| Hot Number | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Studio | Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee | |||
| Genre | Blues rock | |||
| Length | 38:34 | |||
| Label | CBS Associated | |||
| Producer | Dave Edmunds | |||
| The Fabulous Thunderbirds chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Hot Number | ||||
| ||||
Hot Number is a studio album by the American blues rock band the Fabulous Thunderbirds, released in 1987. [1] [2] It peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard 200. [3] The band supported the album by touring with Crosby, Stills & Nash. [4]
Recorded in Memphis, Hot Number was produced by Dave Edmunds. [5] [6] The Memphis Horns contributed to the album. [7] Chuck Leavell played keyboards. [8] "It Comes to Me Naturally" is a cover of the NRBQ song. [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Los Angeles Times |   [10] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |  [11] |
| Richmond Times-Dispatch | B+ [12] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
USA Today opined that "its bluesy orientation unfortunately downplays Jimmy Vaughan's [sic] guitar." [14] The Los Angeles Times determined that "the general familiarity of this record ... will probably appeal more to the band's new fans than to the old faithful." [10] The Kingston Whig-Standard wrote that "Kim Wilson doesn't so much sing with the band as it sings behind him; the result is a less spirited and thinner sound." [15] The Toronto Star deemed the album "sweaty, grimy, bar-room rock 'n' soul." [16] The New York Times tied "Streets of Gold" to 1980s heartland rock songs about socioeconomic issues. [17]
All tracks composed by Kim Wilson; except where indicated
with:
The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974.
Kim Wilson is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for the Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s, "Tuff Enuff" and "Wrap It Up."
Jimmie Lawrence Vaughan Jr. is an American blues rock guitarist and singer based in Austin, Texas. He is the older brother of the late Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.
JW-Jones is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He is a Juno Award nominee (2015), Billboard magazine Top 10 Selling artist, and winner of the International Blues Challenge for "Best Self-Produced CD Award" for his release 'High Temperature' in 2017 and Best Guitarist in 2020.
After Dark is the second album by the American band Cruzados, released in 1987. "Bed of Lies" reached No. 4 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart; "Small Town Love" peaked at No. 39. The band supported the album with a North American tour that included a leg opening for Fleetwood Mac. They broke up the following year.
Tuff Enuff is a 1986 studio album by Texas-based blues rock band the Fabulous Thunderbirds, which pointed the band in a more mainstream direction. The single "Tuff Enuff" was featured in the films Gung Ho and Tough Guys, as was the follow-up single "Wrap It Up". It has also been played a number of times on the sitcom Married... with Children. "Tuff Enuff" remains the band's only Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Live Alive Tour was a concert tour through North America and Europe, undertaken by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble from 1986 to 1988. At the start of the tour, Vaughan and bassist Tommy Shannon had both achieved sobriety. Their success with overcoming long-term drug and alcohol addiction had been attained by entering a rehabilitation facility, where they stayed for four weeks. Although Vaughan was nervous about performing while sober, he received encouragement from his bandmates. Throughout the tour during performances, Vaughan would warn his audiences about the dangers of substance abuse.
Powerful Stuff is a 1989 studio album by Texas based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. It was recorded in Memphis and produced by Terry Manning. It was the last studio album to feature Jimmie Vaughan before leaving for a solo career. The track "Powerful Stuff" achieved mainstream success and was featured in Touchstone Pictures' 1988 hit film Cocktail. It was the first single released from the Cocktail soundtrack album, which reached number one on the Billboard Charts and sold over 19 million copies worldwide.
T-Bird Rhythm is the fourth studio album by Texas-based blues rock band the Fabulous Thunderbirds, released in 1982. The recording contains a mixture of covers and originals. Chrysalis dropped the band following the release of the album.
Butt Rockin' is the third studio album by Texas-based blues rock band the Fabulous Thunderbirds, released in 1981. The recording took the band closer to old rhythm and blues and added additional musicians playing piano and brass. A 2000 CD reissue contains three bonus tracks.
The Fabulous Thunderbirds is the 1979 debut studio album by the Texas-based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. The album is often erroneously referred to as "Girls Go Wild" due to the prominence of the words on the cover. The album was reissued via Benchmark Recordings in 2000.
What's the Word is the second studio album by the Austin, Texas-based blues band The Fabulous Thunderbirds, released in 1980. Like its predecessor, the album initially sold poorly, but is now regarded as a successful white blues recording. The 2000 CD reissue on Benchmark Records contains three bonus tracks, two of which were recorded live at Club Koda, Austin, Texas.
Roll of the Dice is a 1995 studio album by Texas-based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds, their second without Jimmie Vaughan.
Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk is a 1991 studio album by Texas based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds and the first without guitarist Jimmie Vaughan. He was replaced by Duke Robillard and Kid Bangham for the recording. The album marks a return to the straightforward blues-rock sound of their early material, abandoning the overly commercial production of their previous three albums.
Different Tacos is a 1996 compilation album by Texas-based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. The album features a collection of rarities, B-sides and outtakes from their first four albums. It also contains live tracks from various UK tours.
High Water is a 1997 studio album credited to Texas-based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds, though the album is a collaboration between Thunderbirds frontman Kim Wilson and studio musicians Steve Jordan and Danny Kortchmar. Wilson, Kortchmar and Jordan are the only musicians to appear on the album.
"Tuff Enuff" is a song by the blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. It was written by Kim Wilson. The song was included on the album Tuff Enuff and was produced by Dave Edmunds. Released as a single in 1986, "Tuff Enuff" peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks; it reached the top 20 in other countries and number 83 in Australia. It was the band's first single and has since become their signature song. It was ranked number 96 on VH1's "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s"---although "Wrap It Up" was a minor hit.
The Best of the Fabulous Thunderbirds: Early Birds Special is a 2011 compilation album by Texas-based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds released on Benchmark Recordings. The album features a collection of songs from the original tracks from their first four albums, live versions, and the hits from their later albums, spanning their first decade of recording and touring.
Tornado is the second studio album by the American band the Rainmakers, released in 1987. It reached No. 116 on the Billboard 200. The band supported the album with a North American tour. "The Lakeview Man" is about a Vietnam veteran.
Kirk Fletcher is an American electric blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. To date, Fletcher has released six studio albums and one live album. In addition, he has variously been a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Mannish Boys, plus supplied backing for Joe Bonamassa and Eros Ramazzotti. Fletcher has been nominated for four Blues Music Awards and was a 2015 British Blues Awards nominee.
