The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 5 Disc (1981,86,87,97 & 2001)

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 5 Disc (1981,86,87,97 & 2001)

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Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
With their fusion of blues, rock & roll, and R&B, the Fabulous Thunderbirds helped popularize roadhouse Texas blues with a mass audience in the '80s and, in the process, they helped kick-start a blues revival during the mid-'80s. During their heyday in the early '80s, they were the most popular attraction on the blues bar circuit, which eventually led to a breakthrough to the pop audience in 1986 with their fifth album, Tuff Enuff. The mass success didn't last too long, and founding member Jimmie Vaughan left in 1990, but the Fabulous Thunderbirds remained one of the most popular blues concert acts in America during the '90s.
Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds with vocalist/harpist Kim Wilson in 1974; in addition to Vaughan and Wilson, the band's original lineup included bassist Keith Ferguson and drummer Mike Buck. Initially, the group also featured vocalist Lou Ann Barton, but she left the band shortly after its formation. Within a few years, the Thunderbirds became the house band for the Austin club Antone's, where they would play regular sets and support touring blues musicians. By the end of the decade, they had built a strong fan base, which led to a record contract with the local Takoma Records.
In 1979, the Fabulous Thunderbirds released their eponymous debut on Takoma. The record was successful enough to attract the attention of major labels and Chrysalis signed the band the following year. What's the Word, the group's second album, was released in 1980 and it was followed in 1981 by Butt Rockin'. By the time the Thunderbirds recorded their 1982 album T-Bird Rhythm, drummer Mike Buck was replaced by Fran Christina, a former member of Roomful of Blues.

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 5 Disc (1981,86,87,97 & 2001)

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Although the Fabulous Thunderbirds had become favorites of fellow musicians — they opened shows for the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton — and had been critically well-received, their records didn't sell particularly well. Chrysalis dropped the band following the release of T-Bird Rhythm, leaving the band without a record contract for four years. While they were in limbo, they continued to play concerts across the country. During this time, bassist Keith Ferguson left the band and was replaced by Preston Hubbard, another former member of Roomful of Blues. In 1985, they finally landed another record contract, signing with Epic/Associated.
After the deal with Epic/Associated was complete, the T-Birds entered a London studio and recorded their fifth album with producer Dave Edmunds. The resulting album, Tuff Enuff, was released in the spring of 1986 and, unexpectedly, became a major crossover success. The title track was released as a single and its accompanying video received heavy play on MTV, which helped the song reach the American Top Ten. The success of the single sent the album to number 13 on the charts; Tuff Enuff would eventually receive a platinum record. "Wrap It Up," a cover of an old Sam & Dave song, was the album's second single and it became a Top Ten album rock track. Later in 1986, the T-Birds won the W.C. Handy Award for best blues band.
The Fabulous Thunderbirds' follow-up to Tuff Enuff, Hot Number, arrived in the summer of 1987. Initially, the album did fairly well — peaking at number 49 on the charts and spawning the Top Ten album rock hit "Stand Back" — but it quickly fell off the charts. Furthermore, its slick, radio-ready sound alienated their hardcore following of blues fans. "Powerful Stuff," a single from the soundtrack of the Tom Cruise film Cocktail, became a number three album rock hit in the summer of 1988. It was included on the following year's Powerful Stuff album, which proved to be a major commercial disappointment — it only spent seven weeks on the charts.
After the two poorly received follow-ups to Tuff Enuff, Jimmie Vaughan left the band to play in a duo with his brother, Stevie Ray Vaughan; following Stevie Ray's death in the summer of 1990, Jimmie pursued a full-time solo career. The Fabulous Thunderbirds replaced Vaughan with two guitarists, Duke Robillard and Kid Bangham. The first album from the new lineup, Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk, appeared in 1991. Following the release of Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk, Epic/Associated dropped the Fabulous Thunderbirds from their roster.
During the early '90s, the Fabulous Thunderbirds were in limbo, as Kim Wilson recorded a pair of solo albums — Tigerman (1993) and That's Life (1994). Wilson re-assembled the band in late 1994 and the band recorded their ninth album, Roll of the Dice, which was released on Private Music in 1995. High Water followed in 1997 with a live album after that in 2001.
In 2004, Wilson reassembled the band yet again adding retro blues sensation guitarist Nick Curran and equally talented West Coast guitarist Kirk Eli Fletcher. The newly anointed group released Painted On on Tone Cool records in 2005.

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 5 Disc (1981,86,87,97 & 2001)

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As with most bands who reach back into styles more than a couple of decades old for their chief inspirations, the limitations of the Fabulous Thunderbirds' approach was becoming apparent by this, their third album. Granted they were still more competent and enthusiastic at their specialty than most of their competition, and they did expand their recorded sound a bit by using some members of Roomful of Blues on sax and piano. Ultimately, though, it's an average if well-done set of roots rock with strong echoes of the blues, New Orleans R&B, and swamp-pop. The program's split between Kim Wilson originals (one of which, "One's Too Many," was co-written with Nick Lowe) and covers, including an unpredictable version of "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White." Actually the highlight is the instrumental "In Orbit," which features excellent Little Walter-styled harmonica by Wilson. The 2000 CD reissue on Benchmark adds liner notes by producer Denny Bruce and three bonus tracks, although no details about the extra cuts are provided.

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 5 Disc (1981,86,87,97 & 2001)

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Tuff Enuff (1987)
EAC Rip | FLAC (Image) + CUE + LOG | 227 MB | Covers Included
Genre: Rock/Blues-Rock/Texas Blues | Label: Epic Associated | Catalog Number: ZK-40304 | Release Date: 1986

Their breakthrough success. The title track and soul covers point the band in a new, more mainstream direction.

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 5 Disc (1981,86,87,97 & 2001)

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Hot Number (1987)
EAC Rip | FLAC (Image) + CUE + LOG | 258 MB | Covers Included
Genre: Rock/Blues-Rock/Texas Blues | Label: Epic Associated | Catalog Number: ZK-40818 | Release Date: 1987

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 5 Disc (1981,86,87,97 & 2001)

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - High Water (1997)
EAC Rip | FLAC (Image) + CUE + LOG | 367 MB | Covers Included
Genre: Rock/Blues-Rock/Texas Blues | Label: High Street Records | Catalog Number: 10357 | Release Date: Aug 12, 1997

Although credited to the Fabulous Thunderbirds, High Water was written and performed by bandleader Kim Wilson with guitarist Danny Kortchmar and percussionist Steve Jordan, who produced the album, and it does not feature the rest of the current T-Birds lineup, which, in any case, has long since devolved into a backup band for Wilson. Kortchmar and Jordan are not exactly authentic bluesmen, of course, but instead high-priced sessionmen, and they provide a tightly arranged, somewhat antiseptic accompaniment to Wilson, whose vocals and harmonica playing are the focus. Longtime fans may miss the prominent guitar work and band feel that characterized earlier releases.

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 5 Disc (1981,86,87,97 & 2001)

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Live [(2001)[/b]
EAC Rip | FLAC (Image) + CUE + LOG | 502 MB | Covers Included
Genre: Rock/Blues-Rock/Texas Blues | Label: CMC International | Catalog Number: 86315 | Release Date: Oct 9, 2001

Like spiritually similar brethren George Thorogood (only with a Tex-Mex flair, natch), the Thunderbirds have released a live disc on the CMC imprint. This appropriately monikered Live does a fine job of displaying the hits, namely "Wrap It Up" and "Tuff Enuff," and that alone would make it a decent primer for the band, though purists would no-doubt be able to find one or a dozen missing gems from the band's vast catalog. Gearheads will appreciate the modern technology used to capture the band's set — this is outlined nicely in the liner notes, though those same liner notes refer to the disc as This Night in L.A., which is bound to create confusion.

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Tracklist
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1. Introduction by Dave Adelson 0:07
2. Wait On Time 4:12
3. My Babe 5:47
4. The Things I Used To Do 5:46
5. The Hustle Is On 3:27
6. I Can Tell 4:02
7. Look Watcha' Done 4:46
8. Wrap It Up 3:01
9. Early Every Morning 5:37
10. She's Tough 4:54
11. I Believe I'm In Love 3:35
12. Tuff Enuff 5:41
13. People Will Be People 4:15
14. Where Were You 5:37

Personnel:
Kim Wilson - Harp,Vocals
David (Kid) Ramos - Guitar
Willie Campbell - Bass
Gene taylor - Keyboards
Steve Hodges - Drums

EAC LOG

Exact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 5 from 4. May 2009

EAC extraction logfile from 18. August 2010, 18:21

The FabulousThunderbirds / Live

Used drive : ASUS DRW-24B1LT Adapter: 3 ID: 0

Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No

Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000

Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 1024 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy\FLAC\FLAC.EXE
Additional command line options : -6 -V -T "ARTIST=%a" -T "TITLE=%t" -T "ALBUM=%g" -T "DATE=%y" -T "TRACKNUMBER=%n" -T "GENRE=%m" -T "COMMENT=%e" %s -o %d


TOC of the extracted CD

Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.00 | 0:07.50 | 0 | 574
2 | 0:07.50 | 4:12.63 | 575 | 19537
3 | 4:20.38 | 5:47.07 | 19538 | 45569
4 | 10:07.45 | 5:46.18 | 45570 | 71537
5 | 15:53.63 | 3:27.22 | 71538 | 87084
6 | 19:21.10 | 4:02.53 | 87085 | 105287
7 | 23:23.63 | 4:46.27 | 105288 | 126764
8 | 28:10.15 | 3:01.68 | 126765 | 140407
9 | 31:12.08 | 5:37.02 | 140408 | 165684
10 | 36:49.10 | 4:54.73 | 165685 | 187807
11 | 41:44.08 | 3:35.15 | 187808 | 203947
12 | 45:19.23 | 5:41.00 | 203948 | 229522
13 | 51:00.23 | 4:15.00 | 229523 | 248647
14 | 55:15.23 | 5:37.22 | 248648 | 273944


Range status and errors

Selected range

Filename D:\MUSIK\Fabulous Thunderbirds - Live [FLA] (2001)\The FabulousThunderbirds - Live.wav

Peak level 98.8 %
Range quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC FE878BD8
Copy OK

No errors occurred


AccurateRip summary

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Track 2 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 6) [B2B576BF], AccurateRip returned [EE165DDA]
Track 3 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [69B02E1F], AccurateRip returned [5858F06A]
Track 4 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [859838EA], AccurateRip returned [32B13019]
Track 5 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [5AB0D4B9], AccurateRip returned [18F80ECC]
Track 6 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [CD7E880C], AccurateRip returned [74960656]
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Track 8 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [377B8883], AccurateRip returned [5F8B5769]
Track 9 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [83AA508F], AccurateRip returned [DA0B099E]
Track 10 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [4FA56798], AccurateRip returned [C4F1BF9A]
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Track 12 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [2C32ADD9], AccurateRip returned [0828B50B]
Track 13 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [3EF61350], AccurateRip returned [38D43957]
Track 14 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 5) [899BBA6E], AccurateRip returned [9E7B6451]

No tracks could be verified as accurate
You may have a different pressing from the one(s) in the database

End of status report

CUE TOOLS LOG

[CUETools log; Date: 18.08.2010 19:35:41; Version: 2.0.9]
[AccurateRip ID: 001d1694-013e9f3d-aa0e440e] found.
Track [ CRC ] Status
01 [5638415e] (0/5) No match
02 [b2b576bf] (0/6) No match
03 [69b02e1f] (0/5) No match
04 [859838ea] (0/5) No match
05 [5ab0d4b9] (0/5) No match
06 [cd7e880c] (0/5) No match
07 [7b3f1717] (0/5) No match
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09 [83aa508f] (0/5) No match
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14 [899bba6e] (0/5) No match
Offsetted by -6:
01 [693316d2] (5/5) Accurately ripped
02 [ee165dda] (6/6) Accurately ripped
03 [5858f06a] (5/5) Accurately ripped
04 [32b13019] (5/5) Accurately ripped
05 [18f80ecc] (5/5) Accurately ripped
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09 [da0b099e] (5/5) Accurately ripped
10 [c4f1bf9a] (5/5) Accurately ripped
11 [ad44a4a4] (5/5) Accurately ripped
12 [0828b50b] (5/5) Accurately ripped
13 [38d43957] (5/5) Accurately ripped
14 [9e7b6451] (5/5) Accurately ripped

Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL] [ LOG ]
– 98,8 [FE878BD8] [0DC480E0] CRC32
01 47,6 [557BE3EF] [B0E9EB53]
02 97,7 [B8A5BB0F] [EBC73FD0]
03 97,7 [3DEFFA86] [E8E7B83C]
04 97,7 [1F398777] [6C1B98A0]
05 97,7 [CEF90A58] [2876870A]
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07 97,7 [C456EF6E] [1F296C87]
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10 98,8 [52995880] [F5F77F2F]
11 97,7 [E22328F9] [15CBADDF]
12 98,8 [BCAA9882] [7394CE04]
13 98,8 [3AC30686] [92567908]
14 98,5 [BFB1F9B5] [EC62A12A]

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