The Nashville Teens - Tobacco Road

Arthur Sharp began his career in music as the manager of Aerco Records in Woking, Surrey. The group&line-up eventually comprised singers Sharp and Ray Phillips, with former Cruisers Rock Combo members John Hawken (piano), Mick Dunford (guitar), Pete Harris (bass) and Dave Maine (drums). Additional guitarist Pete Shannon completed the band. Roger Groome replaced Maine shortly afterwards but was in turn replaced by Barry Jenkins in 1963, in which year a third vocalist, Terry Crowe, joined briefly and Dunford left, to be replaced by John Allen. (Crowe and Dunford later formed &Plebs&with Danny McCulloch and were re-united with Hawken in Renaissance in 1970). While playing in Hamburg (as several British bands of the era did) the Teens backed Jerry Lee Lewis for his Live at the Star Club, Hamburg album, widely considered one of the greatest live rock and roll albums ever. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes, "Live at the Star Club is extraordinary, the purest, hardest rock & roll ever committed to record." They later backed Carl Perkins on his hit single "Big Bad Blues" (May 1964), and also played with Chuck Berry when he toured Britain.[7] At one concert they were spotted by Mickie Most who subsequently produced their June 1964 debut single, an interpretation of the John D. Loudermilk penned song, "Tobacco Road", which reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart and number 14 in the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 chart. Big Jim Sullivan and Jimmy Page played guitars on the studio...