Review: The Fabulous Thunderbirds – The Jimmie Vaughan Years 1978- 1989
The Fabulous Thunderbirds – The Jimmi Vaughan Years
Format: CD – Digital / Label: The Last Music Company
Release: 2026
Tekst: Bert van Kessel
I have been hoppin about in my house with a huge smile on my face since this box set dropped in my mail. This ain’t nothing but fine, fine, fine! Iconic is a word that I try to evade as much as possible but on this occasion there’s no getting past it; this is a truly ICONIC release. Thank you Last Music Company, thank you CRS ! Four CDs culled from eight masterful albums from the iconic guitarist Jimmie Vaughan and the equally iconic singer / harpist Kim Wilson, supported by the no less iconic rhythm section of Keith Ferguson (bass) and Mike Buck (drums).
The four CDs mean over five hours of pure bliss. The set kicks off with a rare, never-released album that the band cut with legendary songwriter Doc Pomus who invited the band with members of Roomful Of Blues to his New York studio in1978 after hearing them play in their hometown of Austin before they had even released their debut. These tracks alone are worth the purchase! They include amazing versions of blues classics The Things I Used To Do and I Can’t Quit You Baby, on which Kim Wilson’s vocals sound better than ever. These 13 gems are complemented with 9 tracks from their eponymous debut album, also known as ‘Girls Go Wild’.
Cd 2 contains twelve tracks from their second album ‘What’s The Word?’, among which their hit single You Ain’t Nothing But Fine plus ten from “Butt Rockin”, including their anthem The Crawl. Both were released in 1980. By now Mike Buck had been replaced with the inimitable Fran Christina. Anson Funderburgh shines on second electric guitar. This was clearly the band’s heyday with all musicians in great form in a band that redefined rocking Texas blues.
Cd 3 comprises eleven tracks from ‘T-Bird Rhythm’ from 1982. It was produced by Nick Lowe, whose skills rejuvenated the band which sounds at its most lively in well-known tracks like My Babe and Diddy Wah Diddy.The CD is rounded out with ten tracks from ‘Tuff Enuff’ (1986), featuring Los Lobos and the first album with Preston Hubbard on bass; producer Dave Edmunds helps out on guitars
Cd 4 takes us to the late 80s. The 19 tracks are split in half nicely; nine are from 1987’s ‘Hot Number’ the other half is from ‘Powerful Stuff’ from 1989, after which Jimmie left the band to pursue a solo career.
The box set is beautiully packaged and includes a hardback book written by journalist Bill Bentley, who was with the band almost constantly during their rise to fame in the late 70s and throughout the 80s. His story is combined with pages full of unique photos.
These albums are included in the box:
The Doc Pomus Recordings 1978
Girls Go Wild
What’s The Word?
Butt Rockin’
T-Bird Rhythm
Tuff Enuff
Hot Number
Powerful Stuff
Tracks:
The Doc Pomus Recordings 1978:
Kim Wilson: vocals, harmonica
Jimmie Vaughan: guitar
Keith Ferguson: bass
Mike Buck: drums
Al Copley: piano
Doug James, Greg Piccolo, Rich Lataille: saxophones
Recorded in 1978 in New York City by Doc Pomus and Joel Dorn.
2019 tape restoration (from water-damaged only surviving tapes) by Joe Glaswirt; 2019 mastering by Jared Tuten
01. Dirty Work Is Going On
02. The Things I Forgot To Do
03. I Searched All Over
04. I Can’t Quit You Baby
05. I Got Eyes
06. This Should Go On Forever?
07. She’s Tough
08. Scratch My Back
09. She’s My Baby
10. Baby Please Don’t Lie To Me
11. Snake Hips
12. Pecker Wrecker
13. Love At First Sight
Girls Go Wild
Kim Wilson: vocals, harmonica
Jimmie Vaughan: guitar
Keith Ferguson: bass
Mike Buck: drums
Recorded May 1979 by Bob Sullivan at Sumet-Bernet Sound Studios, Dallas, Texas.
Produced by Denny Bruce
01. Wait On Time
02. Scratch My Back
03. Rich Woman
04. Full-Time Lover
05. Pocket Rocket
06. She’s Tuff
07. Marked Deck
08. Walkin’ To My Baby
09. Rock With Me
10. C-Boy’s Blues
What’s The Word?
Kim Wilson: vocals, harmonica
Jimmie Vaughan: guitar
Keith Ferguson: bass
Mike Buck: drums (tracks 1,3,5,7,11)
Fran Christina: drums (tracks 2,4,6,8,9,10,12)
Recorded 1980 by Bob Sullivan at Sumet-Bernet Sound Studios, Dallas, Texas.
Produced by Denny Bruce
01. Runnin’ Shoes (trad.)
02. You Ain’t Nothin’ But Fine
03. Low-Down Woman
04. Extra Jimmies
05. Sugar Coated Love
06. Last Call For Alcohol
07. The Crawl
08. Jumpin’ Bad
09. Learn To Treat Me Right
10. I’m A Good Man (If You Give Me A Chance)
11. Dirty Work
12. That’s Enough Of That Stuff
Butt Rockin’
Kim Wilson: vocals, harmonica
Jimmie Vaughan: guitar
Keith Ferguson: bass
Fran Christina: drums
Al Copley: piano
Greg Piccolo: tenor saxophone
Doug James: baritone saxophone
Anson Funderburgh: second guitar (Tip On In)
Recorded 1980 in Los Angeles by Kim King and Dallas by Tom Gondolf.
Produced by Denny Bruce
01. I Believe I’m In Love
02. One’s Too Many
03. Give Me All Your Lovin’
05. Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White
06. I Hear You Knocking
07. Tip On In
08. I’m Sorry
09. Mathilda
10. Tell Me Why
11. In Orbit
T-Bird Rhythm
Kim Wilson: vocals, harmonica
Jimmie Vaughan: guitar
Keith Ferguson: bass
Fran Christina: drums, backing vocals
Nick Connelly: organ (Lover’s Crime, How Do You Spell Love?)
Recorded 1984 at Third Coast Sound, Austin, Texas by Colin Fairley and Nick Lowe.
Produced by Nick Lowe
01. Can’t Tear It Up Enuff
02. How Do You Spell Love?
03. You’re Humbuggin’ Me
04. My Babe
05. Neighbor Tend To Your Business
06. The Monkey
07. Diddy Wah Diddy
08. Lover’s Crime
09. Poor Boy
10. Tell Me
11. Gotta Have Some / Just Got Some
Tuff Enuff
Kim Wilson: vocals, harmonica
Jimmie Vaughan: guitar, steel guitar, bass, vocals
Preston Hubbard: electric and acoustic bass, vocals
Fran Christina: drums, vocals
Al Copley: keyboards
Chuck Leavell: keyboards (Look At That, Look At That)
Geraint Watkins: piano, accordion (Amnesia)
Cesar Rosa and David Hidalgo: vocals (Two Time My Lovin’); Recorded 1985
Produced by Dave Edmunds
01. Tuff Enuff
02. Tell Me
03. Look At That, Look At That
04. Two Time My Lovin’
05. Amnesia
06. Wrap It Up
07. True Love
08. Why Get Up
09. I Don’t Care
10. Down At Antone’s
Hot Number
Kim Wilson: vocals, harmonica
Jimmie Vaughan: guitar, bass, vocals
Preston Hubbard: electric and acoustic bass
Fran Christina: drums, vocals
Dave Edmunds: guitars
Chuck Leavell: keyboards
The Memphis Horns: horns
Recorded at Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee 1987
Produced by Dave Edmunds
01.Stand Back
02. Hot Number
03. Wasted Years
04. It Come To Me Naturally
05. Love In Common
06. How Do You Spell Love
07. Streets Of Gold
08. Sofa Circuit
09. Don’t Bother Tryin’ To Steal Her Love
10. It Takes A Big Man To Cry
Powerful Stuff
Kim Wilson: vocals, harmonica
Jimmie Vaughan: guitar
Preston Hubbard: electric and acoustic bass
Fran Christina: drums
Jimi Jamison, Terry Manning, William C. Brown III: additional backing vocals
Recorded at Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee November 1988-January 1989
Produced by Terry manning
Licensed courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited
01. Rock This Place
02. Knock Yourself Out
03. Mistake Number One
04. One Night Stand
05. Emergency
06. Powerful Stuff
07. Close Together
08. Now Loosen Up Baby
09. She’s Hot
10. Rainin’ In My Heart
Website: https://fabulousthunderbirds.com/