The Marshall Tucker Band is an American rock band from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Noted for incorporating blues, country and jazz into an eclectic sound, the Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s.[1] While the band had reached the height of its commercial success by the end of the decade, it has recorded and performed continuously under various line-ups for 50 years.[1] Lead vocalist Doug Gray remains the only original member still active with the band.
After Tommy Caldwell was killed in a car accident in 1980, he was replaced by bassist Franklin Wilkie. Most of the original band members had left by 1984.[2] The band's current line-up consists of Gray on vocals; keyboard player, saxophonist and flautist Marcus James Henderson; guitarists Chris Hicks and Rick Willis, bassist Ryan Ware and drummer B.B. Borden.[3]
Origin of the name
The "Marshall Tucker" in the band's name does not refer to a band member, rather to a blind piano tuner from Spartanburg.[4] While the band was discussing possible band names one evening in an old warehouse they had rented for rehearsal space, someone noticed that the warehouse's door key had the name "Marshall Tucker" inscribed on it, and suggested they call themselves "The Marshall Tucker Band," not realizing it referred to an actual person. Later it came to light that Marshall Tucker, the piano tuner, had tuned a piano in that rented space before the band and his name was inscribed on the key.[5] Music historian Joel Whitburn erroneously attributes "Marshall Tucker" to the owner of the band's rehearsal hall in his book Top Pop Singles, 1955-2002.[6] The piano tuner "Marshall Tucker" died on January 20, 2023, at the age of 99.[7] At the time it was reported that he supported the band’s use of his name and that he was "proud of them as long as they were good boys and played good music".[8]
History
Early history
The original members (and some later members) of the Marshall Tucker Band had been playing in various line-ups under different band names around the Spartanburg area since the early 1960s. In 1966 members of several such bands merged to form the Toy Factory, named after guitarist Toy Caldwell. The Toy Factory's constantly shifting line-up included, at various times, Caldwell, his younger brother Tommy, Doug Gray, Jerry Eubanks, George McCorkle and Franklin Wilkie. In the late 1960s, four of the band members served in the US military;[9][10][11] Toy Caldwell served in the Marine Corps and received a Purple Heart after being wounded in Vietnam.[12]
By the 1970s, Toy Caldwell and George McCorkle had returned to Spartanburg and the Toy Factory had resumed playing in area clubs.[13]
In 1972 Caldwell and McCorkle once again revamped the band's line-up, eventually settling on Tommy Caldwell on bass, George McCorkle rhythm guitar, vocalist Doug Gray and Jerry Eubanks, keyboards/flute/tenor sax, while adding Paul Riddle on drums; the new line-up adopted the name "Marshall Tucker Band". Wet Willie lead singer Jimmy Hall told Toy Caldwell to book the band at Grant's Lounge in Macon, Georgia, which he did. After hearing the band play at Grant's Lounge, Buddy Thornton and Paul Hornsby recorded the band's demo at Capricorn Studios. Frank Fenter and Phil Walden signed the Marshall Tucker Band to Capricorn Records based on those demos.
1970s
The Marshall Tucker Band's self-titled debut, produced by Paul Hornsby, was released in 1973 and certified gold in 1975.[14] All of the tracks were written by Toy Caldwell, including "Can't You See" which was released as a popular single in 1973 and re-released in 1977, generating much FM airplay and becoming the group's best known song. After the album's release, the band began touring, playing upwards of 300 shows per year throughout the decade.[14] Southern rock fiddler Charlie Daniels later recalled that the Marshall Tucker Band "came onstage and just blew it out from start to finish."[15]
Daniels' first of many collaborations with the Marshall Tucker Band came on the band's second album, A New Life,[15] which was released in 1974, and certified gold in 1977.[14] Daniels and blues guitarist Elvin Bishop were among several musicians that joined the band for Where We All Belong,[15] a double-album (one studio album and one live album) released by the band in 1974 and certified gold that same year.
The following year the band's Searchin' for a Rainbow was also certified gold the year of its release, and contained the track "Fire on the Mountain," which peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard charts. Long Hard Ride, the band's fifth consecutive gold album, was released in 1976,[15] and its instrumental title track (which again features Charlie Daniels on fiddle) was nominated for a Grammy.[16]
Carolina Dreams, released in 1977 and certified platinum that same year, proved to be the band's most commercially successful album, and included the track "Heard It in a Love Song", which reached No. 14 on the Billboard charts.[14] And the band's final Capricorn release came with 1978's Together Forever, which was produced by Stewart Levine.[15]
Following the bankruptcy of Capricorn, the Marshall Tucker Band moved to Warner Bros. Records in 1979 for their ninth album, Running Like the Wind (the band's eighth release was a compilation album entitled Greatest Hits), and they retained Levine as the album's producer.
In August 1979, the band played at Knebworth Festival in England. Led Zeppelin was the headline act at both of their festival appearances.[17]
1980s
On April 22, 1980, following the completion of the band's tenth album Tenth, bassist and co-founder Tommy Caldwell suffered massive head trauma in a car wreck and died six days later. Former Toy Factory bassist Franklin Wilkie replaced Caldwell for their next album, Dedicated (1981), but the band was never able to recapture its commercial success of the 1970s.
On 1982's Tuckerized, which featured Ronnie Godfrey, who joined them as an additional keyboardist, only two songs were written by band members; "Sea, Dreams & Fairy Tales" by Toy Caldwell and "Sweet Elaine" by George McCorkle. And main songwriter Toy Caldwell only contributed three songs to each of their next two albums, both released in 1983; Just Us and Greetings from South Carolina. Afterwards, all the rest of the original band members split in June 1984, except for Doug Gray and Jerry Eubanks.[1]
During the summer of 1984, MTB toured with a revamped lineup featuring Gray, Eubanks, Spartanburg guitarist Rusty Milner and new Nashville players: Bob Wray (bass), James Stroud (drums), Kenny Mims (guitar) and Bobby Ogdin (keyboards). But in 1985, Wray, Stroud and Mims were replaced respectively by session veteran Tom Robb (from Leslie West's Wild West Show), Stuart Swanlund (guitars, slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, vocals) and David "Ace" Allen (drums).
In 1988 Gray and Eubanks released the album Still Holdin' On, their one and only release on the Mercury Records label, which had been recorded mostly back in 1985 in Nashville with the 84/85 mostly Nashville players lineup.
Bassist Tim Lawter joined in 1987, and the other newer members: Rusty Milner, Stuart Swanlund and "Ace" Allen (including newly added, in 1989, keyboardist Don Cameron) had a much greater role on the band's 1990 album, Southern Spirit, released on the Sisapa label. The album marked a return to the band's country and blues roots.[18]
1990s
In 1992 the Marshall Tucker Band produced its first album for the Cabin Fever label, Still Smokin'. Just after the album's recording, drummer David "Frankie" Toler (ex-Allman Brothers Band) replaced Allen on drums and Mark Pettey replaced Don Cameron later that same year on keyboards.
The band's 1993 release, Walk Outside the Lines, marked a transition to a more country sound, relying less on long improvised jams that were the trademark of the band's early career.[19] The album's title track was co-written by country music star Garth Brooks, a long-time fan of the band who considered writing a track for them a "milestone" in his career.[14]
The band added Spartanburg-area guitarist Ronald Radford in 1993 to 1995 after Swanlund suffered a hand injury, and Radford appeared on 1998's Face Down In the Blues, along with Firefall's multi-instrumentalist David Muse, the latter replacing Jerry Eubanks who had retired in 1996. But Swanlund was back in the band from 1995 till his death in 2012 and Muse was there from 1996-2000, then again in 2003-2009.
Garry Guzzardo replaced drummer Toler in 1994-1996 and was succeeded by current drummer B.B. Borden (ex-Mother's Finest) in 1997, guitarist Chris Hicks joined in 1996, after a long stint in the Outlaws, and keyboardist Paul Thompson (who came in after Pettey left) was briefly a member in 1994, but was dropped pretty soon after and not replaced. He was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1999.[20]
Clay Cook (saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals) was a member from 2000-2009 and Dave Muse returned in 2003-2009 before being succeeded by current man Marcus James Henderson in 2009. Longtime bassist Tim Lawter was succeeded by Tony Heatherly in 2001, who turned it over to Pat Elwood in 2004. Guitarist Rusty Milner left in 2003 and Stuart Swanland was there on and off (his health permitting) from 1985 until his death on August 5, 2012 at age 54. The current guitarists are Chris Hicks (since 1996) and Rick Willis (since 2009) and bassist Tony Black was there from 2017-2019. Ryan Ware has occupied the bass chair since the band returned to the road in 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Marshall Tucker Band continued recording and performing into the 21st century, playing between 150 and 200 shows per year.[5] The band reissued many of its albums from the 1970s on its new Ramblin' Records label, as well as two two-disc compilations, the first (Anthology) being a 30-year retrospective and the second (Where a Country Boy Belongs) being a collection of the band's country songs. In 2004, they released another studio album, Beyond the Horizon, and the following year released a Christmas album, Carolina Christmas. In 2007 they released their newest studio album The Next Adventure.
"Can't You See'" was used for the opening and closing credits of the Kevin Costner 2008 motion picture Swing Vote. "Take the Highway" was also used in the movie.
"Can't You See" is also used in the 2001 film Blow and the 2017 film I, Tonya.
Remembering the early years in 2012, Doug Gray describes the band as being like ''a bowl of soup like your mom would cook. Whatever was in the refrigerator was all thrown in there, and however it tasted was what it was.'' As Gray remarks, the result was so eclectic that the press didn't really know what to make of them as they failed to fit neatly in any pigeonhole.[33]
Iron Butterfly was an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music. Although their heyday was the late 1960s, the band has been reincarnated with various members with varying levels of success with no new recordings since 1975. Their second album, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968), remains a best-seller, and Iron Butterfly was the first group to receive an in-house platinum album award from Atlantic Records.
Outlaws is an American Southern rock band from Tampa, Florida. They are best known for their 1975 hit "There Goes Another Love Song" and extended guitar jam "Green Grass and High Tides" from their 1975 debut album, plus their 1980 cover of the Stan Jones classic "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky".
Blackfoot is an American Southern rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 1970. Though they primarily play with a Southern rock style, they are also known as a hard rock act. The band's classic lineup consisted of guitarist and vocalist Rickey Medlocke, guitarist Charlie Hargrett, bassist Greg T. Walker, and drummer Jackson Spires.
The Marshall Tucker Band is the album by American rock band The Marshall Tucker Band. Released in April 1973, the album was recorded in 1973 in Macon, Georgia, at Capricorn Studios.
A New Life is the second album by The Marshall Tucker Band. It was recorded in Macon, Georgia at Capricorn Studios. Guest musicians include Charlie Daniels and Jaimoe from The Allman Brothers Band.
Carolina Dreams, released in 1977, was the Marshall Tucker Band's sixth album and an ode to the band's home state, South Carolina, USA. Focusing on Western themes, it spawned their biggest hit to date, "Heard It In a Love Song", which rose to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, taking the album with it to #22 and #23 on the Country and Pop charts, respectively. They toured early that year to promote the album. A bonus live version of "Silverado" appears on the 2005 reissue which was recorded the year after the death of bassist and founding member, Tommy Caldwell.
Running Like the Wind is The Marshall Tucker Band's ninth studio album with its title track, "Running Like the Wind," being one of the band's most popular songs. The more jazzy "Last of the Singing Cowboys" was the single from the album, reaching #42 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It is their first album recorded for Warner Bros. after the collapse of Capricorn Records.
Toy Talmadge Caldwell Jr. was an American musician who was most notable as the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the 1970s Southern Rock group The Marshall Tucker Band. A founding member of the band, Caldwell remained with the group until 1983. In addition to his role as lead guitarist, he was also the band's steel guitarist and performed lead vocals including on one of the band's best-known hits, "Can't You See."
Long Hard Ride is the fifth studio album by The Marshall Tucker Band, released in 1976 and produced by Paul Hornsby. Guest performers included Charlie Daniels, John McEuen and Jerome Joseph. The title track was made into a short film that was played as a sort of movie trailer. It depicts the members of the band as a gang of cowboys. The album's cover features Frank C. McCarthy's painting "The Last Crossing" (1972). Cover design and art direction John Kosh.
Together Forever is the Marshall Tucker Band's seventh studio album. It was produced by Stewart Levine. It was the band's last studio album for Capricorn Records. It has sold more than 500,000 copies.
Searchin' for a Rainbow is the fourth studio album by The Marshall Tucker Band, released in 1975.
Where We All Belong is the third album by the Marshall Tucker Band. Released in 1974, the double album consists of a studio album and a live album; the former focuses on progressive country songs, while the latter focuses on jazz rock and Southern rock jamming. Musician Charlie Daniels guests on two songs, one from each album.
George McCorkle was a founding member and guitarist for the Marshall Tucker Band. He wrote "Fire on the Mountain", the band's first top 40 hit, though had hoped that Charlie Daniels would record the song. He left the band in 1984 and later worked as a songwriter. He released a solo album, American Street, in 1999. McCorkle was diagnosed with cancer in early June 2007 and died soon afterward, in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Thomas Michael Caldwell was the bassist for The Marshall Tucker Band between 1973 and 1980.
Live on Long Island 04-18-80 is a 2-CD set recorded by The Marshall Tucker Band at Nassau Coliseum and is the final recording of bassist and founding member Tommy Caldwell, occurring just ten days before his death in an automobile accident. Tommy Caldwell is pictured on the album cover. This is the first CD to feature a complete concert recording from the original band. However, the album wasn't released until 26 years later. The band was touring in support of their album Tenth at the time of this recording and features the songs "It Takes Time" and "Cattle Drive" from that release as well as classics such as "Heard It in a Love Song", "Searchin' for a Rainbow" and "Can't You See".
"Heard It in a Love Song" is a song by The Marshall Tucker Band, from their 1977 album Carolina Dreams; it was written by Toy Caldwell.
Doug Gray is an American singer, who is a founding member and lead vocalist of The Marshall Tucker Band.
Tenth is the tenth album by the Marshall Tucker Band. It was recorded in 1980 in Coconut Grove, Florida, at Bayshore Recording Studios. It was the final studio album with Tommy Caldwell, who died from injuries sustained in a car crash later the same year.
Dedicated is the eleventh studio album by the Marshall Tucker Band. It was "dedicated" to their former bassist and founding member, Tommy Caldwell, who was killed from injuries sustained in a car crash the previous year, and the other Caldwell brother, Timmy, who died under similar circumstances, and to all lost loved ones.
Stompin' Room Only: Greatest Hits Live 1974–76 is an album recorded by the Marshall Tucker Band that contains live recordings from London, Manchester, Milwaukee and Charlie Daniels' "Volunteer Jam" in Murfreesboro. They were planned to be released in 1977, but the tapes were shelved and then lost.
References
1 2 3 Colin Larkin (ed.), "Marshall Tucker Band". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Vol. 5 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), pp. 521–522.
↑ Ted Olson, "Marshall Tucker Band." The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to the Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), pp. 325–326.
1 2 3 4 5 James Elliott, "Marshall Tucker Band." Definitive Country: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Country Music and its Performers (New York: Berkley Publishing Group, 1995), pp. 504-505.
1 2 3 4 5 Barry Alfonso, Notes to The Marshall Tucker Band: Anthology [CD liner notes]. Ramblin' Records, 2005.
↑ Amy Cortner, "Marshall Tucker Band." Encyclopedia of Appalachia (Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 2006). p. 1186.
1 2 Eddy, Jon Dolan, David Menconi, Linda Ryan, Rob Harvilla, Charles Aaron, Nick Murray, Kory Grow, Mike Powell, Marissa R. Moss, Reed Fischer, Richard Gehr, Chuck (Nov 12, 2014). "50 Rock Albums Every Country Fan Should Own". Rolling Stone. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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