The Marshall Tucker Band
The Marshall Tucker Band is an American rock band from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Noted for incorporating blues, country and jazz into its eclectic sound, The Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s.[2] 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 lineups for 45 years.[2] Lead vocalist Doug Gray remains the only original member still active with the band.
The Marshall Tucker Band | |
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 The Marshall Tucker Band on July 4, 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | Capricorn, Warner Bros., Mercury, Cabin Fever, Ramblin' |
| Associated acts | Charlie Daniels, The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Quincy Tate, Lynyrd Skynyrd |
| Website | www |
| Members | Doug Gray (original member) Marcus James Henderson Chris Hicks Rick Willis Tony Black B.B. Borden |
| Past members | Jerry Eubanks (original member) Toy Caldwell (original member) (d.1993) George McCorkle (original member) (d.2007) Paul Riddle (original member) Tommy Caldwell (original member) (d.1980) Franklin Wilkie Stuart Swanlund Andy Parks Rusty Milner Tim Lawter Ronnie Godfrey Bobby Ogdin Bob Wray James Stroud Tom Robb Ace Allen Don Cameron Frank Toler Mark Pettey Ronald Radford Todd Davis Paul Thompson Garry Guzzardo David Muse Clay Cook James Harold Brown Tony Heatherly Pat Elwood |
The original lineup of the Marshall Tucker Band, formed in 1972, included lead guitarist, steel guitarist, vocalist, and primary songwriter Toy Caldwell (1947–1993), lead vocalist Doug Gray (born 1948), keyboard player, saxophone player, and flautist Jerry Eubanks (born 1950), rhythm guitarist George McCorkle (1947–2007), drummer Paul Riddle (born 1953), and bassist Tommy Caldwell (1949–1980). They signed with Capricorn Records and in 1973 released their first LP, The Marshall Tucker Band.
After Tommy Caldwell was killed in an automobile accident in 1980, he was replaced by bassist Franklin Wilkie. Most of the original band members had left by the mid-1980s to pursue other projects.[3] The band's current lineup consists of Gray on vocals, keyboard player, saxophonist and flautist Marcus James Henderson, guitarists Chris Hicks and Rick Willis, bassist Tony Black and drummer B.B. Borden.[4]
Origin of the name
The "Marshall Tucker" in the band's name does not refer to a band member, but rather a blind piano tuner from Columbia, South Carolina.[5] 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. It later came to light that Marshall Tucker, the blind piano tuner, had tuned a piano in that rented space before the band, and his name was inscribed on the key.[6] 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.[7]
History
Early history
The original members (and some later members) of the Marshall Tucker Band had been playing in various lineups 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 lineup included, at times, Caldwell, his younger brother Tommy, Doug Gray, Jerry Eubanks, George McCorkle, and Franklin Wilkie. In the late 1960s, four of the bandmembers served in the U.S. Armed Forces;[8][9][10] Toy Caldwell was in the USMC, received Purple Heart after being wounded in Vietnam.[11]
By the 1970s, Toy Caldwell and George McCorkle had returned to Spartanburg, and the Toy Factory had resumed playing in area clubs.[12] In 1970 the Toy Factory was the opening act for the Allman Brothers when the Allmans played at the "Sitar" music lounge in Spartanburg.
In 1972, Caldwell and McCorkle once again revamped the band's lineup, eventually settling on Tommy Caldwell on bass, George McCorkle rhythm guitar, vocalist Doug Gray, and Jerry Eubanks, flute/tenor sax, while adding Paul Riddle on drums; the new lineup 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 which he did. After hearing the band play at Grant's, Buddy Thornton and Paul Hornsby recorded the band's demo at Capricorn Studios in Macon, Ga. Frank Fenter and Phil Walden signed The Marshall Tucker Band 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.[13] All of the tracks were written by Toy Caldwell, including "Can't You See", which was released in 1973 on Capricorn 0023 ("Bubbled Under" at No. 108 on 1 September 1973) and re-released in 1977 on Capricorn 0278 (peaked at No. 75 on 24 September 1977). After the album's release, the band began touring, playing upwards of 300 shows per year throughout the decade.[13] Southern rock fiddler Charlie Daniels later recalled that the Marshall Tucker Band "came onstage and just blew it out from start to finish."[14]
Daniels' first of many collaborations with the Marshall Tucker Band came on the band's second album, A New Life,[14] which was released in 1974, and certified gold in 1977.[13] Daniels and blues guitarist Elvin Bishop were among several musicians that joined the band for Where We All Belong,[14] 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,[14] and its instrumental title track (which again features Charlie Daniels on fiddle) was nominated for a Grammy.[15] 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.[13] The band's final Capricorn release came with 1978's Together Forever, which was produced by Stewart Levine.[14] Following the bankruptcy of Capricorn, The Marshall Tucker Band moved to Warner Bros. Records 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.
1980s
On April 22, 1980, following the completion of the band's tenth album Tenth (ninth studio release), 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, but the band was never able to recapture its commercial success of the 1970s. On 1982's Tuckerized, only two songs were written by band members; 'Sea, Dreams & Fairy Tales' by Toy Caldwell and 'Sweet Elaine' by George McCorkle. Main songwriter Toy Caldwell only contributed three songs to each of the two albums released in 1983; Just Us and Greetings from South Carolina. After 1983's Greetings from South Carolina, all the rest of the original band members split, sans Doug Gray and Jerry Eubanks.[2]
In 1988 Gray and Eubanks recorded the album Still Holdin' On, their one and only release on the Mercury Records label. Although Gray and Eubanks added new members Rusty Milner, Stuart Swanlund, and Tim Lawter, Still Holdin' On was primarily recorded with studio musicians. The newer members (including newly added keyboardist Don Cameron) had a much greater role, however, on the band's 1990 album, Southern Spirit, released on the Sisaspa label. The album marked a return to the band's country and blues roots.[16]
1990s
In 1992, the Marshall Tucker Band produced its first album for the Cabin Fever label, Still Smokin', which managed to crack the top 70 on the Billboard charts. 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.[17] 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.[13]
For 1998's Face Down In the Blues, the band added Spartanburg-area guitarist Ronald Radford and Firefall's multi-instrumentalist David Muse, the latter replacing Jerry Eubanks, who had retired in 1996.[14] Gospel, the band's 1999 album, featured the band's rendition of traditional songs such as "The Wayfaring Stranger" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken", and several original tracks.
21st century
The Marshall Tucker Band continued recording and performing into the 21st century, playing between 150 and 200 shows per year.[6] 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.
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.
Music style
Tommy Caldwell described the Marshall Tucker Band's music as progressive country, explaining that the band played country music structures and riffs combined with jazz improvisation upon which more complex structures were built from the country music foundation.[1] The band has incorporated throughout its career elements of diverse genres into its sound, most frequently blues,[18][19][20][21] country[18][19][21] and jazz.[18][21] The band has also drawn from boogie,[20] psychedelic,[22] R&B,[22] gospel,[22] folk[22] and rock and roll.[19] According to Allmusic's Jeff Tamarkin, Toy Caldwell's guitar playing style was categorized by "flashy, jazzy licks"; the band has also been noted for extensive jamming.[23]
The band's eclectic musical style has predominately been categorized as Southern rock.[19][21][24][25][26][27] The band's music has also been categorized as blues rock,[23] country rock,[24] jazz rock[24] and as a "proto-jam band".[23] Billboard charts have categorized the band as country, blues and adult contemporary.[21]
The band's self-titled debut album was categorized as country rock,[22] progressive rock[24] and "a Southern rock classic".[28] Guitarist/songwriter Toy Caldwell drew heavily from bluegrass and country while writing songs for the band's debut.[20] The follow-up album, A New Life, was categorized as having more of a country sound.[18][29] Where We All Belong has been described as a "classic rock and roll album".[30] The band's 1979 album Running Like the Wind features a pop rock and jazz fusion sound.[24] The follow-up Tenth album featured a boogie rock sound.[31] The band's 1998 album Face Down in the Blues consisted, as its title implies, entirely of blues music.[21]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | RIAA | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Country | CAN | ||||
| 1973 | The Marshall Tucker Band | 29 | — | — | Gold | Capricorn |
| 1974 | A New Life | 37 | — | 35 | Gold | |
| Where We All Belong (double album; one album studio, one album live) | 54 | — | 91 | Gold | ||
| 1975 | Searchin' for a Rainbow | 15 | 21 | — | Gold | |
| 1976 | Long Hard Ride | 32 | 21 | 64 | — | |
| 1977 | Carolina Dreams | 23 | 22 | 7 | Platinum | |
| 1978 | Together Forever | 22 | 26 | 24 | Gold | |
| 1979 | Running Like the Wind | 30 | — | — | — | Warner Bros. |
| 1980 | Tenth | 32 | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | Dedicated | 53 | — | — | — | |
| 1982 | Tuckerized | 95 | — | — | — | |
| 1983 | Just Us | 204 | — | — | — | |
| Greetings From South Carolina | 202 | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | Still Holdin' On | — | — | — | — | Mercury |
| 1990 | Southern Spirit | — | — | — | — | Capitol |
| 1992 | Still Smokin' | — | — | — | — | Cabin Fever |
| 1993 | Walk Outside the Lines | — | — | — | — | |
| 1998 | Face Down in the Blues | — | — | — | — | K-Tel |
| 1999 | Gospel | — | — | — | — | |
| 2004 | Beyond the Horizon | — | — | — | — | |
| 2005 | Carolina Christmas | — | — | — | — | |
| 2007 | The Next Adventure | — | — | — | — | |
Live albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | RIAA | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Country | CAN | ||||
| 1974 | Where We All Belong (double album; one album studio, one album live) | 54 | — | 91 | Gold | Capricorn |
| 2003 | Stompin' Room Only | — | — | — | — | Shout! Factory |
| 2006 | Live on Long Island 04-18-80 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2007— | Carolina Dreams Tour '77 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2010 | Way Out West! Live From San Francisco 1973 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2013 | Live! From Spartanburg, South Carolina | — | — | — | — | |
| 2015 | Live in the UK 1976 | — | — | — | — | Ramblin' |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | RIAA | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Country | CAN | ||||
| 1978 | Greatest Hits | 67 | 19 | 68 | Platinum | Capricorn |
| 1994 | The Capricorn Years | — | — | — | — | Era |
| 1996 | Country Tucker | — | — | — | — | K-Tel |
| 1997 | The Encore Collection | — | — | — | — | BMG |
| MT Blues | — | — | — | — | K-Tel | |
| 1998 | Keeping the Love Alive | — | — | — | — | Rebound |
| 2005 | Anthology | — | — | — | — | Shout! Factory |
| 2006 | Where a Country Boy Belongs | — | — | — | — | |
| 2008 | Collector's Edition | — | — | — | — | Madacy |
| 2009 | Love Songs | — | — | — | — | Shout! Factory |
| Essential 3.0 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011 | Greatest Hits | — | — | — | — | Ramblin' |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Country | US Rock | CAN | CAN Country | CAN AC | |||
| 1973 | "Can't You See" | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | The Marshall Tucker Band |
| "Take the Highway" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974 | "Another Cruel Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | A New Life |
| 1975 | "This Ol' Cowboy" | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | Where We All Belong |
| "Fire on the Mountain" | 38 | — | — | 81 | — | — | Searchin' for a Rainbow | |
| 1976 | "Searchin' for a Rainbow" | 104 | 82 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Long Hard Ride" | — | 63 | — | — | — | — | Long Hard Ride | |
| 1977 | "Heard It in a Love Song" | 14 | 51 | 25 | 5 | 38 | 24 | Carolina Dreams |
| "Can't You See" (Re-release) | 75 | — | — | 57 | — | 39 | Greatest Hits | |
| 1978 | "Dream Lover" | 75 | — | — | 80 | — | — | Together Forever |
| "I'll Be Loving You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Last of the Singing Cowboys" | 42 | — | — | 97 | — | — | Running Like the Wind |
| "Running Like the Wind" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | "It Takes Time" | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | Tenth |
| "Without You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "This Time I Believe" | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | Dedicated |
| "Silverado" | — | — | 60 | — | — | — | ||
| "Tell the Blues to Take Off the Night" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Love Some" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "Mr. President" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Tuckerized |
| "Reachin' for a Little Bit More" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "A Place I've Never Been" | — | 62 | — | — | — | — | Just Us |
| 1984 | "I May Be Easy But You Make It Hard" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Greetings From South Carolina |
| 1987 | "Hangin' Out in Smokey Places" | — | 44 | — | — | — | — | Still Holdin' On |
| 1988 | "Once You Get the Feel of It" | — | 79 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Still Holdin' On" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Stay in the Country" | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | Southern Spirit |
| 1992 | "Driving You Out of My Mind" | — | 68 | — | — | — | — | Still Smokin' |
| 1993 | "Walk Outside the Lines" | — | 71 | — | — | — | — | Walk Outside the Lines |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Even a Fool Would Let Go" | |
| "Silverado" | ||
| 1990 | "Stay in the Country" | |
| "Destruction" | ||
| 1992 | "Driving You Out of My Mind" | George Bloom[32] |
| "Frontline" | ||
| "Tan Yard Road" | ||
| 1993 | "Walk Outside the Lines" | D. Gray, J. Gerik |
| "Down We Go" | D. Gray, J. Gerik, K. Mandel[33] |
References
- "MARSHALL TUCKER BAND- "IS PROGRESSIVE"". Magicalmomentphotos.com. June 1, 2016.
- 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.
- The Marshall Tucker Band – Current and former members page Archived 2009-05-29 at the Wayback Machine. 2009. Retrieved: 9 June 2009.
- Herring, Melissa (February 15, 1983). "Blind piano tuner turns talent into a key business". Associated Press. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
- The Marshall Tucker Band – Biography. 2009. Retrieved: 9 June 2009.
- Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- "GEORGE MCCORKLE". georgemccorkle.com. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Ryan (May 4, 2011). "Marshall Tucker Band to Entertain Troops in Iraq & Kuwait". marshalltucker.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Dudley Brown (June 29, 2003). "Marines salute Hutchings, Caldwells". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- "Toy Caldwell Jr., 45, a Founder of the Marshall Tucker Band". The New York Times. February 26, 1993. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Michael B. Smith, Toy Caldwell's Carolina Dreams. Tuckerhead.com. Retrieved: 9 June 2009.
- 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.
- 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.
- Tuckerhead.com, Still Holdin' On Review. 2002–2008. Retrieved: 9 June 2009.
- Craig Cumberland, Walk Outside the Lines Review. Tuckerhead.com, Retrieved: 9 June 2009.
- "The Marshall Tucker Band Brings Southern Rock To The Paramount". Long Islander News. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- 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.
- "The Marshall Tucker Band | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- "The Marshall Tucker Band - The Marshall Tucker Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- "Live on Long Island: 4-18-80 - The Marshall Tucker Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- "GloryDazeMusic.com | AOR and Melodic Rock". GloryDazeMusic.com | AOR and Melodic Rock. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- "The Marshall Tucker Band: Southern jam kings". Axs.com. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- "Op-Ed: Marshall Tucker Band puts on the best southern rock show of 2017". Digitaljournal.com. December 28, 2017. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- Kuhlman, Fred. "The Marshall Tucker Band Brings its Southern Rock to Talking Stick Resort Showroom". Beneathadesertsky.com. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- "The Marshall Tucker Band - Searchin For A Rainbow". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- "A New Life - The Marshall Tucker Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- "Swampland:Marshall Tucker Band: Where We All Belong". swampland.com. Retrieved Apr 28, 2019.
- Rob Theakston. "Tenth - The Marshall Tucker Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
- "CMT : Videos : The Marshall Tucker Band : Driving You Out of My Mind". Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- "CMT : Videos : The Marshall Tucker Band : Down We Go". Country Music Television. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
External links
- Official website
- The Marshall Tucker Band at AllMusic
- Swampland's Legends of Southern Rock, Marshall Tucker
- "The Marshall Tucker Band Showcase". Local Music Scene South Carolina.
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