Biography
Early live show at The Ruins
Itís only fitting that Take the Highway
is one of the Marshall Tucker Bandís most beloved tunes because founding
member and lead vocalist Doug Gray has been doing just that for 30 years.
The band was formed in 1972 in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge
Mountains in the small town of Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Gray and MTB have always delivered for their fans, never playing less
than 150 shows a year - and for several years they did as many as 300.
That tenacity has built a loyal following along the way.
Their longevity has attracted younger fans as well.
ìMany of the people in the audience werenít even born when our first
record came out,î said Gray. And
the fans that have been with the band since the start affectionately call
themselves Tuckerheads!
The Toy Factory with Toy and Doug (back row center and right) and Jerry (front right)
Originally called the Toy Factory,
the band decided to
play nothing but their own music. In
the beginning it cost them several gigs because bar owners wanted a cover band,
but they stuck to their guns, determined to succeed on their own terms or not at all.
In the process, they created their own musical style - the likes of which
had never been heard before (and hasn't been heard since).
Their infusion of country, rock, blues, jazz and gospel fit into a new
niche that had been dubbed southern rock after the Allman Brothers hit the scene in 1969. Soon a stable of other "southern rock" acts stampeded the airwaves.
The first to follow was MTB. Then
came the Charlie Daniels Band, Lynyrd Skynyd, the Outlaws and .38 Special.
The Marshall Tucker Band, 1972.
In addition to Gray, the original line-up consisted of Toy Caldwell, who was the bandís primary songwriter and lead guitarist. His brother, Tommy, was the bassist as well as the bandís front man and leader. Jerry Eubanks, played flute and sax. George McCorkle provided rhythm guitar and Paul Riddle manned the drums.
Early Publicity Photo
In 1972 the band cut a demo tape and took it Capricorn Records, in Macon, Georgia. After hearing the tape Phil Walden, the labelís president, signed them on the spot. The folks at Capricorn didnít like the bandís name and suggested the boys change it. A few weeks later, someone looked at the name on the key tag of the warehouse that served as their rehearsal hall. It said Marshal Tucker (with only one ìlî). One of the guys (no one can remember just who) said ìhow about the Marshall Tucker Band.î The name stuck and, better yet, seemed appropriate for a band whose musical tales were often set in the Old West. The band later found out that Marshal Tucker was a real person - a blind piano tuner who had been the previous occupant. Soon thereafter the band went to work with producer Paul Hornsby. The result was their 1973 self-titled LP that featured the hit single Canít You See. It soon became a southern rock anthem for the ages. Its distinctive flute resonated throughout the air that summer and the album went on to sell over 500,000 units (achieving Gold status) and peaked at number 29 on the album charts.
Capricorn Publicity Photo
Their next two albums, A New Life and Where We All Belong (both released in 1974) sustained the bandís momentum and went Gold as well. Blue Ridge Mountain Sky from the former received play on Top 40 radio stations while This Ol Cowboy, from the latter, got airplay on country formats. Although the music industry wasnít quite sure where to categorize the band, fans didnít care. Their popularity as a live act continued to rise. Perhaps that was on the strength of the live material that was included in Where We All Belong. The release was a daring move because it included two LPs. One a studio album and the other a live performance. Evidently the risk paid off; the band began headlining and selling out shows across the country.
Paul, Toy, George and Tommy
In 1975 the band climbed to new
heights. On the strength of the Top
40 single Fire on the Mountain the album Searchin For a
Rainbow reached #15 on the album charts and went Gold. As
an unexpected bonus, Album Orientated Radio stations took a liking to the live
version of Canít You See that had been included on the album (the song
had been intended for previous LP). It
is still a staple of classic rock radio today.
The band also appeared at a series of concerts (along with the Allman
Brothers, the Charlie Daniels Band and Wet Willie) to raise money for Jimmy
Carterís presidential campaign. They were repaid later when they were invited to play at his
inaugural ball.
Toy and George with Georgia governor Jimmy Carter
With their next release, 1976ís
Long
Hard Ride, the
band did something almost unheard of during those times; they filmed a music
video. Of course, MTV had yet to be
invented, so it was shown in movie theaters around the country (before feature films).
The musical score they used as their soundtrack was the albumís title
track, an instrumental. It went on
to earn a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Country Instrumental.
In 1977, MTB achieved their
greatest commercial success when the single Heard It In a Love Song
reached #14 on the Billboard charts. The
album Carolina Dreams went on to become the bandís first platinum seller. A year later they
released Together Forever, which went Gold.
Later in 1978 their Greatest Hits album was released and
eventually earned MTB their second Platinum album.
The band switched labels in 1979,
signing with Warner Brothers. It
seemed nothing could stall the bandís momentum.
Running Like the Wind was released and with songs like the
title cut and Last of the Singing Cowboys, it was an instant fan
favorite. The next year they
released, Tenth, which kept the Tucker train rolling in high gear
as the band continued to play to sold-out crowds.
As the first leg of their Spring Tour was winding down they headlined two
sold-out shows at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York. Over 40,000 fans saw
the magic that had become MTB. Little did they know it was original line-upís
last performance. Just a few days
later Tommy Caldwell, the bandís leader and bassist, died from injuries
sustained in a Jeep accident. The
band had a tough decision to make ñ call it quits or carry on.
The band left the decision up to Toy. He
knew Tommy would want them to forge ahead.
They hired long-time friend, Franklin Wilkie, to play bass.
Heíd played with some of the Tucker boys in their pre-MTB bands and was
one of Tommyís friends. The band
continued their 1980 tour and the next year released the aptly titled Dedicated.
One of the singles, This Time I Believe, received air time on Top 40
radio. The band filmed a video for it and Silverado, both of which
received airplay on MTV. The band also performed a full length concert on
the new TV sensation.
In 1982 the band went in a new direction. For the first time they would record and album of material that was written by mostly non-band members. Only Sea, Dreams & Fairy Tales (by Toy) and Sweet Elaine (by George) were authored by the band. The new sound deviated from what Tucker fans had come to know and love, and while an interesting concept, it resulted in the lowest selling album the boys had recorded (up to that point).
Two albums were released in 1983. The first, Just Us, was recorded at Creative Arts Studio in Spartanburg. The studio was a new venture launched by Doug, Jerry and George. Though the album was a return to music written solely by the band it again took a different direction. The songs lacked the typical Tucker edge and were mostly country or R & B flavored. Long Island Lady was the only real rocker of the bunch. The songs, while good, didn't capture the magic from earlier years. Album sales again did not reach the heights expected by the record label. The band's second LP of the year, Greetings From South Carolina, was the last album to feature the nucleus of the original MTB. It returned the fans to more familiar territory with great songs like Carolina Sunset and Rollin' River but the remainder of the songs lacked the Tucker vibe. Album sales again were low (by Tucker standards) and the band's future seemed to be in question.
The loss of Tommy left a void
in the band. He had been the leader and
visionary and his absence was greatly felt. Toy had championed on after his loss, but in 1984 he decided he needed a
break from the world of rock and roll. His
wife, Abbie, would later say, ìAfter Tommyís death, Toy was there in body
only. He put up a good front
for the others. But now I know he had to be torn apart insideî.
In 1984 Doug and Jerry hit the road with Rusty Milner, a young guitairist from their hometown. He would stay with them for almost 20 years (departing in 2002). They hired studio musicians from Nashville to round out the rest of the band. The next year, in an effort to better capture the Tucker sound, it was decided to bring in other Spartanburg players and the studio musicians were let go. Ace Allen was added on drums and Staurt Swanlund was brought oin to play rhythm and slide guitar. In 1987 Tim Lawter was brought in to replace the last of the studio musicians, Ron Robbb. MTB was again an all Spartanburg band and the live show reflected that. Their next album release, however, would not.
Still Holdiní On, released in 1988, was the band's sole release for the Polygram label. It featured three singles (Hangin Out in Smoky Places, One You Get the Feel Of It and Dancin' Shoes) that cracked the country charts. Produced by Larry Butler, it would be his first, last, and only time working with the band. It was the first MTB release to be recorded in Nashville and was recorded primarily with studio musicians. Additionally, none of the songs were written by the band. It all adds up to "Music City" music that failed to capture the energy of the band's live show. That would changed with the band's next release.
1990's Southern Spirit, released on the new Sisapa record label, saw both Stay in the Country and County Road receive airplay on Album Orientated Radio (AOR) formats. The addition of Don Cameron on keyboards rounded out the sound and brought a new energy to the band. This time out, all the songs were written by the band. Songs like Destruction and Why Can't You Love Me were reminiscent of the infectious Tucker tunes from the early days. A little gospel and country were also featured and the result was a release that symbolized the talent of the new Tucker line-up. A video for teh song And the Hills was filmed for Playboy channel was filmed.
The Tucker boys were again gaining momentum and it continued with the 1992 release Still Smokin'. The album was a tour de force and featured the many styles of music that MTB played. Southern Sprit was a road house rocker, Let Me Come Home was full on blues and Driving You Out of My Mind became a video hit on CMT.
It seemed MTB was well on their way but then the Sisapa record label folded. The band was soon signed by a new record label created by Cabin Fever, who'd had great success in the video market. In 1993 they released Walk Outside the Lines. The title track, co-written by the hottest entertainer on the face of the earth at the time, Garth Brooks, became both a country radio and video hit on CMT. The album's sound was reminiscent of their very first LP, though it lacked any rockers like Take the Highway or Can't You See. But just when it seemed the band was again hitting full stride the Cabin Fever label folded. Whatever momentum the band had seemed to be lost... and it would be five years before their next new release.
The Best of Capricorn Years was released in 1994 by K-Tel. The label was well known for releasing compilations albums of hit songs - but they had never before signed a band to their label or released an album of original material. They changed all that by agreeing to a multi-year, multi-album contract with MTB. Face Down in the Blues was released in 1998. It reflected a band that had been together for over a decade. Rusty and Staurt had grown up as musicians in MTB and their writing and playing showed. Though Jerry Eubanks had retied two years earlier, David Muse, a founding member of Firefall, joined MTB as their flute and sax player. His showmanship was readily apparent. Face Down was an instant hit with fans and The Love I Gave To You became a hit on Adult Contempoary radio formats. Southern Belle and I Like Good Music became concert staples that were as readily accepted as the band's early hits.
Through both band and record label changes the success of MTB would not be denied. In 1999 another victory was notched with the release of Gospel. The CD features both traditional gospel songs as well as original gospel tunes written by the band. Among the best is Rusty Milner's Beauty of Life. Another highlight is the debut of Doug's daughter, Gabby, singing a duet with him on His Eye Is On the Sparrrow. Her voice in absolutely angelic! In the early days the band often closed their shows with Will the Circle Be Unbroken - but had never recorded it. The band's new rendition is now forever preserved on Gospel. Though the band took a huge risk in recording this album, it is a huge triumph and fans are sure to enjoy the timeless performances.
It took time for all the pieces to come together, but today MTB has a line-up of immensely talented musicians. They do more than pay homage to the bandís legacy; they have also created one of their own. Theyíve continued to release a steady stream of albums, which, like their earlier releases, have had trouble being categorized by the music industry. They've scored hits on Top 40, country and adult contemporary radio. But no matter what format "the industry" places them in, their loyal legion of fans continue to flock to their concert and buy their CDs.
The band is currently in the
studio working on their next album, Beyond the Horizon, to be released in
2003. After releasing blues and gospel projects they will be returning to
their southern rock roots. ìWeíve
always been known by the fans as a jam band and thatís what weíre gonna do
on the new CDî says Gray. He goes on to say that ìthis band is not about one
person. We started out as a band
years ago and weíre still one today. These
arenít studio musicians backing me up. Weíve
got a lot of talent and when fans come out to the show they find out itís not
the Doug Gray show. Everyone
contributes and the focus isnít just on me because Iíve been around the
longest.î
All the current players have a
strong understanding and respect for the legacy that they are carrying on.
Guitarist Stuart Swanlund and bassist Tony Heatherly grew up in MTBís hometown of
Spartanburg, so they were born and
bred with the music. Stuart used to
listen to Doug rehearse from the front steps of his grandparents house.
And not only was Tony hand picked by MTB founding member to be in his band,
Tommy Caldwell taught him how to ìpopî his bass and was also one of his good friends.
The connection to the original MTB doesn't stop there. Guitarist Chris
Hicks first band, Loose Change, opened for the Toy Caldwell Band on many
occasions and they often jammed together. A
few years later, when he and MTB drummer, B.B. Borden, were members of the Outlaws, Toy went out on
the road with them. The Outlaws would
back Toy up while he performed his Tucker classics and then played their own set.
So both B.B. and Chris know MTB's music well.
Chris has even taken one of Toyís guitars out on the road with him.
The blood runs deep in the Tucker family and it shows ñ not only in
their respect for the music, but in the incredible way they deliver it on stage.
MTB has scored Gold and Platinum albums, Top 40 Hits, and played for millions of fans. Their music has influenced the likes of Garth Brooks, Hank Williams, Jr., Clint Black, Montgomery Gentry and Kid Rock. It would seem MTB has done it all, but as they celebrate their 30th anniversary, they are still "searchiní for that rainbow". Iím sure, no doubt, that their loyal legions of fans hope they never find it!
Craig Cumberland