George Hatcher Band - Talkin' Turkey (2022) Hi-Re

‘Talkin’ Turkey’ is the second album by the George Hatcher Band. George Hatcher from Charlotte, North Carolina, made some of the finest Southern Rock albums I know of. Alas there were only 4 and a half. I (myself), like many others searching Google, have wondered often whatever became of the man. George Hatcher, where art thou?
Anyway, back to this album. It’s yet another rock solid album. There’s something about George’s singing that soothes the soul. And he’s got some. I’m in love with that voice. And the tunes are splendid too. Not too heavy but enough guitar antics going on to classify this as classy classic Southern Rock. Check out 'Forty Ford’ and, well, check it all out. This is not my rip, though I did fiddle with it slightly. So, thanks to the original ripper, whoever you are. Talkin’ turkey!…..~

The George Hatcher Band was certainly one of the greatest southern rock bands between 1976 and 1982, and surprising they were not from Dixie land, but from England. And, as Whisbone Ash or Bad Company did, this band helped a lot this musical style to emerge. First, they released the great “Dry run” album, back in 1976 (fot the ones who were lucky enough to get it), and all the southern rock fans immediately loved this album and this band. I must admit I fell on my ass when I first heard the song “Lucky guy”, for example.

George Hatcher was 20% of blues, 40% of boogie and 60% of rock'n roll. All this added with such great feeling, a bit of progressive music, an explosive cocktail. George Hatcher was, and still is, a hell of a singer, somewhere between Joe Cocker, Gregg Allman, Rory Gallagher and Bob Seger. He had in his band two wonderful guitar players, Phil Swan and John Thomas. While listening to this first album, a few weeks ago, I just wondered how this album could be so unknown….. There was everything, the guitars, the singing, the songs. For sure, there was nothing missing and I bet if this kind of album could be released nowadays, it would surely well received by the people loving southern rock music.

With “Talkin’ turkey”, which was released one year later, it was an other great piece of southern rock that George Hatcher Band gave us, and it confirmed us this band was a great one and they have desserved much more fame than they had. A bit more worked than their first album, “Dry run”, they were big names on this new one with John Mc Fee, from the Doobie Brothers on pedal steel guitar and Huey Lewis on harmonica. These people are for sure marks of quality, aren’t they ? And songs such as “Black moon rising”, “Forty Ford” or “The cadillac” are some of the greatest southern rock beauties. “Rich girl” was their third album and was really different from the two first ones. As many bands during these years, they tried, or were forced, to try to get a wider audience, and they changed quite a bit their rock'n roll music. The two main people from the band, the guitar players had already left the ship. Was it a consequence ? And as many bands, this change was not a real success and the future was real difficult and uncertain.

Many people thought “Rich girl” was the last album from George Hatcher band, they kept on worlking and released an other album in 1982, “Coming home”. It was for sure different from “Dry Run” and “Talkin Turkey”, but they were songs such as “Read The News” or “Moving down the Road” which were great ones , as was “Young boys” where you could believe it was the late Rory Gallagher singing on this one. Since then, except some recordings with other people, George Hatcher didn’t record, to my knowledge, new material, but seems to still be on the road performing this rock'n rock he worked so hard….~

Something is wrong in this country. If it were just something, I’m sure many of you will think. If the cuts had not touched and sunk enough the day to day of the people, it seems that now it is time to corral that hackneyed word for many called freedom, but whose meaning, they have an atrocious fear, especially when their performance may be contrary to their interests, or those of that which pat their backs and fill their pockets. I read that a guy, in a breathalyzer control, is fined 300 euros for calling the agents a colleague, which they take as something derogatory, as there are pedestrians in the area. Come on, if they are alone, it is not derogatory. Go. It could create parallels, but step, I think almost no one, still keeps their eyes so closed to discern the reality that we are living these days. The fact is that although it may seem like a Tuesday and Thirteen sketch, it is the truth. The law allows tolerance to be lowered to unsuspected levels, while from the pulpits of the political class barbarities are said, with which you have no right to offend yourself, because the legislation is forgotten every day more, of the citizen of the street, whom it is supposed to protect.
And that surreal image of the fine to the colleague, has brought to mind this fantastic cover of the"Talkin turkey" that the George Hatcher Band, used in 77, to illustrate this fantastic album of southern aroma and soul passion in the voice of Hatcher, a guy from South Carolina, who filled his suitcases with his possessions, He crossed the Atlantic and settled in the Perfidious Albion, to bring to the islands, the aromas of his native south. There he tried his luck with Steve Copeland before he rose to fame with Police, but in the end, it would be by assembling his own band, as he would leave a good handful of albums, which are worth remembering more often than surely many of us do. With this album of '77, he came to share the bill with AC / DC, for example. The album is a good example of that southern rock full of class, so full of sound from the south of the States, even if the band that accompanied him was British. Just as if the agents carried this disc in the car, they would not be so susceptible. Of course, a photo like that, for now, is going to be difficult to take again…..~