Forgotten Fretmasters #6 - Tommy Bolin 

"Teaser" is still on my playlist almost 50 years later. Every cut is magical.

TEASER is one of my favorite albums of all time!!

I was a vocalist in A Patch of blue back in the 60's with Tommy. I'll cherish all the good times we had while performing together. I knew his whole family very well. They were all wonderful people and so proud of Tommy. I can only hope that I will see them all again. GOD bless you Tommy, Rich, Pudge, And Barb. Also GOD bless Brother Johnie

Jeff Beck came onto the stage with tears in his eyes and dedicated the Tampa show to Tommy Bolin the night following his death. Jeff and Jan Hammer played like crazy for over 3 hours. Every song on Tommy's Teaser album is ultimate music in one way or 4

It was shortly after Tommy's death that I met his parents and family. They were all great people. His mother and father had my wife and I over for supper every Tuesday night for months back then. Rich and Barb were so great to be around. His brothers Rick and Johnny were both wonderful guys as well. Rick and I would sit in the basement in their Sioux City house and jam on Saturday afternoons a lot. He asked me to teach him some of Tommy's songs on the guitar. I taught him several of them. I brought my Vox Wah Wah pedal to one of our jams and Rick fell in love with the pedal. He asked if I would trade it for Tommy's first microphone he ever owned.. It was an instant "Sure, I will".. I still have Tommy's first microphone to this very day! Barbara and Rich, used to let me borrow Tommy's Ibanez Explorer (shown at 12:43 in this video). I got to borrow it for a week at a time. I borrowed it at least once a month for a week. They would also lend me Tommy's big Crown Power amp as well. I used to do a lot of DJ shows in that area since I was a radio DJ back in those days. I borrowed his big amp to do my shows with at gymnasiums and concert halls etc. I will never forget that amp. It rocked! Tommy lost the footswitch that had the power on and off on it. I remember I used to have to take an alligator clip and clamp it between two of the three poles on the front xlr type connector of the amp. That is how it turned on! It was very generous of them to lend me his equipment like they did. Barbara told me that she prayed to God for an angel to come and help her get over Tommy's death. She believed that I was that angel. I would sit and talk with her for hours on end about Tommy and told her that she could carry on. She was strong and she would be able to get through his death. Whether I was sent to her as an angel, I can't say, but I did what I could to listen to her and let her know that life would go on just fine. I let her know that she had an important role in carrying on his legacy. I ended up moving away from that area in 1978. I lost contact with them when I moved to Texas. I have emailed and such with Johnny once a couple of years ago, when I found someone who knew how to get ahold of him. I asked if he remembered me, he said "I remember you Mr. DJ man!".. He invited me to come up to the annual Tommy Bolin Festival In Sioux City. At any rate there is my Tommy Bolin Story for your enjoyment.

Tommy was and will always be loved and missed he will never ever be forgotten

The greatest guitarist nobody's ever heard of. His 13 minute (or so) version of "Wild Dogs" is a classic.

Memories I remember when Tommy lived in Boulder same apartment that I did we had a little band he would stand at the doorway and listen and smoke weed he liked our band

Got to see Tommy when he was with Deep Purple in a concert they did in New Zealand, i was disappointed at the time that i never got to see my guitar hero Ritchie Blackmore, but wow i was sure impressed by Tommy's playing!...... during the show Purple introduced some songs off Tommy's solo album Teaser, those being the title song Teaser and the song Wild Dogs and WOW! i was even more impressed by how good those songs were, i was so impressed i went out and bought the album as soon as it hit the local record store, and to this day it is still one of my favorite albums ever, full from start to finish of great songs truly an inspirational album, sadly Tommy passed away far too young, leaving his fans wondering just what might have been?..... Tommy, you are gone but not forgotten, you were the man with magic in your fingertips R.I.P.

As a Purple fan Come Taste The Band was a brilliant album with some outstanding tracks, superb artist👍

I'm a big deep purple fan and have been since 1970. Tommy,s contribution to the band was fantastic. He was a pure genius, come taste the band is a classic example of tb,s superb guitar work. Missed but never forgotten. Rip Tommy.

I saw Tommy in 1974 when he was in the James Gang and his performance still impresses me today.

Thanks for spotlighting Tommy. I actually grew up near him, in Sioux City, one year difference in age. I started drumming then, and all of us young teenagers in the local music scene knew Tommy was going to the big show! For myself, his Spectrum work is my favorite, but so much else is all so amazing. Over the years, I have turned hundreds of fellow musicians onto his work. Thanks again for this tribute. My best memories are ofTommy sitting in with local Sioux City bar bands, over the holiday vacation time, sometime around 71-73...

"People, People" is an absolute treasure as Tommy serenades his family.

He is strangely loveable. And sounds so sweet.

Nobody has forgotten Tommy

Teaser is fantastic!🙂

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Bolin’s music in college in 1979. I love both these albums.

I saw Tommy with The James Gang when they opened for Black Oak Arkansas in Southern IL in 1974. A concert that I've never forgotten!!!!

Love 'Come and Taste the Band', very strong album by Deep Purple, also Spectrum by Billy Cobham. Still listen to these over forty years later.

Tommy was GREAT !!!!;

I just turned 65 and have both Teaser and Private Eyes. Will never get tired of them. Lotus and Post Toastee are bombshells!

Great musician, amazing player. Sad story. He was the Ultimate. Thanks for a well-done documentary.

PRIVATE EYES IS A MASTERPIECE BRILLIANT

I still listen to Tommy all the time....just a boundless bundle of inspiration.... for me he was one of the greatest guitar players to ever strap on the instrument....🎸🎸🎸

I was born in the 90s so I never got to experience him live. But I discovered Tommy while going through my dad’s records and discovered it was his idol. It soon grew on to me as Tommy becoming my idol too

Thank you for covering Tommy Bolin!! One of my favorite musicians of all time 🔥

I discovered Tommy on Billy Cobham's Spectrum album. I loved him instantly! And not just anyone follows up Ritchie Blackmore's chops all that easily. And the James Gang was unforgettable! Thank you! R.I.P. dear brother ❤

In 1977 I was performing the song “Lotus” and I’ve always cherished the song of Deep Purple “Ode to G” which I think is a brilliant and wonderful song featuring Tommy Bolin. I really appreciated him as one of my early influential guitarists, also partly because he reminded me of a T Rex with more guitar talent. It’s also because of him and some of my other guitar heroes who had drug problems, that I never did have a drug problem. Even hanging out with Motley Crue and Fleetwood Mac, I couldn’t really fit in because of my lack of drug usage. I’ve been practicing Shaolin Kung Fu since 1980, so I’m one of the few hippie rock artists I know of - who is in pretty good shape to this day, after playing rock ‘n’ roll for 55 years.

I was as big a Purple fan as you were going to find in 1975 when news came out of Ritchie's departure. I was bummed. At just 16 years old and living lightyears from any metropolitan area, it was clear I would never see Purple with my guitar hero at the helm, if ever. The rock mags told of DP picking up Tommy, so at least there was still a band. I got the Rainbow debut and CTTB that Christmas. I, of course, listened to Ritchie first and then put on CTTB. After hearing Tommy's solo in Comin' Home, I was jacked. The record got better with each song until You Keep On Moving brought it to an end too soon. Then exactly 61 days later I would be in the El Paso County Coliseum for Nazareth and DP. A classmate's mom took care of the logistics and took he and I, along with my little brother, on the 200 mile journey to El Paso. The show was my 17th birthday gift from my parents. How cool were they? So I saw Tommy Bolin. He was relatively sober and put on a very good show. That was 45 years ago and I can still remember Coverdale's mic swinging, Tommy's echoplex, Glenn in his white suit, Mr. Lord on his Hammond with the Leslie, and Paicey's unbelievable drum solo. RIP Tommy, RIP Mr. Lord. 🎙🎸🔈🎹🥁

I met Tommy Bolin in early 70's at A bar, a 3.2 beer only called Pinocchio's, in Pueblo, Colorado!! His band, Energy, this was just before replacing Joe Walsh in JamesGang!! Lol ...we shared more than one Doobie!!! His hand across the guitar strings at times appeared a blur!! Just so talented!!!

Tommy Bolin was ahead of his time. Huge fan here! Gone too soon🥲🙏🏻✌🏻

Tommy's work with Billy Cobham was epic.

“You keep on moving” on Come taste the band is, although hard to admit, one the best Purple songs ever!

Surely one of my favorite of all time!

I did see Tommy Live And remember he had a lot of peddles and electronics at his feet He was a favorite artist and have the two solo the James Gang, Deep Purple , and Zephyr LPs pus other music with his touch. Any one who listens to him comes away with wanting more. Lost but not forgotten 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎯🎶🎶🎶🎯💯🎶🎶🎶🎶

I'm sure glad someone else feels like I do about Tommy Bolin.. since I was about 14 (55 now). I've hunted down and bought every piece of music that he's done that I could find. To think a guy so young and talented could jump from genre to genre of music no problem from Jazz to rock to folk and acoustic. Had a really unique Style.. always wondered what could have been with him

Tommy also played on Alphonse Mouzon's album, 'Mind Transplant' I had this album, but it's now been MIA for about forty years, lol.

Tommy Bolin-The Ultimate.

Jeez, I bought Teaser back when i was 20 yers old. I'm 68 now. Whole damn album was awesome.

Such a beautiful tribute. Rory and now Tommy! Thank you for bringing these geniuses to light for others.

Tommy is gone but never forgotten. Especially with me he was and still is my biggest influence and one my very few idols. RIP Tommy you are a special soul. I think Frank Marino would be a great one for you to do.🎸🎵🔥✌

Tommy's playing hits like no other. At least for me. Pure class. Plure soul.

Thank you one million times

Thank you for this tribute to the Incredible artist Tommy who gave us such sweet music 🙏Rest In Peace

Jon Lord always had such kind things to say about Tommy.

As a musician im amazed how nobodys heard of him.bolin is my favorite

I saw Tommy play, before you where a wink in your Daddys eye. Hes the Best!!!

I'm so happy Tommy Bolin is finally getting some recognition love all of his work. "Come taste the band" has a cult following and that is my favorite Deep Purple record. My favorite song off Tommy's is "Homeward Strut" it's a damn shame he died young and how many people dont know about him.

Loved Tommy Bolin....had the pleasure to have seen him twice at Winterland .....what a show!!!

Tommy bolin should be in the Hall of Fame!

It always amazes me how many have never heard of Tommy Bolin

I saw Tommy Bolin's second to last show Nov 14, 1976 in New Orleans. I was 16 years old. He died Dec 4. Wow what a great musician. I played along to Teaser as a drummer. I just researched that track and Jeff Porcaro played drums on Teaser track!!! I forgot what a talented guitar player, singer, musician. I always gravitated more toward alternative rock and jazz fusion. I remember weeks later after the concert, listing to the local rock FM radio station, what we did back then, when they announced he passed. I forgotten this. 45 years later memories flood back. I need to get my favorite Tommy Bolin vinyl out and dust off the turntable, crank it. As other said, his music also influenced me. I can't imagine if he had been around the last 45 year and all the great music yet to come but never to be. RIP Tommy.

Come taste the band was Magnanimous. Blackmore thought it was a masterpiece. The production was stellar!!

If he had lived, we would have been buying an album called "Bolin Comes Alive," and Frampton would have been an opening act.

Well done, Tommy’s story is fascinating. What a great player. He had the confidence on stage like no one else.

Tommy was an incredible talent that was way ahead of his time. The man could play every style of guitar and play it like no other. It's a terrible tragedy and waste that he flamed out so young. I was fortunate enough to see him play with Purple in Feb of 76 and his final show of his short life when he opened for Jeff Beck in Miami. It's truly sad that the world will never get to see or know just how far his amazing talent would have taken him. IMHO he would be right up there with or far beyond anything EVH has ever done. To this day he's still my favorite guitar player. Rest In Peace Tommy. You are missed!

Ahh my wish come true! Kudos for FINALLY giving this incredible axeman his due. Almost scary to think what Tommy could have done were he still alive. Left us way too soon. Well done GH. Thanks!

I saw Tommy Bolin at a James Gang concert in June of 1974, and was mesmerized. Of all the good guitarists I have seen (Leslie West, Ronnie Montross, Joe Walsh, Joe Perry, Ted Nugent, Alex Lifeson, Jeff Lynne, to name a few) Tommy Bolin was by far the best. A rare talent.

Tommy you and me painting my grandmother's roof ,hanging around the Golden Apple and LaPettite after American Standard ,guru les paul and one of a kind best friend forever RIP my best friend Philip

I saw Tommy , the Deep Purple days, when the band came out we knew Blackmore was no longer there, but didn't know who was the replacement, so this person comes out with the band spinning and twirling arround ribbons in their hair and hanging from the guitar neck fluid motion graceful ,we sat quite far away. My response to my friends was "who is the chic playing Guitar she is great" . I was corrected by someone that is Tommy Bolin .I burrowed binoculars from someone and was mesmerized by this dude's playing, was in awe, the next day went on a quest for more info that day started to collect everything with Tommy on it. Love everything he did. I was heartbroken when I heard of his death the day after it happened. To this day I still turn on people to Tommy Bolin.

Teaser is a masterpiece

He was My 1st Guitar Hero and I am Still turning people onto his music!!

This was well done. Thank you for keeping Tommy's spirit alive. It's important.

Thanks for making more people aware of Tommy Bolin . I first heard of Tommy on Come Taste The Band album. I had been collecting Deep Purple for a while at the time and was really enjoying them. When I figured out Richie Blackmore was not on the LP I kinda left it till last to purchase. When I got it eventually and put it on the record player I was completely blown away by energy and brilliance of Tommy Bolins guitar playing. To this day I’m still blown away by it. Tommy was a great talent.

I got to see Tommy a lot living in Denver. I also saw him from the first row when he played with Deep Purple.

Love Tommy! Post toastee!! That dude was on fire!

I absolutely love Tommy Bolin. He so Versatile and that's what makes great guitar player so attractive to want to learn.

Great job, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never heard of Tommy before. I’m definitely going to start now. Thank you

Still remember burning up Private Eyes when it was released and then again as part of every road rotation selection since. The first time I ever drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, just as I pulled on, Bustin Out For Rosie came on at full volume. That had to be 1979?. Even the memory... Still sends a chill up my spine.

Teaser is horribly overlooked, but Private Eyes is totally magical, every cut shines. Bustin Out For Rosie anyone?

Tommy is everything but not forgotten

I saw Tommy Bolin live at Radio City Music Hall back in 1975, while touring with Deep Purple after the release of "Come Taste The Band." I had fifth row seats. What a magical show that was...super loud too!

my all time favorite artist...The long version of Wild Dogs is, in my opinion, the greatest song ever written.

In 1976 I was 20 and a t a coworkers house in Tahoe after work and having a beer and my friend put a record on and this sound made me stop and stand up and say who the hell is this? It was "Busting out for Rosey" I went out the next day and bought both of his records. I still put them on the turn table once a month, I have the James Gang records too he played on. It's all so good!

I worked a show at a bar in MPLS where Joe was doing a solo show (before the Eagles reunion). I was working the dressing room door as there was a steady stream of people wanting to see Joe. One of the visitors was Johnny Bolin. Awesome show and I got to meet Joe that night. After the show I got to get to know Johnny and heard lots of stories about Tommy. Johnny was a mess that night as his grief about his brother came in full force. It was such a special evening and I'll never forget it.

I loved the teaser album. It was definitely music that stood on it’s own

Ron Asheton should be on the forgotten fretmaster series. Lots of punk, metal, grunge and alternative bands need to thank Ron!!

I was lucky to get to meet Tommy in my hometown of Salisbury, North Carolina. It was after a concert at Catawba College there when he played with James Gang. It was early 1970's. A friend of mine and me just had a short conversation with him and he ask us if we had drugs. We didn't have any and went home, but I was amazed at his guitar playing. He was awesome and I went and bought the James Gang Bang album. RIP Tommy, you were a great musician.

To me Tommy Bolin was a guitar genius that obviously never got his just dues. I always loved his work since the beginning with Zephyr's first album. His guitar chops blew me away. I thought, this is guy is really great! I followed his music during his few short years. Till this day, I play a lot of Tommy's music. He's never forgotten for me. He will always be one of my all time favorite rock guitar players. So sad he died so young. His music will live forever.

First Rory then Tommy Bolin ! You are a legend man you are a hero you have a fucking great taste !

I saw an interview with Jeff Beck. He said he took inspiration from Tommy after hearing him and that was what pushed him into the fusion direction. Not the other way around.

I grew up in the Denver/Boulder area and was a huge fan of Tommy Bolín. By the time he died I’d already seen him in concert 4 or 5 times with Deep Purple and as a solo act, always as the warm up. The day he died I ditched my classes, went across the street to the A&W and just sat there in a booth and cried. Coincidently several years later one of my friends met and became friends with Dave Brown and for a couple of years he was part of our crew. Had Tommy Bolín lived he would have been a massive star.

I saw Tommy live in Perth Australia in the '70s I was very young and an avid deep purple fan and loved Ritchie, When I heard Come Taste the band it took a few plays to really get into it, but that is now one of my favorite D.P albums. I went on to buy Tommy's Teaser and Private Eyes albums I loved them, and I was so sad when he died I loved his playing, the way he combined blues, rock, jazz, and reggae into his playing. I still listen to his music now.

He got high and drunk and was opening for Santana in Lubbock Texas (no show ) I was really disappointed till he was replaced with Freddy King as the opening act. Great show Tommy Fan

Such a talent musician! A guitar player open minded on style and spirit. He left us too young, unfortunately.

I grew up with Tommy. I was 4 years older and first met him when jamming at the local music store. He was as you described: kind and gentle with a rebellious streak that was enviable. He blew away the local guitarists, many of whom had been playing in bands for years. He was 13/14 when we met. He showed me some drum tips and foot work. Really fun guy. The vocalist I worked with for a couple years ended up working with Tommy in a couple different bands. I got to see them play a lot. I went to Nam and Tommy went to Denver. I play his music often and his smile comes back to me. Thanks for this piece honoring him.

Teaser is one of my all time favorite albums. I can listen to it and here something new every time.

His two solo albums were SOOO good.

Thank you so much for doing this for my favorite guitarist for like 3 decades. You are a true historian.

I just saw your story about Tommy Bolin. I saw him when I was 14 years old with the James gang. I was right up front and he blew me away so I bought the album Bang and the rest of it is just a lifetime of still getting chills sometimes when I hear he's playing. the Billy Cobham album the solo albums Deep Purple. there's others he played with it I have recordings of but you said to tell you about if I ever seen him live and what it was like. well obviously he was a unbelievable with the James gang but it's when I saw him with Deep Purple in Rochester New York that was the definitive moment knowing how great he was. as you might have heard the crowd at Deep Purple concerts were screaming Blackmore Blackmore we want Blackmore. being there solely for Tommy the crowd was really pissing me off. then you heard this really funky riff as the stage was totally black. slowly a small spotlight from directly above began to Halo Tommy's head and down around as you saw him playing this wonderfully funky rhythm. it was enough to shut everybody up for a minute. but what was to come was unbelievable. as we all know Tommy had many different sounds that he can get from his Echoplex and whatever else he was using I'm not an expert on that kind of stuff but he went back and hit a couple little switches and then he came out again to the crowd and took his hands off the guitar as the funky Rhythm kept playing. you got to understand recording and looping stuff on stage was not a common practice and I don't think anybody had ever seen that type of thing before. you can tell by the sounds from the crowd that they had not seen that before while some might be wondering was he playing it ever at all he began to make a lead sound and then he did the same thing over and did a bass sound and then he did something over and it made a violin sound and he built an entire song around that riff looping and recording it directly on stage. an entire band, almost an entire Orchestra by one man and about a 10-minute period. and of course he started that sound like in Frankenstein that just builds and builds and builds and things were falling off of the rafters and the pipes above as it began to shake the whole place and then other silence and a black stage again. and then that little Spotlight back on his head as smile that beautiful smile of his. everyone was on their feet applauding and screaming but they were no longer screaming Blackmore all of these hardcore Richie Blackmore fans had just gotten their minds blown by someone way ahead of their time. Tommy was amazing and always will be

I still have both of his albums that I bought around the time I was a senior in HS in 1976. I appreciate that you mention Teaser as one of the great rock albums of the 70s, for it truly is. The song Dreamer is almost a prediction of his demise. Great presentation of his career and skills as well as his problems. I have always felt that some people live life so hot, that they we never meant to live long. Tommy was one of those special people.

You are an American treasure. Thank you, sir!

You left out Tommy's stint on fusion drummer Alphonse Mouzon's 1975 LP Mind Transplant. Tommy's jazz fusion work on Cobham's Spectrum (1973) was two years before Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow (1975).

I lived in Sioux City in the early 80's, and we would often visit "Tommy's Grave" at Stone Park Cemetery. We would drink beer and smoke weed and hang out. We'd always leave picks or pieces of broken guitars, etc. Great memories.

Saw Tommy with James GANG IN Philadelphia. At the spectrum. Then saw him at the Tower theater. I loved Tommy’s guitar and vocals. Miss him very much!!,

Dude, you really nailed this, I'm a huge Tommy Bolin fan, and I couldn't have written his story better than you just did. It pains me that such a massively talented musician as he, never truly got his due, and I consider "Teaser" and "Private Eyes" two of the most grossly underrated albums from that period, in fact, PE is a minor masterpiece, in my humble opinion. Thanks to paying homage to such a deserving artist, I still mourn his loss these many years later.

Thank you. Tommy Bolin is my favorite guitar player. Picked up The Ultimate boxed set in the early 90’s because the cover looked cool and he quickly became my favorite and biggest inspiration. I have watched all the forgotten fretmaster series so far. I love that you did this episode.

Yes I did see Tommy live at Winterland in San Francisco. Can’t remember the other acts (I’ll have to look it up) as I was there to see Tommy. He was in good form that night, and I was shocked when he suddenly passed away. Thanks for bringing Tommy back to life on your program, he was special. My he RIP.