Artist:The Nashville Teens
Song:Tobacco Road
Album:The British Are Coming
Despite the name, The Nashville Teens were a British Invasion group and their version of John D. Loudermilk's Tobacco Road was their one big hit. The group was formed in 1962 in Surrey, England by guitarist/vocalist Art Sharp (born May 26, 1941 in Woking, Surrey, England), vocalist Ray Phillips (born Jan. 16, 1939 in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, South Wales) & pianist John Hawken (May 9, 1940 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England) along with Michael Dunford on guitar, Pete Shannon (born Peter Harris Aug. 23, 1941 in Antrim, Northern Ireland) on bass & Roger Groom on drums. Sharp & Phillips named the group The Nashville Teens after The Everly Brothers song Nashville Blues. Dunford & Groom left in 1963 and were replaced by guitarist John Allen (born Apr. 23, 1945 in St. Albans, England) & drummer Barry Jenkins (born Dec. 22, 1944 in Leicester, England). Vocalist Terry Crow briefly joined the group for an extended stay in Hamburg, Germany. They backed up visiting American performers and appeared on a Jerry Lee Lewis live in Germany recording. They also backed up Carl Perkins & Bo Diddley. They were spotted by producer Mickie Most and he got them a contract with Decca Records in 1964. Tobacco Road was their only real hit. Jimmy Page played guitar on the record. This 4CD box set from Sanctuary Records has a lot of the British Invasion hits. The Nashville Teens continued to record but Most turned his attention to The Animals and took Jenkins with him. The Nashville Teens split in 1973 but John Hawken along with Dunford & Crow were part of the 70s group Renaissance and Hawken was later a member of The Strawbs. Ray Phillips attempted to revive The Nashville Teens in 1980 and later on recorded three albums as part of the cover band The British Invasion All Stars. That's what one hit wonders do in the US too. Here's The Nashville Teens performing Tobacco Road in the film Beach Ball.
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