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Play it, James

Play it, James

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Legendary Guitarist James Burton put together the TCB Band for Elvis By Mark Randall

news@theeveningtimes.

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James Burton may be the only person alive who said no to Elvis Presley.

And it wasn’t because he didn’t want to say yes.

Elvis called the legendary guitar player and asked him to play on his upcoming 1968 NBC television special, buy unfortunately, Burton was busy in the recording studio working on a Frank Sinatra album.

“It got out that I turned Elvis down for Frank Sinatra,” Burton said. “But that’s not how it happened.

I was working with Frank Sinatra doing an album. I called the producer, Jimmy Boyd, and told him Elvis called and asked me to do the Comeback Special. He said, ‘no, I can’t let you out. You have to be at the studio all week with us.’” The TV special was a huge ratings success when it aired on Dec. 3, 1968 and an energized Elvis decided to return to return to touring.

And fortunately for Burton, he would get another chance to work with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll when he was asked in 1969 to hand pick a band for his upcoming Las Vegas engagement.

Burton was the featured guest at the Elvis Fan Club Celebration held at Graceland on Jan. 10 as part of a week long birthday celebration. Elvis would have turned 85 years old had he lived. The “Master of the Telecaster” discussed his legendary career as a session guitar player, living with Ozzie and Harriet, and his long association with Elvis.

Burton grew up listening to country music, Gospel, and rhythm and blues and taught himself to play the guitar at age 13. At 14, he was part of the house band playing on the Louisiana Hayride, in Shreveport, a radio variety show broadcast on KWKH that was the rival to the Grand Ole Opry. The Hayride would also help launch Elvis’s career.

“I was in the staff band. We had guys like Floyd Cramer on piano, and Jimmy Day, a great steel guitar player. We had a killer band,” Burton said. “I remember playing behind George Jones and all of the great country artists that came on that show. It was like a big jam session. All of the artists who came on the Hayride went on to Nashville and the Opry.”

He moved to Los Angeles at 16 and got his first taste of session work in 1955 playing with Dale Hawkins on his hit song “Suzie Q.”

He was touring with country music star Bob Luman in 1956 when he met Ricky Nelson, star of the popular TV sitcom “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”

Nelson was looking to put a band together and asked Burton to appear on the show. He ended up living with the Nelson family for the next two years as Ricky’s music career began to take off.

“My first visit to the house Harriet said she was cooking her favorite chicken dish and wanted me and Ricky to come over for dinner,” Burton said.

“Ozzie had to go work on a script and excused himself. But he said, ‘by the way, James, Harriet and I would very much like to have you come live in our home. You can work on your music together. You will be our third boy.’ It was fantastic. Harriet would cook my breakfast in the morning and they would have a car ready to pick me up to go to the set.”

Burton became a top session player and was the go-to guitarist for virtually every big name singer, appearing on records for stars like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, The Monkees, Glen Campbell, and Gram Parsons. He would go on to play on more hit records than any other guitarist in history.

Elvis later offered him the chance to put together a band for his Las Vegas tour at the newly opened International Hotel.

“He wanted to play live and get back to his fans,” Burton said.

“He didn’t want to do any more movies for a while. When he called he said ‘James, I watched you on Ozzie and Harriet.’ He said it was his favorite show.

He watched it every week. I couldn’t believe it. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was watching ME on TV.

“We talked for three hours on the phone. I kept trying to get off because I had a recording session and was late for work the next day.

When I walked in to the studio they said ‘where have you been?’ I said, ‘I was on the phone with Elvis.’ They said, ‘Oh, sure.’ But it was great.”

Burton said Elvis wanted the best musicians for his show and left it up to him to pick.

The TCB Band – short for Taking Care of Business – would be comprised of Burton on lead guitar, John Wilkinson on rhythm guitar, Jerry Scheff on bass, Larry Muhoberac on keyboard (Glenn Hardin was not available and would join the group in 1970), and Ronnie Tutt on drums, who was the last to audition.

“We had two or three drummers get up and play,” Burton said. “Elvis was ready to move on. Somebody came over and said ‘no, we have one more drummer,’” Burton said.

“Ronnie got up and it was amazing. Elvis wanted to play the rest of it. And everything Elvis would do, Ronnie would kind of key off it.

Elvis liked that. I told Elvis these are the guys I would pick. Elvis said ‘Okay, you got it. And there it was.”

Elvis took the stage on July 31, 1969, and played to an audience of 2,000 people in what was then the largest showroom in Las Vegas. It was his first time in front of a live audience in eight years. Burton said the audience was electrified and roared with applause when Elvis launched in to “Blue Suede Shoes” and followed it with other songs from his 50s roots like “Hound Dog”, mixed with contemporary hits like “Memories,” “Suspicious Minds,” and “In the Ghetto.” Burton said Elvis showed that night why he was still the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.

“He was bigger than ever,” Burton said.

Burton stayed with show until Elvis’s death in 1977.

“What a treat to work with him for nine years,” Burton said.

“The guy was a great singer. But more than anything, he was just a fantastic person. I truly miss him. I love playing his music today and up until the end of time.

He was great.”

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