| TCB Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1969–1977, 1987 |
| Labels | RCA Records Sony BMG |
| Website | [1] Elvis.com |
| Past members | |
| James Burton Jerry Scheff Larry Muhoberac Glen D. Hardin John Wilkinson Ronnie Tutt Emory Gordy, Jr. Tony Brown David Briggs Bobby Ogdin |
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The TCB Band was a group of professional musicians who formed the core rhythm section of Elvis Presley’s band from August 1969 until his death in 1977.[1] TCB stands for Taking Care of Business, a personal motto Presley adopted in the early 1970s. Although personnel changed over the years, the original members were James Burton (lead guitar), Jerry Scheff (bass), John Wilkinson (rhythm guitar) [2], Larry Muhoberac (keyboards) and Ronnie Tutt (drums). They first appeared live at Presley’s Las Vegas, Nevada first performance at the Hotel International on July 31, 1969.[2]
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When planning his return to live performing after his successful 1968 NBC television comeback, Presley had to replace original band members Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana (who had returned to session work) and Bill Black who had gone on to stardom with the Bill Black Combo before passing away in 1965.[3] Elvis’ first call was to Ricky Nelson’s guitarist James Burton whom he asked to help form the group after knowing about him for many years and seeing on television. Burton called keyboard man Glen D. Hardin who declined. Then he called Larry Muhoberac who had played on several of Presley’s movie soundtrack sessions and he accepted. Next he added Jerry Scheff on bass and John Wilkinson on rhythm. Muhoberac suggested Ronnie Tutt for the drums to round out the section.[4] By February 1970, Glen D. Hardin joined on keyboards, eventually replacing Muhoberac who returned to studio work in Los Angeles.[5] TCB brought a new lease of life to Elvis's rock 'n' roll sound of the 50s which had started to sound dated. TCB tightened up the sound; Burton added more twang, clever riffs, fills, technical difficulty; Tutt with two bass drums added groove, fast high hat work, new rhythms to old songs; Scheff reinvented the bass lines making them move around more than Bill Black's lines; Hardin introduced piano solos and arranged all the music for the band.
After Presley's death in 1977, several former members from the TCB Band went to form Emmylou Harris's Hot Band and The John Denver Band. These musicians include James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Emory Gordy, Jr. and Jerry Scheff. Burton left the Hot Band in 1976 and was replaced by the guitarist Albert Lee. Scheff was never a member of the Hot Band. Gordy left John Denver's band in 1980 (he re-joined the band and toured with John shortly in 1989) and was replaced by Scheff. Burton, Hardin and Scheff remained in John Denver's Band until early 1994, and was then replaced by Pete Huttlinger, Chris Nole and Alan Deremo. Several members of the TCB band (Glen D. Hardin on piano, James Burton on lead guitar, Jerry Scheff on bass, and Ronnie Tutt on drums) also played with Roy Orbison in his 1987 live performance Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night. Ronnie Tutt was also the original drummer for the Jerry Garcia Band, playing with them from August 1975 until August 1977.