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"Tobacco Road" | ||||
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Single by The Nashville Teens | ||||
from the album Tobacco Road | ||||
B-side | "I Like It Like That" | |||
Released | June 26, 1964 (UK) August 1964 (US) | |||
Recorded | May 1964 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:27 | |||
Label | Decca (UK) London (US) | |||
Songwriter(s) | John D. Loudermilk | |||
Producer(s) | Mickie Most | |||
The Nashville Teens singles chronology | ||||
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"Tobacco Road" is a blues song written and first recorded by John D. Loudermilk in December 1959 and released in 1960. This song became a hit for The Nashville Teens in 1964 and has since become a standard across several musical genres.
Originally framed as a folk song, "Tobacco Road" was a semi-autobiographical tale of growing up in Durham, North Carolina. Released on Columbia Records, it was not a hit for Loudermilk, achieving only minor chart success in Australia. Other artists, however, immediately began recording and performing the song.
The English group The Nashville Teens' garage rock [1] [2] /blues rock [3] rendering was a bold effort featuring prominent piano, electric guitar, and bass drum parts and a dual lead vocal. Mickie Most produced it with the same tough-edged-pop feel that he brought to The Animals' hits.[ citation needed ] "Tobacco Road" was a trans-Atlantic pop hit in 1964, reaching number 6 on the UK singles chart, number 3 in Canada, [4] and number 14 on the U.S. singles chart. While the Teens would have some further success in the UK, in North America "Tobacco Road" became another one-hit wonder of the British Invasion.
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Lou Rawls recorded the song as a slow blues and released it as a single in 1963, although it didn't chart; it also became the title track of his subsequent album.[ citation needed ]
Jefferson Airplane recorded a version of "Tobacco Road" on their first album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off , in 1966; it was one of two songs on their first album not written by a member of the band.
Also in 1966, the song was recorded by the Los Angeles band The Leaves on its album Hey Joe , and by the New York band The Blues Magoos on its debut album Psychedelic Lollipop .
British psychedelic band Spooky Tooth recorded a version in 1968 for their debut album, It's All About .
Rare Earth included the song on their 1969 album Get Ready .
American funk rock band War recorded a version with British singer Eric Burdon for their 1970 album Eric Burdon Declares War .
The band Jamul reached number 83 in Canada with their version June 6, 1970. [5]
The song appeared on Edgar Winter's debut album Entrance in 1970, and in a 17-minute live version on his 1972 double LP Roadwork .
In the 1970s, songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman claimed to have been inspired by "Tobacco Road" while writing The Sweet's Block Buster! , after accusations of stealing the guitar riff from David Bowie's "Jean Genie".[ citation needed ]
Dan Seals covered the song in his 1985 album Won't Be Blue Anymore .
Roy Clark included the song on his 1986 album Rockin' in the Country, which peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. [6]
In 1986, "Tobacco Road" was included on David Lee Roth's Eat 'em and Smile album, reaching #10 on the Billboard Rock chart.
In 2017 Suzi Quatro, Don Powell and Andy Scott released a version on their album QSP Quatro, Scott & Powell
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Tobacco Road may refer to:
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