When bolin died of an overdose in 1976, he was on a career path that would have taken him to icon status, with a style that incorporated jazz fusion, rock and elements of pop. Every room of johnnie bolin s midcity home is teeming with the memorabilia of his late brother tommy bolin. Most of it has since been released by the tommy bolin archives. The patch of blue included members brad larvick, george larvick, moreybrad miller, dave stokes, steven bridenbaugh, and tommy bolin. These are the orignal live recordings with tommy bolin at the age 14 to 15 12 yrs. He had played in a band called american standard before joi. Tommy bolin tommy bolin 12 mp3, 160 kbps, cdr discogs. Disk 15 tommy bolin band live long island 62276 and tommy bolin band live jaialai fronton, miami 12376 last show before his death and deep purple empire theatre liverpool 1531976 01. So in 1st part of this 2 part article id like to cover the 1st half of the some 50 plus releases pertaining to tommy. The sioux city band patch of blue is shown in this undated photo. The first bands he joined, denny and the triumphs and american standard, found no success and tommy accepted a job to back blues guitarist lonnie mack. The sioux city band patch of blue is shown in this. Contrary to what you might have read on these pages earlier and perhaps elsewhere as well, tommy bolin does not play on moxys second.
Biography interested in music as a youth due to elvis presley tommy started playing the guitar at an early age. Sioux city guitar hero to be inducted into sd hall of. He even tried the piano before switching to guitar at the age of. Bobby berge, who later played drums with tommy in zephyr and energy, as well as on teaser and private eyes, said the rooftop ballroom in sioux city is where i first saw tommy play. It certainly sounds as it were a heavy duty boot, however on the back of the cd it states. Simon robinsons site focuses on history and news about deep purple, including the mk4 lineup with tommy bolin. The bolin museum in sioux city, there is a 3 x 3 foot foam core poster of the album cover signed by all 4 members in blue ballpoint pen. Tommy then played gigs with bands in iowa and south dakota leading to tommys last band before leaving for denver, the chateaux working out of vermillion. Zeros psychogello vinyl radio show a different artist each week for 30 minutes of. The tommy bolin story is the first book to focus entirely on the life story of tommy bolin compiled from nearly 50 exclusive interviews including family, friends, and band members that. Lot detail tommy bolins first band patch of blue1965. Also included are pictures of roger rothwell rip who was a guitar mentor to tommy bolin, and george larvick who played bass in patch of blue with a very young tommy bolin. Thomas richard bolin august 1, 1951 december 4, 1976 was an american guitarist and.
The band included dave stokes on lead vocals, brad miller on guitar and vocals, bolin on lead guitar, steve bridenbaugh on organ. He also boasted a notable solo career and appeared on albums by billy cobham and moxy as well. Born in sioux city, iowa, on august 1, 1951, tommy richard bolin was arguably the best guitarist to find a home in the colorado music scene of the 1970s. His solo work, dp, zephyr, james gang, energy, sessions and so on.
This was the exact moment when all the years of struggle and hard work were about to pay off for tommy bolin, who was hoping to soon be a household name. James gang at ferris state college 1974 tommy bolin. The story of tommy bolins time with patch of blue, his second working band. For nearly a decade, siouxland residents have honored bolin s memory at the tommy bolin fest, a free day or two of rocknroll. Rock legend news may 2017 by rock legend news issuu. Band members are, from left, steve ridenbaugh, brad larvick, dave stokes, brad miller, george larvick and tommy bolin. Teaser tommy bolin band jai alai fronton miami 3121976 03. His debut album zephyr became a top 50 album in the us. Bolin var ein amerikansk gitarist som spelte med zephyr, the james gang og deep purple. Disk 11 acoustic demos and tommy bolin band kbfh albany, ny 92076 01.
Rare tommy bolin photos and artwork magical moment. He had played in a band called american standard before joining ethereal zephyr, a band named after a train that ran between denver and chicago. Tommy bolin resource learn about, share and discuss. He worked at mci and was a contributing writer for numerous publications, including whats happening. Patch of blue, zephyr, energy, james gang, and deep purple were among the bands the revered fretman played in. Patch of blue continued until mid1967 and then broke up.
Music history sundays on wdgy 740am roseville, mn catch mr. His patch of blue band played frequently at the broadway ballroom in centerville, and he appeared several times with the vermillionbased chateaux, led by. When tommy bolin joined denny and the triumphs in 1964 the band were already an experienced group of teenagers organized by george larvick, sr. Tommy bolin s 1965 stage worn red abstract floral print jacket with black trim that he wore with his very early first band patch of blue. The high times and fast life of tommy bolin louder. A patch of blue forgetting is difficult, remembering is. Tommy bolin patch of blue cds live 1 and 2 early years.
Tragedy and mayhem struck the deep purple tour december 4 in jakarta, indonesia, when one of the groups road crew, patsy collins, a wellloved celebrity of the british rock scene and guitarist tommy bolin s bodyguard, was killed in a sixstory fall down a service. Thomas richard bolin was born on 1st august 1951 in sioux city iowa. Tommy bolin 19661976 fever stu flac 15 cds studio flac patch of blue 1966 correctionville, ia. Tommy bolin, dave brown, tim weisburg beatles jam 14. Tommy bolin was born in sioux city, iowa, united states, and began playing with a band called the miserlous before he was asked to join another band called denny and the triumphs, in 1964 at the young age of thirteen.
In 1965, he joined sioux citys the patch of blue, a group well on their way to establishing a solid reputation in western iowa. The tommy bolin band as the first riffs of teaser came crashing from the stage monitors, scott chatfield couldnt have imagined the triumphs his introduction had just set in motion. These shots of the james gang with tommy bolin at ferris state college in big rapids, mi in 1974. Tommy bolin was born in sioux city, iowa and began playing in bands around the city as a youth a patch of blue and others before moving to boulder, colorado, in his late teens. His solo on tom jones its not unusual really struck me.
Indonesian nightmare strikes deep purple tommy bolin. Photographer jo arnold remembers enjoying the show, but also relates with a chuckle that roy kenner split his pants and the band laughed. I know the tommy bolin archives catalogue and have most of the titles, but i have only very vague knowledge about which other shows have been recorded soundboard, audience, however and are circulating. Tommy bolin pure lead tone based on billy cobhams spectrum album add. James gang, deep purple, moxy, alphonse mouzon, energy, a patch of blue. A patch of blue played the broadway ballroom in centerville, south dakota, johnnie bolin said. Correctionville, ia 1966 and beatles jam with bolin, dave. George changed the name of the band to a patch of blue. Music history sundays on wdgy 740am roseville, mn patch. Thomas richard bolin august 1, 1951 december 4, 1976 was an american guitarist and songwriter who played with zephyr from 1969 to 1971, james gang from 1973 to 1974, and deep purple from 1975 to 1976, in addition to maintaining a notable career as a solo artist and session musician. He was actually supposed to have done all the guitar parts, but got into a disagreement with the producer and was consequently tossed out of the studio. Srv sound in this patch which should fit most rhythmic bluesfunk guitar playing. Tommy was recommended to the local band denny and the triumphs in 1964 who soon broke up and became a patch of blue in 1965, put together by the recently deceased george larvick, this band of young high school kids performed all over the mid west.
Fest organizer trace keane and i also did a radio interview conducted by the great big daddy on kkma kool 99. The the oldest existing web site dedicated to tommy bolin, featuring interviews, articles, photo galleries, gear and more. The directory for pages in our main tommy bolin history section written by tommy bolin historian john herdt. Tommy bolin, george larvick, steven bridenbaugh, morey brad miller, dave stokes, brad larvick when it comes to. Favorite tommy bolin live show steve hoffman music forums. Winterland 5776 and purchase tommy bolin cds tommy bolin was born in sioux city, iowa and began playing in bands around the city as a youth a patch of blue and others before moving to boulder, colorado, in his late teens. The 2007 tommy bolin music festival the rampant zone. The band first became aware of tommy after guitarist brad miller saw him playing with his band the miserlous. Born august 1, 1951 in sioux city, iowa, tommy bolin went on to become one of the most versatile and admired guitarists of his era. Shop vinyl and cds and complete your tommy bolin collection. Tommy bolin inductees inductee the south dakota rock and. In 1968 he founded a band named ethereal zephyr, later shortened to zephyr. Tommy bolin, being nearby, was asked to fill in for him.
Tommy bolin not to be confused with marc bolan trex. The classic mk ii lineup of deep purple first came together with the addition of gillan and glover to the trio of blackmore, paice and lord for the concerto for group and orchestra live album, and lasted until gillan and glover left, after the release of who do we think we are. Colorado music experience features profiles, audio and videos about music legends such as tommy bolin and zephyr. The original box, limited to 500 copies, was released in japan in 1995.
These are not studio cuts but live in dance halls, and ballrooms ect. Tommy bolin jim fox of the james gang interviewed by. It was this talent that drove the teenage tommy bolin to join a local band called a patch of blue. The remaining band members got thenunknown fabulosa.