That being said, because they were all from the same part of the world, friendships struck up between the bands. So when the Charlie Daniels Band was doing its second "Volunteer Jam" in 1975 the invited guests included The Marshall Tucker Band, a couple of friends from the Allman Brothers and a variety of friends from other bands like Wet Willie.
In 1974 the Charlie Daniels Band needed to record a couple of songs for an upcoming album in a live situation, so they rented a small hall in Nashville Tennessee, invited some of their friends along to have fun after they had laid down the tracks they needed for the album. They called it Volunteer Jam in honour of the state of Tennessee whose slogan is, The Volunteer State.
That first one was so successful, that they decided to do it again in 1975, this time in their hometown of Murfreesboro Tennessee. The concert was made into a feature film and released in 1976 called Volunteer Jam. Now twenty – one years later it is being released on DVD for the first time.
In 1975 Charlie Daniels and his band were riding high on the strength of their hits "Long Haired Country Boy", "No Place To Go", and "The South's Gonna Do It (Again)" and were able to attract large audiences, especially in the South. So when the Volunteer Jam was announced it quickly sold out a 14,000-seat arena
For anybody who wants to see the epitome of good classic 70's rock roll, watching the DVD Volunteer Jam should be required viewing. Multiple guitars, keyboards, elaborate bass playing, and lots of drums were all staples of the period. The music is loud, rowdy, and live; you won't see any sign of a drum machine or tape loops on this stage.
The only costume anybody is wearing is blue jeans and the occasional cowboy hat. There's no elaborate stage show, only stacks and stacks of speakers. The music is being played by people who love what they're doing and it shows in how much they appreciate each other's efforts and the amount of pure fun that they're having.
Article comments
1 - John
I sing this song as an older man who's took his share of drugs
But I as much as anyone else have no sympathy for thugs
But you're new-found anti-drug crusade strikes me as hypocrasy
Do you really want your old friends to swing up from a tree?
REPEAT REFRAIN
2 - John
Charlie Daniels
you used to be one o' my heros//
but you stuck you finger in the air and found out which way the wind blows//
kinda like a chameleon you've become as you've grown old//
and you might have alot of money//
but you sure ain't got no soul//
REFRAIN: And I ain't asking you for nothin'//
if I can't get it on my own//
if you don't like the way I'm livin'// you just leave this long-haired country boy alone.
3 - John
Charlie Daniels, you're old song meant alot to me
but why you had to change your tune is something I can't see
you've become that old Greenteeth that you kicked right in knee
and you can keep your neocon politics the devil away from me
REPEAT REFRAIN
4 - jojo
I've bought the volunteer jam dvd and i shouldn't have done that. It's because i own the real volunteer jam movie on vhs. When i compared the two recordings, i immediately noticed that there were things altered in the new recording. For exemple the music doesn't match with the images. There is a one second difference in sound and image. You see the drummer hitting the drums and one second or maybe less after that you hear the drums. There's no synchronocity with sound and image. Further more. The quality of the recording in the movie is far better than on the new dvd. |I've written Eagle Eye records about this. If you can get the real original volunteer jam movie you're better of.
5 - James In San Diego
I read about it today and ran out to buy it. This movie was shot about 3 months before I was born, and I'm 31 (not 21 like you said). Beyond that I am totally jazzed about this being released at all. jojo if I knew where to buy this on VHS I will. I grew up in Spartanburg SC so Marshall Tucker is like big stuff to me. I want to find the Marshall Tucker movie (long trailer) for LONG HARD RIDE. Film, Videotape, (ugh)Youtube as long as I can finally see it, so if ya'll know anything post it, please?
6 - Joyce
I have waited over 20 years for this DVD to come out. Now that I have it, I can truely say it was worth the wait. My long-time boyfriend, Gary Peacemaker plays drums on some of the songs. He'd told me about the fun, egoless, exciting, free-jam that night and now I can see and feel it myself through the DVD. I've loved this music since the '70's and still do. To whomever made this possible, I send out a huge Thank you!
7 - RomanticKerouac
Does anyone know where I can find the Marshall Tucker Band's performance from this Volunteer Jam? Has it ever been bootlegged, or released? I seen the videos on youtube, would like to have a copy for viewing on my big screen.