Marshall Tucker Band News
Ripple Effect Music Blog Reviews "Together Forever"
My dog died this weekend. 15 years old and as much of a trooper as you'd ever find. Full of heart and soul.
Now this being a music site, not a dog site, I won't burden you with too many details of Kimo's passing, rather, we're going to talk about the album that found it's way onto my turntable the morning after Kimo's death. An album that filled that perfect chasm of being musically uplifting, nearly transcendent in it's melodic reach, yet still deeply mournful and somber, capable of pulling from my deadened heart every last bit of raw emotion. Music that became the eulogy of my dog's passing, Music that became my teary catharsis.
I've always been a huge Marshall Tucker Band fan. Skyrocketed to fame on the back of their tour supporting The Allman Brothers in 1973, very few bands ever sounded like them. Southern through and through, the Marshall Tucker boys seemed to live the cowboy ethic, writing songs about cattle drives and long hard rides. Yet don't go to Marshall Tucker expecting country music. Sure there were traces of cowboy western deep within their mix, but The Marshall Tucker Band were so much more than that, effortlessly blending simply stellar musicianship, a true guitar hero, and their southern leanings with the heapin' textures of jazz and rock. More southern sounding than The Atlanta Rhythm Section, not as fierce as Molly Hatchet, less rebellious than Lynard Skynard, more focused than the Allman Brothers, more "real" than 38 Special, but less pop oriented than Firefall, they were a hard band to classify. None of that hindered their success in the '70's though, as the band released a series of 6 gold and platinum albums and the radio hit, "Heard it in a Love Song." Still, as the millennium has changed, it seems that the Marshall Tucker Band often gets left off that list of great southern bands, and that's a shame.
Besides a rock-steady rhythm section comprised of Tommy Caldwell and drummer Paul Riddle, MTB had three distinct secret weapons, all of which make their presence felt on Together Forever: the once-in-a-lifetime, deeply emotional and soulful voice of Doug Gray, the southern rock virtuosic guitar work of Toy Caldwell, and the jazzy flute and sax accompaniments of Jerry Eubanks. Put it all together and you get a sound unlike any other in the southern rock cannon. Country rock jazz. All of which led me to chose this album to plunk onto the turntable that mournful morning.
Now, I'm not gonna say that Together Forever is MTB's best album. It's not. That honor would most likely go to Carolina Dreams, or The Marshall Tucker Band (although I've always been partial to Tenth, and the heartbreak of a song, "See You One More Time"). Still Together Forever was the first MTB I came across as I dug for the perfect music that morning after my dog's passing; something not to harsh or aggressive, yet not maudlin and passive. I wanted something that still rocked, but felt reflective. Something soulful. And for that Together Forever, was like a gift from an angel.
Beginning with the chugging guitar of rhythm player George McCorkle, it only takes a few moments for MTB to arrive in all their glory. Toy adds in a little acoustic, feathered with Jerry's gentle flute. When Tommy's bass comes in, it runs in jazzy arpeggios, not galloping county tones. By the time Doug's instantly recognizable voice jumps into the foray, I'm lost. Sure the lyrics added an interesting sentiment to my harsh feelings of loss, "When the morning sun/melts the morning dew/I'll be loving you." But it wasn't sentimentality that clicked with me that day. It wasn't the rawness of the emotion that made me realize that I loved MTB even more than I thought I did. It was the music.
Doug Gray possesses a voice that embodies country soul. Effortlessly, he wrings emotion out of each word. It's nearly impossible to describe his singing. Slightly nasal in tone, but still deep from the belly. His phrasing is perfect, nearly jazz-like in it's approach. It's a voice that even on the happiest songs belays an underlying sadness, a deeper sorrow, a weathered melancholy. On that first song, "I'll Be Loving You," it was a voice that reached right out from the vinyl and caressed me, gently cajoling my own tears to join the band's.
While the band runs away with a chugging southern groove, Toy Caldwell shows us that he just may be the most under-appreciated southern guitar slinger of all time. Carrying a tone that would melt the Allman Brother's hearts, his guitar is clean and crisp, deeply expressive. Jazzy, rocking, soaring, Toy wrings the notes for every moment of emotion. Whether playing slow and melodic or blinding at virtuoso speed, his guitar doesn't sound like southern rock, like the Outlaws, or jazzy, but comfortably somewhere in between. And it's all done with his magical thumb, plucking away.
Doug and Toy reach perfection again with the mid-tempo "Love is a Mystery," both of them soaring into their performances. The addition of some spellbinding jazzy sax by Jerry Eubanks completes the picture, filling out this 7 minute jam of a song. Toy comes back after the sax, his tone elevating to some place that few guitars can ever go. Doug's voice, even here on a love song, is still as deeply affected as before. It's just the way the guys sings, the tone of his voice that to me just speaks of heartbreak. I've loved that voice since the first time I heard it, and coming to me that sad morning, it was like a sorrowful salve to my wounds.
If you've never taken the time to explore the Marshall Tucker Band's vast catalog, don't miss it. If the thought of a blend of southern rock and jazz that's more concerned with soul and melody than simple blazing guitar solos appeals to you then Marshall Tucker is waiting. They were there for me that morning, and now they've found a place even deeper in my heart.
And to Kimo, rest easy, my boy. The angels are with you.
--Racer
Southern Fried Magazine reviews Marshall Tucker Band Essential 3.0
The title says it all with this latest release from The Marshall Tucker Band. This is truly an essential CD for any Marshall Tucker fan. It contains 3 discs full of their greatest music along with rare live tracks. Disc three is a re-mastered live performance from their September 1973 Winterland, San Francisco performance. The CD set comes complete with a great booklet of info and vintage photos. Too many bands will continually re-release greatest hits CDs with the same old tracks. Doug and the MTB folks have shown the right way to do a greatest hits CD! Although the CDs contain all their greatest hits, each disc contains rare live cuts giving you something special on each disc. Thanks guys for a great collection!!
~Bruce Wall~
Read the full review at southernfriedmagazine.com
Still Taking the Highway - Robert Putignano
Blues Beat
Marshall Tucker's Doug Gray
Still Taking the Highway
By Robert Putignano
During his high school years, Doug Gray fronted a band called The Guldsmen, performing rhythm and blues and rock covers before joining Tommy Caldwell in the New Generation. After high school, Gray joined friends Tommy and Toy Caldwell, Jerry Eubanks and Ross Hanna to form the Toy Factory, a band that began to achieve notoriety. Toy Factory became popular enough to be asked to open for The Allman Brothers. Afterwards, some band members spent time in the military, and when everyone returned from service, the musicians regrouped with Gray, the Caldwell brothers, and Eubanks joined by George McCorkle and Paul Riddle.
The Marshall Tucker band name was originated when someone found a key ring that belonged to a local piano tuner named Marshall Tucker. While opening for Wet Willie at The Ruins in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the MTB was noticed by Jimmy Hall. Jimmy introduced them to Capricorn Records CEO Phil Walden, who signed the band. From 1972 to date, Gray has acted as lead vocalist for MTB. When Capricorn went bust in '79, the band shifted to Warner Brothers Records. In 1980, bassist Tommy died following an auto accident, and in 1983, his brother Toy, along with McCorkle and Riddle, decided to retire from the band. Gray and Eubanks carried on, hiring some of Spartanburg's best musicians. Driven by the heart, soul and undying pride of Doug Gray, The Marshall Tucker band continues to tour regularly,
Just as the Shout Factory triple CD box set The Essential Marshall Tucker Band was released, and while Marshall Tucker was passing through New Yokr City, I had the opportunity to check in with the good natured southern Blues-rocker Doug Gray
Robert Putignano for BluesWax: Mr. Doug Gray, how are you today?
Doug Gray: I'm having a good time, Bob and hope you are too.
BW: I'm enjoying this new triple box set that you just put out, The Essential Marshall Tucker Band.
DG: Thank you and you know what? Some of those tracks have been released before, but there are some new previously unreleased tracks that were fun for me to introduce to our fans. We are working on another one that will be called Way Out West, too. I've been sitting in the studio listening to these tapes and they are really nice.
BW: Anything from that first trip you made to New York City at Kenny's Castaways?
DG: Man, I wish we had some of what we did that night. You were there?
BW: Funny story, I had never heard you guys before and on the morning of that gig, a DJ on WNEW played you guys from the first LP, and I freaked. The DJ also said you guys were playing in New York City that night, so I rounded about eight of my buddies, went to the show, and you guys tore the roof off the place!
DG: You wouldn't happen to have any pictures or audio from that night?
BW: I wish I did, Doug, but I don't.
DG: That night was very exciting for us as it was our first New York City show, and I am really glad you were there!
BW: It was a great night, and that's when Kenny's Castaways was uptown, I was a regular patron as they brought in a lot of Blues guys like; Willie Dixon, Mighty Joe Young, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and others. Catching you there was phenomenal and a very memorable evening.
DG: It was wonderful, and your bringing this night up brings back so many memories for me. And reminds me why we did what we did, and why I am still doing this with the band. You know I think it was Scott Muni who played us on WNEW that morning. I miss that guy, and we became great friends. Remembering that night still gives me chills, as does when I mix this other live stuff we found, where I go into the studio with a great engineer and just listen to those old tapes and envision that I am standing on stage. We are so proud of what we've done. I hope you get a chance to come see us this weekend. We're different people now. The world has changed, and God has taken care of some of us, as a lot of people have left this world, but I bet a lot of those good folks have come back as kitty cats. (Laughs) The beautiful part of all of this is that you and I are still talking about great memories and chuckling about it. Do you know that I almost stole a police car that night?
BW: No, but why?
DG: True story, a police car pulled up in front of the club while we were in between sets, and the policeman was chasing some sucker down the street into a hallway. He left his car door open, and the car was still running. I was just drunk enough on Scotch, and someone said, "Doug you better not do it!" What a night, what a grateful night.
Earlier, you said you did not know us until that day in '73, but we didn't know who we were yet. We all came from humble blue collar backgrounds. My daddy worked in a cotton mill. Other members of the band and family were plumbers, and others made teeth on the side. We were and still are just real down to earth regular folks who also loved to have a great time. We were not different than any of your listeners or your family. I didn't even hang my gold records. People would visit me and say, "Where are all of your gold records?" So eventually someone went to my warehouse and pulled out the gold and platinum records and hung them for me. And you know it makes me feel good looking at them now, as I am proud to have been a part of what we did.
BW: Plus you are still out there, carrying the Tucker flag.
DG: I wear my Marshall Tucker t-shirts everyday. Damn, I get them for free! (Laughs)
BW: Too funny. I was fortunate to have seen you guys early on in a club setting, but it wasn't long afterwards that you were opening for the Allman Brothers and playing in front of twenty thousand people. Come to think of it, I saw you with the Allmans and Elvin Bishop, too.
DG: Sitting on a bail of hay with Elvin. Elvin's got to be at least six-hundred years old.
BW: Actually, Elvin is sixty-seven this week.
DG: Sixty-seven, and I thought I'm old at sixty-one. You know what? I am going to make a deal with you. If you come out to our show this weekend, I want you to memorize the second verse of "This Old Cowboy," and I will bring you on-stage with my arm around you. I'll even whisper the words in your ear, I won't leave you alone out there!
BW: I don't know, Doug...
DG: You are coming out to the show, and I'm giving you my manager's phone number, and my personal cell phone number.
BW: I'd love to come out and see the band this weekend, and the other bonus is that Charlie Daniels is also on the bill, so I'm there!
DG: You just call me, and we'll make this happen.
BW: But joining the band on stage will scare the living you know what out of me.
DG: No one's going to smell it, I will bring you some Depends (Laughs.) But I want you up there, it's easy. Believe it or not, you will feel wonderful after it's over.
BW: We'll work this out, oh my God!
DG: You don't work out nothing with the Marshall Tucker Band. You just come on out there, because I want you to feel what I feel every night with this band. You will remember this night for years and years.
Note: Your humble correspondent, never made to the stage that night, and I think those all in attendance were better off for it, me too!
DG: And you know, we rarely play the same songs nightly, so we do some sweet stuff, and when I hear someone yell a request from the crowd I just do it.
BW: That keeps you and the band fresh and sharp, I'm sure. How did the MTB band get hooked up with Capricorn Records?
DG: Jimmy Hall then of Wet Willie heard the band and asked if we had a tape of the band, and we had something that we'd just cut in Muscle Shoals. "Can't You See," "Take the Highway," and "Hillbilly Band." So Jimmy Hall took the tape to Phil Walden in Macon, Georgia, and Phil invited us down to come play at a place called Grants Lounge, which was a black club, back in the day when black was black, and white was white. Nobody seems to care about this anymore. But anyway, we walked in, did our thing, signed the contract over some Scotch, and had ourselves a deal for five years.
BW: Great story. Plus the legacy and history that came out of Capricorn was amazing, what a roster; MTB, ABB, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Daniels, Bonnie Bramlett, Wet Willie, Cowboy, the list goes on and on. Speaking of Elvin, that deal with Capricorn just catapulted his career.
DG: It sure did. It did for all of us. One night at the studio, guess who I run into? Dr. John. There was this practice room with a big Steinway back there, so I stumbled in higher than you know what, I was a young man and couldn't even grow a beard then. So someone says, "Hey, Mac is back there," and I said, "I don't care who is back there," and then he says, "Gregg Allman is there, too." Now, Gregg's still one of my best friends, but I just did not give a hoot back then.. So eventually, I walk back, and Mac says, "Sit down and sing one." The rest of the night was just great, and we had ourselves a ball.
BW: What about the current version of MTB?
DG: I tell you, over the years, there's been hundreds of guys that have come into this band who thought that they could stay, wanted to stay, and thought they had the heart to make Marshall Tucker live on. I don't know if it will live forever. I have plans to go for as long as I can. I brought in my nephew and others that are a little bit younger than me. This current lineup knows our songbook, and they are ready and biting at the bit to play anything I want them to. I am very fortunate as it's not easy to find guys like this. Some of them have jazz credits, too.
BW: Well MTB always had a jazzy side.
DG: Yeah, we did, and wait till you hear my sax player. You are going to want to go over there and kiss him. He's that good, and has played with everyone. But all he really wanted to do was play in MTB. He kept calling me asking me to join the band. So when the spot opened, I gave him a call and gave him a list of songs to learn, and he was more than ready!
BW: So, now I am really looking forward to seeing the band. Tell me more about this new Essential Marshall Tucker Band box set.
DG: Like I'd mentioned, some of the tracks have been released prior, but we found this one live tape that needed some work. I knew that there was nothing I could do to change the music, but it needed to be cleaned up sonically. So I went into the studio and said, "Let's just play it top to bottom end to end, leave the audience noise as it is, the talking we did between songs, etc. I listened to it for four days and made my notes, then spent three weeks thinking about it, but all we got from that tape was just three or four songs for this release. But there's a reason for that as the next CD I was telling you about, Way Out West (which was done with Bill Graham's people,), will have other tunes from that tape. This is preliminary information that I am not supposed to be telling anyone about, but you are going to love it.
BW: I will be looking forward to it, Doug. Speaking of the jazzy side of MTB, I had an uncle (who is no longer with us) that somehow stumbled upon Marshall Tucker, who just adored the band, especially "This Old Cowboy." He was almost eighty and would crank the MTB up big time, and drove my aunt nuts! But he was a jazz guy, too.
DG: That makes some sense to me, and speaking of jazz, we took Spyro Gyra on the road with us for several years.
BW: I did not know that.
DG: Oh yeah, we wanted that jazz/Marshall Tucker influence. So when they played,we'd listen and picked up that flavor. So, as the saying goes, anything you associate yourself with, you become.
BW: And reach a wider audience, too.
DG: That's right, and we learned as well. Hey, I am taking up your whole day here. Do you want me to come in and do your radio show, too?
BW: Come on down, and co-host with me, that would be a trip.
DG: Be careful for what you wish for, Bob! (Laughs)
BW: Doug, I can spend the entire day talking with you, thanks for your time. Do you have any final words for the audience?
DG: Well, being that this college radio is such an open forum for people like us, it's really special.Here we are, you and I, spending time talking about just about anything we want and sharing our thoughts about music with people who dig what we are all about. So, I really enjoy working with people like you and spending time talking about what will always be important in my life, that being sharing stories about my time with the Marshall Tucker band. Thank you, Bob.
BW: Thank you, Doug. We've both lived through and survived a great era of music. So to sit here and chat with you about those past and current days has been all of my pleasure. And furthermore, I've always enjoyed the band for many reasons, but first and foremost was the fact that every time I saw you, the Marshall Tucker Band gave it their all.
DG: Just be ready to sing "This Old Cowboy" this weekend. It's going to okay. You'll see what a thrill it is as I get that feeling every night.
BW: Yikes, take care, Doug.
DG: You, too, Bob. See you this weekend, and let's do this again real soon.
BW: Anytime, you have carte blanche to join me on air anytime.
Bob Putignano a senior contributing editor at BluesWax. He is also the heart of Sounds of Blues at www.SoundsofBlue.com. Bob may be contacted at: bob8003@yahoo.com
You can read the full article at bluesandjazzsounds.com
The CAROLINA PACKAGE!
The CAROLINA PACKAGE is a great Christmas bargain! These three albums are normally $63, but just in time for the holiday season, get The Carolina Dreams Tour ’77 DVD, Greetings from South Carolina, and Carolina Christmas for only $49, a $14 dollar savings! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, this package will also include a Carolina Christmas T-shirt! (Size XL only). Sale runs through December 15th, 2009. This sale is only available through the Marshall Tucker Band here!
Marshall Tucker Band Performance Leaves Large East Coast Florida Crowd Feeling Good
11-6-09
Marshall Tucker Band Performance Leaves Large East Coast Florida Crowd Feeling Good
By: Steve Muzzy – Space Coast News Review
It was a balmy and breezy evening at Captain Hiram’s Riverfront Resort, Marina, and Bohemian-Style Sandbar located in Sebastian, Florida Thursday night. The Florida Beach Resort and the estimated crowd of over 2,000 was buzzing with excitement and anticipation of the beloved Marshall Tucker Band soon to be performing on stage as part of their national recording act concert series. The atmosphere, weather, and the people in attendance made the evening one of those special nights when you feel truly blessed to be living in Florida.
While it has been 31 years since my high school graduation in nearby Melbourne, Florida, it was clear to me – as it was in high school – this is an area that truly loves and appreciates the music of the Marshall Tucker Band. As the clock reached 9:00 PM – the outdoor venue was packed with the sandbar and restaurant doing more business than the excellent staff could keep up with. Backstage, my brother John and I (“The Muzzy Boys”) caught up with Doug Gray – the 39 year front man and lead singer of the band. It is always a privilege to catch up with Doug who truly is a southern rock legend. Doug took the time to introduce the band: Stuart Swunlund (guitar and vocals); B.B. Borden (drums), Rick Willis (guitar and vocals); Pat Elwood (Bass guitar and vocals); and Marcus James Henderson (keyboards, flute, saxophone, and vocals).
I have always admired Doug Gray for the genuine devotion and love he has for his fans – his extended family- and tonight did not change that opinion. One gets the impression that Doug Gray is not about the money but more about the people and living life to its fullest each and every day. He remains an artist who continues to create material with the same spirit he has had for 40 years.
The first order of business upon seeing Gray was extending our sympathies for the recent passing and untimely death of his wife, Rene. As Doug prepared to go on stage for yet another show in his 39 year career with the Marshall Tucker Band he was also the proud father and family man with several references to how his family is doing. He also was quite reflective about the recent circumstances in his life and in this writer’s opinion was still very much in the grieving process in regards to all of the things he has been through over the last several weeks. His therapy, to the delight of the MTB fans and extended family, would be the next two hours on stage sharing stories and playing great music on this beautiful November on the east coast of central Florida.
The show lasted nearly two hours and a good time was had by all. The band kicked off with the surreal title track from the band’s “Running like the Wind” album. Stuart Swunlund took the crowd back to 1973 with “Hillbilly Band” from the classic debut album. An extended version of “Blue Ridge Mountain Skies” that featured Rick Willis on lead vocals followed. Doug’s soulful and heartfelt vocals next led the band with the popular hit from 1977 “Heard it in a Love Song”. Marcus James Henderson was featured on vocals for the iconic “Take the Highway” song from the band’s self-titled album. Next up was “Fire on the Mountain” from the Searchin’ for a Rainbow album, followed by one of my personal favorites - “Midnight Promises” from Toy Caldwell’s lone solo album released during his post-MTB days shortly before his untimely death all too long ago. As a loyal MTB fan who first saw the band during the Carolina Dreams tour at 16 years old and who has followed the band for 35 years and well over 40 concerts, I could not help think of fallen band members George McCorkle, Toy Caldwell, and Tommy Caldwell. Doug and MTB have long played the largely unknown “Midnight Promises” and always includes “Fire on the Mountain” to their sets which I suspect are genuine tributes to his brothers of the road and former bandmates. A humble, appreciative, hard-working, Vietnam veteran – Doug Gray continues to keep the southern spirit alive.
The night concluded with a raucous “Can’t You See” with Doug inviting the hard working security personnel to come on stage and assist with the tambourine and chorus. Finally, in a bit of a surprise, Doug announced he was not ready to go just yet and he meant it! A 20 minute “24 hours at a time” performance ensued. Particularly impressive and worth noting was the sax solo by Henderson and the drum solo by Borden. Most pleasing however was hearing the smooth and soulful vocals of the legend in our midst – Doug Gray. It was an outstanding show at one of the best venues imaginable to see the Marshall Tucker Band.
Before saying goodbye until our paths met again, Doug reminded my brother and me that “there’s more to gray hair than old bones” and expressed his genuine appreciation to all of the folks who managed to catch up with him for those moments after the show. As my brother and I made our way to the car for the short ride home I could not help but think how lucky we were to have experienced such a great time and how appreciative I was for Doug Gray and his efforts in keeping the Marshall Tucker Band alive and kicking.
Buy three albums, get "Keep on Tuckerin'" Free!
Order any 3 Marshall Tucker CD's and receive a full length CD entitled “Keep On Tuckerin” a CD sampler, that contains 12 full length tunes from 9 different Marshall Tucker CD's.*
*Note: Double & triple CD packages count as one CD purchase.
North County News interviews Doug Gray
The Marshall Tucker Band: Taking the highway to success
By Suzanne Rothberg
The Marshall Tucker band is continuing its successful 39-year career with a show at Irvington Town Hall Theatre on Oct. 16.
The band members have taken to the highway and are touring to support their latest three-disc CD release, “The Essential Marshall Tucker Band.” The CD contains all of the band’s greatest hits, plus a bonus disc of rare and previously unreleased live performances. The Oct. 16 concert will be presented by Westco Productions Gold Star Concerts.
The original, last surviving member and lead vocalist, Doug Gray, talked about the new CD and the tour. He continues to lead the band, consisting of talented musicians, winning new young fans as well as satisfying the loyal fans of several generations. The band’s best-known and loved hits are “Can’t You See,” “Fire on the Mountain,” “Take the Highway” and “Heard it in a Love Song.”
“The album took a year-and-a-half. A lot of bands don’t spend a lot of time on albums because they don’t control them anymore,” Gray said in a telephone interview from his home in Spartanburg, S.C., the town where the band’s career began in 1972. “We let the audience pick out the songs that they want to hear the most.
“We do over a hundred tours a year. I’ve got shows lined up for September 2010, so we’re continuously touring. I tell my kids I’m touring and they act like nothing’s new.”
The band got its name from a piano tuner, Marshall Tucker, who is now 87 years old and living in Columbia, S.C.
“We gave him a couple of platinum records and told him how we appreciated our association with him all these years.” Gray said. “There’s never been a person called ‘Marshall Tucker’ in the band. We just thought it was a good name to use. Not too long ago, I did a CBS special with him, they flew a crew in and we talked about how many years we’ve been together and we all sat down and had lunch. It was really nice and he was extremely proud that we were keeping his name clean and honorable.”
The band’s music is a blend of sounds ranging from country to jazz, he said.
“When country music came around, we had already established being a country band as well as rock and roll,” Gray said. “We are a mixed bag and can play country, southern rock and roll and a bit of jazz.”
Their musical mix is one of the reasons they never gained the success and recognition when they first started in the 70s, but their popularity grew over time.
“Fans didn’t know how to categorize us and we were competing against several groups at that time that were rock and roll or country bands.” Gray said. “They looked at us as if we’ve been around awhile, and we’ve done our hits “Fire on the Mountain” and “Can’t You See?” for 15 or 20 years, so the world has changed around us and we let it keep on going.”
Gray said that they were one of the first bands to play with touring southern bands, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, (who they still perform with at least three or four times a year) Molly Hatchet and The Charlie Daniels Band, as well as opening for Santana and B.B. King.
“It was just as important to be hanging around these bands, because sometimes you never get to see those bands.” Gray said.
Today, he doesn’t have a preference regarding who he would like to share the bill with on tour.
“Anybody who wants to play with us is always welcome.”
His favorite Marshall Tucker Band song is “In My Own Way,” he said, “because of it’s meaning and that it explains to people how much you care for that other person.”
The band has encountered several personnel changes over the years due to some circumstances beyond their control.
Three original band members, Tommy Caldwell, Toy Caldwell and George McCorkle, passed away years apart. Tommy Caldwell died in 1980 as a result of injuries from an auto accident; Toy Caldwell, who wrote the majority of the band’s songs, died in 1993; and George McCorkle died in 2007. Jerry Eubanks retired from the group in 1996.
The band’s current lineup, along with Gray, includes Pat Elwood on bass guitar, Rick Willis on lead guitar, Stuart Swanlund on rhythm guitar, B.B. Borden on drums and Marcus Henderson on keyboards, saxophone flute and vocals.
“I was the one most likely to continue because I had the drive,” Gray said. “I sit in a room with seven gold and five or six platinum records and it doesn’t get old to me. Some of those guys, it got old for them.”
Although the band is categorized in the same genre as the Allman Brothers, Gray said comparisons between the two have not been made in years.
“The band hasn’t been compared to them in 15 or 20 years,” he said. “The reason we were with the Allman Brothers so much is because they were our label mates.”
Coincidentally, the band opened for the Allman Brothers in 1973, the same year they released their first album.
“We haven’t played with the Allman Brothers in years because they have a different audience now,” he said.
With the music industry constantly changing, the Marshall Tucker Band is following the trend of going independent. The band has been with several major labels over the years, including Warner Bros for 10 years, and then Capitol Records and Columbia Records.
“What made it easier was the ability to put it out there on Ramblin’ Records,” he said. “And putting it all together in one place enabled us to make a distribution deal with the label Sony /Shout Factory Records. That deal is going to last another eight years.”
Gray said the buying public never cared about whether they were country, jazz, blues or rock ’n’ roll.
“Anyone who likes to hear good music and not pigeonhole it or put it in one category will enjoy The Marshall Tucker Band,” he said.
Tickets for the 8 p.m. show cost $55, $65 and $75 and are now on sale at the Irvington Town Hall Theater Web site at http://www.irvingtontheater.com/ or by calling the box office at (914) 591-6602.
You can read the complete article here or find out more about the show here!
Swampland Review: The Marshall Tucker Band: Essential 3.0
The Essential, Limited Edition 3.0
(Shout! Factory)
I remember a time back the mid 1990s when the whole internet thing was just beginning to catch on. I was among the members of a small group of fans online that were building tribute pages to The Marshall Tucker Band. We all came together with our common love of the good ol’ boys from my home town of Spartanburg, SC, and on Thursday nights we would all meet up in a MTB chat room while E.R. was on the T V.
In those days, we would all chat about our common dreams, like seeing the long shelved Stompin’ Room Only released, or the Warner Brothers releases, especially Runnin’ Like The Wind. We dreamed of the day we could buy live concert video from the original lineup of Doug Gray, Toy and Tommy Caldwell, George McCorkle, Paul T. Riddle and Jerry Eubanks. Then came Shout! Factory and Ramblin Records just a few years ago, and Carolina dreams began to come true one after another.
Now, yet another dream has manifested itself into reality. The long bootlegged 1973 set from Winterland with an introduction by Bill Graham. It’s a short set, but just awesome. And the remastering really made it pop. I get a real kick out of hearing Tommy introduce the songs, and Toy singing “Hillbilly Band.” Then there are classics like “Another Cruel Love,” “See You Later, I’m Gone,” “Ramblin,” and of course “Can’t You See.” It is a real smoker from the earliest days of a band that is now into their 37th year and still going strong, even after the tragic deaths of three of the original members. I guess you can’t keep a good band down.
Of course, the Winterland set is actually just one small part of this massive three-disc set that collects many of the band’s best loved Paul Hornsby produced tracks from their Capricorn Records days.
There are 22 tracks on the first two discs, including their biggest hits “Fire On The Mountain,” “Heard it in a Love Song,” “Searchin for a Rainbow,” “Can’t You See,” and my personal favorite, “This Ol Cowboy.”
There are more live tracks, including “The Thrill is Gone” from Stompin Room Only, “24 Hours at a Time,” “Everyday I Have The Blues,” (with Toy Caldwell blazing across the fret board) and “See You One More Time.”
The Tucker just keeps on coming with the Grammy nominated instrumental “Long Hard Ride,” “Virginia,” “Bob Away My Blues” and the the beautiful acoustic tune “Asking Too Much of You.”
The set is rounded out with “Take The Highway,” “Hillbilly Band,” “A New Life,” “Windy City Blues,” and more. The title of the collection is pretty much perfect. This really is the “essentials,” taken from their vast back catalog, and topped off with the never before released Winterland live set. It’s an excellent primer for new fans and a wonderful addition to the music library of us old school MTB fans. Buffalo says “check it out.”
-Michael Buffalo Smith
You can check out the full article here, and buy the CD here!
The Essential Marshall Tucker Band review
From The Evansville Courier & Press
Marshall Tucker - "The Essential Marshall Tucker Band" - (Ramblin' Records)
by Julie Rosenbaum-Engelhardt
While Ingram is a rising country star, veteran country rockers Marshall Tucker are releasing a best of package, "The Essential Marshall Tucker Band." "Essential" includes standbys such as "Can't You See," "Fire on the Mountain" and "Heard It in a Love Song," and collectors will relish disc 3, which contains four previously unreleased live songs from a riveting 1973 performance in San Francisco.
"Essential" proves what lead singer Doug Gray says his band is all about: "Good music knows no boundaries. It's a blend of rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, country and gospel."
With the release of "Essential," a new generation of fans will learn what the rest of their fan base has known for so long.
Marshall Tucker Motocross
The Marshall Tucker Band has entered racing again, but not drag racing this time. We're proud to announce that Scott Morris now rides for The Marshall Tucker Band. Scott is from Spartanburg, SC.
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