TCB Band | |
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 TCB Band 2013 at 12th European Elvis Festival inBad Nauheim: Glen Hardin (p), Ron Tutt (d), James Burton (g), and Austrian singer Dennis Jale | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active |
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| Members | |
| Past members | |
TheTCB Band is a group of musicians who formed therhythm section ofElvis Presley's band from August 1969 until his death in 1977[1] (depending on the context, the nickname may also extend to Presley's background vocalists during that same period:the Imperials,the Sweet Inspirations, andJD Sumner and The Stamps Quartet). The initials TCB stand forTaking Care of Business, a personalmotto Presley adopted in the early 1970s. Although personnel changed over the years, the original members wereJames Burton (lead guitar),Jerry Scheff (bass),John Wilkinson (rhythm guitar),Larry Muhoberac (keyboards) andRon Tutt (drums). They first appeared live at Presley's firstLas Vegas performance at what was then known as theInternational Hotel (later the Las Vegas Hilton, now Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino) on July 31, 1969.[2]
When planning his return to live performing after his successful 1968NBCtelevision comeback, Presley had to replace original band membersScotty Moore,D.J. Fontana (who had returned to session work) andBill Black who had formed the Bill Black Combo before his death in 1965.[3]
Presley's first call was to guitarist James Burton, who was fromRicky Nelson's band and a session musician in Nashville and Los Angeles, whom he asked to help form the group after knowing about him for many years and seeing him on television.[4] After keyboardistGlen D. Hardin declined Burton's offer to join the group,Larry Muhoberac, who had played on several of Presley'smoviesoundtrack sessions, accepted his offer to perform. Burton later addedJerry Scheff on bass andJohn Wilkinson on rhythm guitar. Muhoberac suggestedRon Tutt for the drums to round out the section.[5] By February 1970, Glen D. Hardin joined on keyboards, replacing Muhoberac who returned to studio work inLos Angeles.[6][7] (According to Hardin, Muhoberac, "for reasons of his own, didn't want to go on the road anymore.")[6] At that timeBob Lanning, a Los Angeles session drummer joined on drums, briefly replacing Tutt, who had returned by July.[8][9]
In 1975, Burton, Tutt and Muhoberac backedJohnny Cash on his album,John R. Cash. Before Presley's death in 1977, several current and former members from the TCB Band, initially simultaneously, went on to form the core ofEmmylou Harris's Hot Band and laterJohn Denver's band. These musicians included James Burton, Glen D. Hardin,Emory Gordy Jr., and Jerry Scheff. Burton left the Hot Band in early 1976 to focus fully on his work with Presley and the TCB Band, and he was replaced in the Hot Band by English guitaristAlbert Lee. (Scheff was never a member of the Hot Band.) Hardin left the TCB Band in early 1976 to work full-time with Emmylou Harris, and he was replaced byTony Brown.[10]Larrie Londin, a Nashville session drummer who recorded and occasionally toured with Presley over a nine-year period, filled in for Tutt on occasion during 1976 and 1977 performances.[11]
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Before Presley's death in 1977, several former members from the TCB Band went on 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 English guitaristAlbert Lee. Scheff was never a member of the Hot Band. Gordy left John Denver's band in 1980 (before rejoining briefly in 1989 and once again in 1991[12]) and was replaced by Scheff. Burton, Hardin, and Scheff remained in John Denver's band until early 1994.
After drumming a few years with theJerry Garcia Band before Presley's death, Ron Tutt was invited byNeil Diamond to become Diamond's permanent concert and recording session drummer. Tutt's drumming has since become a feature to Diamond's concert shows, punctuating moments in the Diamond concert with his TCB Band style drum fills and cymbal crashes. Tutt is a workman celebrity drummer, and routinely receives concert crowd ovations when he appears and takes his seat at his drum kit. Noteworthy during concerts is Tutt's soaring drum work on the song, "Holly Holy". Tutt recorded and toured with Diamond until Diamond's retirement from touring after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Tutt also appears on several of recordings byNancy Sinatra.
The TCB Band reunited with a new lineup to record their own album in 1979 of covers of Elvis Presley songs as a tribute. They also reunited in 1981 as the backing band forTony Sheridan, augmented byKlaus Voormann and again mostly featuring Sheridan's recordings of Elvis Presley songs.[citation needed]
In July 1987, Burton, Hardin, Tutt, and Scheff reunited to participate in a British television special (Love Me Tender: A Tribute to the Music of Elvis Presley) featuring many British and American musicians, some of whom were Presley's contemporaries; the TCB Band backedRoger Daltrey ofThe Who for performances of "Mystery Train" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", and Daltrey and the TCB Band joinedCarl Perkins for a performance of "Blue Suede Shoes". The special aired in August 1987.[13][14][15] In September 1987, Burton, Scheff (who playeddouble bass instead of electric bass), Hardin, and Tutt reunited again to serve as the core of the backing band for Presley's contemporaryRoy Orbison for his TV special and live album titledRoy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night.[citation needed]
Burton, Hardin, Scheff, and Tutt reunited again in 1997 to performElvis: The Concert, withJohn Wilkinson rejoining for the 25th anniversary concert in Memphis. Since then, Burton, Hardin, Tutt and Scheff have toured frequently together in various formats, including theElvis: The Concert tours[16] and specialElvis: The Concert shows during the annual Elvis Week festival organized by EPE andGraceland.[17] They have also often backing UK-based singer Jenson Bloomer and Austrian singer Dennis Jale and his band, mostly playing music from Elvis Presley's catalogue. They have also backedGreg Page ofthe Wiggles for two solo albums and some live concerts.[citation needed]
However, after the 30th anniversary concert in 2007, Scheff departed the band and was replaced on tour byNorbert Putnam andNathan East. Wilkinson died on January 11, 2013, from cancer, at the age of 67. Putnam and East departed the band in 2013.[citation needed] The TCB Band currently continues to tour backing Dennis Jale and his band. In 2019, for the first time since 2014, the TCB Band performed a new Elvis: The Concert-style show, alongside theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra, combining elements from the 2016-2018 Presley/Philharmonic tours with the old 1997-2014 TCB Band tours;[18] however, no further tours with the TCB Band members were booked after this point. Despite this, the TCB Band (Burton, Hardin, and Tutt) performed at theElvis: The Concert show that year during Elvis Week, alongside "other veterans" of Elvis Presley's 1970s-era touring group.[17]
The most recent TCB Band performance took place in August 2022, as part of Elvis Week 2022, when Scheff reunited with Hardin, with both performing at two events: "All the King's Men", a jam session and storytelling event (which also featured drummerGene Chrisman of the Memphis Boys, who had recorded with Elvis Presley in 1969), and a virtualElvis: The Concert-style (titledElvis Presley In Concert) show that closes the week's festivities annually.[19][20] (The second event also included Terry Blackwood, formerly ofThe Imperials, and Larry Strickland, formerly ofJ.D. Sumner & The Stamps Quartet.)[20] Hardin and Scheff also spoke at the "Conversations on Elvis" event about their time working with Elvis.[19] Burton was due to join them for all three events[19] but was sidelined due to health issues, including testing positive for the coronavirus shortly before the event.
Several members of the band also contributed to some of Presley's soundtracks and studio albums during his lifetime.
Members of the band have also worked in various configurations with other musicians not listed below.
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