A “work-in-progress” celebration of Tommy Bolin's “PRIVATE EYES” released in September 1976.
We will be featuring various people's views of the album, and any relevant imagery/details... These are just to kick off the proceedings for now...
Send in your, no matter how big or small! We also love and appreciate the different opinions, the good, bad and the indifferent are always welcome... KEEPING IT INCLUSIVE & HONEST :)
KRISTINE ELKJER
‘Private Eyes’ – pick any song, all amazing. Have you seen the reels where people hear “Post Toastee” for the first time? and they are not from that era:)
“Hello Again” or “Gypsy Lover”... I can’t pick a favorite. Tommy shows all his musical sides on this album.
I know “Teaser” is a fan favorite but not for me – ‘Private Eyes’ is much more personal.
MIKE GALWAY
I think ‘Private Eyes’ is a more coherent album than ‘Teaser’ and an indicator of what Tommy’s future promised.
‘Teaser’ for all its brilliance feels almost a sampler or showcase for a range of styles and songs Tommy had to offer, fusion, ballads, rock, reggae, Latin etc.
‘Private Eyes’ feels more focused to my ears and hangs together better. I think it also benefits from a settled line up, and a special shout out to Norma Jean Bell- Tommy and Norma definitely had chemistry together.
Tommy’s vocal performance is a highlight on the album for me, the voice I first heard on “Dealer” was always attractive and we hear Tommy best vocal performance on ‘Private Eyes’.
The production on ‘Teaser’ suffered until it was cleaned up and remastered whereas ‘Private Eyes’ sounded much better on its release.
Some of the songs reflect Tommy’s state of mind and personal struggles at the time although if you didn’t know his story it might pass you by, I’m thinking; “You Told Me That You Loved Me”, “Someday Will Bring Our Love Home”, “Shake the Devil” and obviously “Post Toastee”.
There’s some heavy stuff on there but also a fragility, vulnerability and romanticism on “Gypsy Soul”, “Hello Again”, “Sweet Burgundy”... As brilliant as ‘Teaser’ is I’d probably choose ‘Private Eyes’ if I wanted to introduce Tommy’s music to someone. I feel his soul on this album and the promise of what might have been.
Missing on a raging ocean...
All that and I didn’t even mention his playing lol :)
NIK DOBRIN
What can I say about ‘Private Eyes’... a fantastically diverse record!
Tommy and the band were roaring on multiple songs the sadly prophetic “Post Toastee”, “Shake The Devil” and the slick reggae tour de force of “Bustin Out For Rosie”... yet the album produced hauntingly beautiful songs like; “Hello Again”, “Sweet Burgandy” or the upbeat “Someday Will Bring Our Love Home”. The closer “You Told Me That You Loved Me” walked us thru slick rock rhythms with powerhouse horns by Norma Jean Bell and Tommy’s lead work was some of his best.
Some may argue that ‘Teaser’ was the superior album, but in my personal opinion comparing the two records does each a disservice. Both were strong and diverse, showcasing Tommy’s ability to be a chameleon with musical stylings.... but Private Eyes was a much more ‘sellable/radio friendly’ alum than ‘Teaser’. Each record holds a special place in every Bolinites heart for different reasons.
MAUREEN DALPHINEE
1976 was a very good year. A good year to be young, and a good year for rock and roll. As we’ve all aged, we can attest to the fact that we were a generation raised on the best of rock, and 1976 was no exception to that rule with the release of Tommy Bolin’s ‘Private Eyes’ album.
Those of us in the know with a strong appreciation of the talent possessed by ‘The Ultimate’ through hours of consuming ‘Teaser’ and still enamored with Tommy’s skills even though short lived with Deep Purple, or his time spent with the James Gang, it was amazing to later learn that Tommy was working on the album while still performing with MK4 and completed it over an eight day period – an accomplishment that even by today’s standards would be considered impossible and down right amazing. To know that Tommy was involved in 10 studio albums (Zephyr, James Gang, Moxy, Deep Purple and his solo albums) all in 7 short years from 1969-1976, which makes it even more of an incredible feat. He most certainly earned his nickname of ‘The Ultimate’ and a legion of loyal lifetime fans.
Sadly, it would be his last studio album before his death on December 4 of 1976, silencing forever any chance we would have of continuing to remain in awe of his incredible skill in both writing, performing and playing. In many ways, there will always be a feeling of being robbed of what could have been with Tommy. So much incredible talent packed into such a short span of time spent with us. But how grateful we all remain that we can still listen to the soundtracks that take us all immediately back to a time when music literally blew our minds and made us hungry for more.
I remember the first time I heard all nine minutes of “Post Toastee” and can still remember being with friends as we all stared at each other in amazement and afterwards proclaimed “Holy Shit!” almost in unison. It’s such a unique blend of both fusion and funk and soul when you listen to the bass, the drums and then Tommy’s lead guitar, ringing in as only Tommy could. He had you hooked, and you waited for the next moment for your mind to declare his excellence. It’s what always made Tommy so incredibly unique, so versatile, and so fresh. After the first nearly 3 minutes, Tommy brings it – and for the next 6 plus minutes shreds the hell out of that song. You’re left when it ends with this sense of amazement that never faded. Tommy Bolin was and will always be incredible.
And his gift is always just one song away that takes me back to that special time in 1976 and still makes me smile and miss him even more.
COLIN HESKETH
I’ve never been able to come to a decision about how much I enjoy ‘Private Eyes’! ‘Teaser’ for me has been my go-to Tommy album since I discovered his solo work around 1978. I really flipped over the diversity and guitar-heavy nature of the tracks, which epitomised what I came to feel was what Tommy was all about.
‘Private Eyes’ doesn’t quite give me the same buzz somehow. For me, it lacks the devil may care factor and most of the songs, though generally nice in their own way, feel like something or someone (CBS?) told him he needed to go more commercial/mainstream.... (Not at all unusual from ‘76 onwards it seems).
“Post Toastee” is the albums big rocker, with plenty of scope for instrumental wizardry, but even this feels ever so slightly like a heavy metal compromise and the extended soloing doesn’t crackle with energy like I’d like it to. It’s a great track, but not the absolute killer that it sets out to be for me, though I know that most will disagree!
There are also a couple of songs that I am inclined to skip most times, as I feel that they don’t really go anywhere much... “Someday Will Bring Our Love Home” and “You Told Me That You Loved Me”... they don’t really do it for me,
Accepting the album as a whole for what it is however, my favourite tracks are the 3 most laid back, mellow ones! “Sweet Burgundy” for the melodic guitar solo, “Hello Again” (a very effective stripped back song and love the string arrangement!) and “Gypsy Soul”, with it’s soft and creamy late night sax solo!
Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to enjoy here, but I can’t say it quite makes my top 3 Tommy album list unfortunately! 7/10
There... That should put the cat amongst the pigeons :)
KENNY MATHERS
The first thing I recall when I first heard ‘Private Eyes’ in the early 80’s was the sound of the album, the production was like nothing I’d heard before. Particularly those big, booming drums, with deep reverb. The production still sounds incredible nearly 50 years on.
In terms of the songs, my personal opinion is that 3 ‘ballads’ out of 7 songs was too many, but having said that, the 3 songs I’d regard as ballad-like “Sweet Burgundy”, “Gypsy Soul”, and “Hello Again”) are all great tracks. I also feel that there are occasions where a couple of the songs play out too long before the fade – “Sweet Burgundy” in particular is like a constant repeat for the final 2 minutes. Perhaps the long fades were partly because it was quite a short album– 37 minutes if I remember correctly. These are minor gripes however.
There are some incredible rock songs on the album, most notably “Shake The Devil” and the incredible “Post Toastee” – Tommy’s playing is wonderful on these 2 songs. And “Bustin’ Out For Rosey” is a great, catchy opening song.
Is it as good as ‘Teaser’? I can’t compare them as it feels so different to the ‘Teaser’ album- the mood, the production, even the playing. It’s like comparing apples with oranges.
My final early recollection of this album was the cover, how strikingly unusual it was, but also how different Tommy looked to how he did on the smiling front cover of ‘Teaser’. There, he looked like the happiest guy on earth with the world at his feet. Whereas on ‘Private Eyes’ (both front and back covers), I thought he looked like his lifestyle was catching up with him.
As indeed it was...
SCOTT McINTOSH
‘Private Eyes’ was the point of entry for many new Bolin fans. Maybe because it was less esoteric than ‘Teaser’, which delighted Jazz Fusion aficionados, or because its powerhouse rocker tunes like “Shake the Devil” and “Post Toastee” were immediately accessible to a broader audience.
Ask the average Bolin fan their top three favorite tunes, and most will have “Post Toastee” on their list.
LYNN EVERETT
I thought ‘Private Eyes’ was a very good album.
I enjoy the diversity of the entire album. I have never heard anything else quite like it.
I really like “Post Toastee” and the last part of “Busting Out For Rosie” – with the interplay of the horns, guitar, bass and the vocals.
VINNYS VAULT
Always loved the mix on ‘Private Eyes’. I never had the LP, just the CD – the drums on that album always stuck out to me the way they were in the mix.
I really have no faves as I love EVERYTHING Tommy did. I remember how excited I was when it was released on CD (around 1990) I guess right after ‘The Ultimate’ box set, CBS saw their chance and released this on CD.
BECKY NYSTROM
I hadn’t listened to the ‘Private Eyes’ album for awhile and did so today. I love the album but it makes me feel sad knowing it is the last album Tommy made.
My favorite song on it is “Sweet Burgundy”. It has a forlorn feeling to it. I can picture a homesick Tommy looking out the window wishing he was home in Sioux City with his family and friends. It is a beautiful song. But then all of the songs on the album are great. Tommy... Gone too soon.
PAUL DROZDZ
In musical terms, I was advanced beyond my years. Whilst most of my contemporaries were listening to David Essex, Leo Sayer and Gilbert O’Sullivan and other British pop acts, I was at a distinct advantage by having an older brother who was listening to rock music by his early teens and, as a result, essential viewing every Tuesday night was ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ on BBC2.
On one such Tuesday evening, a track from Billy Cobham’s ‘Spectrum’ was played - I believe it was “Stratus” - and instantly, I remember my 15 year old brother and an 11 year old me glancing at each other thinking,“who the hell is playing that guitar?”That evening led to a lifelong love of Tommy Bolin.
Moving forward a few years, I was overjoyed to discover that Tommy had stepped into Ritchie Blackmore’s platform boots (though thankfully not his wig) and although I was blown away by ‘Come Taste the Band’, the live performances I witnessed at Wembley 1976 were hardly spectacular.
‘Teaser’ was a permanent fixture on my turntable by the time ‘Private Eyes’ was released and, although I was expecting it to be a follow on from Tommy’s previous album, it really surprised me as a record. It seemed more mature and developed, like it was a band rather than a showcase of musicians, and playing music from a mixture of genres rather than being an out and out ‘rock’ album.
Like most kids, I was knocking out mix tapes every week and often liked to record different styles of music from a number of artists, but when ‘Private Eyes’ came along, it seemed to cover everything I liked. As a result, my mix tape production ceased and ‘Private Eyes’ took its place - nothing I could cobble together could out-gun the mix of styles, genres, textures and subtleties of what was for me, one of THE albums of the 1970s.
From the opening boom of drums on “Bustin’ Out for Rosie” to the final seconds of “Post Toastee”, not one single note, not one single nuance, not one single word, is wasted as the tracks meander through rock, jazz, funk, fusion, reggae and ballads.
Tommy’s playing is superb - sometimes complex, sometimes simple, sometimes jazzy, sometimes rocking, but always delivered by a man at the top of his game, and although he would never describe himself as a singer, Tommy could deliver the vocals in a style and manner that suited every track. The same could be said about Tommy’s fellow musicians on the album - Reggie McBride’s bass meanders through each track like a big supportive friend, Mark Stein’s keyboards go from subtle to in your face, Bobby Berge’s drums pound at your soul and Norma Jean Bell’s sax playing, in my view, sets ‘Private Eyes’ apart from ‘Teaser’, giving it a definite edge.
It’s an album that is timeless, and one of my desert island discs for sure. It seems crazy that despite being nearly 50 years old, it still feels contemporary and fresh...and reminds me every time I listen to it what a loss to the world of music Tommy’s passing was.
THOMAS HOMMEYER
I first heard of the ‘Private Eyes’ album on January 3, 1977 – one month after Tommy had passed away. It was at a friend’s birthday party and she received it as a gift. It was immediately put on the turntable and cued up to “Post Toastee”. Only the person who gave the gift had heard the album yet, and it blew everyone’s minds that were there.
I rushed out shortly afterward and bought both the ‘Teaser’ and ‘Private Eyes’ albums. It so influenced my music.
Three years later I was in a band playing in clubs in Minneapolis. “Bustin’ Out For Rosey”, “Shake The Devil” and “From Another Time” were often part of our set lists.
FLOYD GILLIS
I love ‘Private Eyes’. Jeff Cook/ Tommy Bolin works are in my lifetime favorites. “Hello Again” has brilliant lyrics and hypnotic strings. “Busting out for Rosey” is a random catchy tune. “Gypsy Soul” reminds me of the hippy chicks who were so free in their wandering. Tommy’s LP’s are the best from ‘Edge to Edge.’
BETTY ROUSE
‘Private Eyes’ was an exceptional album and was on the path of where Tommy wanted to be. The songs written by Jeff Cook, where beautiful words put to Tommy's genius guitar playing were amazing. Bobby B. finally achieved his nirvana, so to speak, with the song “Post Toastee”. His drumming, with Tommy's strumming, is fabulously mind boggling. They were definitely in the pocket. This is where Tommy was meant to be, with his own band playing how and what he wanted. 1976 was a great year.
MICHAEL HEUVELMAN
I remember hearing “Post Toastee” on the radio in Denver in the early 90’s and wondering who it was!?!?!? When I heard the entire album, I loved it! It’s so diverse and emotional. The production is unique as well. You can tell Tommy had learned a lot from 1975 to 1976. ‘Private Eye’ is a more focused and mature album.
DEBBIE ROTH
After following Tommy since I was 15 by first being a huge ZEPHYR fan and hitching rides with friends up to Boulder to see them as often as I could, which continued through until August 1976 at the Mile High Stadium concert – which I was mainly there to see The Tommy Bolin Band, the others were just fill-in bands as far as I was concerned. I had no way of knowing it would be the last time I would see him live.
When ‘Teaser’ came out I immediately fell in love with the album as it was truly Tommy. To this day some of my favorite songs of my life are on that album, “Alexis” and “Savanah Woman” to name a few. I thought this is what I'd been waiting for from Tommy.When the announcements came through that Tommy was releasing his second album, I thought it's going to be tough to put together anything better than ‘Teaser’, but I was WRONG. When ‘Private Eyes’ was released I had to have it on release day. My favorite record store was Peaches and I knew they would have it, and I also knew that Denver had a massive amount of Tommy fans, we considered him a hometown boy even though he didn't arrive until he was 16. Walked into Peaches, there was a huge display with Tommy's new album ‘Private Eyes’. Upon listening to this amazing album for the first time, I was taken back to those first days I would see him in Boulder with Zephyr and to hear how far he had progressed blew me away.I loved every song every lyric, every guitar riff...EVERYTHING.
I knew this album would get worn out so I went back to Peaches a couple days later and bought a second album to have after I'd played the first one to death.
It's hard to pick out a favorite song on this album as they all have their own personality, but if I had to pick one or two it would be “Gypsy Soul” and “Bustin out for Rosey”.
To this day I have my two original 1976 Private Eyes albums and as with all of my anything Tommy collection I treasure them.
The picture is just a small example of my collection as I have both ZEPHYR albums, ‘Spectrum’ and every CD that has been put out.
I hope this gives you an idea of how I feel about ‘Private Eyes’. I love to listen to it often, and I dance and sing. But at the same time I get extremely sad as there was so much more he had to give but never got the chance.
CHRIS PARSONS
I had gotten ‘Teaser’ and ‘CTTB’ in December of 1975, and was looking forward to seeing Purple or Tommy in some shape or form. That didn't happen. The talk of Purple making it to my neck of the woods ended in England in 1976, or thereabouts as the legend goes.
Tommy didn't make it here again later in '76, and most of the venues he was playing I wasn't old enough to enter anyway. In the meantime, I had bought a bass and my goal was to play in his band someday. Hey, I was a kid......... That was in the summer of 1976. I jammed almost exclusively on ‘Teaser/CTTB’, and the Beatles. Great taste if nothing else.
I think ‘Private Eyes’ came out in September or October. To be honest, I wasn't as drawn into it as I was the aformentioned LP's. It was a totally different sound and approach, for one thing, and Tommy sounded, for a lack of a descriptive term, tired in spots, vocally. That, and the strange compressed sound of the LP. BUT, it slowly grew on me, and I "GOT" it.
The big difference was this was a proper band recording, instead of a bunch of session people. This wasn't a guitar LP per se, and the whole band really stood out, which was NOT what I wanted or expected. Second, it was more organic, with fewer overdubs and layering that Tommy was so good at (The Del Newman ochestration still leaves a bit to be desired even to this day – a remix would help greatly on that one). Once I dropped my preconceived notions, I really got into it, and it remains one of my favorite LP's. They were an incredible band.
I had talked to someone 'in the know" and was pumped at the idea there was talk of them coming to the area in the new year. But...
The Tommy Bolin Memorial Fund was originally established by Johnnie Bolin in memory of his brother, in association with the Siouxland Community Foundation. The Ultimate mission is simple... To preserve the music, the memory and the legacy of Tommy Bolin.
