The very first blues concert that I attended was a performance by The Fabulous Thunderbirds in December of 1986.  I had been a fan of the group for several years after first hearing them on Carlos Santana's 1983 album Havana Moon. I later I found their own T-Bird Rhythm album, released in 1982. 

By the time I got to see them, they had released their 1986 breakthrough album, Tuff Enuff, which earned them a lot of radio play and mainstream attention.  I was mesmerized by their performance, including their guitarist Jimmie  Vaughan, who was the epitome of cool on the stage, and I ended up seeing them two more times in 1987.

For Tuff Enuff, the band (Kim Wilson – vocals/harmonica, Vaughan – guitar, Preston Hubbard – bass, Fran Christina – drums) traveled to London to record with roots rocker Dave Edmonds handling production duties. 

While in London, the band performed to a sold-out audience at Loneon's Camden Palace Theatre on April 29, 1985. This show was professionally filmed and recorded, but was not released until recently by The Last Music Company as Live in London 1985 as a CD/DVD combination.

This set closely resembles what I heard in 1986, with several songs from Tuff Enuff (“True Love,” “Tuff Enuff,” “I Don't Care,” “Two Time My Lovin',” and “Jimmie's Song,” the latter re-titled on the album as “Down at Antones”). 

There are also several other T-Bird favorites that the band still plays today, such as “Can't Tear It Up Enuff,” “My Babe,” “She's Tuff,” and “Full Time Lover,” a slow burner which features some great guitar work from Vaughan (I still remember him playing this when I saw them).

As impressive as Vaughan was, Kim Wilson was the first great harmonica player I ever saw, and he's a most charismatic front man as well, continuing to this day to lead The Fabulous Thunderbirds.  As great a harmonica player as he is, he's a powerful vocalist equally effective with deep blues and rocking soul numbers.  Hubbard and Christina were a rock-solid rhythm section, too.

The song list is identical on the CD and DVD.  The DVD captures the band in action before an enthusiastic audience.  The camera work is excellent, focusing on each of the players, not just their faces but also playing their instruments.  Sound quality is excellent, considering it was done over 40 years ago. The whole experience left me with goose bumps because it reminded me so much of what I saw in 1986. 

I may sound like a goofy fan-boy writing this, but The Fabulous Thunderbirds were one of the best live bands that I ever saw.  I saw them many years later, long after Vaughan, Hubbard, and Christina had departed, and they were still an excellent live act with the Moeller brothers and Mike Keller backing Wilson. 

For longtime fans of the band, Live in London 1985 should definitely be in your collection and blues fans in general

--- Graham Clarke