I love Tommy, he's been my favorite guitarist since I first heard him in '75. Every band I have played in (except the all original projects) have covered "Wild Dogs" off his TEASER album, I never get tired of playing it and I love everything he recorded, and I've heard all that's been released. It truly is one of the most tragic stories in music what happened with him because it could have been avoided had he gotten the help he so obviously and desperately needed.But it was a different time and there really wasn't a rehab friendly culture in the business yet, so it got him. Some guys like Aerosmith, Page, and others were able or lucky enough to hang on until they could get clean but like Keith Richards himself said " Not everybody makes it".he really was arguably the best guitarist on the planet,R.I.P. Tommy, you are remembered.
I grew up in Omaha. I went to college near Sioux City ia. My buddy I met in college knew Tommy. His sister had dated Tommy in HS. In 1973-74 I got to see Tommy play at our small college with James Gang. It was awesome until the lead singer decided to climb up on a speaker box and jump off. He broke his ankle half way through the show. Move on to 1994. We hired this young lady to sell cars. She was interesting and had great stories about music and musicians in the 60’s. I put on teaser on my C/D player in my office. She started telling us about Tommy. Tommy had been dating her sister in law and was living in the house she shared with her husband, kids and sister in law. Tommy lived there of and on. The sister in law was the one who sewed and made the red velvet outfit Tommy wore on stage sometimes. He was an awesome guitar player who died way way to soon.
Many thanks for posting this Tommy Bolin video. I've been a Bolin fan since JG's 'Bang' album. I think about Tommy a lot, he had the world at his feet but never accomplished what he set out to do, and that is to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of his generation. We are left with a smidgeon of what he could of achieved. Just ask Billy Cobham. R I P TOMMY. ❤🎉
The Deep Purple Album Last Concert in Japan Was Considered a Flop Yet On That Album Is a Tommy Bolin Solo Song 🎶 Called Wild Dogs Which Glenn Hughes Sings The High Notes I Am Glad Deep Purple Added Wild Dogs To The Album
Great episode! Really appreciate the research you do. I saw Tommy at the Mississippi River Festival when the James Gang opened for Black Oak Arkansas (6/74, I think). Was a little disappointed, as he spent as much time fiddling with a stand mounted effects box as he did actually playing. Otherwise, was awesome. So sad, the way his young life ended. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for doing this. Tommy was a hometown hero. Honest to God, I listen to People People every day of my life. He was a beautiful human being too and definitely lost far too soon. Much appreciation for creating this, and for sharing it…🎸
Interesting story on Tommy, I've always meant to check out his solo discography after coming across a copy of Private Eyes and loving the cover (sadly didn't buy it). He was a talent that deserves more recognition and a tale of how bad drug abuse can be. God rest his soul.
RD, You sir always do a nice job of researching. I learn from it. Just yet another sad story of a talented young man and the drug culture of business. . Thanks, Boe 👍
I am the last one living from my group , people make their own decision whether they're going to live or die . Look at Eddie Van Halen he self destructive but at the end he tried to get things right but the damage was already done.
I'm sad to say I've never heard of Tommy Bolin. I'm sure however I've heard some of his music. I love your channel but I normally don't comment but something about this documentary made me want to do so. It's just such a sad story. In the pictures he looks so vibrant and at 25 had the world at his fingertips. Anyway he struck me as a really nice guy. Just sad.
teaser was amazing. i saw him at the santa monica show. he was upset about the empty seats. I was hoping "wild dogs" would really show his talent on his explorer. his band just didnt gel. i heard him on the radio in LA, late night, telling a story about blackmore's wife. "lazy" he was waisted. he didn't have to die like he did. many of us survived similar cocktails, enjoyed them. they apparently thought they were saving his career. total bad management
i liked his music. i figured how lived on the edge that's his business yeah it's sad gone too soon but what can you do. deep purple come taste the band great album. be missed.
@RiverDocs Man i knew. I started not to post it. Thanks for giving Tommy some love . Must be love off JGB was my first introduction to Tommy. I bought the 45.
Don't sweat it. Depending on the views this video gets you will be only one of about two-three hundred people telling me of my mistake. Even though later on in the video I get the date right lol People get off on it. I caught it after the upload and I'm just too busy to take the video down and redo it, and then re-upload it. I got a Gary Rossington video I did a couple of years ago I mis-typed his birthday in my notes I put in a 5 instead of a 4..the video has over a half a million views now and there was probably 1000 posts telling me of my mistake. They got so bad I had to start deleting them because it was taking away from the people who just wanted to comment on Gary. If there gets to many on here and it starts taking away from the people wanting to comment or just talk about Tommy I will just delete em. No biggie. I'm use to it. I've been doing youtube channels for way over 10 years.
I love these docs, man. Talking about some real heavy hitters, who influenced the entire game. Was wondering if you would do one for the late Ricky Lee Reynolds of Black Oak Arkansas ? That man certainly hasn’t got his due for what he contributed to Southern rock
Thanks. Appreciate it. I have been considering doing a video on BOA..Ricky Lee, Jim and Ruby Starr. Maybe sometime early next year. Again, thanks for watching. ~Doc~
@ that would certainly be great, sir. As far as I can tell, BOA are the original godfathers of what became “ Southern Rock”, opened the door for everyone & somehow didn’t get the recognition that they truly deserved. Musically, they were light years ahead of their contemporaries, more country and boogie than the others…and Live… well, we All know where DLR got his stuff from. Thanx my friend
We were doing a bunch of nasty rocks from Denver when I was going to vo-tech School in Goodland Kansas During one of our stay up all week, nights, my good friend Kirby Driver turned me on to Private Eyes and Teaser. God Rest Kirby's soul. Shot himself in Dallas around '93ish After Vo-Tech school I spent some time in Austin Texas and my good friend, Stepchild Selstrom from Dripping Springs, TX, turned me on to Bang and Miami and Come Taste The Band. Couple years after that they found Stepchild with a rig in his arm hunched over in his truck. It just came to mind that stepchild had introduced me to Roky Erickson behind the Ritz, in the alley one night in about 1986 before Roky played. Step child used to drive him around because Roky couldn't drive I only mentioned that because those are my Tommy Bolin memories, which include my two buddies who turned me on to Tommy's stuff. And those two people and Tommy share something in common now. And that's unfortunate. I love those three Souls On that note, open your heart and let Christ come in. proclaim Him as Lord, God, and Savior. He is coming soon.🎉 We do live at the End of this Age. Love Him, because surely there is a Hereafter and your Hope will not be cut off. His Peace be with y'all Rockers!🎸
One the absolute best! There is a great book called "Touched by Magic." i highly recommend Bolin fans ! And yes, the people around him that night could have saved his life!!!???? It's pathetic how it unfolded. Tommy is always alive in this house here! Cheers!
p.s. A little heads up for anyone who wants to hear just how brilliant this guy could be, put on Tommy Bolin Energy 2 Guitar Solo on UA-cam and hang on to your ass.
I had heard how good Tommy was, so I rented a video of a Deep Purple concert (I think it was) and Tommy was positively ordinary. I read the video cover, and he'd apparently gone on the nod resting against a speaker cab and his left hand was paralyzed, so he had to tune his guitar to an open tuning to allow him to perform.
He slept for about 6 hours on his arm on their plane causing a severe pinched nerve which took a couple weeks to heal. Unfortunately one of the shows when he was not healed was recorded. It’s not his best. Check out the later shows on that tour like Long Beach 1976 where he is really good.
Nigel in Canada 🇨🇦 Deep Purple waking up Tommy, he did too much heroin, fell asleep on his arm, barely got through the gig ? Blackmore didnt look so bad after Purple put up with a heroin addict guitar player let's keep it REAL people
Bolin certainly had moments of greatness. However, he was also so drugged out so frequently that those moments were not a regular occurrence. And his playing, even at his best, was frequently repetitive and cliche-laden. As an improviser he was nowhere near the level of, say, Zappa… or Blackmore, who he replaced in Deep Purple. And the last many months of live Purple shows with him were a trainwreck.
Thx for remembering Tommy. He was amazing
I was in Hi School, when I first hear Tommy; on the James Gang album Bang. I was a fan from there on......
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
I appreciate all of your videos! I never knew anything about Tommy Bolin, I do now, thank you for all of your work ❤
I love Tommy, he's been my favorite guitarist since I first heard him in '75. Every band I have played in (except the all original projects) have covered "Wild Dogs" off his TEASER album, I never get tired of playing it and I love everything he recorded, and I've heard all that's been released. It truly is one of the most tragic stories in music what happened with him because it could have been avoided had he gotten the help he so obviously and desperately needed.But it was a different time and there really wasn't a rehab friendly culture in the business yet, so it got him. Some guys like Aerosmith, Page, and others were able or lucky enough to hang on until they could get clean but like Keith Richards himself said " Not everybody makes it".he really was arguably the best guitarist on the planet,R.I.P. Tommy, you are remembered.
I grew up in Omaha. I went to college near Sioux City ia. My buddy I met in college knew Tommy. His sister had dated Tommy in HS. In 1973-74 I got to see Tommy play at our small college with James Gang. It was awesome until the lead singer decided to climb up on a speaker box and jump off. He broke his ankle half way through the show. Move on to 1994. We hired this young lady to sell cars. She was interesting and had great stories about music and musicians in the 60’s. I put on teaser on my
C/D player in my office. She started telling us about Tommy. Tommy had been dating her sister in law and was living in the house she shared with her husband, kids and sister in law. Tommy lived there of and on. The sister in law was the one who sewed and made the red velvet outfit Tommy wore on stage sometimes. He was an awesome guitar player who died way way to soon.
Thanks for the stories Richard. I enjoyed them. His guitar playing was something else for sure.
Many thanks for posting this Tommy Bolin video. I've been a Bolin fan since JG's 'Bang' album. I think about Tommy a lot, he had the world at his feet but never accomplished what he set out to do, and that is to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of his generation. We are left with a smidgeon of what he could of achieved. Just ask Billy Cobham.
R I P TOMMY. ❤🎉
Beautiful stuff. Well said.
Many thanks River Docs..✌️🤘 this one and Kossoff have always been real heartbreakers for me too
Yep. This is one I really think a lot about and wonder "what could have been" Thanks for watching Dimebag!
Absolutely. The two greatest tragedies in music history. Bolin and Kossoff were both geniuses.
@billyshane3804 I heard that, people these days don't know who they are.
The Deep Purple
Album
Last Concert in Japan
Was Considered a Flop
Yet On That Album Is a
Tommy Bolin Solo
Song 🎶 Called
Wild Dogs Which
Glenn Hughes Sings
The High Notes
I Am Glad Deep Purple
Added Wild Dogs
To The Album
I bought "Teaser" and love it to this day
What a fantastic video Doc have a great day also Tommy Bolin was one hell of a guitarist ❤😢😥🙏 RIP
Love Tommy’s music and own everything he recorded. Once of my favorite guitarists of all time. A unique player.
Tommy Bolin was on a higher frequency than any of the bands he played with. Pity drugs sent his energy elsewhere. RIP God bless.
Great episode! Really appreciate the research you do. I saw Tommy at the Mississippi River Festival when the James Gang opened for Black Oak Arkansas (6/74, I think). Was a little disappointed, as he spent as much time fiddling with a stand mounted effects box as he did actually playing. Otherwise, was awesome. So sad, the way his young life ended.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks a lot. Appreciate you watching and your support!
There was a stand mounted phaser that had come out in the early 70's, but that would have been aggrivating.
@@peteywheatstraws4909 It was called a ECHOPLEX and they could be annoying when overused as they most usually were.
One of my absolute, all-time favorite guitarists. His work with Zephyr is among my favorites.
An amazing player for sure.
Thank you so much for doing this. Tommy was a hometown hero. Honest to God, I listen to People People every day of my life. He was a beautiful human being too and definitely lost far too soon. Much appreciation for creating this, and for sharing it…🎸
One of my favorites !! Thanks
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.
Interesting story on Tommy, I've always meant to check out his solo discography after coming across a copy of Private Eyes and loving the cover (sadly didn't buy it). He was a talent that deserves more recognition and a tale of how bad drug abuse can be. God rest his soul.
Love your videos Doc…this is great…i love James Gang…Tommy has been a mainstay in the soundtrack of my life.
I saw him with deep purple on the come taste the band tour...blew me away!...I never will forget that night!!!💙
One of the best young guitarists imo. Thanks for watching!
RD,
You sir always do a nice job of researching. I learn from it. Just yet another sad story of a talented young man and the drug culture of business. . Thanks, Boe 👍
Thanks Boe..Appreciate it!
If you have a kid whos getting into music the best thing you can do for them is watch these types of videos with them and have a talk.
Agree!
I am the last one living from my group , people make their own decision whether they're going to live or die . Look at Eddie Van Halen he self destructive but at the end he tried to get things right but the damage was already done.
Awesome Video Man!! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Nice Vide ,Tommy was the Best all around Guitarist of His generation and Still sounds Fresh to This day .Such a Tragedy .
Right On Brother
Well said
I'm sad to say I've never heard of Tommy Bolin. I'm sure however I've heard some of his music. I love your channel but I normally don't comment but something about this documentary made me want to do so. It's just such a sad story. In the pictures he looks so vibrant and at 25 had the world at his fingertips. Anyway he struck me as a really nice guy. Just sad.
teaser was amazing. i saw him at the santa monica show. he was upset about the empty seats. I was hoping "wild dogs" would really show his talent on his explorer. his band just didnt gel. i heard him on the radio in LA, late night, telling a story about blackmore's wife. "lazy" he was waisted. he didn't have to die like he did. many of us survived similar cocktails, enjoyed them. they apparently thought they were saving his career. total bad management
i liked his music. i figured how lived on the edge that's his business yeah it's sad gone too soon but what can you do. deep purple come taste the band great album. be missed.
Thanks for sharing this. One correction he didn't die in 1967. 1976
It was a brain fart. Sorry I'm only human..or maybe I'm starting to get alzheimers or getting dyslexic lol Thanks for watching!
@RiverDocs Man i knew. I started not to post it. Thanks for giving Tommy some love . Must be love off JGB was my first introduction to Tommy. I bought the 45.
Don't sweat it. Depending on the views this video gets you will be only one of about two-three hundred people telling me of my mistake. Even though later on in the video I get the date right lol People get off on it. I caught it after the upload and I'm just too busy to take the video down and redo it, and then re-upload it. I got a Gary Rossington video I did a couple of years ago I mis-typed his birthday in my notes I put in a 5 instead of a 4..the video has over a half a million views now and there was probably 1000 posts telling me of my mistake. They got so bad I had to start deleting them because it was taking away from the people who just wanted to comment on Gary. If there gets to many on here and it starts taking away from the people wanting to comment or just talk about Tommy I will just delete em. No biggie. I'm use to it. I've been doing youtube channels for way over 10 years.
You are doing a wonderful job @@RiverDocs
Thank you Bill.
The Ultimate
Yes!!
Now you talkin'
Right On Brother
I really enjoy your videos. The one album that I think Tommy really shines on is MIND TRANSPLANT by Alphonse Mouzon.
I think he did a great job on that album too. Thanks for watching!
so sad😢
I love these docs, man. Talking about some real heavy hitters, who influenced the entire game.
Was wondering if you would do one for the late Ricky Lee Reynolds of Black Oak Arkansas ? That man certainly hasn’t got his due for what he contributed to Southern rock
Thanks. Appreciate it. I have been considering doing a video on BOA..Ricky Lee, Jim and Ruby Starr. Maybe sometime early next year. Again, thanks for watching. ~Doc~
@ that would certainly be great, sir.
As far as I can tell, BOA are the original godfathers of what became “ Southern Rock”, opened the door for everyone & somehow didn’t get the recognition that they truly deserved. Musically, they were light years ahead of their contemporaries, more country and boogie than the others…and Live… well, we All know where DLR got his stuff from.
Thanx my friend
He was killer on "Spectrum".
We were doing a bunch of nasty rocks from Denver when I was going to vo-tech School in Goodland Kansas
During one of our stay up all week, nights, my good friend Kirby Driver turned me on to Private Eyes and Teaser.
God Rest Kirby's soul. Shot himself in Dallas around '93ish
After Vo-Tech school I spent some time in Austin Texas and my good friend, Stepchild Selstrom from Dripping Springs, TX, turned me on to Bang and Miami and Come Taste The Band.
Couple years after that they found Stepchild with a rig in his arm hunched over in his truck.
It just came to mind that stepchild had introduced me to Roky Erickson behind the Ritz, in the alley one night in about 1986 before Roky played.
Step child used to drive him around because Roky couldn't drive
I only mentioned that because those are my Tommy Bolin memories, which include my two buddies who turned me on to Tommy's stuff.
And those two people and Tommy share something in common now.
And that's unfortunate.
I love those three Souls
On that note, open your heart and let Christ come in. proclaim Him as Lord, God, and Savior. He is coming soon.🎉
We do live at the End of this Age.
Love Him, because surely there is a Hereafter and your Hope will not be cut off.
His Peace be with y'all Rockers!🎸
One the absolute best! There is a great book called "Touched by Magic." i highly recommend Bolin fans ! And yes, the people around him that night could have saved his life!!!???? It's pathetic how it unfolded. Tommy is always alive in this house here! Cheers!
"Don't Let Your Mind Post Toastee"...
p.s. A little heads up for anyone who wants to hear just how brilliant this guy could be, put on Tommy Bolin Energy 2 Guitar Solo on UA-cam and hang on to your ass.
Post Toastee
I had heard how good Tommy was, so I rented a video of a Deep Purple concert (I think it was) and Tommy was positively ordinary. I read the video cover, and he'd apparently gone on the nod resting against a speaker cab and his left hand was paralyzed, so he had to tune his guitar to an open tuning to allow him to perform.
I know. Seeing so much talent and then see it being wasted really hurts.
He slept for about 6 hours on his arm on their plane causing a severe pinched nerve which took a couple weeks to heal. Unfortunately one of the shows when he was not healed was recorded. It’s not his best. Check out the later shows on that tour like Long Beach 1976 where he is really good.
Listen to Billy Cobham, Spectrum
It'sa Billy Cobham album that Tommy Bolin plays on and it's legendary
@@RickSmith-z6n Gotcha. My apologies for misreading your intentions.
No, l don't think it could have been prevented. He decided to waste his talent and life on dope. That was his choice 😮😢😢
Nigel in Canada 🇨🇦
Deep Purple waking up Tommy, he did too much heroin, fell asleep on his arm, barely got through the gig ?
Blackmore didnt look so bad after Purple put up with a heroin addict guitar player
let's keep it REAL people
The video is very real. He was a mess.
Bolin certainly had moments of greatness. However, he was also so drugged out so frequently that those moments were not a regular occurrence. And his playing, even at his best, was frequently repetitive and cliche-laden. As an improviser he was nowhere near the level of, say, Zappa… or Blackmore, who he replaced in Deep Purple. And the last many months of live Purple shows with him were a trainwreck.
Getting junkies to keep the best interest of junkies in mind is, always a bad idea 😮
The drug culture seemed to peak in the 1970s. Even today, some people fondly remember smoking marijuana back then.
Yes many people were having the marijuana all the time back then.
got MIND TRANSPLANT/SPECTRUM/TEASER/PRIVATE EYES/COME TASTE THE BAND....pity TOMMY went so young....