Magical Moment Photos

ALLEN COLLINS AND RONNIE VAN ZANT LIVE AT WINTERLAND ON 3-6-76. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD- “WORKS ON PRIDE”
by MARY CAMPBELL
THE HUTCHINSON NEWS
HUTCHINSON, KANSAS
MAY 30, 1975

When you start talking about the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, momentarily ignore the fact that it’s so hot, their only two LPs are both gold, and start right in with how to pronounce the name and where it came from.
The first LP’s title explains the first, “Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pronounced Leh’ nerd Skin’nerd.” The second LP is “Second Helping.” The seven-man group took its name from a high school gym teacher, who wasn’t their biggest fan. Guitarist Ed King, the only one who wasn’t reared in Florida and wasn’t there, said that the three founding members of Lynyrd Skynyrd heard cries of “Cut your hair” from Leonard Skinner and the same teacher later got them thrown out of school. Still later, they took his name and put in a y everytime he had a more usual vowel. “It was some kind of symbolic thing,” King says.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is a Southern band and these days there seems to be a good deal of interest in Southern bands. King says there isn’t a different band sound in the South, really, except for the Southern accent of the singers.
The song that really brought Lynyrd Skynyrd its most attention was “Sweet Home Alabama.” That was a “Southern and proud of it” song, an answer to Neil Young’s “Southern Man.” Since, Young’s “Walk On” has been taken as an answer to “Sweet Home Alabama.” But that exchange seems to have run its course.
There had previously been a single from the first album and a single from the second. After the success of “Sweet Home Alabama,” also from the second album, a fourth single was released, “Free Bird,” from the first album, and it was on the singles chart the first week in February.
There will be another. “South vs. North” song, “I’m a Country Boy,” on the third album. Some people don’t think of Florida as the South but King says they’re thinking of Miami. Jacksonville, near which the members of the group own a farm, is definitely the South, says King. He says nothing is going on in Jacksonville and they’re glad of it because they’re not distracted and can spend their time on the farm writing songs and rehearsing.
They each intend to move a mobile home onto the farm, to live together, separately. Group members don’t like cities, King says, though they “have to like Atlanta,” That’s where they were playing the bar circuit and were discovered by Al Kooper and signed to his new label, Sounds of the South. Their two records were distributed by MCA and their third, already cut, will be on MCA, from which Sounds of the South now has parted company.
A couple of earlier tapes, made at Muscle Schoals and never released, have been bought back by the group. They’ll be released probably later in the year. King says there are good songs on them but the performances need some finishing touches.
“We’re tending now to go in a bit more simple direction than we have in the past,” King says. “The music has changed, but not too much. We’re aware of whatever basic element we have that makes us what we are and makes people like us. There’s no way we can get rid of that. “People are going to hear more of what we’re really all about. Our third album is the best we’ve done so far. Our second is probably the worst. On the third we went into the studio not knowing what was going to happen. We had zero things written. We all worked together and had ideas and wrote songs on the spot and came up with, I think, great material.
“On the second album we had all the tunes written and burned them out on the road. By the time we got them into the studio we could care less about them. “This album we just did could have stood for us to play the songs 10 times in front of people and then take them into the studio. But the way they are on tape, all of us are proud of.
“We’re going to do a live album. Three-fourths of it will be new material. It isn’t going to be ‘greatest hits.’ I can’t stand to buy those. That’ll probably be our best album. Live is where we’re at our best.
“In Detroit last night, we were terrible. We’d been in the studio 12 or 14 hours a day, three and a half weeks. We put the last note on our third album and within 24 hours we were playing in Detroit. We were just horrible; it didn’t happen at all. If I’d have been hit in the head with a tomato and a bottle I would have accepted it. Any other time I’d have been raving mad. The audience was real polite and gave us more applause than we’d deserved.
“Our band works on pride. If it doesn’t turn out, like that, we’re ashamed of it. Our live gigs are what we’re really proud of; they’re what our reputation is built on. When we go out to promote a record, we can back it up. “Tomorrow we’re going to spend all day rehearsing. Playing a bad gig like that will bring your spirits up. You’re
feeling so bad about it, there’s no way to go but up.”
The group tours a lot, having two three-month tours last year plus some three week ones. And, says King, you have to save some time for your lady.
King is from California, was in a band that toured the South, fell in love with the South and immediately moved from Burbank to North Carolina. He got to know members of Lynyrd Skynyrd as he was attempting to start a band of his own. When the group’s bass player quit, two and a half years ago — as the recording contract was being signed — they drove to North Carolina and got him.
The bass player, Leon Wilkeson, later was persuaded to return to the group and King moved to guitar, which is how the group got three guitarists and expanded from six to seven.
Other members are Ronnie Van Zant, lead singer; Allen Collins and Gary Rossington, guitars; Artimus Pyle, the newest member, drums, and Billy Powell, keyboards.
King says that the group members originally decided, when asked what Lynyrd Skynyrd meant, to say that it was Southern slang for something. “We thought that might be kind of hip. We decided not to do it. But we could have started something. It ain’t too late.”

LYNYRD SKYNYRD DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE SKYNYRD PHOTOS AND ARTWORK:
LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD IN OAKLAND, CA. ON 9-20-75
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD- WINTERLAND 3-6-76

TOMMY BOLIN JAMMING IN THE CREEK ON MT. TAMALPAIS. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.

TOMMY BOLIN- “WHIPS & ROSES” (2006) (REVIEWS)

#1-
“Finally the World Can Hear Him”
By Joe (Denver, CO)
April 27, 2006

This is a remarkable (and completely authorized) compilation. Every track is nothing short of a masterpiece. No release has ever done a better job of demonstrating what Tommy was capable of a musician and we should all be grateful that these recordings were discovered and presented here in the finest form.
Some songs are familiar, although very fresh and taken from different versions not heard quite like this before. “Teaser”, “Wild Dogs”, “Savannah Woman” and “Dreamer” all make stunning appearances showing Tommy in top form as both a singer and a guitarist. “Marching Powder”, one of Tommy’s trademark instrumental jams is featured here with bursts of guitar magic that will knock you off your feet. A new mix of “Crazed Fandango” (titled here as simply “Fandango”) is sure to have jaw-dropping effects on any listener.
But it’s the new songs, the songs we’ve never heard before, that will prove what a legendary player Tommy should be. A rough jam called “Cookoo” finds Tommy leading the way through heavy jazz/rock territory with lightning speed and fierce energy. Tommy seems to lay down the most intricate and beautiful guitar lines with effortless precision. And “Cookoo” is only a taste of the energy to come.
With “Flyin’ Fingers”, Tommy casts the rules aside and blazes through the 16 minute jam picking up every style you could imagine along the way. He uses elements of rock and jazz and Latin rhythms as stepping stones, blending them all into a style all very much his own before leaping into something new. By this point it is more than obvious how much Tommy’s genius has been ignored by history almost entirely. His sheer virtuosity is immeasurable and “Flyin’ Fingers” is proof of just that.
Rounding out the amazing set on Whips and Roses are two live tracks capturing Tommy in his best setting. “Just Don’t Fall Down” is a song from his most undocumented and underrated band Energy. Generally known as “Hok-a-Hey”, this track is Tommy’s playground, as he leads the band around mind-bending grooves, wrapping the monstrous riff around his own unmistakable style.
On “Blowin’ Your Cookies”, Tommy does just that. This track is taken from a jam with a hotel band at the Seven Seas Lounge in Miami just one night before his untimely death. It’s sad to imagine that night when you hear how remarkable his playing is. Tommy was in perfect form and his presence on this jam is felt very deeply. It is a fitting end to this amazing compilation, and an even better showing of what this master guitarist was capable of.
Tommy Bolin was one of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument. His playing is sadly forgotten, but if the world hears Whips and Roses, then he will surely be recognized for his genius. The world lost an incredible artist when Tommy died, and it would be a disgrace to music itself if he continues to go unnoticed. Listen to Whips and Roses and you will understand how profound his playing was. If you know who Tommy is, then you will be blown away by these rare gems now unearthed for all to hear. If you do no know Tommy, then do not continue to ignore some of the finest music you will ever have the chance to hear.

#2-
“Smokin’!!!!!!!!!!!”
By Vincent Sciglio (Putnam, NY USA)
May 23, 2006

Tommy Bolin is undoubtedly the most underrated and forgotten guitar hero of all time. Nobody covered the scope of guitar playing better than Tommy as he effortlessly shifted gears from rock to jazz to blues to funk to reggae not only within an album, but within a single track. This CD showcases many of Tommy’s guitar stylings in a new light, bringing them sonically into today’s standards. I have been listening to Tommy for 20 years and own all of his studio releases as well as all of the Tommy Bolin Archives releases and this is the best quality yet. As other reviewers have stated, this material isn’t new but the versions presented here are stellar. Tommy was a master at jamming and some of his best work is captured on this CD. I have been turning people on to Tommy for years and they are blown away when they hear his playing. This CD will serve the same purpose for the younger generation today who have never heard playing of this calibur as it is non existent in today’s music scene. Tommy was a musician’s musician and was way ahead of his time, hopefully this CD will give new exposure to his timeless music. In sum, buy this CD, enjoy it and turn your friends and family onto this great musician.

#3-
“Whips and Roses for Mott’s delight”
By Kim Fletcher (Pattaya, Chonburi Thailand)
December 8, 2006

In 2006 we were given this collection ‘Whips and Roses’. The music is stunning. Tommy Bolin’s singing and guitar playing is simply jaw droppingly good. The album opens with a rockin’ version of ‘Teaser’ which fairly rocks out of your speakers whilst retaining that trademark Bolin funky backbeat. A lot of the other songs are works in progress for the Teaser album, this does not mean that they are inferior versions in fact I think every song on this album is absolutely at it’s zenith, and the title of the songs is irrelevant. Second track on the album is ‘Fandango’ which was called ‘Crazed Fandango’ when the studio version was released. ‘Cookoo’ is a jam based on the Tommy Bolin classic ‘Homeward Strut’, but boy what a jam. The version of ‘Wild Dogs on this album is the best I have ever heard, and is worth the price of the album alone. Starting with it’s downbeat vocals of a drifter on the road, before Tommy makes the six strings howl as the song builds to a shattering climax. Why this song has not been covered by other bands I do not know, but somebody like Bon Jovi could do a cracking version. There is also Jeff Cooks beautiful ballad Dreamer here. Tommy Bolin must have burnt his fingers his playing is so fast on ‘Marching Powder’. You can almost hear the sweat running down the fret board. The fifteen minutes of Flyin’ Fingers speaks for itself. The album finishes with two jam work out’s with Tommy Bolin letting the music carry him away. ‘Just Don’t Fall Down’ clocks in at nearly eleven exciting minutes, the aptly titled ‘Blowin’ Your Cookies’ was recorded the night before Tommy Bolin passed away, when Tommy got up and played with the house band at his hotel in Miami. It is a twelve minute drop into what was obviously a longer jam, but the guitar work is staggeringly good. There is no information on who played what on what track as most of these recordings have been taken from unmarked boxes, but whoever they were they were very good. The album comes with a fine booklet with some informed liner notes by Simon Robinson. The production was handled by Greg Hampton in association with Tommy Bolin’s brother John. The work they have done should be applauded, a second volume of ‘Whips and Roses’ is promised for early 2007, I personally will look forward to that.

#4-
“In a word – Brilliant!”
By B. Worth
May 2, 2006

This CD has been long anticipated and it does not disappoint. As was the case with Tommy’s two solo albums, there is something for everyone here. There a few alternate versions of songs that ended up on his Teaser album. For example, the song “Teaser” is much more aggressive than the version that ended up on the album of the same name and, in my opinion, is better for it. And there are a handful of superb in-studio jamming that will make the hair on your arms stand up. There is so much of Tommy’s guitar buzzing around these tracks that any fan of his (and/or fans of rock/jazz-rock) will be satisfied.
I have only two negative comments (and the reasons why I can’t give it a full 5 out of 5 stars): the last 2 songs are not relevant to the bulk of material contained herein. The song “Just Don’t Fall Down” is clearly Energy running through their epic instrumental “Hoka Hey” live on stage somewhere in 1972 and “Blowin’ Your Cookies” is an excerpt from Tommy’s jam with the house band at the Seven Seas Lounge in Miami, FL (a night or two before his untimely death in Dec 1976). Its all good music to have in the collection but some more detailed sleevnotes would be helpful for Bolin fanatics such as myself. Which segues nicely to my 2nd issue: the sleeve notes lack any identification of the musicians accompanying Tommy and that is a shame because whomever the uncredited persons playing the bass and drums were, they were doing a marvelous job.
Thank you to the Bolin family and everyone who has worked on this set. I can’t wait for the next installment.

#5-
“Amazing . Radical. Revelation. SUPREME GUITAR!”
By herb “nice name huh?”
April 26,2006

I don’t think it is too much of a stretch to say that this disc contains the most radical soloing ever heard from Bolin. You must buy it if you are a fan of great guitar playing. It is surprisingly like John Mclaughlin at times, yet, still totally Bolin. I thought i’d heard it all having owned all the Ebbetts field stuff, as well as the Mouzon/Cobham albums. The liner notes may be a bit lacking, but that is almost appropriate as this stuff almost seems too good to be true. There are 10 minute plus jams of pure guitar madness. How often does it happen that someone un-earths material like this.??..I am not sure it has ever happened. Yeah, never before has an artist been unveiled like this before, so long after they are gone. And this is the first of a series! Wow.

TOMMY BOLIN DISCOGRAPHY:
1975 Teaser
1976 Private Eyes
1996 From the Archives, Vol. 1
1997 The Bottom Shelf
1998 From the Archives, Vol. 2
1999 Energy
1999 Snapshot
2000 Naked
2002 Naked II
2004 After Hours: The Glen Holly Jams – Volume 1
2006 Whips and Roses
2006 Whips and Roses II
2011 Teaser Deluxe

Live:
1997 Live at Ebbets Field 1974
1997 Live at Ebbets Field 1976
1997 Live at Northern Lights Recording Studio
1998 The Energy Radio Broadcasts
2000 First Time Live
2001 Live 9/19/76
2002 Live in Miami at Jai Alai: The Final Show
2003 Alive on Long Island
2003 Tommy Bolin and Energy Live
2004 Albany 9/20/76
2004 Live at the Jet Bar
1969 Zephyr
1971 Going Back to Colorado
1996 Live at Art’s Bar and Grill

Energy
1998 The Energy Radio Broadcasts 1972
1999 Energy (1972)
2003 Tommy Bolin & Energy, Live in Boulder / Sioux City 1972

James Gang:
1973 Bang
1974 Miami

Billy Cobham:
1973 Spectrum
2002 The Spectrum Sessions

Alphonse Mouzon:
1975 Mind Transplant
1999 Tommy Bolin & Alphonse Mouzon Fusion Jam (Rehearsals 1974)

Moxy
1975 Moxy

Deep Purple:
Come Taste the Band (1975)
1977 Last Concert in Japan
1995 King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: Deep Purple in Concert
1995 On the Wings of a Russian Foxbat – Live in California ’76
2000 Days May Come and Days May Go (The California Rehearsals Volume 1)
2000 1420 Beachwood Drive (The California Rehearsals Volume 2)
2001 This Time Around

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR TOMMY BOLIN PHOTOS & ART:
TOMMY BOLIN FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
and
TOMMY BOLIN CONCERT PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND BY BEN UPHAM
and
ORDER TOMMY BOLIN “WHIPS & ROSES” CD

TOY AND TOMMY CALDWELL CREATING MAGICAL MUSIC IN THE WOODS. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.

THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND-
“A NEW LIFE” (1974)
Reviews and Comments about an Amazing Album!

Songs:
1-”A New Life” (Toy Caldwell) – 6:44
2-”Southern Woman” (Toy Caldwell) – 7:55
3-”Blue Ridge Mountain Sky” (Toy Caldwell) – 3:37
4-”Too Stubborn” (Toy Caldwell) – 3:58
5-”Another Cruel Love” (Toy Caldwell) – 3:58
6-”You Ain’t Foolin’ Me” (Toy Caldwell) – 7:03
7-”24 Hours at a Time” (Toy Caldwell) – 5:04
8-”Fly Eagle Fly” (Toy Caldwell) – 4:25

Musician Credits:
Toy Caldwell – guitar, steel guitar, slide guitar, vocals
Tommy Caldwell – bass, vocals
Doug Gray – guitar, percussion, lead vocals
George McCorkle – guitar, banjo
Paul Riddle – drums
Jerry Eubanks – flute, saxophone, keyboards, vocals
With:
Paul Hornsby – keyboards
Charlie Daniels – fiddle
Jaimoe – conga, conductor
Earl Ford – horn
Oscar Jackson – horn
Todd Logan – horn
Harold Williams – horn
*************************************************************
Review #1-
“A New Life is a Great Life”
By B. E Jackson (Pennsylvania)
June 14, 2011

The album cover perfectly sums up what to expect. A horse walking down a path on a high mountaintop and looking down at a few small homes in the fields, with a beautiful and colorful image of distant mountains in the background. It’s not only a fantastic cover to analyze, but there may actually be a few ways to interpret it, too.
Such as… maybe the horse riding high in the mountains is an indication of the bands quick rise to stardom? Or maybe I’m thinking about it too hard and the album cover simply illustrates the beauty and colorful creativity that can be heard in the music.

A New Life is a minor masterpiece and REALLY shows just how much further the Marshall Tucker Band were willing to push the boundaries as far as how far the southern rock formula can go. This album is a drastic step forward from their self-titled debut in terms of songwriting and instrumental variety.
“You Ain’t Foolin’ Me” has a very good verse melody and chorus, but that’s not *quite* what makes this song stand out so drastically. It’s shortly after the 2 minute mark when the song REALLY takes off and confirms (to me, at least) that the Marshall Tucker Band are the real deal. The saxophone solo is incredibly melodic and perhaps this is a total coincidence, but the first few lines of the sax solo totally remind me of a Roxy Music song from their debut released back in 1972. From here, well, images of the album cover noticeably come to mind as the saxophone takes a sudden departure and a dreamy guitar solo elevates the greatness of the song to even higher heights. This instrumental middle section resembles *no* other southern rock band. Not the Allman Brothers Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s completely unique.
If you enjoy the instrumental creativity in “You Ain’t Foolin’ Me” be prepared to have your socks totally knocked off upon experiencing “Southern Woman”. What starts off as a highly memorable vocal melody suddenly (eventually- 3 minutes later) sends me into total, unexpected shock as a straight up saxophone solo makes a VERY surprising appearance. Unlike in the song I mention above, this particular sax jam actually *jams* for a minute or so, and it sounds completely different from anything any other southern band had ever attempted, before or since. It’s flat out awesome. Perhaps it’s inspired by Van Morrison’s “Moondance” a little bit, but it’s certainly no ripoff or anything.
The title song brings me to tears, seriously. I actually cried the first time I heard it… alright make that the second time (because I wasn’t paying attention to it the first time, for some clueless reason on my part!) The verse melody is another quality piece of writing, the lyrics are touching and meaningful, but it’s the flute jam and the gradual morph into an electric guitar jam that BLOWS MY EMOTIONS COMPLETELY AWAY! There’s quite a few moments of this song that move me emotionally, but the jam takes the cake.
“24 Hours at a Time” is *another* fantastic highlight. I can’t exactly explain why, though. It’s a fairly fast-paced country rocker, but… there’s something special about it that makes it stand apart from the crowd. I think it’s the line “Woman you’re always on my mind, 24 hours at a time, somehow woman I’m hoping you feel the same” that really makes it attractive. Or perhaps the tasteful guitar jam at the end which immediately makes me think of a happy place is the reason for its ability to give me especially strong positive feelings, I don’t know.
“Fly Eagle Fly” ends the album on a fairly quiet note with a softly written track. It contains innocent lyrics and an attractive vocal melody, and not much else. Honestly it doesn’t need anything else.
I really hope you pick up what I consider a masterpiece in southern rock. I’ve had people tell over the years how much they dislike the southern rock genre. It’s honestly nearly impossible to hate THIS album, in my opinion. The arrangements are constantly beautiful and always played tastefully, and the amount of sincerity in both the vocal melodies and the lyrics is simply hard to ignore. Find a way to hear this album.

Review #2-
“A New Life”
By K. Carstens (Iowa)
May 27, 2006

I believe that this album, along with “Eat A Peach” by the Allman Brother Band, are the essential “Southern Rock Albums”. Tuckers sophomore album captures the spirit of the early 70s southern rock movement better than any other album. From the jazzy Southern Woman to the incredible Another Cruel Love, Toy Caldwell’s songwriting was never better. You Ain’t Foolin’ Me might be the purest “anthem” song that Marshall Tucker was so famous for in concert. The best album by maybe the most underrated live band ever.

Review #3-
By Thom Jurek
Perhaps the only reason that New Life isn’t quite as memorable as its self-titled predecessor is that the band’s debut was just so startling when it appeared. By the time New Life was issued in 1974, to the band’s credit, it seemed like the Marshall Tucker Band sound had always been a part of America’s rock & roll scene. New Life is earthier than the first album, and country music is less layered over by the trappings of jam-band rock. “Blue Ridge Mountain Sky” is only eclipsed by Dickey Betts’ “Ramblin’ Man” as the ultimate road song from the period. Likewise, the pedal steel blues of “Too Stubborn” echo an earlier era altogether, as the ghost of Bob Wills comes into Toy Caldwell’s songwriting. The whining guitars and lilting woodwinds of the title track bring the jazzier elements in the band’s sound to the fore and wind them seamlessly into a swirling, pastoral country music. The Muscle Shoals horns lend a hand on the Allman Brothers’ Brothers and Sisters-influenced “Another Cruel Love,” and guest Charlie Daniels’ fiddle cooks up a bluegrass stew on “24 Hours at a Time.” The sound is fantastically balanced and warm, and like its predecessor, this album has dated very well.

Review #4-
“Commercial success does not always equal the best”
By The Plunkster (Fairfield, OH United States)
January 5, 2005

OK. I realize people will disagree with me on this, and that’s fine. I have worked as a DJ for 35 years now, listened to a lot of music, and hopefully formed a lot of opinions.
In my opinion, “A New Life” is far and away the best release ever from The Marshall Tucker Band. So this isn’t the stuff you’re used to hearing on the radio. That doesn’t mean it is not their best stuff. This may just be the perfect Southern rock album. Put this thing on, and believe me you are IN the Blue Ridge Mountains, just soakin’ it up.
An incredible release. A must for Tucker fans.

Review #5-
“But I paid my time, and a new life is gonna be mine…”
By Eric S. Kim (Southern California)
April 1, 2011

The Marshall Tucker Band scores another big one. I wouldn’t necessarily call “A New Life” a perfect album, but it’s an excellent one nonetheless. The songs are pure gold: they can eclipse most mainstream songs that are released in the new millennium. “A New Life” and “Southern Woman” are constant reminders of why Marshall Tucker is one of those bands that just dominates the world of Southern Rock. “Blue Ridge Mountain Sky” sounds slightly generic, but it’s still a great song overall. “Too Stubborn” has a few fusions of reggae (a music genre that I strongly detest), but it’s not really that bad, anyway. “Another Cruel Love” and “You Ain’t Foolin’ Me” are brilliant beyond belief, while “24 Hours at a Time” is fun and catchy. “Fly Eagle Fly” makes for a splendid closer for the album.
I really enjoy their self-titled debut album, and I’ve enjoyed this one just as much. This one could easily stomp on today’s mainstream junk. I’m so glad that I’ve stumbled upon Marshall Tucker a few months ago.

MARSHALL TUCKER BAND DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 The Marshall Tucker Band
1974 A New Life
1974 Where we All Belong
1975 Searchin’ For A Rainbow
1976 Long Hard Ride
1977 Carolina Dreams
1978 Together Forever
1979 Runnin’ Like The Wind
1980 Tenth
1981 Dedicated
1982 Tuckerized
1983 Just Us
1983 Greetings From South Carolina
2003 Stompin’ Room Only (1976 Live)
2006 Live on Long Island 4-18-80
2008 Carolina Dreams Tour 1977

TOY CALDWELL DISCOGRAPHY:
1992 Toy Caldwell
1998 Can’t You See (Live)
2000 Son of the South

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR MARSHALL TUCKER BAND PHOTOS AND ARTWORK:
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND ART BY BEN UPHAM
AND
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
PURCHASE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND “A NEW LIFE” REMASTERED CD

ALLEN COLLINS PERFORMING IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA ON 9-20-75. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.

ALLEN COLLINS BAND-
“HERE, THERE AND BACK” (MCA RECRDS 1982)
Personnel:
Allen Collins- guitar
Randall Hall- guitar
Derek Hess- drums
Leon Wilkeson- bass
Billy Powell- keyboards
Barry Harwood- guitar
Jimmy Dougherty- vocals

Songs:
1. Just Trouble
2. One Known Soldier
3. Hangin’ Judge
4. Time After Time
5. This Ride’s On Me
6. Ready To Move
7. Chapter One
8. Commitments
9. Everything You Need

The Allen Collins Band only produced one record. But it’s a winner! I was living in Redding, Ca. when it came out and remember the first time I heard it after walking in to a local record store that had it on. They were playing “One Known Soldier” and I was really blown away. The store sold 3 copies of the record while the song was playing.
I think that this band could have really gone on to do great things had they been more successful with this record. As far as I know they only did one short tour, opening for Molly Hatchet.
When you listen to this Music you will automatically draw the comparisons to Lynyrd Skynyrd due to the simple fact that there are three survivors in the band. That’s not a fair thing to do when listening to this Music though, as it holds a bar up way to high for anyone to jump over.
Jimmy Dougherty cannot be compared to Ronnie Van Zant…Their styles and approach to vocals just aren’t comparable. Dougherty has a good voice and is very articulate. His sound fits well.
Derek Hess and Barry Harwood had been in this band already for years as the Rossington Collins Band and sound great. Randall Hall was Allen’s personal choice to play his parts in the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Band in 1987, which says a lot! Billy Powell is all over this record with his excellent piano work and of course Leon was the Man on the Bass.
This album is very easy to listen to and contains some fine playing and singing. “Everything you need” for a great listen.
Here are some others thoughts on the record:

Review #1-
“Bona fide Southern Rock”
By L. Lawhead “LSquared” (SW Illinois)
June 2, 2004
Allen Collins Band was an offshoot of Rossington Collins Band, which was an offshoot of the original southern rock masters Lynyrd Skynyrd. RCB had all of the surviving members of Skynyrd, except Artimus Pyle (drums). ACB has 5/7 of RCB, replacing Gary Rossington (guitar) and Dale Krantz Rossington (vocals) with Randall Hall and Jimmy Dougherty, respectively. Allen Collins (after becoming paralyzed) suggested Randall Hall as his replacent in the “post-crash” Skynyrd. Bottom line, these guys have the “bona fides”, they certainly know what they’re doing.
I really enjoy this album a lot. All of the songs are solid, with great sound. The songs of the songs are mostly mid-tempo, with a couple of slower pieces. There’s not really any “kick A**” songs, no “Freebird”, no bar-fighting music. There’s not really any “blistering guitar”, but there is a lot of guitar, and plenty of licks and fills. The songs stick in your head, and the lyrics are an improvement over some of the RCB songs. Think of Skynyrd’s 4th album: “Gimmie Back My Bullets”. If you like that, you’ll like this. Billy Powell’s piano is particularly evident, he remains one of the signatures of the Skynyrd sound, and it’s various offshoots.
Allen Collins co-wrote 4 of the 8 songs here, including the standouts “One Known Soldier” and “Chapter One”. This is more than any of the Skynyrd albums, except “Gimmie Back My Bullets”. Jimmy Dougherty is fine as a singer, if not outstanding. He’s not as “gruff” as either Ronnie Van Zant (Skynyrd) or Dale Krantz (Rossington Collins Band). His style fits the songs though.
Long after it’s release, “Here There and Back” remains one of my favorite southern rock albums. Yet I never heard anything about it when it came out. I just happened across it in a record store several months after it’s release, and snapped it up because of the Skynyrd lineage. It remaines one of the great discoveries in my collection. If it had recieved any publicity at all, it would probably have been much better known.
Good songs, good playing!

Review #2-
“Excellent Southern Rock”
By Lefloater
October 24, 2005
This CD happens to be an excellent combination of vocals, crystal clear guitar and drums. One can readily hear the influence of Lynyrd Skynyrd thanks to Allen Collins. And, yes, I too have been to several of Skynyrd’s concerts, and this CD just illustrates the influence that they had through Allen Collins.
If you want to hear some great music, you can’t go wrong with this CD.

Review #3-
“Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere”
By William Walters (West Palm Beach, FL)
December 2, 2007
This is a VERY rare LP. I had a chance to see Allen Collins perform this record in North Carolina in the early 1980′s. It was one of his first live performances outside of playing with the Rossington Collins Band. The album suffers from poor vocals but the unmistakable AC guitar dominates the album. I have the tour T-shirt and was able to meet the band and get autgraphs since so few people showed up for the show (with the Outlaws). As far as I know this was the first live performances of Skynyrd standards such as ‘That Smell’ and ‘Gimme Three Steps’. The album, like I stated, may be disapointing to some but a real keepsake to die hard Skynyrd fans. If it every becomes available I will buy it in a heartbeat and suggest all Allen Collins fans do as well. Classsic Southern Rock at its best!!

Review #4-
“Here,There,and Back”
By Gary Pierce “Southern Man” (Northeast Tennessee)
July 30, 2007
This record is the best of the Lynyrd Skynyrd solo artist. It has Allen, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkerson and future member Randall Hall. I have all of the solo records and this one sounds the most like Skynyrd. Allen plays some of his best guitar work and Billy is featured even more than with Skynyrd. Thank You Allen for some great music.

Review #5-
From: rehtakul
May 14, 2004
Although it’s true that the blistering guitar work Allen was known for is not here, this is still a very enjoyable CD. In my opinion, one of the better ‘post Skynyrd’ releases. Much in the same style as the ‘Alias – Contraband’ album. As stated, no blistering solos here, but every solo is as tasty as can be. In addition, Billy Powell has some fine moments, adding a little more of that old Skynyrd feel to the album. This is long out of print, but worth tracking down. It stands the test of time.

Wikipedia Info-
The Allen Collins Band was a spinoff of Southern Rock bands Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Rossington-Collins Band. It existed from 1983 to 1984 and was formed shortly after the dissolution of the Rossington-Collins Band.
The band’s name was originally Horsepower, but executives at MCA (whom the band released their only album through) wanted a name that would make the band stand out. So, the band was re-christened “The Allen Collins Band.” Most of the band members carried over from RCB, with the exceptions of Dale Krantz and Gary Rossington, who had both married and decided to raise a family. Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings joined The Allen Collins Band in 1984, and wrote several unreleased songs with Allen Collins, and he later went on to play guitar in Molly Hatchet (1999–2000).
Vocalist Jimmy Dougherty died January 20, 2008 (born November 3, 1951).

ALLEN COLLINS DISCOGRAPHY:
WITH LYNYRD SKYNYRD:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75

WITH THE ROSSINGTON COLLINS BAND:
1979 Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere
1981 This is the Way

WITH THE ALLEN COLLINS BAND:
1983 Here, There & Back

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR ALLEN COLLINS STUFF:
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND 3-6-76
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM OAKLAND, CA. 9-20-75
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
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ORDER THE REMASTERED CD OF ALLEN COLLINS BAND

TOY CALDWELL OF THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM)

THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND-
“THERE’S GOLD IN THEM GRASSROOTS”
THE GASTONIA GAZETTE
GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA
MAY 2, 1976

It’s 3:00 A.M. in the Capricorn sound studios on Broadway and while George McCorkle and Doug Gray of the Marshall Tucker Band get whipped in a game of Ping-Pong by the band’s roadies, down the hall in the main control room, Toy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker’s lead guitarist and songwriter, and producer Paul Hornsby are listening
to John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band add some banjo overdubs to Caldwell’s ‘Long Hard Ride,’ the title track to the band’s fifth album and their first recorded instrumental. Mark Pucci, Capricorn Record’s publicist, is also there, touting the song as the next ‘Rawhide’, but as a publicist he knows he’s able to do little with press releases to help Tucker.
Marshall Tucker is a grassroots band, and its own greatest asset for publicity. For the last three-and-a-half years, the band has been on a “long hard ride,” covering the country in a customized bus on a grueling tour schedule, trying to play most of their markets at least twice a year. “We play a place,” says Toy, “and when we come back, there are twice as many people as before. All those people who come out to see ya, that’s a weird feeling sometimes. Look at me! What the hell do they want to see me for?”
While Marshall Tucker worked on their latest album in Macon, Capricorn threw a party for the band, giving them gold copies of their first album, “The Marshall Tucker Band,” recorded three years ago. And on the basis of their grassroots appeal, two other albums have gone gold within the last six months, “Where We All Belong” and
“Searchin’ fora Rainbow.”
Four years out of being just another club band from Spartanburg, S.C.,
Tucker still comprises its six original members, with Caldwell on lead, McCorkle on rhythm guitar, Gray on vocals, Tommy Caldwell (Toy’s brother) on bass, Jerry Eubanks on alto sax and flute and Paul Riddle on drums.
Toy Caldwell and McCorkle played together in high school in Spartanburg, then in the early Seventies Caldwell formed a band with Gray and Eubanks called The Toy Factory. In 1972 they joined
McCorkle, Riddle and Tommy Caldwell and changed their name to the Marshall Tucker Band, after the owner of their rehearsal hall in Spartanhurg.
In May of that year Tucker played with Wet Willie, a Capricorn Records group, at the Ruins, a club in Spartanburg. “They heard our stuff.” recalls Toy, and told us to take it to Phil Walden (President of Capricornt. Hell, I never heard of the cat. Still, we drove down to Macon and dropped a tape off.” They were booked into Grant’s Lounge in Macon. “I went by there one night,” recalls Capricorn’s executive vice president Frank Fenter, and they sounded entirely different than anything we had on the label. Surprisingly, though, people compare them to the Allman Brothers.
Marshall Tucker’s first album was released in March 1973, and that year they toured as the opening act for the Allman Brothers, before being added to tours with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Eagles. And, as the Tucker band developed into a strong touring band Capricorn’s natural temptation to do a heavy hype on them waned. “It’s easy for me to sit here, with three gold records,” reflects Jerry Eubanks, “and say, ‘No, I’d never sell out.’ But there have been many times when you’re broke and starving when you’d do about anything. Capricorn had the sense not to come to us and say, ‘You be that kind of band,’ or put us into the position of trying to fill large halls when we weren’t ready for it.”
Doug Gray is less analytical. “You could never imagine me coming out on roller skates; I’d probably trip over my hair. We kid each other and say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna dress up in tights tonight.’ But we laugh at people who have to do that stuff in order to sell a record. If they want to do it, fine, but not anybody in our band. Hell, what would your friends think?”
Toy Caldwell turned to the new album, set for release in June. “The tunes — eight of them — are there. The pickin’s there and the sound is crisp.” The album demonstrates Marshall Tucker’s amazing versatility, with a mixture of slow — and fast-paced luncs, heavily overlaid with country, rock and jazz influences. In this latest album, they’re not just another Southern band. “The country is ready for Marshall Tucker.” Phil Walden immodestly proclaims. “Groups like the Eagles have paved the way… and the Eagles don’t say ‘ain’t’ like Marshall Tucker says ‘aint.’

MARSHALL TUCKER BAND DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 The Marshall Tucker Band
1974 A New Life
1974 Where we All Belong
1975 Searchin’ For A Rainbow
1976 Long Hard Ride
1977 Carolina Dreams
1978 Together Forever
1979 Runnin’ Like The Wind
1980 Tenth
1981 Dedicated
1982 Tuckerized
1983 Just Us
1983 Greetings From South Carolina
2003 Stompin’ Room Only (1976 Live)
2006 Live on Long Island 4-18-80
2008 Carolina Dreams Tour 1977

TOY CALDWELL DISCOGRAPHY:
1992 Toy Caldwell
1998 Can’t You See (Live)
2000 Son of the South

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND PHOTOS AND ART:
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND ART BY BEN UPHAM
AND
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM

TOY CALDWELL OF THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND JAMMING IN THE WOODS. PHOTO-ART BY BEN UPHAM.

MARSHALL TUCKER BAND-
“STOMPIN’ ROOM ONLY”
UNRELEASED 1976 LIVE ALBUM
RELEASED ON CD IN 2003
A BUNCH OF REVIEWS

FINALLY! THANK YOU MUSIC GODS!, December 2, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Stompin’ Room Only (Unreleased Live Recording) (Audio CD)
This CD is a must have for Tucker Boys fans or “southern rock” fans in general. To me the highlight is “Blue Ridge Mountain Sky”, which includes a 3-minute plus solo by thumb-picking master Toy Caldwell. Long-time fans will really appreciate that song plus outstanding versions of “This Ol’ Cowboy”, “Searchin’ For A Rainbow” and “Hillbilly Band”.
On a down note, I am not quite sure why they had to include two songs already released from a July ’74 show in Milwaukee. But…what the hell.
One thing you can definitely feel is the driving force of Tommy Caldwell in most of the songs. You can feel his bass, plus on many songs he enthusiastically sings harmony with Doug Gray in the chorus. Now, Tommy (along with Toy) was not the BEST singer, but he sure seemed to enjoy what he was doing.
I am not sure if the reviewer who gave this 1 star actually has heard this CD, but please do not let him/her dissuade you. I am a fan of the original (and only) MTB, and I have no axe to grind. To me the band ended with Tommy’s untimely passing in 1980. Nonetheless, this is a treasure. Enjoy!
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Live Fire!, December 30, 2003
By
Lance Farley (Austin, TX United States) – See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Stompin’ Room Only (Unreleased Live Recording) (Audio CD)
It’s a great thing to see all the early Marshall Tucker Band albums being remastered and re-released. Apparently, this CD is an unreleased live album with a few added tracks. The main album was recorded on two nights in England in late 1976. The added tracks are the ten-minute-plus “The Thrill Is Gone” from the 1975 Volunteer Jam (featuring guests Dickey Betts, Chuck Leavell and Charlie Daniels), and “Ramblin’” and “24 Hours At A Time” from 1974 (and previously released on “Where We All Belong”). Sound quality varies on the tracks, but most of the performances are amazing. You can hear why this band was such a hot live commodity. I wish the editing between tracks was better; that would give more of a semblance of a real live show. Still it’s great, just having this stuff……….
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FINALLY!!, November 10, 2003
By
Thomas Clark (Makawao, Hi. USA) – See all my reviews
This review is from: Stompin’ Room Only (Unreleased Live Recording) (Audio CD)
Been waiting for this…forever…the original line up…live…tearing it up. Nobody played like Toy Caldwell. One of the best live bands I ever had the good fortune to see. Recorded mainly on their one and only European Tour in 76…this CD grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Ramblin’ and 24 Hours are the same from the Where We All Belong album but no matter…this one is a keeper….advice? Play it LOUD!
You can have fun I’m telling you can…when you stomp your feet to a hillbilly band!
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Real Southern Rock !!, January 25, 2004
By
“clems97″ (Laurens, SC United States) – See all my reviews
This review is from: Stompin’ Room Only (Unreleased Live Recording) (Audio CD)
Marshall Tucker Band – Stompin’ Room Only (Ramblin’ Records, 2003)
CD Review by: Joe (Skydog) Clem of Skydog Music

1. Long Hard Ride
2. This Ol Cowboy
3. Fire on the Mountain
4. Searchin’ For a Rainbow
5. Take the Highway
6. Can’t You See
7. Blue Ridge Mountain Sky
8. The Thrill Is Gone (Jimmy Hall & Guests)
9. Ramblin’
10. 24 Hours (Charlie Daniels on fiddle)
11. Hillbilly Band

Deja vu …All of a sudden I’m back in the South of 1976. The ol’ Skydog was a Senior in high school. Back in those days, and I guess it still is today, everybody had their little cliques. Some were the “disco ducks”… you know, polyester pants and the whole bit. Listened to the mindless dance music that was beginning to take over; drum machines and synthesizers were replacing musical talent and feeling. Then there were the “Metal Heads”, the ones with the Led Zep shirts and the dark attitudes. Over in another corner were the “good ol’ boys”…we’d discovered a new type music (or so we thought) coming from of a bunch of bands from right around us. No English accents, no weird clothes or even weirder haircuts. Folks just like us. Jeans and cowboy hats and boots…and we could actually understand what they were saying ! It all just felt right…Southern pride was on the rise…Charlie Daniels said the “South’s Gonna Do It Again” and , by God, we believed him !!
Spartanburg, and the whole state of South Carolina for that matter, had a treasure called the Marshall Tucker Band…everybody tried to figure out which one of them was Marshall Tucker, but we sure did dig the music ! Absolutely killer guitar lines and a singer who really had a southern accent. This was “our music.” Find a convenience store that wouldn’t card you, buy up a few six-packs, find a hay field way out in the country…and it was party time !
When I put “Stompin’ Room Only ” into the CD player…see, even us good ol’ boys have joined the modern age, it was `76 all over again. It’s hard to believe the tapes have sat somewhere all these years…ought to be a crime, in my humble opinion. Probably a Yankee conspiracy !
All the classic MTB songs are here. Mostly recorded during a European tour in the mid-70′s, SRO catches the Tucker boys in their prime, before the tragic loss of both Tommy and Toy Caldwell. “Can’t You See” brings back the sweet guitar lines of lost loved ones like Toy and Tommy. “Take The Highway” and “24 Hours At A Time”, just to name a couple, have that fire and drive that is so lacking in today’s music. And Doug Gray still makes you hurt when he hits the high notes on “The Thrill Is Gone”(from the 1975 Volunteer Jam)…damn, that musta’ stung…probably scarred him for life !
This is not the Marshall Tucker Band of today, except for vocalist Doug Gray. These songs were recorded when Southern Rock was at it’s zenith…new and fresh and strong. Each and every one should stand as a benchmark for any band who wants to call themselves “Southern” rock. You can almost see Toy and Tommy grinnin’ at each other across the stage.
In summary, GET THIS CD…if you ever jammed on the radio to the MTB, ever fortunate enough to see them live, or just don’t feel the fire when you listen to the latest media favorite…this is your salvation !
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“Wow” is an appropriate response., March 27, 2004
By
Virgil “Virgil” (Chapel Hill, NC) – See all my reviews
This review is from: Stompin’ Room Only (Unreleased Live Recording) (Audio CD)
What a find this new release of old material from the mid-70s is. There was something about that era that produced live albums for the ages; from the Allman Brothers “Live at the Fillmore East” to Hendrix “Band Of Gypsys”, Deep Purple “Live in Japan”, Rory Gallagher “Live in Europe” and of course “Frampton Comes Alive”. The 70s were a “sweet spot” in a sense. Arena rock was not yet corporate [though by the mid-late 70s it became bombastic], and in a pre-MTV world bands still toured for “face time” with their fans.

Add to these Marshall Tucker’s “Stompin’ Room Only”. The sad part is that it’s been under wraps for the last twenty five years, not available to influence a new generation of musicians or to just plain entertain the rest of us. From first to last song there is strong musicianship- always so important to Southern bands- and enthusiasm from the players. An infectious mix of southern rock, jazz, country and just plain jammin’. What a gem and what a find this music is. Highly recommended.
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Long Lost Album Finally Comes To Life!, November 19, 2003
By
Craig Cumberland (Turlock, CA United States) – See all my reviews
This review is from: Stompin’ Room Only (Unreleased Live Recording) (Audio CD)
Finally! It’s here! After over two decades of waiting, Tuckerheads are able to hear the long awaited, much anticipated, long rumored to be lost forever “Stomping Room Only”! But it was worth the wait! And the good news is that, because the original never saw the light of day on LP, it was expanded (thanks to the CD format) to include bonus cuts like the rare “The Thrill Is Gone” (from the very first Volunteer Jam album that has yet to be released on CD). It is perhaps Doug Gray’s best vocal performance ever! Other standouts are Blue Ridge Mountain Sky and This Ol Cowboy, which were sung by Toy Caldwell on the studio versions but sang live by Doug. So now we have both versions to appreciate, thanks to this new release! Tucker was one of the pioneers of the southern rock and jam band genres – and SRO exemplifies why. The folks at the Shout Factory did a great job re-mastering the music and it sounds like it was recorded yesterday. Tucker fans are sure to love this as should fans of jam music or southern rock.

Craig Cumberland
www.tuckerhead.com
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MARSHALL TUCKER BAND DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 The Marshall Tucker Band
1974 A New Life
1974 Where we All Belong
1975 Searchin’ For A Rainbow
1976 Long Hard Ride
1977 Carolina Dreams
1978 Together Forever
1979 Runnin’ Like The Wind
1980 Tenth
1981 Dedicated
1982 Tuckerized
1983 Just Us
1983 Greetings From South Carolina
2003 Stompin’ Room Only (1976 Live)
2006 Live on Long Island 4-18-80
2008 Carolina Dreams Tour 1977

TOY CALDWELL DISCOGRAPHY:
1992 Toy Caldwell
1998 Can’t You See (Live)
2000 Son of the South

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR MARSHALL TUCKER BAND PHOTOS AND ART:
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND ART BY BEN UPHAM