Fabulous Thunderbirds - Hot Number (vinyl) torrent

The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Hot Number (vinyl)

Epic EPC 450949 1
(p) 1987

Musical style: pop/rock

01. Stand Back [3:38]
02. Hot Number [3:29]
03. Wasted Tears [4:21]
04. It Comes To Me Naturally [2:56]
05. Love In Common [4:49]
06. How Do You Spell Love [3:56]
07. Streets Of Gold [4:36]
08. Sofa Circuit [3:36]
09. Don't Bother Tryin' To Steal Her Love [3:22]
10. It Takes A Big Man To Cry [4:14]

B&O MMC1 -> B&O preamp -> Terratec EWX 24/96 -> Adobe Audition
Gently restored with full dynamics and flat frequency response

192 kbit/sec CBR Fraunhofer MP3
Cover scans included


Liner Notes:

In their 13-year history, THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS have passed through many of the permutations of stardom: They've been an unknown house band, a word-of-mouth rumor, a regional favorite, a critics' choice, in-crowd trendsetters, and finally an "overnight success". But through it all, the blues-rock quartet from Austin, Texas, has been true to a vision of passionate music, expertly performed.

This high standard continues on HOT NUMBER, the group's sixth album, and their second for CBS Associated Records. Like its predecessor, TUFF ENUFF, HOT NUMBER was produced by British rocker Dave Edmunds.

Jimmie Vaughan grew up in Dallas with a sibling named Stevie Ray, who was always trying to get his hands on his big brother's guitars. In an era when most kids aspired to football championships or movie stardom, Jimmie's dream was to grow up to be T-Bone Walker. He played in a series of bar bands, notably The Storm, before settling in Austin in 1970. That's where he ran into vocalist/harp man Kim Wilson, who had made his own way to the Texas capital from Detroit by way of California. With this pairing, THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS had the genesis in Clifford Antone's downtown blues club in 1974.

As a fledging house band at Antone's, the T-Birds backed up the greats and began to craft their own sound. Jimmie Vaughan's incisive playing drew raves as soon as he acquired an Austin address, and Wilson quickly matured into a prolific writer as well as a harp virtuoso in the tradition of Little Walter and James Cotton. The band marinated in a Lone Star broth of blues, rock, Cajun stomp, R&B, and whiskey-drinking roadhouse music.

As their early albums started to gather regional acclaim, the T-Birds steady touring left a growing wake of true believers. By 1981, the band was asked to open for the Rolling Stones on their Texas dates.

In 1984 bassist Preston Hubbard joined the band, completing the current T-Bird lineup. Like drummer Fran Christina (who joined on in 1979), Hubbard is an alumnus of Roomful of Blues.

In early 1986, Tony Martell, the head of CBS Associated Records, heard a demo tape of the Tuff Enuff album, and was bowled over. He thought the band "excellent ... commercial, yet very sincere and true to its roots." The group was immediately signed to the label and Tuff Enuff became the album which catapulted the T-Birds into national fame. The title track became a top ten single, and the LP sold close to 1,000,000 copies. "Down at Antone's" a steamy instrumental from the album, was nominated for a Grammy, and the title track ws used in the soundtracks to the movies Tough Guys and Gung Ho. The word was "Thunderbird"!

Now with the release of Hot Number, The Fabulous Thunderbirds are poised to reach even greater heights of popularity, both here and abroad. The album, which was recorded in Memphis, features former Allman Brothers keyboardist Chuck Leavell and the Memphis Horns; with the horns adding a muscular R & B feel to the music. Memphis itself had its own influence on the sessions; Fran Christina says it added "an attitude". "There's something for everybody on this record," said Kim Wilson. "You've got good Memphis-style soul, you've got the Jimmy Reed thing, and a good Louisiana-type ballad. And some good rockers, too. We went into this wanting to have all the bases covered."