Take Me Home Country Roads on the Road Again
Information technology's almost exactly 50 years since the debut of "Take Me Home, State Roads" — the song that made John Denver a star. But the song was written by two D.C.-area musicians, and inspired by Clopper Road, in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
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"Take me domicile, Clopper Road" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but the Gaithersburg, Maryland, route was the inspiration behind the song that gave John Denver his offset platinum single.
Later this calendar month marks fifty years since "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was commencement performed in public, at the tiny Cellar Door, at the intersection of 34th and Grand streets, in Georgetown.
But that'due south getting ahead of ourselves — John Denver had never heard of the vocal until the night before.
Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert wrote 'Take Me Home, Country Roads'
In tardily 1970, local singer and songwriters Bill Danoff and his girlfriend at the time, Taffy Nivert — who performed as Fatty City — were driving to a family reunion.
As they collection through winding roads, the couple batted almost lyrics, to pass the time — they envisioned a song Johnny Cash might record. .
"The road they were really on was Clopper Route, in Gaithersburg, a little two-lane blacktop," at the time, just now an go out off Interstate 270, said Len Jaffe, a D.C. area-based singer and songwriter, who was at the Cellar Door for the song's debut.
"When they got to the 'Almost sky …' at showtime it was going to be Massachusetts, because that'south where Bill was from. But they didn't like the vibe, so they used West Virginia. They had never been to West Virginia," said Jaffe.
On Dec. 29, 1970, John Denver played the first night of a string of solo shows at the Cellar Door — Danoff and Nivert were the opening act. Later that evening, in the couple's Georgetown dwelling, Denver asked if they had whatsoever new songs they wanted him to hear.
"Taffy said, 'Get out that song you lot're writing for Johnny Cash,' Jaffe said. Danoff pulled out a partially-written song, which at that indicate consisted of one chorus and one verse.
Denver told the couple he loved the song — he, Danoff and Nivert completed the lyrics and arrangement overnight.
Denver played the newly-written song that evening, Wednesday, Dec. xxx, at the Cellar Door.
John Denver debuted 'Take Me Home, Land Roads' at the Cellar Door
"They were out of songs to play, and John said, "We just finished a brand new song, and I oasis't even learned the words even so,' so he taped the lyrics to the mic stand,'" Jaffe recalled, "and they did the song cold, equally an encore."
"John played a 12-string, Bill Danoff played a six-string, John had a lead guitar player, and a stand-upward bass role player," said Jaffe. "It was a 5-minute standing ovation — the walls were vibrating — I thought the guild was going to implode."
Denver recorded the song, with Danoff and Nivert doing backing vocals, the post-obit month, in New York City, as part of the anthology "Poems, Prayers & Promises."
"Take Me Home, Land Roads" was released equally a single — and it went to No. 2 on Billboard'south charts.
Danoff and Nivert subsequently formed Starland Vocal Band, known for the 1976 hit, "Afternoon Delight."
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Source: https://wtop.com/dc/2020/12/real-story-behind-take-me-home-country-roads-debut-50-years-ago-in-dc-club/
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