Tuesday, November 20, 2012

"It Takes Time" by The Marshall Tucker Band

Song#:  0146
Date:  04/26/1980
Debut:  89
Peak:  79
Weeks:  3
Genre:  Southern Rock



Pop Bits:  MTB were one of the pioneers of Southern rock and were very successful throughout the 70s. They had five gold albums and two platinum and through relentless touring gained a large and loyal following. Their biggest pop hit was "Heard It In a Love Song" which hit #14 in 1977. Other than that, they never made much of an impact on the pop singles chart but it hardly mattered. They carved out a great spot for themselves and created a legacy in Southern rock that is still influential today. The original band broke up in 1983, but incarnations of the band have existed since and they are still touring. This song ended up being their last to hit the pop chart.

ReduxReview:  I don't get into much Southern rock. Some 38 Special and ZZ Top will usually be enough for me. I had not known too much about MTB except the "Heard It In a Love Song" single, which is a terrific song. So knowing they are basically Southern rock did not thrill me. However, I was surprised that I liked this one. It definitely has that So-rock vibe but it moves past that with a really nice chorus that takes an unexpected turn with its chord progression. The whole song is nicely written. Color me impressed. I'll have to check out more of their music.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) The band's name is unusual because there is no Marshall Tucker in the band! They rented a warehouse as a rehearsal space and were discussing what the band's name should be. Someone noticed that the key to the warehouse had a tag on it with the name "Marshall Tucker." It was suggested to use that for the band name, which they did. They discovered years later that Marshall Tucker was a blind piano tuner who had rented the space before them for his business. The tag was left on the key when the band rented the space.  2) Soon after the album "Tenth" was recorded (which this is the first single from), co-founding member Tommy Caldwell was involved in an auto accident. He was hospitalized and died a few days later due to injuries. He died on April 28, 1980 - just two days after this last single debuted on the pop chart.

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