The late great - Tommy Caldwell

Put me down as a fan! I remember seeing them in the 70's and watching him and his brother Toy just kill with their thumbs.[not slapping]

 

Any youtube's of him playing?

 

It's great to hear his name mentioned here!

 

I am an absolute can of his playing...and all done with his thumb on his picking hand

 

One interveiw in Guitar Player Magazine decades ago with him. It was always the side of his thumb, like his brother Toy. A (then) recent P bass with DiMarzio pick-ups (DiMarzio at the time only had one Precision PUP), and Rotosound stainless rounds. He mentioned he sweat a lot, and that's partly why the DiMarzio- it was less likely to short out than the stock Fender PUP. I have no idea about amps. Partly because I just didn't pay much attention to that at the time (so it wasn't a Music Man!), and partly because the interview barely touched on gear- it was much more about music and the interplay within the band.

jte

 

Tommy Caldwell does a great bass solo on the Live version of the song "24 Hours"

You can really hear the P Bass / Roto Sound combination working together..

 

I always liked MTB a lot, they were a little more country than a lot of the country-rock bands. Had to play "Can't You See" a few too many times back then, and I played it again last weekend for the first time in years, with a sit-in vocalist. Kinda lame version, sorry Toy & Tommy! "Hillbilly Band" and "This Old Cowboy" were my favorites by them.

 

check out at around 4:25 in this clip:

 

I've been a fan of Tommys playing since 1973. His unique thumb-percussive style with his white P bass and roundwounds is very admirable and I enjoy watching the clips that have surfaced.

I remember having bought tickets to see the MTB for an august show in the spring of '80, and a short time later hearing he died when he crashed his Jeep. That is still so sad.

The guy (Franklin Wilkie) whom the band brought in as a replacement bass player, was an excellent bass player and uses a pick.

The band recorded the live half of the "Where We All Belong" album at the then new - Performing Arts Center in downtown Milwaukee. Charlie Daniels sat in with them on fiddle on that recording.

Yea, his brother Toy was unique and excellent with his very own style (thumb picking) also, on guitar.

 

Anybody recall what Tommys live rig consisted of?

 

Finally got around to ordering the "Live in Long Island" CD. The last show with Tommy on bass. I miss Tommy, Toy and George. What a great band the original line-up was.

 

I just watched a live version of 'Cowboy' from 1974 on Youtube. It looked like a Kubicki ExFactor bass in the video. Was that Tommy?

 

? The xFactor wasn't made until 1983 and Tommy died in 1980. I don't think the video was from 1974.

 

I remember that interview! He also mentioned that he uses some kind of wax on the underside of the P Bass's plastic pickguard to help waterproof the electronics against his sweat!

 

KPJ: Thanks-the date was probably wrong on the video. I have a Kubicki, and was thinking that was too early to be seeing one in performance. Apparently a another bassist in the video.

 

Saw MT back in the 70's in Syracuse NY...they played "24 hrs at a Time" of course...Tommy for that gig had a Fender Telecaster bass. That awesome solo that he played sounded so cool with that Tele. It was the model with the big fat pick up near the neck...probably a 71..73?...he used his thumb like he always did. I see most forums say he used a P bass, but for that show the Tele just had such a beautiful tone. I wanted to run out and buy one. I have played that solo in my room hundreds of times...and every now and then at a gig just for the appreciation of a great solo that he laid down.