Rey, CA.  In fact, this is where you can imagine the smooth music gracing the airwaves of LA.  The music readily provided that  “escape” or “departure” from the drudgery of day to day life.  The fun vibe follows pop culture features such as Love Boat, Caddyshack, Step Brothers, Ron Burgundy, etc.  And there’s the crossover stuff like Will Ferrell appearing on Jimmy Fallon as Ron Burgundy singing Ride Like the Wind with Christopher Cross!  There ya go.

Of course, that vibe, music and even outfits related to these shows are easily attached to Yachty good times.  Therefore, you may see Yachty outfits resemble Love Boat and Caddyshack at Yachty concerts.  Along these lines, check our post on yachty attire to get your outfit going.

yacht rock yachty by nature caddyshack outfit golf clothes attire gig showYacht Rock Flair

As you can see, the music is paramount.  However, the yacht party surely involves the outfits, the captain’s hats, and the overall escapist and thematic fanfare.  As such, our band often plays for yachty themed parties where the fun of the yacht party goes to a new level.  That flair draws inspiration from 70’s and 80’s album covers and the smooth imagery of flamingos, anchors, and palm trees.

Coincidentally, take a look around and you’ll see a huge influx of Hawaiian shirts and very yachty garb.  Truly, we live in a very Yacht Rock world.  As a result, you should take notice of newer yacht bands like State Cows, Norwegian Fords, Page 99, and Young Gun Silver Fox.

Lastly, let’s chime in from the band Yachty by Nature.  As a working band, our song choices can really veer from the strict rating scale of the purists.  However, we love to hit the anthems like Africa, Steely Dan’s Peg, Rosanna, Lowdown, Baby Come Back, Hold the Line, and Sailing.  Those are all strictly on the yacht and define the sound.  Importantly, we get a kick out of going deep in the yacht.  We proudly play Smoke From a Distant Fire, Dr. Hook’s Sexy Eyes, and Lotta Love by Nicolette Larson.  Add in some Pablo Cruise, Lionel Richie, and Boz Scaggs and the Yacht Rock Show is onnnnnn.

Nyacht Rock

As you can imagine, we do play some notoriously Nyacht rock songs for our energetic public.  Songs like Brandy have been rebuked by the purists but it is a sinful delight that our crowds love.  Additionally, Hall and Oates always floats the boat.  We play Kiss on My List, Maneater, and Rich Girl to the appreciation of our big crowds.  In fact, the Styx hit Come Sail Away has been a long time favorite to close the concert out.  Our revelers will typically light their phones up and sway to the tune that is considerably far off the yacht.  Smooth music can roll a bit mellow and cruizy.  Thus, kicking it up with these songs certainly embody the fun of the genre but might not check all the boxes.

Good Times

The bottom line is that Yacht Rock is fun.  Whether you make your own choices of what’s on the boat, the movement and music is a blast.  Yachty by Nature continues to play from SEA to shining sea.  The outpouring of love has been mind blowing.  This summer we played the Bay Area 5 times and Denver and Florida as well.  Lots of great shows coming up, so see you soon!  Hey, quite often, we hear from our fans that we are one of the rare bands playing the music all LIVE.  In fact, a lot of bands out there are still relying on pre-recorded backing tracks.  What a bummer.  These vintage cuts are fully meant to be played by live musicians and not like Milli Vanilli.  Thanks for appreciating this group of 6 musicians playing ALL the notes.  We are having a blast!  Stay Yachty my friends.

22 Sep
infographic best yacht rock songs info band yachty by nature hall and oates michael mcdonald

Best Yacht Rock Songs – Yachty by Nature

By : Captain Carl | Comments : No comment | Category : Yachty by Nature

Best Yacht Rock Songs

Everybody has a favorite when it comes to best yacht rock songs!  Or, do they?  First, you gotta KNOW what tunes from the mid 70’s to mid 80’s make the cut as SMOOTH.  Then, you’ll have to struggle through the decision on which song truly floats your boat.  This bevy of lushly produced, jazzy, R&B jams by the best session musicians of the decade make it a brutal choice.  In fact, selecting your fave guilty pleasure from a genre ubiquitously represented on TV, film, commercials, and now yacht rock radio can be downright splitting hairs.  Lastly, there have been a million articles written on the topic, but rarely do you hear from one of the top cover bands in America.  Let’s dive in.

Also, here’s our last blog post if you’d like to peruse 🙂

What a Fool Believes

If you pay attention to the Yachtski Scale, there’s only ONE perfect score for best yacht rock songs.  That song is yachtski scale yacht rockWhat a Fool Believes by the Doobie Brothers and scores a perfect 100.  Factually, JD Ryznar and his fellow pioneer en-smooth-iasts CREATED this genre.  They wrote the YouTube parody of the musical genre back in 2006 that launched the entire movement.

Subsequently, they assert that the personnel, the style, the writing, the lyrics, the instrumentation itself, and the famous Doobie Bounce of What a Fool presents the ideal materialization of SMOOTH.  Indeed, this tune begins with that bouncy, syncopated e-piano that the creators of Yacht Rock love.  Importantly, the buttery smooth Michael McDonald vocal, the jazzier chords, lush harmonies, and simple lyric of romantic regret registers as the north star that our yacht rock compass points to.  When in doubt, pull up anchor, batten down the hatches and sail in that direction.

Can you Sail to it?

Now that we have a baseline for the best yacht rock songs, let’s set sail!  Ahoy.  In order to steady our course, watch out for the obvious bogies, buoys, icebergs, and misgivings.  Not all of our favorite 70’s and 80’s songs are verified yacht, so let’s be aware of what the purists of Yacht Rock say.  First, they say the song Brandy is too early to be considered.  It only registers a 36.83 on the scale (under 50 points is labeled Nyacht Rock).  Feel free to read about why one of the world’s favorite captain songs is not technically on the boat.  They’ve written a healthy article on the subject!  In fact, Hall and Oates only made the cut with a couple tunes like Kiss on my List.  Even Little River Band, Ambrosia and others barely make the cut.

Of course, if we go by the rules, all songs by the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Jimmy Buffett are completely out.  Ultimately, now we can focus on the pillars of that Yachty sound.  Toto and all their personnel, Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan, Pablo Cruise, and George Benson are among the undeniable superstars of smooth.

Deeper Cuts

Apart from these Yacht Stars, let’s take a look at the bigger picture of bands.  Deeper artists like Ned Doheny, Bill LaBounty, Pages, Airplay, Marc Jordan, Robbie Dupree, Player, Ace, and the Sanford Townsend Band throw down a yachty groove as well.  Lastly, don’t forget the All Star personnel of Jay Graydon, David Foster, Jeff Porcaro, David Paich, and Bill Champlin that really keep us afloat.  In fact, there’s even newer groups that make the grade as contenders for the best yacht rock songs.  Artists like State Cows, Norwegian Fords, Thundercat, and Daft Punk have given us a healthy boost of modern Yachtiness.  Importantly, John Mayer’s new album Sob Rock testifies to the power of vintage style smooth soft rock.

Yacht Rock playlist time

what is yacht rock band bands yachty by nature smooth captains mellow easy listening ship boat ascot hall and oates marina del rey california los angelesOkay, time to choose.  Do the main heavy hitters make your list?  Africa, Rosanna, Ride Like the Wind, This is It and Lowdown are always crowd favorites.  But is your fave a deep cut like Who’ll Be the Fool Tonight by Larsen/Feiten Band?  Or do you go against all the Facebook group posts chiming in about how they hate the Piña Colada song?  Or Georgy Porgy… or the dreaded Answering Machine Song by Rupert Holmes?  If you’re like me, I go headfirst into those songs and appreciate the pure joy of Escape, which is a notoriously Nyacht song.  This begs the question, do I have to stay to the strict list of the purists who made the Yachtski Scale?  Or can I venture into the songs that just float my boat and keep me sailing.  Ultimately, it’s your choice.

While the Yacht Rock guys have rated some 400 songs, there’s plenty out there.  So feel free to improvise your top ten list of tunes that support your dancin’ on a yacht, sippin’ boat drinks and swaying to the palm trees good times.  Whether you’re a purist or freelancer out for the feelgood vintage party, there’s something in there for everyone!

Best Yacht Rock Songs 2.0

Ultimately, we hope this resource helps you find a way to your yacht.  Sailing, grooving, and overall jamming to the smooth sounds of the 70’s and 80’s doesn’t have to be one speed. Actually, there’s a lot of help in your quest.  You can listen to yacht rock radio.  Or, read articles like Captain Carl and his Top 8 best yacht rock songs and more. And even check out an amazing look at the comedy and meaning of the smooth top 100.  Of course, there’s Spotify, Sirius/XM, and YouTube galore.

Lastly, we hope you’ll come check a Yachty by Nature show and get to experience the thrill of LIVE yacht rock and the party of it all.  The band will surely play a bunch of your favorites and hit some deep cuts as well.  With Captain Carl at the helm, it’s always a great time.  Add the cruise director, Courtney Cruise and Scotty McYachty’s golden vocals and it’s ON!

Speaking of which, here’s the top 10 picks from Yachty by Nature for your listening pleasure.

  1. Africa by Toto
  2. I Keep Forgettin’ by Michael McDonald
  3. What a Fool Believes by the Doobie Brothers
  4. All Night Long by Lionel Richie
  5. Lowdown by Boz Scaggs
  6. Rich Girl by Hall and Oates
  7. Rosanna by Toto
  8. Peg by Steely Dan
  9. Ride Like the Wind by Christopher Cross
  10. This is It by Kenny Loggins

Yachty Playlist

So, what’s your jam?  Surely, you have plenty of food for thought and a first class approach and background to choosing that tune that raises your sail.  Let’s salute those about to dock and get listening, participating and overall celebrating the smooth music that puts a smile on our face.  Cheers to your best yacht rock songs and feel free to send us an email, post here, or connect on social media to let us know what you’re listening to.  As always, check the blog for ongoing yachtiness!  And check out our song list for all the smooth tunes we play 🙂

Ahoy!  Captain Carl #yachtrock #yachtybynature

15 Sep
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Yacht Rock music 2022

By : Captain Carl | Comments : No comment | Category : Yachty by Nature

Yacht Rock music ’22yacht rock music yachty by nature rsm concert in the park summer boat cruise crew sailing crowd

Ahoy, yacht rock music lovers!  Yachty by Nature just celebrated it’s 6th birthday in June and this summer has been one for the record books.  In fact, we’ve had some pretty huge summers.  However, Summer of ’22 proved to be a hot one so far.  With two years of limping thru the pandemic, this season of smooth showed that everybody was truly ready to get out to experience the fun live concerts we’ve been missing since Covid 19 shut so many shows down.  Ultimately, the band has been having fun on the road, but we also returned to the fun park shows and the busy schedule that keeps that boat afloat.

Hollywood Bowl

yacht rock music yachty by nature hollywood bowl opening act contest live concertFirst of all, THANK YOU so much for voting each day to help us win a spot as Opening Band at the Hollywood Bowl.  We are currently in the top 10 in our group.  Make sure to vote today for DOUBLE credit!  In fact, you can vote once per day and help us win $10,000 as well.  Please vote for us and scroll down to where it says VERIFY ON FACEBOOK and you’ll be able to vote for us!  Wouldn’t that be the ultimate bringing Yacht Rock Music and your captains of smooth 70’s and 80’s soft rock to one of the most historic stages in the world.  Moreover, keep up the great work.

As always, you’ll never hear exactly the same smooth setlist with Yachty by Nature!  We constantly love keeping the set fresh and mixing new and old songs into our concerts.  Importantly, at OC Park’s summer show, we opened with Takin’ it to the Streets by the Doobie Brothers.  It was a joy to watch our seasoned super fans shocked that we didn’t open with Ride Like Wind.  That Christopher Cross gem has long been a staple intro for us.  In fact, drop us a line, a text, a DM to let us know which song you’d like us to begin with.

Yacht Rock tunes

Speaking of which, our OC Parks show at Mason Park got us off to a smooth and yachty start to July!  What a cool venue, great crowd and a blast to see everyone get up and boogie to Kenny Loggins’ Footloose.  We were able to keep the easy listening early set with masterpieces like Baker Street and Don’t Go Breakin’ my heart.  Additionally, the band caught fire ramping up the close of the set with Africa, Regulate, and Ain’t Nobody.  Does Courtney Cruise bring it on Chaka Khan or what???  Anyways, that was a glorious July 7 and we were coming off a beautiful 4th of July at our buddy, Mark Sanchez’s house and July 3 at the Beach Club in Pacific Palisades.

Next up, Yachty was seen in Corona del Mar at 5 Crowns for a yacht rock wedding.  Natasha and David’s wedding was a blast and the food was off the hook.  What an honor to celebrate them in style.  The next week saw Garden Grove cutting a rug on the lawn at Eastgate Park and Rancho Santa Margarita packing their park with about 3,500 hardcore soft rock fans!  Oh what a Night!  Once again, the band launched into Come Sail Away as an encore.  Ultimately, the crowd began waving their phones’ flashlights in the air making for a highlight of the summer.  What a feeling out there and we always appreciate the big love in RSM.

Coast to Coast

Yacht Rock Music has seen a meteoric rise across the country lately.  However, it’s not just California that’s getting Yachty.  In fact, Yachty by Nature has been the most sought after Yacht Rock act in the nation, second to only Yacht Rock Revue!  Moreover, we found ourselves on a plane again to Jacksonville this time for a concert in Amelia Island, Florida.  What a glorious place for smooth music to fill the air.  The powdery white sands on the beach and the resort feel out there was a nice counter to the oppressive heat and humidity inland.  Apart from the travel difficulties that Rim and Scotty experienced and narrowly missing the show, our weekend in Florida was grand!  Thank you to the Georgia Dental Association for all the fun, good vibes, and southern hospitality.  The boat bar in the middle of the party especially said, “I’m on a boat”.

If dropping anchor in Florida wasn’t enough, we had to get right back to California for another corporate party at the Waldorf in Dana Point.  The MBA had a beautiful spread on the grand lawn and what a beautiful night at this 5 star jewel of a resort.  We loved meeting people from all over the United States and new and old fans of yacht rock music!  Specifically, we found a crew from Atlanta who were already sailing far and wide.

San Franciscoyacht rock music yachty by nature band lou seal san francisco giants levis stadium oracle park bay keytar captain carl

We had the rest of the week to rally and prepare for a Friday Night with Levi’s and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park before the MLB baseball game!  Wow.  The band setup right on the San Francisco Bay and the Giants/Cubs game attendees cruised through the yacht rock party just outside the park.  What a thrill and we even danced with their mascot, Lou Seal.  To celebrate the sponsorship from Levi’s, the band was decked out in denim.  The jean jackets were on fire with our brand of SMOOTH.  Giants and Levi’s even gave us Captain’s Hats with the San Francisco Giants color and logo.  Too fun.

Sea Legs Cancellation

Sadly, we returned from the Bay Area with a sick Scotty McYachty and we had to do a very rare thing.  We were forced to cancel the Sea Legs show on July 30.  This would have been the crowning glory of a wonderful Summer of 2022.  This venue is right on the sand and such a fun spot that we probably had well beyond our typical 1,000 people preparing to attend.  Thanks for everyone’s patience and a heartfelt sorry to those people who showed up and didn’t get the word of the canceled show.

It was agonizing for everybody and we thank the JettHeadz for putting on a great show as our opener.  In addition, we were lucky enough to get the 90’s RockShow and Offsprung to play in our absence and hold the crowd that came out to support us!  Cheers!  Importantly, Yachty by Nature will return to SeaLegs on October 8.  Moreover, mark that calendar.

Paso Robles

yacht rock music yachty by nature paso robles cal coast beer august 6We are scheduled for the City of Corona concert in the park on August 4 and then a huge show in Paso Robles on August 6!  In fact, we are super pumped to return to wine country on the Central Coast for a return show at Cal Coast Beer in Paso.  Last year’s show there was a blast and we really love this town.  Yacht Rock music goes over huge there and we loved that crowd and venue.  Get your tickets and plan to be with us, even if you are in San Luis Obispo or surrounding cities.  Additionally, come up for a killer weekend!

Yacht Rock Music LA & more!

Let’s see where the band will drop anchor next.  In fact, we return for some Los Angeles dates.  Check the links and see which cool venue that you’ll get Yachty with us at:

August 10, private Corporate Party in San Diego

Thursday, August 11, La Santa in Santa Ana – hip, cool, funky venue right downtown

8.13, Santa Clarita Concert in the Park

August 19, Canyon Club Agoura Hills

August 27, Lake Forest Concert in the Park

September 4, Delta Coves in Bethel Island, CA

In closing, we’d like to thank you for all the love and support.  Moreover, let us return to lots of exciting shows and venues.  Importantly, the band is on fire and playing on the next level.  Keep the fire! In fact, Stay Yachty with us and we look forward to seeing you soon!  Overall, check out our LINKTREE site.  Ultimately, you will find even easier ways to connect with the band.  As a result, check the calendar and stay informed for great yachty happenings.

Yacht Rock Music next

Lastly, we do have some honorable mention events coming up.  In fact, we head up to the Bay Area again for that show in Bethel Island again.  In addition, the following weekend features YachtRocktober Fest with the Biergarten at Old World Huntington Beach.  Then, the Original Lobster fest is happening and we are on the bill for Sunday, September 11.  Importantly, we return once again to the friendly shores of Disco Bay on October 1.  Yes, Discovery Bay is getting Yachty and our concert will be at Campos Family Winery.  As stated earlier, we’ll be at SeaLegs in Huntington Beach on October 8.  Lastly, the band returns to Palm Springs to headline the Circa Caliente event on October 15.  In particular, make sure you get your tickets for Circa as soon as possible as it will sell out fast!

Of course, we will post reminders.  However, add to your list the fact that we will be back to Campus Jax on October 28 and then Daily’s in Rancho Santa Margarita on November 19.  That’s a lot of great yacht rock music for your listening and grooving pleasure.  Cheers and Ahoy!

Throwback to opening for Snoop here!

#yachtrockband #yachtybynature

 

 

04 Aug
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