Tobacco Road

“Tobacco Road” was written and first recorded by John D. Loudermilk in 1960. Released on Columbia Records, it was not a hit for him, achieving only minor chart success in Australia. Other artists, however, immediately began recording and performing the song.

The English group The Nashville Teens’ garage/blues rock rendering was produced by Mickie Most with the same tough-edged-pop feel that he brought to The Animals’ hits. In this version, “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.

“Tobacco Road” has been performed by a great number of other artists. Notable renderings include Lou Rawls,  Jefferson Airplane, Edgar Winter’s White Trash, Eric Burdon & War, Spooky Tooth, Status Quo, Shocking Blue, David Lee Roth, Blues Magoos, Bobbie Gentry, Rare Earth, and Jimi Hendrix.