Fire on the Mountain (The Marshall Tucker Band song)

"Fire on the Mountain" is a song written by George McCorkle of The Marshall Tucker Band. The song was originally recorded by the band on their 1975 album, Searchin' for a Rainbow, and released as the album's first single. It peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3]

Not to be confused with Fire on the Mountain (Grateful Dead song).
"Fire on the Mountain"
Single by The Marshall Tucker Band
from the album Searchin' for a Rainbow
B-side"Bob Away My Blues"
Released1975
Recorded1975
Genre
Length3:53
LabelCapricorn
Songwriter(s)George McCorkle
Producer(s)Paul Hornsby
The Marshall Tucker Band singles chronology
"This Ol' Cowboy"
(1975)		 "Fire on the Mountain"
(1975)		 "Searchin' for a Rainbow"
(1976)

"Fire on the Mountain" was written by George McCorkle in the hopes that his friend Charlie Daniels would record it on the album of the same name. When Daniels decided not to use it, McCorkle recorded it with his band, The Marshall Tucker Band, with Daniels guesting on fiddle. It became the band's first Top 40 hit single and is one of the most popular Southern rock tunes.[2]

The song's lyrics are set during the California gold rush. "Fire on the Mountain" details how a family sets out from their home in North Carolina looking to make some money panning gold. In the end, the singer ends up getting shot and killed, and his widow is left behind with a worthless claim. Toy Caldwell plays steel guitar in the song, but it is out of tune because he didn't know how to tune it properly.[4]

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song is composed in the key of G Major with the vocal range spanning from D4 to G5.[5]

Chart performance
Chart (1975) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 38
Canadian RPM Top Singles 81

References
  1. Stuessy, Joe (2009). Rock and roll : its history and stylistic development. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-13-601068-5.
  2. "Obituaries: George McCorkle, Musician". The Washington Post. July 2, 2007. p. B6. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  3. "The Marshall Tucker Band singles". Allmusic. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  4. "Fire On The Mountain by The Marshall Tucker Band". Songfacts. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  5. "Digital Sheet Music – The Marshall Tucker Band – Fire on the Mountain". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  6. "The Marshall Tucker Band Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
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