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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZFABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS, TheBlues band formed Austin TX '75. Original lineup: Kim Wilson (b 6 Jan. '51, Detroit), vocals, harmonica; Keith Ferguson (b 23 July '46, Houston), bass; Jimmie Vaughan (b 20 March '51, Dallas; Stevie Ray Vaughan's older brother), guitar ('arguably the finest and most authentic white blues guitarist of his time', said down beat); Mike Buck (b 17 June '52), drums. First LP The Fabulous Thunderbirds '79 on Takoma prod. by Denny Bruce; Fran Christina (b 1 Feb. '51, Westerly RI; ex-Roomful of Blues) joined during recording of What's The Word '80 on Chrysalis, replacing Buck; Butt Rockin' reached no. 176 Billboard LP chart '81: first LP with Christina as permanent member incl. session work from other Roomfuls, song 'One Too Many' co-written by Wilson, Nick Lowe, who replaced Bruce as prod. on T-Bird Rhythm '82. Loyal following after ten years of touring, with covers of Bo Diddley, Slim Harpo, Dave Bartholomew etc interspersed with originals by Vaughan and Ferguson as well as Wilson ('Can't Tear It Up Enuff' on T-Bird Rhythm). Their mix of Chicago blues, Louisiana R&B infl. with dash of Tex-Mex gets little airplay on sanitized US radio and albums were not well promoted: the last Chrysalis album sold 33,000 copies to tenacious fans in three weeks, then died. Ferguson left (worked in group Big Guitars from Texas with Buck), replaced by ex- Roomful Preston Hubbard (b 15 March '53, Providence; also played some years in band with Scott Hamilton). Without a label for three years, T-Birds recorded Tuff Enuff '85 in London, prod. by Dave Edmunds, their most successful and slickest yet: no. 13 LP USA on Columbia, title track a top ten single. Junior Brantley joined on keyboards '85, left '86 for up-and-coming Roomful: the traffic in sidemen was now two-way. Tuff Enuff was followed by Hot Number '87, Powerful Stuff '89, Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk '91, compilations The Essential 91 on Chrysalis, Hot Stuff on Epic '92; Best Of on EMI '97 really was, and good value. Roll Of The Dice'95 was on Private Stock; High Water '97 on High Street/BMG was their tenth. Wilson's My Blues '98 on Blue Collar Records was a down-home set made live to tape. |