Dinosaurdays - Marshall Tucker Band

Actually a tribute to one of the greatest country/rock guitarists that ever lived. Toy Caldwell, one of the founder members of this wonderful South Carolina outfit, died on 25 February 1993. He joined his brother, Tommy, who died in 1980. The Marshall Tucker Band is one band that will always be, and has been since the start of The Dinosaur Days six years ago, featured many times on the show. There has always been something magical and special about this band, and the good news is that their long awaited Warner Brothers era material has finally been released on CD.

Marshall Tucker Band
Marshall Tucker Band - Can't you See, from their self-titled debut album, released in 1973. The MTB are regulars on the Dinosaur Days and have been for many years. They are probably the world's best country rock band and they've released some really good material over the years, in spite of the fact that they've had their fair share of human tragedies. They were formed in Spartanburg, South Carolina in the US in 1971 by guitarist/vocalist Toy Caldwell ( previously with the Rants and Toy Factory) , his brother Tommy on bass and vocals, vocalist Doug Gray (also ex-Toy Factory), drummer Paul Riddle, rhythm guitarist George McCorkle (ex-Rants) and flautist/sax player Jerry Eubanks (another ex-Toy Factory cohort). They took their name from the owner of the room in which they practised their music. They signed to Capricorn Records and released this, our featured album, to critical acclaim. The album, soon to reach number 29 in the US, contained one of their best known tracks, "Take the Highway", which would go on to be their "signature tune" at concerts. Their highest charting album was "Searchin' for a Rainbow", which came out in 1975, although most of their albums either went gold or platinum. Tragedy struck on 28 April 1980 when Tommy Caldwell was killed in an auto crash. His replacement was another ex-Toy Factory member, Franklin Wilkie. The band continued to perform and record, although by the early eighties they'd all but disappeared from the music scene. Further albums were released in the late eighties, with a number of newer members. Toy Caldwell died from acute repiratory failure (apparently cocaine related - what a stupid waste of talent!), on February 25, 1993. Vocalist Doug Gray and flautist Jerry Eubanks have kept the MTB's name and proud tradition alive to the present day.

Marshall Tucker Band
Marshall Tucker Band - Dream Lover, from "Together Forever" in 1978, their 7th album. This is dedicated to guitarist, vocalist and co-founder Toy Caldwell who, together with his bass playing brother Tommy, f ormed the band in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1971. The other members of this famous country rock outfit were vocalist Doug Gray, rhythm guitarist George McCorkle, drummer Paul Riddle and sax player/flautist Jerry Eubanks. They signed to Capricorn Records and released their self-titled album in 1973. They were very popular from their early days until the late 70's, releasing a number of charting singles and albums. Tragedy struck on April 28, 1980, when Tommy d ied in an auto accident (the Caldwells' younger brother, Tim, had died in a separate car crash a month earlier). The MTB continued to perform and record in spite of the loss of their beloved Tommy. The nineties saw a further tragedy for the Caldwell family: Toy, one of the most respected musicians in the country/Southern rock scene, died on 25 February 1993 from acute respiratory failure. Having broken away from the band in 1985, he was in the process of completing his second solo album at the time of his death.

Marshall Tucker Band
Marshall Tucker Band - Everyday ( I Have the Blues), from "Where we all belong" in 1974, their third album. This half studio/half live double album captured the boys from Spartanburg at their very best. You know the band well - we featured them just a few weeks ago, but they appear on the show again as a tribute to bassist Tommy Caldwell, who died in a car crash on 28 April 1980. His brother, Toy, died from acute respiratory failure on February 1993. The brothers were both founding members of this stunning county rock outfit, who were formed in 1971. If you'd like to know more about the band, you can read up on them elsewhere in these pages.

(If you have more info on this band, please e-mail us)

Biography by William Ruhlmann & Michael B. Smith
One of the major Southern rock bands of the '70s, the Marshall Tucker Band was formed in Spartanburg, SC, in 1971 by singer Doug Gray, guitarist Toy Caldwell (born 1948, died February 25, 1993), his brother bassist Tommy Caldwell (born 1950, died April 4, 1980), guitarist George McCorkle, drummer Paul Riddle, and reed player Jerry Eubanks. The group's style combined rock, country, and jazz and featured extended instrumental passages on which lead guitarist Toy Caldwell shone. The band was signed to Capricorn Records and released their debut album, The Marshall Tucker Band, in March 1973. They gained recognition through a tour with the Allman Brothers Band and found significant success during the course of the '70s, with most of their albums going gold. Their peak came with the million-selling album Carolina Dreams and its Top 15 single "Heard It in a Love Song" in 1977.

The band was slowed down by the death of Tommy Caldwell in a car accident in 1980 and faded from the album charts after 1982. Toy Caldwell left for a solo career soon after, and the original lineup disbanded in 1983. Later that same year, Doug Gray and Jerry Eubanks hired some Nashville studio musicians and took the band back out onto the road; a little over a year later, the second wave of the Marshall Tucker Band began, as Gray and Eubanks returned home to Spartanburg, SC, and hired guitarist Rusty Milner, bassist Tim Lawter, drummer Ace Allen, and guitarist Stuart Swanlund.

During the years since the original band dissolved, the group has had country chart hits, toured constantly, made forays into the blues and adult contemporary, and suffered the loss of founding member Toy Caldwell, who died in 1993. Some bandmembers left, some joined, and some stayed right where they were, but through it all, the Marshall Tucker Band endured. The band continued to record steadily, maintained a loyal fan base, and eventually began to receive their due as Southern rock pioneers. The 1998 Marshall Tucker Band consisted of Gray, Milner, Lawter, Swanlund, David Muse (formerly of Firefall, on sax, flute, and keys), and drummer B.B. Borden (formerly of Mother's Finest). The band took several stylistic detours with 1998's all-blues outing Face Down in the Blues and the 1999 spiritual album Gospel. A thorough reissue campaign was inaugurated in 2003, and the new studio record Beyond the Horizon appeared one year later. In 2006, the group released a live 1980 concert, Live on Long Island.

Toy Caldwell
Tommy Caldwell
Jerry Eubanks
Doug Gray
George McCorkle
David Muse
Paul Riddle
Franklin Wilkie
Tim Lawter
Rusty Milner
Stuart Swanlund
David "Ace" Allen

Duane Allman
Wet Willie
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Allman Brothers Band
Gregg Allman
Charlie Daniels
Toy Caldwell
Elvin Bishop
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Eric Clapton
Molly Hatchet
Derek & the Dominos
Pure Prairie League
Blackfoot
Paul Butterfield
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Barefoot Jerry
Black Oak Arkansas
The Outlaws
Allman and Woman
Johnny Van Zant