James Gang: Must Be Love

When folks typically think of the James Gang, they normally equate the band with the Joe Walsh years from 1968 to 1971 that produced such hits as “Funk #49,” “Midnight Man,” and “Walk Away.” When Walsh left in 1971 to form Barnstorm, he was replaced by Domenic Troiano who recorded two albums with the band.

When Troiano left the James Gang to join The Guess Who, he was replaced by Tommy Bolin who performed on two albums before leaving the band. By 1975, Bolin had replaced Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple. By 1976, he was dead from an overdose.

“Bang,” Bolin’s first LP with the James Gang, produced one single that got significant airplay; however, it failed to chart in the Top 40. “Must be Love,” which features Bolin on guitar and vocals, bubbled under at #54 in 1974. It starts off with Bolin’s slide guitar and even features an Elvis impression – “uh, got that feeling – it must be love.”