If for some odd reason you only discovered the existence of the Internet today, let your friendly Vulture editors take a few moments to point you in the direction of one of the greatest viral videos of all time. Back in 2005, a couple of enterprising young Californians named J. D. Ryznar and Hunter D. Stair wrote and shot a series of videos for Channel 101 that took a hilarious (and fictionalized) look at the lives of late seventies/early eighties soft-rock stars, like Christopher Cross and Michael McDonald, as part of a series they dubbed “Yacht Rock.†Along the way, they created a mini-revival of the soft-rock genre, one whose niche popularity among hipster types continues to this very day. Well, on last night’s episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the music booker pulled off a minor coup by convincing Christopher Cross to perform a version of his très smooth 1981 hit “Ride Like The Wind†— with none other than Michael McDonald himself singing backup and playing the keys. So, if you happen to have the ingredients for a boat drink handy, we highly suggest you whip yourself up a piña colada, kick your Docksiders up on your desk, and live the next five minutes of your life like you’re sailing on the seven seas so blue.
Christopher Cross + The Roots Perform “Ride Like The Wind†with Surprise Guest Michael McDonald [Late Night with Jimmy Fallon]