Marshall Tucker Band- Searchin' for a rainbow

Searchin for a rainbow

Old West dreams meet Southern memories in the tracks of Searchin’ for a Rainbow, The Marshall Tucker Band’s fourth album. Released in 1975, this song collection found the group refining its multi-faceted sound into an appealing country-rock essence. Still present were the jazz and blues-based elements that had always made Marshall Tucker a distinctive unit. By dressing up their music in Western garb, the band found a way to reach a huge new audience—all it took was a little "Fire On The Mountain" to light the way. "We’d found a bit more direction on how to design songs for a record," says lead singer Doug Gray. "Our record company Capricorn had always said, ‘Try to give us something that would work on the radio.’ We tried to do that, and at the same time please each other. We were known as a jamming band. This was the first time we really tried to give them Marshall Tucker’s interpretation of what a hit song was." Helping to spur things on was "Fire On The Mountain," the lead track off Searchin’ for a Rainbow. Released as a single in the fall of ’75, the tune reached #38 on the pop charts. A vivid, Old West, lyric-storyline combined with bluegrass-tinged instrumental licks and an ear-grabbing chorus brought Marshall Tucker its first Top 40 hit. The band had mastered their blend of country, bluegrass, blues and jazz improvisation within a rock context and found a way to make it more commercial. The Top 40 single "Fire On The Mountain" was the sign of a bright future for the band's commercial endeavors. Luckily for us this doesn't mean they sacrificed their sound to get there. Also, "Searchin' For A Rainbow" was the album that brought the band's association with Western themes to the forefront. "Walkin And Talkin" is classic western swing. There's a bonus track on here too: a live version of "It Takes Time," the leadoff track to their 1980 "Tenth" album. All in all this is a worthy addition to any 70s country-rock library