Spring 1985
On a cool spring morning I picked up my Saturday paper off the driveway and popped it open on the kitchen counter. As I scanned the headlines one in particular caught my eye. My all-time favorite band was coming to MY hometown to headline the Stanislaus County Fair!!! The adrenalin rush was incredible and my chest was pounding... but just as suddenly my heart sank. I scanned the photo that accompanied the article and found myself asking the same question that Butch and Sundance had, "Who are those guys?" There's Doug and Jerry. But where's Toy? And where’s Paul and George?
The first day
that tickets went on sale I bought my tickets: second row and center stage!
Awesome! I was looking forward to
the show, but I have to admit not with the same enthusiasm as usual.
I'd seen the original line-up 5 times already with Toy and company.
The thought still lingered… could it be the same?
The setting was
perfect. A warm August evening and a full moon that served as the backdrop
for the stage. The band strolled out and Doug was his usual affable self
and in as fine a voice as ever. Jerry's flute and sax were as dependable
as I'd come to expect. To my surprise the songs sounded pretty much as I
had come to know them.
I knew that with
his thumb picking style that Toy’s tone could not be exactly replicated, but
Rusty was a great guitarist in his own right, delivering a fluid, powerful
sound. Stuart's slide, used to replace the steel guitar parts, added a
fresh and energetic touch to "Fire on the Mountain" and "Searchin
For a Rainbow". And together their trade-offs on "Can't You
See" added a new twist to the song. The others players that rounded
out the band were Ron Robb on bass and Ace Allen on drums. The
90-minute set was a greatest hits package that pleased everyone. And
though the band was not as tight as they are today, I walked away thankful that
MTB was still on the road and knew that with more touring the new players would
come together just fine. More than fifteen years later that prediction has
come true.
I've now seen
the post-Caldwell band 35 times. As the years have past, they've carried
the torch for Toy, Tommy, Jerry, George and Paul with pride and integrity.
And a deep respect for the music and the men that created the Tucker sound.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine when I saw the band in 1983 that
it was the last time that I would see that line-up together. And when I
saw the new ensemble in 1985 did I ever imagine that Doug and Rusty would still
be on the road today.
As much
as I could never imagine MTB without Toy, today I couldn't ever imagine the band
without Rusty. Those who compare him to Toy are being unfair because to
compare any guitar player to Toy his unfair - his style was all
his own. But I have come to love Rusty's playing. Doug has said that
Toy was the backbone of the original MTB - and that he considers him to be the
backbone of toady's band as well. I don’t think there’s anyone who
would argue that point.
Some
fans (but are they really fans?) have complained that Doug doesn’t sound like
he did in the 1970’s. But to
expect him to is ridiculous. Are
any of us the same as we were when we were 23 - or even 33?
Doug has been touring since 1973. In
the early years the band would do over 300 shows a year.
They’ve done almost 150 shows a year for 30 years now.
He’s never taken a year off and I can’t think of any other singer
who’s been on the road and done as many shows as Doug.
If he doesn’t sound the same as when he recorded Heard It In A Love
Song, I can accept that. I’m
just grateful he’s still bringing the music to us – and along the way he’s
introduced MTB’s music to a new legion of fans that otherwise wouldn’t know
about it. I’ve had so many great
times and Tucker shows since 1983. To
imagine not being able to experience MTB live for the past 20 years… Wow, what
a loss. Because when the band’s
riding hard into 24 Hours or Take the Highway or Running Like the Wind, well,
life just doesn’t get much better than that in my book.
For
anyone who hasn’t experienced MTB in quite a while you are in for quite a
treat. Today’s line-up is high
octane. In addition to Rusty and
Stuart there’s been some great additions these past two years.
Clay Cook, Doug’s twenty-something nephew, is about as talented as they
come. He plays sax, flute,
keyboards, guitar, steel guitar – and sings like his uncle did about 30 years
ago. The kid is a presence.
Chris Hicks has joined the band as their third guitarist.
He plays harmonica, too. And
to hear him sing – man, it comes from some other place… right from his soul.
And his guitar playing is the same way.
And the man is one heckuva songwriter.
B.B. Borden has been manning the drums since 1997 and he’s got to be
the hardest working drummer in rock and roll.
And for those of you who never got to hear Tommy Caldwell play bass…
well, you’ll get the next best thing. Tony
Heatherly, who was hand picked by Toy Caldwell to play in his band, is now
MTB’s bassist. He was friends with Tommy and he even showed Tony how to set
up his rig and pluck the bass. Tony’s
riffs are incredible and I know Tommy is proud.
Today’s
MTB, like the original, is an experience unto itself. It’s magic, really. It’s
taken Doug a long time to assemble this line-up, but it was worth the wait.
This is Tucker music as it should be.
True, it will never be the same as 1973 or 1980 – but this is special
in it’s own right – and true Tucker fans appreciate the immense talent that
takes the stage when the band from Spartanburg is introduced.
This line-up, just as the original, is awe-inspiring.
But
Doug, Rusty and Tim are the heart of today's line-up and I hope they are
"Together Forever"!