Tobacco Road (song)
Encyclopedia
"Tobacco Road" is a song written and first recorded by John D. Loudermilk
in 1960 that was 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.
' 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. "Tobacco Road" was a trans-Atlantic pop hit in 1964, reaching number 6 on the UK singles chart
and number 14 on the U.S. singles chart
. While the Teens would have some further success in England, in the U.S. "Tobacco Road" became another one-hit wonder
of the British Invasion
. The Nashville Teens' cover version was featured at the close of episode 1 of season 4 of the hit television show "Mad Men
" on July 25, 2010.
In the 1970s, songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman claimed to have been inspired by "Tobacco Road" while writing Sweet's "Blockbuster", after accusations of stealing the guitar riff from David Bowie's "Jean Genie".
"Tobacco Road" has been performed by a great number of other artists, often with slightly altered lyrics. Notable renderings include a soul
one from Lou Rawls
, a folk rock
one from Jefferson Airplane
on their debut album Takes Off, Mind Garage
, a lengthy 17-minute version by Edgar Winter
and his band, a sample on dead prez
's Psychology, and others from Eric Burdon
& War
, Spooky Tooth
, Status Quo, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Steve Young
, Love Affair
, David Lee Roth
, Aum
, Tommy Cash
, Blues Magoos
, Blues Creation, Bobbie Gentry
, Rare Earth
, Jean-Jacques Goldman
, an unreleased version by Jimi Hendrix
, Southern Culture on the Skids
, Serbian rock
bands Smak
and Disciplin A Kitschme
, and so on. It has been done as blues
, country music
, punk rock
, or garage rock
. In 2006 it was featured in the finale of the hit television show American Idol
, and was performed on the show by contestant Phil Stacey
in 2007 and Syesha Mercado
in 2008.
In the late 1960's, the song became a staple of the Jackson 5's early shows, and was one of the four songs they performed at their audition for Motown Records in 1968.
On 1 February 1966, Lou Rawls
performed the song as a medley with "Southside Blues", which was included on his album Live!.
In 1967, Eric Burdon & The Animals performed it on a German TV show.
In 1970 it was an Atlantic hit by Eric Burdon & War. This version runs for 14 minutes. Later, after they disbanded, they released another version featured on many compilations.
Eric Burdon
released some live recordings on "Access All Areas
", "Official Live Bootleg#2", "Athens Traffic Live
". A 11-minute live version from the early 1980s was released later.
"Tobacco Road" was also recorded by Hank Williams Jr. on his album Hog Wild (1995).
Also Jimmy Johnson made a cover on his CD Heap See.
Paul Revere & The Raiders Featuring Mark Lindsay also made a "Remix" of this song in their compilation CD The Legend of Paul Revere released May 6, 1990. Also listed in Wikipedia under 'Mark Lindsay' who was the lead singer of Paul Revere & The Raiders it states under Production Credits: "Tobacco Road" (1977), United Artists - Ritchie Lecea, exec. producer, single.
John D. Loudermilk
John D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin...
in 1960 that was a hit for The Nashville Teens
The Nashville Teens
The Nashville Teens are a British pop band formed in Weybridge, Surrey in Summer 1962.-History:Arthur Sharp began his career in music as the manager of Aerco Records in Woking, Surrey...
in 1964 and has since become a standard
Standard (music)
In music, a standard is a tune or song of established popularity.-See also:* Blues standard* Jazz standard* Pop standard* Great American Songbook-Further reading:* Greatest Rock Standards, published by Hal Leonard ISBN 0793588391...
across several musical genres.
Originally framed as a folk song
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, "Tobacco Road" was a semi-autobiographical tale of growing up in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
. Released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, it was not a hit for Loudermilk, achieving only minor chart success in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Other artists, however, immediately began recording and performing the song.
Cover versions
The English group The Nashville TeensThe Nashville Teens
The Nashville Teens are a British pop band formed in Weybridge, Surrey in Summer 1962.-History:Arthur Sharp began his career in music as the manager of Aerco Records in Woking, Surrey...
' rendering was a bold effort featuring prominent piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, electric guitar and bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
parts and a dual lead vocal: Mickie Most
Mickie Most
Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....
produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
it with the same tough-edged-pop feel that he brought to The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
' hits. "Tobacco Road" was a trans-Atlantic pop hit in 1964, reaching number 6 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number 14 on the U.S. singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. While the Teens would have some further success in England, in the U.S. "Tobacco Road" became another one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
of the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
. The Nashville Teens' cover version was featured at the close of episode 1 of season 4 of the hit television show "Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
" on July 25, 2010.
In the 1970s, songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman claimed to have been inspired by "Tobacco Road" while writing Sweet's "Blockbuster", after accusations of stealing the guitar riff from David Bowie's "Jean Genie".
"Tobacco Road" has been performed by a great number of other artists, often with slightly altered lyrics. Notable renderings include a soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
one from Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
, a folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
one from Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
on their debut album Takes Off, Mind Garage
Mind Garage
Mind Garage was an American psychedelic rock and roll band from Morgantown, West Virginia, and a progenitor of Christian rock music. Their "Electric Liturgy" performed in 1968 was the first documented Christian rock worship service, and their 1969 eponymous debut RCA album was one of the earliest...
, a lengthy 17-minute version by Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
and his band, a sample on dead prez
Dead Prez
Dead Prez stylized as dead prez is a hip hop duo from the United States, composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City, New York. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice and Pan-Africanism...
's Psychology, and others from Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
& War
War (band)
War is an American funk band from California, known for the hit songs "Low Rider", "Spill the Wine", "The Cisco Kid" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Formed in 1969, War was a musical crossover band which fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae...
, Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth are an English rock band principally active, with intermittent breakups, between 1967 to 1974. In recent years, the band has been reconstituted at various points, and continues to perform occasionally.-Career:...
, Status Quo, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Steve Young
Steve Young (musician)
Steve Young is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist, known for his song "Seven Bridges Road"...
, Love Affair
Love Affair (band)
Love Affair were a London based pop, soul, R&B group formed in 1966. They had several UK Singles Chart Top 10 hits, including the number one success "Everlasting Love".-Personnel:The band primarily featured the following —...
, David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
, Aum
Aum
Om or Aum Om or Aum Om or Aum (also , written in Devanāgari as and as , in Sanskrit known as (lit. "to sound out loudly"), ', or ' (also as ') (lit. "Auṃ form/syllable"), is a sacred/mystical syllable in the Dharmic or Indian religions, i.e...
, Tommy Cash
Tommy Cash
Tommy Cash, , is a singer-songwriter and younger brother of Johnny Cash.-Biography:Cash was born in Dyess, Arkansas, youngest of four sons and three daughters of Ray and Carrie Cash, and eight years after his brother, Johnny Cash. He formed his first band in high school. After high school...
, Blues Magoos
Blues Magoos
The Blues Magoos was a rock music group from the The Bronx, New York. They were at the forefront of the psychedelic music trend, beginning as early as 1966.-1964 - 1971:The band was formed in 1964 as "The Trenchcoats"...
, Blues Creation, Bobbie Gentry
Bobbie Gentry
Roberta Lee Streeter , professionally known as Bobbie Gentry, is a former American singer-songwriter notable as one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her own material...
, Rare Earth
Rare Earth (band)
Rare Earth is an American rock band affiliated with Motown's Rare Earth record label , who prospered in 1970-1972. Although not the first white band signed to Motown, Rare Earth was the first big hit-making act signed by Motown that consisted only of white members...
, Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is a Grammy Awards-winning French singer-songwriter. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and since 2003 was the second-highest-grossing French living pop singer, after Johnny Hallyday.- Biography :...
, an unreleased version by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Southern Culture on the Skids
Southern Culture on the Skids
Southern Culture on the Skids, also sometimes known as SCOTS, is an American rock band that was formed in 1983 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina...
, Serbian rock
Serbian rock
Serbian rock is the rock music scene of Serbia. During the 1960s, 1970s and the 1980s, while Serbia was a constituent republic of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbian rock scene was a part of the SFR Yugoslav rock scene....
bands Smak
Smak
Smak is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the top acts of the former Yugoslav rock scene...
and Disciplin A Kitschme
Disciplina Kičme
Disciplina Kičme , is a Serbian band, one of the two spin-offs of the seminal Yugoslav New Wave and later post-punk band Šarlo Akrobata, the other being Ekatarina Velika...
, and so on. It has been done as blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, or garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
. In 2006 it was featured in the finale of the hit television show American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, and was performed on the show by contestant Phil Stacey
Phil Stacey
Joel Philip "Phil" Stacey is an American singer who first gained national attention on season 6 of the television talent show American Idol. After being eliminated from the competition on May 2, 2007, he was signed to a recording contract with Lyric Street Records...
in 2007 and Syesha Mercado
Syesha Mercado
Syesha Raquel Mercado is an American singer, songwriter, actress and model. Mercado was the third place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, Mercado was on The One: Making a Music Star and she won Florida Super Singer...
in 2008.
In the late 1960's, the song became a staple of the Jackson 5's early shows, and was one of the four songs they performed at their audition for Motown Records in 1968.
On 1 February 1966, Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
performed the song as a medley with "Southside Blues", which was included on his album Live!.
In 1967, Eric Burdon & The Animals performed it on a German TV show.
In 1970 it was an Atlantic hit by Eric Burdon & War. This version runs for 14 minutes. Later, after they disbanded, they released another version featured on many compilations.
Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
released some live recordings on "Access All Areas
Access All Areas (1993 album)
Access All Areas is a live album by Eric Burdon and Brian Auger Band recorded in on May 10, 1993.-History:When they first met in 1991, Auger asked Burdon if he wants to play with him. Burdon agreed and they formed the "Eric Burdon – Brian Auger Band"...
", "Official Live Bootleg#2", "Athens Traffic Live
Athens Traffic Live
Athens Traffic Live is a live album by Eric Burdon recorded in 2005 in Greece. It includes a bonus DVD.-Track listing:# "Introduction" – 0:16# "Boom Boom" – 5:57# "When I Was Young" Athens Traffic Live is a live album by Eric Burdon recorded in 2005 in Greece. It includes a bonus DVD.-Track...
". A 11-minute live version from the early 1980s was released later.
"Tobacco Road" was also recorded by Hank Williams Jr. on his album Hog Wild (1995).
Also Jimmy Johnson made a cover on his CD Heap See.
Paul Revere & The Raiders Featuring Mark Lindsay also made a "Remix" of this song in their compilation CD The Legend of Paul Revere released May 6, 1990. Also listed in Wikipedia under 'Mark Lindsay' who was the lead singer of Paul Revere & The Raiders it states under Production Credits: "Tobacco Road" (1977), United Artists - Ritchie Lecea, exec. producer, single.
External links
- Loudermilk fan site - extensive history of song and recorded versions.