Duke Bardwell (Bass Guitar)
Bardwell took over from Jerry Scheff for the whole of 1974 and the first Vegas tour of 1975.
He and Elvis weren’t the best of friends, to say the least.
Elvis often picked on Bardwell onstage and during the Dayton Ohio matinee concert on 6th October 1974, Elvis introduced Duke Bardwell, remarking.
“Play something Duke, just do the best you can”.
Eventually, Felton Jarvis erased all of the bass parts Bardwell recorded at the studio sessions, either at Elvis’s instigation or with his consent, replacing them with new recordings by Elvis’s proven old friends Mike Leech and Norbert Putnam.
“T-R-O-U-B-L-E” would be Duke Bardwell’s only surviving master with Elvis, and then only because RCA rushed it out as a single before Felton could get to the overdubbing.
“Elvis was good at that syncopated funky stuff”, Duke said later.
Bardwell doesn’t think of his time with Elvis as a pleasant one.
In fact, shortly after he left the Band in order to do studio work for others, he threw away his 14k gold TCB-necklace.
James Burton (Lead Guitarist)
Burton played in Elvis' band at every single show.
He played lead guitar for Ricky Nelson from 1957 to 1968 before joining the TCB-Band in 1969.
As a session man, he played for Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Tina Turner, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra and the Killer himself, Jerry Lee Lewis.
Burton is considered to be the leader of the TCB-Band.
In fact, when Elvis called him in 1968, James put together the band for him.
In 1976, Burton told Elvis he wanted to join Emmylou Harris’s band but was persuaded to stay after a pay raise.
Elvis liked to show off with James, asking him to play Johnny B. Goode whilst holding the guitar behind his head.
After Elvis’s death, Burton toured with Emmylou Harris, John Denver and Jerry Lee Lewis.
He has two Fender Signature Guitars out, and owns the James Burton Club in Louisiana.
His guitar playing can be heard on countless recordings, from Elvis-tributes to experimental music, from Hanry Mancini to Bruce Springsteen.
In 1997, Burton signed a contract with the Elvis Presley Estate to perform on the 'virtual' shows and in March 2001 he was inducted in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in Nashville.
Emory Gordy (Bass Guitarist)
Gordy took over from Jerry Scheff on 22nd April 1973 in Phoenix, AZ until the rest of that year.
Gordy played bass on Elvis-classics such as “Separate Ways”, “For the Good Times”, “Burning Love” and “Always on My Mind” - all recorded in March 1972.
“When I went into those recording sessions, there was a lot of exuberance, a lot of energy”, Emory recalls.
“I thought that was one of the best things I had ever done, and we did some great tunes and there was a lot of hashing over the tunes to get them just exactly the right way.
And, everybody was there.
It was very professional and at the same time the energy level was very high.”
He left again the band to concentrate on production work in the Music City.
In 1989 he married one of country music's leading ladies, Patty Loveless.
Jerry Scheff (Bass Guitarist)
Scheff played with Elvis's band at 829 shows.
He briefly left the band after the first Las Vegas engagement in 1973 because of personal problems then picked up again on April 24th 1975 in Macon,GA and performed on all further shows.
In 1966, Jerry played trumpet on the soundtrack of “Easy Come, Easy Go”, as well as on number of other sessions.
By 1969, Jerry Scheff was a well-established and frequently used studio musician, known for his bass playing on some of the Doors-records amongst others.
“I wasn’t an Elvis fan until our first rehearsal”, Jerry says.
“James called and said: you have to hear this guy.
I thought: ‘Nobody can be that good.
But he was.
The next day, I brought my wife to the rehearsal.
She was even more impressed than I was.”
In 1973, not long after the Aloha show, Jerry quit Elvis' Band.
But in 1975, he rejoined the group.
“Elvis was very loyal.
One day, his office called and said that they needed a new bass player.
A few days later, I was on stage again with Elvis and his band.
Elvis always joked he didn't understand Jerry and their on-stage relationship often looked strained.
John Wilkinson (Rhythm Guitarist)
John Wilkinson played on every tour with Elvis.
Some of you all never been down South too much...
I'm gonna tell you a little story, so you'll understand where I'm talking about
in an interview i read on one of these threads, Duke stated that he gave his necklace to someone - i don't remember who exactly, but i think it was Ronnie Tutt. Ronnie[?] had lost his and the camp would not replace it. Duke said his necklace didn't mean anything to him anymore, so he presented it toOriginally Posted by Polk-Salad-Annie
ronnie[?]. I'll look up hte interview and find out the correct person.
All I wanted was a white knight with a good heart, soft touch, fast horse
Ride me off into the sunset Baby, I'm forever yours
The info on James is way outdated. I believe he now has four signature Fender teles
James Burton is truely one of the great guitarists of Rock and country music.
You can see his early work with Rick Nelson if you pick up the 4 DVD set of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" it came out last year. He played guitar in all the segments worked into the show where Rick sang.
Full interview http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStre...23/dbint3.htmlTC: After that last show did someone tell you that they wouldn't be using you again?
DB: Actually they didn't. But I think all of us pretty much knew it was over. I went to the last little gathering at the end of the show and everybody was real quiet. I had already let go of my TCB. Ronnie Tutt told me that Gerald, the bass player with The Sweet Inspirations, had lost his TCB. He was no longer with them by this point, but he treasured his TCB and wore it everywhere he went. Well he lost it when he was playing football and it broke his heart because he was so proud of it. He wanted another one but they wouldn't give him one, so Ronnie Tutt gave him his. Ronnie had asked for one on his behalf but there was no way they were gonna give him one. I couldn't believe it. The blood and guts that Ronnie Tutt had pumped into that show. If that wasn't worth another chain and a TCB then I don't know what was.
It made me realize that they were not a good thinking, kind group of people. So that last night in the dressing-room, as I was packing up I took my TCB off and gave it to Ronnie. I said. "Take this, I don't want it. I never was good in fraternities. Every time I tried to join a club, an organization or something like that, I never fit in." I never fit in this time - that's the way it felt. After that I went on upstairs to see everybody and say goodbye, and I guess it'd already been
In the interview Duke goes on to say that he really did admire Elvis.
Ride me off into the sunset Baby, I'm forever yours
I have tried the link you posted to see the full interview but it doesn't work.
Here you go Leroy.
http://www.geocities.com/bourbonstre...23/dbint1.html
That aint tactics honey....that's just the beast in me.
Elvis PRESLEY:The most important, most influential artist of the 20th century. b. 8 Jan 1935, Mississippi, US, d. 16 Aug 1977. He holds, or has held, almost every chart-related record including perhaps the most important: more No.1s than any act in chart history.
Thank you Jon_Burrows, that was an impressive piece....
Very interesting info...thanks very much
"Don't tamper with the property of the U.S. Male"
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