A Celebration of Creativity: The Marshall Tucker Band
Noted for the success of chart toppers and radio hits such as “Can’t You See,” “Fire on the Mountain” and “Heard It in a Love Song,” the South Carolinians were blending elements of rock n’ roll with extended jams, jazzy standalones, and country wistfulness, long before the word “fusion” was ever an adjective applied to music.
“We play Southern rock n’ roll music with the ability to stray” says Doug Gray, founding member and lead vocalist of the band. “We reach our arms out to people who come with some of their old dreams, and make the songs better.”
Gray says that one of the secrets of the band’s longevity is that he and his bandmates sound much better live than on records. Another reason is that all of them cherish the challenge and opportunity of spontaneity.
“We don’t do the same show every night,” says Gray. “The same list has been at my feet for 15 years, all of about 25 songs, and I’ve never followed that set list in 15 years. We look at each other for a minute, and maybe I’ll start singing a song that no one has ever heard us do live – a song that wasn’t a hit. The creativity of the band is that we could get out there and actually pull that song out. Those kinds of things go a million miles with people. Being someone sincere who likes to go out there and entertain for 90 minutes to two hours is what I feel is that we are the best at.”