"China Grove" is a song by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released in 1973 on their third studio album, The Captain and Me. It was written and sung by the band's original lead singer and songwriter Tom Johnston.[4] The song reached number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100. While there is a real place named China Grove in Texas, Johnston's lyrics about the community are mostly fictional. The song spent eight weeks in the Top 40.
Composition and recording
In 2010, examination of the master recording tape for the track by recording engineer Chris Baseford revealed that, as most bands did at the time, the band played together while tracking in the studio instead of overdubbing the instrumental elements.
The production on the song was described as "pretty standard". Aside from the drums, panned slightly off center, additional percussion like a tambourine and hand clapping overdubs were added. Baseford described the bass performance and sound on this song as "top notch" with Tiran Porter playing the melodic line using a pick and plugging directly into the mixing board.[5]
The song uses a clavé rhythm. Lead singer and songwriter Tom Johnston plays the distinctive opening guitar riff.
Origins
Like many songs by Johnston, the music was composed and developed before the lyrics were written. It started with a guitar riff that he and drummer John Hartman developed into a jam with a chord structure. Johnston said that the lyrics were influenced by a piano part in the performance. According to Johnston, "...I really owe Billy Payne for the words because he played this wacky bridge that started the thinking process with this wacky sheriff, samurai swords, and all that."[6]
The song is based on a real small town in Texas.[7] Johnston thought he had created a fictional town called "China Grove" near San Antonio but later learned from a cabdriver in Houston that China Grove was a real town.[8][9] Johnston explained that the band had been on tour passing through the town of China Grove on the way to or from San Antonio, and he had seen a road sign with the name, but somehow had forgotten about it.[10]
Reception
Upon the single release Record World said that the "group has now had three straight hit singles, and this mover will keep their streak alive."[11]Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated "China Grove" as the Doobie Brothers' 5th greatest song, praising the guitar riffs and calling it "the group's toughest-sounding song."[12] The staff of Billboard rated it as the Doobie Brothers' 4th best song, saying that the guitar riffs that begin the song are "the stuff of air guitar legend," and stating that "the 'sleepy little town' comes alive in clear detail."[13]
Personnel
The Doobie Brothers
Tom Johnston – electric guitar, lead guitar, lead and backing vocals
^Coleman, Mark; Sisario, Ben (November 2, 2004). "Doobie Brothers". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 254.
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