Eat a Peach
Encyclopedia
Eat a Peach is a 1972 double album
by the American
Southern rock
group The Allman Brothers Band
; it was the last to include founding member and lead slide-guitar
player Duane Allman
, who was killed in a motorcycle
accident on October 29, 1971 while the album was being recorded.
(1971) set and featured live tracks that did not make it onto that album, including boogie
classic "One Way Out
" and two entire album sides devoted to "Mountain Jam
", a 33-minute improvisation based around Donovan
's song "There Is a Mountain
."
The remainder of the album was recorded in-studio
and served to cement the band's reputation as innovative Southern rockers. Several tracks featured a new emphasis on more-lyrical acoustic work, notably on "Melissa
" and the guitar classic "Little Martha
." The lilting "Blue Sky"
became an album-oriented rock
radio staple, while "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" served as both a quiet generational anthem and a personal statement of purpose by the band in the face of Duane's death.
The widespread story regarding the origin of the album's title, that the truck involved in Duane's fatal motorcycle accident was a peach
truck, is not correct; the truck involved was a flatbed
lumber truck. Rather the album name came from something Duane said in an interview shortly before he was killed. When asked what he was doing to help the revolution, Duane replied, "There ain't no revolution, it's evolution, but every time I'm in Georgia
I eat a peach for peace." The album's name was originally slated to be The Kind We Grow in Dixie and the artwork for the album showed a peach. Band members were dissatisfied with the name and the image suggested Duane's quote instead.
The album art was selected by Rolling Stone
magazine in 1991 as one of the 100 greatest album covers of all time. The album cover was done by Flor Noi (James Flournoy Holmes
), who lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
On the original LP, side one consisted of the first three tracks — studio numbers recorded after Duane's death. Side two starts the live material with Duane and consisted of the first 19:37 of "Mountain Jam". Side three consisted of two live tracks and three more studio numbers recorded with Duane. Side four consisted of the final 15:06 of "Mountain Jam" including some initial overlap with the end of side two.
ed version of the original album on disc one, while disc two showcases the complete performance of the band at the final June 27, 1971, Fillmore East
concert:
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Southern rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
group The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
; it was the last to include founding member and lead slide-guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
player Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
, who was killed in a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
accident on October 29, 1971 while the album was being recorded.
History
This album came close on the heels of their breakthrough At Fillmore EastAt Fillmore East
At Fillmore East is a double live album by The Allman Brothers Band. The band's breakthrough success, At Fillmore East was released in July 1971. It ranks Number 49 among Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and remains among the top-selling albums in the band’s catalogue...
(1971) set and featured live tracks that did not make it onto that album, including boogie
Boogie
Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm, "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie music. The characteristic rhythm and feel of the boogie was then adapted to guitar, double bass, and other instruments. The earliest recorded...
classic "One Way Out
One Way Out (song)
"One Way Out" is a blues song first recorded and released in the early-mid 1960s by Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, an R&B hit under a different name for G.L. Crockett in the mid-1960s, and then popularized to rock audiences in the early 1970s and onward by The Allman Brothers Band.-Song...
" and two entire album sides devoted to "Mountain Jam
Mountain Jam
"Mountain Jam" is an improvised instrumental jam by The Allman Brothers Band. The song's first known recording is on 5-4-1969 at Macon Central Park, but was officially released later on the albums; Live at Ludlow Garage: 1970, Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival: July 3 & 5, 1970, The...
", a 33-minute improvisation based around Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
's song "There Is a Mountain
There Is a Mountain
"There is a Mountain" is a song and single by Donovan, released in 1967. It charted in the USA and UK .Featured musicians are Donovan , Tony Carr on percussion, Harold McNair on flute and arrangement and Danny Thompson on bass.Chart positions: # 11 , # 9 , # 11 , # 8 The Allman...
."
The remainder of the album was recorded in-studio
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
and served to cement the band's reputation as innovative Southern rockers. Several tracks featured a new emphasis on more-lyrical acoustic work, notably on "Melissa
Melissa (song)
"Melissa" is a song written in 1967 by Gregg Allman and Steve Alaimo. It was first recorded by The 31st of February – an early band comprising the Allman brothers, Gregg and Duane – in September 1968 at TK Studios, Hialeah, United States for the their second album produced by Alaimo, which was...
" and the guitar classic "Little Martha
Little Martha
"Little Martha" was the only Allman Brothers Band track written solely by group leader and partial namesake Duane Allman. The tune first appeared on the final studio track on the Allman Brothers Band's fourth album, Eat A Peach, released in 1972...
." The lilting "Blue Sky"
Blue Sky (song)
"Blue Sky" is the eighth track by the Allman Brothers Band off the Eat a Peach album.Dickey Betts wrote this about his Native American girlfriend, Sandy "Bluesky" Wabegijig. And for a while, Betts refused to perform this after their 1975 divorce....
became an album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
radio staple, while "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" served as both a quiet generational anthem and a personal statement of purpose by the band in the face of Duane's death.
The widespread story regarding the origin of the album's title, that the truck involved in Duane's fatal motorcycle accident was a peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
truck, is not correct; the truck involved was a flatbed
Flatbed truck
A flatbed truck is a type of truck which can be either articulated or rigid. As the name suggests, it has an entirely flat, level 'bed' body with no sides or roof...
lumber truck. Rather the album name came from something Duane said in an interview shortly before he was killed. When asked what he was doing to help the revolution, Duane replied, "There ain't no revolution, it's evolution, but every time I'm in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
I eat a peach for peace." The album's name was originally slated to be The Kind We Grow in Dixie and the artwork for the album showed a peach. Band members were dissatisfied with the name and the image suggested Duane's quote instead.
The album art was selected by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine in 1991 as one of the 100 greatest album covers of all time. The album cover was done by Flor Noi (James Flournoy Holmes
James Flournoy Holmes
James Flournoy Holmes is an artist whose work is featured on several notable album covers, including the first album from the Marshall Tucker Band, the Allman Brothers' Eat a Peach, Dr. John's In the Right Place, and Charlie Daniels' Fire on the Mountain. He is also credited with photography work...
), who lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Track listing
- "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" (Gregg Allman) – 3:40 (c)
- "Les Brers in A Minor" (Dickey Betts) – 9:03 (c)
- "MelissaMelissa (song)"Melissa" is a song written in 1967 by Gregg Allman and Steve Alaimo. It was first recorded by The 31st of February – an early band comprising the Allman brothers, Gregg and Duane – in September 1968 at TK Studios, Hialeah, United States for the their second album produced by Alaimo, which was...
" (Gregg Allman/Steve AlaimoSteve AlaimoSteve Alaimo was an American teen idol pop singer in the early 1960s who later became record producer and label owner, but he is perhaps best known for hosting and co-producing Dick Clark's Where the Action Is in the late 1960s...
) – 3:54 (c) - "Mountain JamMountain Jam"Mountain Jam" is an improvised instrumental jam by The Allman Brothers Band. The song's first known recording is on 5-4-1969 at Macon Central Park, but was officially released later on the albums; Live at Ludlow Garage: 1970, Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival: July 3 & 5, 1970, The...
" (Donovan Leitch/Duane Allman/Gregg Allman/Dickey Betts/Jai Johanny Johansen/Berry Oakley/Butch Trucks) – 33:38 (a) - "One Way OutOne Way Out (song)"One Way Out" is a blues song first recorded and released in the early-mid 1960s by Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, an R&B hit under a different name for G.L. Crockett in the mid-1960s, and then popularized to rock audiences in the early 1970s and onward by The Allman Brothers Band.-Song...
" (Marshall Sehorn/Elmore JamesElmore JamesElmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
) – 4:58 (b) - "Trouble No MoreTrouble No More (song)"Trouble No More" is an upbeat blues song first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1955. The song was a hit the following year, reaching #7 in the Billboard R&B chart...
" (Muddy Waters) – 3:43 (a) - "Stand Back" (Gregg Allman/Berry Oakley) – 3:24 (c)
- "Blue SkyBlue Sky (song)"Blue Sky" is the eighth track by the Allman Brothers Band off the Eat a Peach album.Dickey Betts wrote this about his Native American girlfriend, Sandy "Bluesky" Wabegijig. And for a while, Betts refused to perform this after their 1975 divorce....
" (Dickey Betts) – 5:09 (c) - "Little MarthaLittle Martha"Little Martha" was the only Allman Brothers Band track written solely by group leader and partial namesake Duane Allman. The tune first appeared on the final studio track on the Allman Brothers Band's fourth album, Eat A Peach, released in 1972...
" (Duane Allman) – 2:07 (c)
- (a)Recorded live at the Fillmore EastFillmore EastThe Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, March 12 & 13, 1971. - (b)Recorded live at the Fillmore East, New York City, New York, June 27, 1971.
- (c)Recorded at Criteria StudiosCriteria StudiosCriteria Studios is a music-recording studio in Miami, Florida, started in 1958 by Mack Emerman.In 1999, The Hit Factory purchased Criteria Studios, revamping and reopening the studios under the new name The Hit Factory Criteria Miami.-Notable artists:...
, MiamiMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, September through December 1971.
On the original LP, side one consisted of the first three tracks — studio numbers recorded after Duane's death. Side two starts the live material with Duane and consisted of the first 19:37 of "Mountain Jam". Side three consisted of two live tracks and three more studio numbers recorded with Duane. Side four consisted of the final 15:06 of "Mountain Jam" including some initial overlap with the end of side two.
2006 Deluxe Edition
Released on May 23, 2006, Eat a Peach Deluxe Edition features a remasterRemaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed version of the original album on disc one, while disc two showcases the complete performance of the band at the final June 27, 1971, Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
concert:
- "Statesboro BluesStatesboro Blues"Statesboro Blues" is a blues song in the key of D written by Blind Willie McTell; the title refers to the town of Statesboro, Georgia. Covered by many artists, the version by The Allman Brothers Band is especially notable and was ranked #9 by Rolling Stone in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar...
" – 4:28 - "Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’" – 3:46
- "Done Somebody Wrong" – 3:38
- "One Way Out" – 5:08
- "In Memory of Elizabeth ReedIn Memory of Elizabeth Reed"In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" is a jazz-influenced instrumental composed by Dickey Betts that became one of the best-known works ever recorded by The Allman Brothers Band, especially the version on their 1971 live album At Fillmore East.-Overview:...
" – 12:51 - "Midnight RiderMidnight Rider"Midnight Rider" is a popular and widely covered song by The Allman Brothers Band, from their album Idlewild South. Written by Gregg Allman and Robert Kim Payne, the song has become a fixture of the band's live performances and an enduring standard...
" – 3:11 - "Hot 'Lanta" – 5:51
- "Whipping PostWhipping Post (song)"Whipping Post" is a song by The Allman Brothers Band. Written by Gregg Allman, the five-minute studio version first appeared on their 1969 debut album The Allman Brothers Band. But the song's full power only manifested itself in concert, when it was the basis for much longer and more intense...
" – 20:06 - "You Don’t Love Me" – 17:24
Personnel
- Gregg AllmanGregg AllmanGregory Lenoir Allman , known as Gregg Allman, is a rock and blues singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter, and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia...
- organ, vocals, piano, electric piano, acoustic guitar - Duane AllmanDuane AllmanHoward Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
: slide and lead guitars, acoustic guitar in "Little Martha" (Tracks 4-9) - Dicky BettsDickey BettsForrest Richard "Dickey" Betts is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and also won with the band a best rock performance Grammy Award for his...
- slide and lead guitars, vocals, - Jai Johanny JohansonJai Johanny JohansonJai Johanny Johanson , frequently known by the stage name Jaimoe, is an American drummer and percussionist. He is best known as one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band.-Early years:...
- drums, congas - Berry OakleyBerry OakleyRaymond Berry Oakley III , was an American bassist and one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band.-Biography:...
- bass - Butch Trucks - drums, percussion, tympani, gong, vibes, tambourine