Brian Davidson, 1953 - 1970

Wolf Tucker. That was the name of Brian Davidson's band. A power trio with Gary Bryan on bass and Bruce Simpson on drums. The Meatballs were just starting out and Wolf Tucker was the kind of band we wanted to be. Brian was an amazing guitarist, singer, songwriter and arranger who was ahead of his time for someone so young. He died suddenly and senselessly, but I do remember seeing Wolf Tucker at the Mountlake Terrace Recreation Pavillion a few months before he died. Great R&R/Blues trio, confident guitar playing that moved effortlessly from rhythm to extended solos, solid low-end bass and honest vocals with simple & tight two-part harmonies. I don't know if they were ever recorded (they probably were, many people had reel-to-reel recorders), but their live sound was simply perfect: Fender amps, Shure SM57 or SM58 microphones for vocals, a basic PA system (for vocals only) with small Fender 2-12 cabinets leaning back on folding chairs on each side of the stage. I believe the two vocal microphones were plugged into a regular Fender guitar amp head, maybe a Showman (also sitting on a folding chair). Mic cables with an XLR on one end and a phone plug on the other were common back then. It was just a warm, naturally blended sound. No solid state, all vacuum tube power. And they were able to set up and tear down in minutes, not hours. I would love to try to recreate that sound, but good luck finding (and funding) all that vintage gear!

 


RETURN TO THE MEMORIAL PAGE