John D. Loudermilk

John D. Loudermilk was born on March 31, 1934 in Durham, NC.
One of the most productive Nashville songwriters in the 1960s, he acquired a prominent place in the rock, teen, pop and country music. He passed away September 21, 2016 in Nashville, age 82

→ click to play video of John D. performing his signature song, Tobacco Road (BBC-TV, 1984) →

On this page: JDL writes his Bio Recent news Discography and more...
Visit my complete (uhmm.., as far as I could, but you could help me to make it more complete!) discography with "all" of the songs Loudermilk has written and "all" the covers, in 4 parts.

part 1: 1956-1960 The Colonial, Columbia, Universal-Cedarwood years

part 2: 1960-1963 RCA, Hickory, Nashville, teen, hillbilly and novelty

part 3: 1963-1969 RCA, Hickory, Nashville, bizarre and open minded, country and singer-songwriter songs

part 4: 1970 & later MIM, England, back in the US, years of retirement

contact

Main songs:
A Rose & a Baby Ruth
Abilene
Angela Jones
Bad News
Big Daddy
Blue Train
Break My Mind
Callin' Doctor Casey
Google Eye
I Wanna Live
Indian Reservation

Interstate 40
It's My Time
Language of Love
Midnight Bus
Norman
Out Of Gas
Paper Tiger
Road Hog
Sad Movies
Sittin' in the Balcony
Sunglasses

Talk Back Tremblin' Lips
The Bully Of The Beach
The Great SnowMan
This Little Bird
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
Tobacco Road
Torture
Turn Me On
Waterloo
Weep No More, My Baby
Windy & Warm

Search my Loudermilk pages:

RECENT NEWS

October 2023, a new compilation cd British record company Jasmine Records has released a new CD compilation of early (1959-1962) Loudermilk music. That is: 22 original songs of Loudermilk and 10 covers of his songs by other artists. The CD is a follow-up to Jasmine's release of John's earliest work and covers, a 2-CD in 2012. On the new CD some very fine and essential covers have been chosen. It includes the original version of Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye and the obsure original soul version of Turn Me On (later Nina Simone, Norah Jones).
The Paul Leslie Hour interview On a new Facebook Group of Mike Griffiths I found a link to a lengthy interview with John D. from 2016, a few month before he passed away. John had my internet site on his computer in front of him as he spoke to interviewer Paul Leslie on the telephone. About my site, John said: "You can't believe all web sites, but I can believe this one, cause I lived this one"! Right you were, John!
Tribute release Sept. 2017 An all-Star Tribute to John D. Loudermilk released. Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell, Tommy Emmanuel and Norro Wilson are among the artists featured on A Tribute to John D. Loudermilk, an album recorded in 2016 during a concert at the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee. The project was released Sept. 2017. CMT News, track list
R.I.P. John D Loudermilk Today I received the sad news from Nashville that John D passed away September 21, 2016 at 7:30am Nashville time, age 82. My condolences to the family. A great songwriter has gone, may he rest in peace. His songs will live on and keep on giving us joy and happiness. Read the great obituary that Edd Hurt wrote for the Nashville Scene, and Alan Cackett's obituary. Newspapers: The Tennessean New York Times Los Angeles Times
Most played on Spotify A recent update of the most popular Loudermilk songs, ordered by most played on Spotify these days.
1. Turn Me On - Norah Jones 2. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - Bettye Swann 3. Tobacco Road - David Lee Roth 4. Turn Me On - Nina Simone 5. Tobacco Road - Eric Burdon & War 6. Road Hog (O Calhambeque) - Roberto Carlos 7. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - Joss Stone 8. Tobacco Road - Nashville Teens 9. Sunglasses - Tracey Ullman 10. Indian Reservation = Paul Revere & Raiders		11. Bad News - Johnny Cash 12. Abilene = George Hamilton IV 13. Ebony Eyes - Everly Brothers 14. Sad Movies - Sue Thompson 15. Tobacco Road - Jack McDuff 16. Windy and Warm = Doc (& Merle) Watson 17. Tobacco Road - Lou Rawls 18. Break My Mind - Carter Family (Johnny Cash) 19. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - Perry Como 20. Norman - Sue Thompson

Windy and Warm, with lyrics! Loudermilk's guitar classic Windy & Warm must have been played by thousands of pickers all over the world and has been recorded and released on album by over 100 artists. And each year the number of covers increases. So far, it has always been an instrumental. Till now. On her 2014 album, Eagles Calling, Miriam Allen delivers the song with lyrics. Hear a sample of the song. (Lyrics by Don Humphries) Well here I sit, caught in the middle, I can't find a dobro, can't play fiddle, been playing this song since I was little - trying to play 'Windy and Warm.' I heard Chet play it when I was just a youngun. Old Doc played it long and strong, and here I sit, longer and longer, trying to play 'Windy and Warm.' You see what I mean, it's a real tough one. I gotta get it right, there ain't no bluffing. And when I get it right, I'll be the stuffing, when I get the 'Windy and Warm.' When I get old and ain't worth a damn, give my finger to Uncle Sam, Scatter my ashes up on the farm, up there where it's windy and warm. When I get to heaven and they give me a harp, I hope it's tuned in C#, I'll be playing it right from the start, trying to play 'Windy and Warm,'
Now on YouTube: complete BBC 1984 show The intro instrumental is titled "Classical Country String Ensemble" and for the rest we hear the hits: Tobacco Road, Ma Baker's Little Acre, Google Eye, Abilene, Road Hog and Break My Mind. Guests on the show are The Furies
A lot more Viva NashVegas Radio goodies On the site of George Hamilton V's Viva NashVegas Radio Show a lot more clips are featured of John D.'s visits to the show. See and listen to: A tribute to Helm Stone, a long time fan from South Africa who recently passed away. John plays the Radio South Africa soundtrack John D. tells where he gets his ideas from and plays on harmonica an original, an unpublished song that has been asleep since 1972, burned up in the recent house fire but came back through his 'Song Receiver' George V performing Indian Reservation, and John D. tells his story of how the song came to be Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, performed by Carol A. Turney with George V on guitar John D. tells the story of Tobacco Road and a video of Michael Kelsh performing the song and John D. teaching him how to slow it down Abilene, story and the song, performed by George IV (see 2 videos below) John tells the story about the song Blue Train, and the link with the Blue Train in South Africa; George IV and John D. and Mike Loudermilk perform the song, and George IV and JDL tell how they discovered the Alman Brothers and that the song Break My Mind was originally written for them, but when they moved to California, George Hamilton IV took the song; in the second half you hear George IV and V play the song
Million Dollar Quartet Like Sun in Memphis had its Million Dollar Quartet when Cash, Perkins, Lewis and Presley got together, here's a songwriter's Million Dollar Quartet, 10 years later in Nashville: Shel Silverstein, John D. Loudermilk, Harlan Howard and Chet Atkins. Great picture, taken from Harlan Howard Songs facebook page.
John D and George IV on the Viva NashVegas Radio Show This footage is from Saturday 23 February 2012. It's John D and George Hamilton IV on George Hamilton V's Viva NashVegas Radio Show. It was a hoot, streamed live as a podcast. Later on, maybe late spring or summer, John D and George IV will do one with their two sons (George V and Mike Loudermilk). George and John tell the story about the recording of Rose and Baby Ruth, their first song.
Most played covers updated I have updated the listing of the most played -over the last 5 years, all over the world- Loudermilk-songs. Source: play and scrobble on Last.fm and Spotify. Favourite is the song Turn Me On, in Norah Jones' hit version. It is by far the most played song, and even the #2 spot is for the same song, in Nina Simone's version. There's a lot of Tobacco Road in the listing. Most played now is the version by Jefferson Airplane. It's a bit sad to see, how little the original songs performed by the composer himself are played. In the top 100 listing, John D. scores with only 2 songs: Language of Love at #49 and John's own, killer original version of Tobacco Road is at #79.
1. Turn Me On = Norah Jones 2. Turn Me On = Nina Simone 3. Tobacco Road = Jefferson Airplane 4. Tobacco Road = David Lee Roth 5. Tobacco Road = Nashville Teens 6. Tobacco Road = Blues Magoos 7. A Rose and a Baby Ruth = Marilyn Manson 8. Sittin' In The Balcony = Eddie Cochran 9. This Little Bird = Marianne Faithfull 10. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye = The Casinos		11. Tobacco Road = Eric Burdon & War 12. Indian Reservation = Paul Revere & Raiders 13. Road Hog (O Calhambeque) = Roberto Carlos 14. Bad News = Johnny Cash 15. Talk Back Tremblin' Lips = Johnny Tillotson 16. Waterloo = Stonewall Jackson 17. Abilene = George Hamilton IV 18. Indian Reservation = Don Fardon 19. Indian Reservation (National Reservation) = Laibach 20. Windy and Warm = Doc Watson
For details and a little more background details check the complete Top 100 list
New compilation cd UK record company Jasmine Records has released a new 2CD compilation of early (1957-1961) Loudermilk music. Disc 1 comprises JDL's own recordings between 1957-61, 32 tracks. Disc 2 features songs performed by other artists during the same period. Disc 2 not only has some of the well known covers by Cochran, Cash, Everly's, Kitty Wells and Sue Thompson, but also contains some great, lesser known songs. Most tracks were on other CD compilations before. It's great to find here Jimmy Bell's Lunch in a Bucket and Ferguson's Blue Serge and White Lace. A pity that the chance was missed to include some more of the Loudermilk jewels that were never released on CD before and only can be heard on old vinyl 45s. Obscure, but amongst the best Loudermilk songs of those early years: N-U-T-H-I-NG, Leaving Woman Blues, Lonely is a Word, Don't Turn On The Light, Falling Again or Freddy and his Go-Cart
Betty McQuade Betty McQuade, best known for her hit Midnight Bus, has died in Brisbane, Australia on December 26, 2011 after a long illness. Her 1961 version of the Loudermilk song is amongst the best covers ever of Loudermilk songs. A rock and roll classic, though relatively little known outside Australia. At the right the footage of her song recorded in 2006. The version misses the magic of her original recording, but it is great to see the lady at age 65 perform once more. A tribute.
A remarkable cover Robert Palmer, artist with a string of platinum selling albums around 1980, had recorded a JDL-song for his album Drive. The song was not included in the album that was posthumous released in 2003. Now the unreleased track can be heard on a Robert Palmer fan blog (audio included). It is a remarkable cover of You Call It Joggin', one of Loudermilk's later songs written in the 1980s. A song we know from the recordings by Mose Allison and Jimmy Buffett.
Induction Hall of Fame John D. has been induced to the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Ceremony was be on Thursday 13 Oct 2011, at the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building, 150 North Research Campus Drive, Kannapolis, NC. Link SalisburyPost.com news on the ceremony and the Herald-Sun news.
Hugh Morton photo's The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill manages the Hugh Morton photo and film collection. On the blog pages A View to Hugh a selection of his work is published. Amongst the photos are some from 1957 of John Loudermilk. John added a comment to the picture where he was traveling in a plane with Governor Hodges, his wife and John and Sarah Harden: In 1957 I was invited by Orville (Campbell) and Hugh (Morton) to go with Governor Hodges to New York to help raise awareness and promote North Carolina's new Research Triangle. This photo was taken aboard the governor's plane while I was singing "Asiatic Flu". There is a sneeze that occurs in the song, and the governor knew it was coming and took out his handkerchief and held it over his face, and we all laughed. After my performance in New York at the National Press Club luncheon and presentation we started back home. On the way we stopped in Maryland to attend the University of North Carolina vs. University of Maryland football game. Being the youngest in the entourage I rode in the reversed back seat of a station wagon and was amazed when we drove right into the stadium full of thousands of people, all applauding. We pulled up at the 50 Yard Line and Orville told me that we would be sitting in the box with the Queen of England, who was on her first trip to America and had expressed interest in American football. Everybody got lined up to meet the queen and, last in line, I asked Orville "How do you meet a queen?" He said "Just do like the guy in front of you does." Well, one guy wanted to shake her hand and one tried to hug her neck. One guy started down on one knee, and a fellow standing next to the queen smiled and slowly shook his head. When my turn came I just shrugged and smiled and held out my hands, palms up. She smiled back and put out her hand, and we shook hands. Later on, during the game, a flask came down the row, and when I took a drink I realized it was moonshine. When it reached the queen she took a sip behind her purse and passed it on. Years later I was in London for a TV taping, and told this story to a bunch of BBC producers in the control room during the ceremonial Opening of Parliament. When the queen appeared, I said "I drank moonshine with that girl." They turned down the monitor and said in unison "You what?!"
More new covers Another selection of 4 interesting, recently found covers. Chaparral Brothers - Follow Your Drum, one of the better, but relatively little known JDL-songs, a 1968 release on the Capitol label; in 1971 also covered by Don Fardon, Shacklefords - It's My Time, early (1968) cover of the song on the Lee Hazlewood label; the guitar arrangment is unmistakably Lee Hazlewood, the slowing-down guitar like the intro of his hit These Boots Are Made For Walking, Laura Cantrell - Amigo's Guitar, Nashville's Laura recently (2011) released a great tribute of Kitty Wells songs, Kitty Wells Dresses, including a fine version of the JDL-song, Blue Grass Gentlemen - Tobacco Road, an interesting, early (1962) cover of the classic JDL-song; the guys were the 5th artist to cover the song, long before the Nashville Teens, Blues Magoos and all of the 200-plus other artists who recorded the song. The song is on the groups' self-titled LP; it is done in an interesting folky-country way.
Recently added ... I have added a Discography of the JDL-releases, 45, LP and CD. Last month many interesting covers came in. Thanks to all who contributed! Listen to four of 'm: Big Pete Deuchar - Google Eye, UK jazz-banjo man with an interesting April 1963 cover of the song. The record was also released in the US on the PeeBee label 1001, here artist was spelled Big Pete Duker. The Jordanaires - Break My Mind, the Nashville super-backup guys, from their 1969 LP Monster Makers Anita Kerr Singers, the Nashville super backup chorus, from their 1963 LP Tender Words. The Sound - Poios einai autos pou agapas?, that's how Indian Reservation sounds in Greek; from a 2007 cd, but the recording may well be early 1970s.
Interview about songwriting Leigh Donaldson published an excellent interview with John D on americansongwriter.com, "Veteran Takes New Songwriters Under His Wing". John talks about songwriting, the importance of lyrics, his career, some of his greatest somgs, and the important work for songwriters orginizations. A must to read! See americansongwriter.com

John D. Loudermilk JDL visited Chapel Hill, Feb 27+28th - performing with George Hamilton IV
On Tuesday, February 27th, John and George Hamilton IV were guests of a UNC class on the "History of Country Music" They presented some of their memorabilia such as notes, letters etc. to the University.
February 28th, John D, his son, Mike and George IV and his son, George V performed in concert at the University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill.

Picture by Mike Spicer.

JDL Picture: John D. and George Hamilton IV performing last year in Chapel Hill, NC, June 17th 2006. To commemorate that they recorded their first hit, A Rose and a Baby Ruth 50 years ago.

Picture by Mike Spicer. Higher resolution format to be found at Flickr.

A LITTLE BIO

As published by JDL, telling about the start of his career, source the Acuff Rose Song Folio Book, publ. ca. 1964

Back in 1934 on the last day of March... I was born.
It all happened in Durham - a small half university, half industrial town in central North Carolina. I grew up around cigarette factories and hosiery mills and played roller-bat in the street like everyone else. Dad was 50 and mother was 40 when I was born so my two sisters were already grown and away from home by the time I came along.
Dad could neither read nor write so I used to go with him to the grocery store on Saturday afternoon and sign his pay check for him... (I always did believe that's why he gave me the same name as his). He was a carpenter all his life and never changed occupations. Mother was a housewife and a sweet and wonderful mother but, bless her heart, she liked to move a lot. She seemed happiest when the big moving van was backing up to the porch and the pasteboard boxes started to move. From the time I can first remember to the time I left home we had moved 19 times and never got out of the same school district.
Sending off for a Lone Ranger Mask, a scooter made out of an old rusty roller skate, Batman comic books, Mother teaching me to play her old guitar, and my own private tree house are all fond memories of my childhood.

My early religious influences were mostly along the gospel or holiness line. Singing to the accompaniment of "Stringed Instruments", Horns, Tamborines, Hand Clapping and the Big Bass Drum was my first conception of music... and a lasting one. Shouting at prayer meetings and giving one's own personal testimony was The Rule Of The Day.
Aside from the religious music, I also liked folk music (back then they called it "Hillbilly Music"). Sunday school came awfully early after staying up all night listening to The Grand Ole Opry on the radio.

My folks had always wanted me to become a preacher, but when I became a teenager instead, they became aware that I had become aware of a certain thing called social pressure. So I turned in my Christmas bell and uniform and started singing and playing more "Pop" type stuff on the guitar... the guitar that mother and the Salvation Army had taught me how to play.
Yea, Ivory Joe Hunter, Fats Domino and Lloyd Price were what was happening.
I later got hung up on concert guitar and all through high school I was playing and singing a combination of Jimmy Reed, Eddy Arnold and Andres Segovia.

Gold records On graduation from high school I went to work at my hometown television station painting sets and doing commercial art work. I was also on the air an hour a day playing bass fiddle in the Studio Combo and doing an occasional tune with my guitar on camera. It was during this time that I discovered the works of Kahlil Gibran, the Far Eastern poet and philosopher, who inspired me to try my hand at writing.
One night after work I wrote a poem about A Rose And A Baby Ruth candy bar. It sounded pretty good, so I put a tune to it with my guitar. I sang it on the show the next day and the phones started ringing... people wanting to hear it again.
George Hamilton IV (who was a student close by at UNC) was one of the ones who called. Before I knew it, he had recorded the thing and bam!... overnight the record was a hit.
George was a star and I was a songwriter!!

I had always wanted to go to college so off I went -down to a little junior college in the eastern part of the state. It was here that I wrote "Sittin' In The Balcony" (which was later to become Eddie Cochrans first hit record.)
I began to get offers from publishers in New York and Nashville, so before long I went home to pack. I had a whole bunch of songs by then and a little bit of royalties left so I headed on out to NashviIle, Tennessee.

John's saturday night's band in the early 1950s: the Carolina Pinetoppers. Young John D in the center with fiddle.

"The popular orchestra is shown here during a rendition of one of their tricky hillbilly numbers". Other group members Burton Spicer, Eddie Hill, Donald Boswell and Philip Forest.

Picture from a local NC newspaper (picture courtesy Mike Spicer).

SONGS

John D. only had 2 hit songs in the US:
Sittin' in the Balcony as "Johnny Dee", peaked at #38 Billboard in 1957,
Language of Love #32 in 1961.
Internationally, Loudermilk had his highest chart position in Finland, where Callin' Dr. Casey was a #7 hit. John D. was very successful in Canada (two #10 records and two #11 hits!), in England (one #13) and he reached top 30 positions in Germany and South Africa (with Blue Train) and Queensland, Australia (Midnight Bus). John D Loudermilk

His own chart results seem nothing though, compared to what other artists made out of his compositions, covering the songs.

Million sellers like Norman, Indian Reservation, "A Rose & a Baby Ruth", Sad Movies, Waterloo, This Little Bird, and evergreens like Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, rock classics like Tobacco Road, country favourites like Break My Mind, the guitar standard Windy and Warm and recently Norah Jones' Turn Me On

Other successes include Paper Tiger, Torture, Sunglasses, Bad News, Google Eye, It's My Time, Big Daddy, Angela Jones, I Wanna Live, Talk Back Tremblin' Lips, Road Hog (big seller in the Latin world) and The Great Snow Man (hit in Sweden).

DISCOGRAPHY

Discography based on PragueFrank's overview, with a few additions.
Dates indicate the month/ year of release.

US 45 rpm SINGLES

1956-57 as by Johnny Dee, for Colonial Records out of Chapel Hill, NC
Colonial 45-CR-430 - Sittin' in The Balcony / A-Plus In Love, Jan 1957, as Johnny Dee feat, Joe Tanner on Guitar
Colonial 45-CR-433 - Teenage Queen / It's Gotta Be You, Apr 1957, as Johnny Dee with the Bluenotes
Colonial 45-CR-435 - 1000 Concrete Blocks / In My Simple Way, Jul 1957, as Johnny Dee and Chorus
Colonial 45-CR-436 - Asiatic Flu / That's All I've Got, Oct 1957, as Ebe Sneezer and His Epidemics
Colonial 45-CR-722 - Somebody Sweet / They Were Right, Jan 1958

1958-1959 for Columbia, recorded in Nashville, as John D. Loudermilk
Columbia 4-41165 - Susie's House / Yearbook, Apr 1958
Columbia 4-41209 - Yo-Yo / Lover's Lane, Jul. 1958
Columbia 4-41247 - This Cold War With You / Goin' Away To School, Sep 1958
Columbia 4-41507 - The Happy Wanderer (Val-de Ri-Val-de Ra) / Red Headed Stranger, Oct 1959
Columbia 4-41562 - Tobacco Road / Midnight Bus, Jan 1960

1961-68 for RCA-Victor, recorded in Nashville
RCA 47-7938 - Language Of Love / Darling Jane, Oct 1961
RCA 47-7993 - Thou Shalt Not Steal / Mister Jones, Feb 1962
RCA 47-8054 - Calling Doctor Casey / Oh, How Sad, Jun 1962
RCA 47-8101 - Road Hog / Angela Jones, Oct 1962
RCA 47-8154 - Bad News / The Guitar Player (Her and Him), Mar 1963
RCA 47-8308 - Blue Train (Of The Heartbreak Line) / Rhythm And Blues, Feb 1964
RCA 47-8389 - Th' Wife / Nothing To Gain, Jul 1964
RCA 47-8579 - That Ain't All / Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, May 1965
RCA 47-8826 - Silver Cloud Talkin' Blues / Run On Home, Baby Brother, Apr 1966
RCA 47-8973 - You're The Guilty One / I Hear It Now, Oct 1966
RCA 47-9189 - It's My Time / Bahama Mama, May 1967
RCA 47-9592 - The Odd Folks Of Okracoke / Sidewalks, Aug 1968
RCA 74-0121 - Brown Girl / The Jones', Feb 1969

1971 on Warner Brothers
WB 7489 - Lord Have Mercy / When I Was Nine, May 1971

1978 on Music Is Medicine
MIM 002 - Every Day I Learn A Little More About Love / What Would It Take, 1979

Many of the US-releases are identically released in Canada, Britain, Australia, Europe, using other release label or number.
Below I only mention a few other, not corrresponding international releases, where other songs were coupled on 45.
RCA 41.502 - Language of Love - The Great Snowman (South Africa, 1962)
RCA 41.606 - Blue Train / Jimmie's Song (South Africa, 1963)
RCA 20-6122 - Blue Train / Jimmie's Song (Philippines on a 78 rpm)
RCA 20-6127 - Big Daddy / The Bully of the Beach (Philippines on a 78 rpm)
RCA 41.657 - Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (South Africa, 1963, original version with strings)
RCA 47-8154 - The Great Snowman / Jimmy's Song (New Zealand)
RCA 47-8530 - Google Eye / The Rocks of Reno (Germany)
RCA 47-9550 - Blue Train / Mr Jones (Germany, 1963)
RCA 751020 - Silver Cloud Talkin' Blues / To Hell With Love (Canada)

Albums (vinyl LP)
In red font the essential albums (US releases with new material),
others (sampler, compilation) in blue font	Side 1:	Side 2:
Language Of Love Oct 1961 RCA Victor LPM/LSP-2434	Darling Jane Song Of The Lonely Teen Language Of Love The Rocks Of Reno You Reap Just What You Sow Two Strangers In Love	Mister Jones Jimmie's Song Blue Train (Of The Heartbreak Line) What Would You Take For Me? Mary's No Longer Mine The Great Snowman
12 Sides Of John D. Loudermilk Sep 1962 RCA Victor LPM/LSP-2539 * new recording, different from the Columbia-45 version	All Of This For Sally Angela Jones Big Daddy The Bully Of The Beach He's Just A Scientist (That's All) Rhythm And Bluesy	Road Hog The Little Bird Tobacco Road * Everybody Knows Google Eye Oh How Sad
Blue Train Early/ mid 1963 RCA Victor 31,766 (South Africa release only)	Blue Train (Of The Heartbreak Line) Guitar Player (Her and Him) Road Hog Mister Jones Big Daddy Mary's No Longer Mine	Bad News The Bully Of The Beach Song of the Lonely Teen Angela Jones The Little Bird Two Strangers in Love
Presenting John D. Loudermilk Dec 1963 RCA Victor 31,806 (South Africa release only) * with strings, different from the 1967 US-version	Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye * Everybody Knows Run On Home Baby Brother La La Mop Away You Reap What You Sow Oh How Sad	Nothing To Gain No Playing in the Snow Today That Ain't All The Wife The Little Grave Calling Dr. Casey
John D. Loudermilk Sings A Bizarre Collection Of The Most Unusual Songs Dec 1966 RCA Victor LPM/LSP-2539	To Hell With Love Mary's Little Boy Child Ma Baker's Little Acre No Playing In The Snow Today Bad News The Little Grave	Talkin' Silver Cloud Blues I'm Looking For A World The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian Interstate 40 You're Lookin' Where Have They Gone
Suburban Attitudes In Country Verse May 1967 RCA Victor LPM/LSP-3807	Bahama Mama What Is It Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye Bubble, Please Break The Wind Knows The Truth Joey Stays With Me	You're Up To Your Same Old Tricks Again You're Taking My Bag It's My Time They're Tearing Away The Old Place Do You I Chose You
Country Love Songs Plain And Simply Sung Aug 1968 RCA Victor LSP-4040	Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain Am I That Easy To Forget We Wasted Our Time She Called Me Baby Everyone But You Here Comes My Baby	I Can't Stop Loving You When Two Worlds Collide Oh How Sad Welcome To My World Honey
The Open Mind Of John D. Loudermilk Feb 1969 RCA Victor LSP-4097	More Than He'll Have To Give Poor Little Pretty Girl Nassau Town Geraldine Laura Brown Girl	Goin' To Hell On A Sled The Jones' War Babies Peace Of Heart Sidewalks To Ann
The Best Of John D. Loudermilk 1970 RCA Victor LSA-3159 (UK-release)	Blue Train The Little Bird Angela Jones Big Daddy The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian The Great Snowman Road Hog	The Language Of Love Interstate 40 Mr. Jones Two Strangers In Love The Bully Of The Beach No Playing In The Snow Today Tobacco Road
Volume 1 - Elloree May 1971 WB WS-1922 * new recordings, different from the RCA-versions	Ricky's Tune When I Was Nine Abilene Ma Baker's Little Acre * Google Eye * Tobacco Road *	The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian * The Wind Knows The Truth * The Jones' * Lord Have Mercy The Habit I Wanna Live
Encores 1975 RCA Victor LSA-3220 (UK)	More Than He'll Have To Give Ma Baker's Little Acre Everybody Knows Google Eye She Called Me Baby Geraldine Brown Girl	Talkin' Silver Cloud Blues Nassau Town Bad News I'm Looking For A World All Of This For Sally The Jones' Where Have They Gone
The Rockin' Styles Of John D. Loudermilk, Vol.1 1975 CCL-1111 (Dutch release)	Sittin' In The Balcony", It's Gotta Be You, Somebody Sweet, They Were Right, A-Plus In Love, In My Simple Way, That's All I've Got, Asiatic Flu, Thousand Conrete Blocks, Teenage Queen, Red Headed Stranger, This Cold War With You, Yo-Yo, Lover's Lane, Yearbook, Midnight Bus, Goin' Away To School, Happy Wanderer, Susie's House, Tobacco Road
The Rockin' Styles Of John D. Loudermilk, Vol.2 1975 CCL-1112 (Dutch release)	Jimmy's Song, Darling Jane, Rocks Of Reno, You Reap Just What You Sow, What Would You Take For Me, Mary's No Longer Mine, It's My Time, He's Just A Scientist, Rhythm And Blues, Th' Wife, Nothing To Gain, Guitar Player, Run On Home Baby Brother, Song Of The Lonely Teen, Thou Shalt Not Steal, Oh How Sad, What Is It, Callin' Dr Casey
Volume 2 - Just Passing Through Feb 1979 Music Is Medicine MIM-9009	I'll Never Be The Same Classical Country String Ensemble Flying Fish Please Jack What Would It Take? The Kitchen Song	Every Day I Learn A Little More About Love Why Can't I Believe In You? Hatteras Jack Vision Of Goodbye Genesis This World Is Not My Home
That's All I've Got ±1996 Demand LP-215 (yellow vinyl, France, bootleg) * spelling error in song title	That's All I've Got I'ts * Gotta Be You Asiatic Flu Callin Dr. Casey Yo-Yo Lovers Lane Midnight Bus In My Simple Way	Susie's House Sittin'In The Balcony Somebody's * Sweet A-Plus In Love They * Shall Not Steal Year Book The Guitar Player The Happy Wanderer
Compact Discs
Blue Train Bear Family BCD 15421 (Germany), 1989 * previously unissued track	Blue Train (Of The Heartbreak Line), Mister Jones, Language Of Love, Jimmie's Song, Angela Jones, The Bully Of The Beach, Rhythm And Blues, What Would You Take For Me?, The Great Snowman, Everybody Knows, Google Eye, Darling Jane, Song Of The Lonely Teen, All Of This For Sally, Road Hog, He's Just A Scientist (That's All), The Rocks Of Reno, Big Daddy, Callin' Dr Casey, You Reap Just What You Sow, The Little Wind Up Doll *, Two Strangers In Love, Th' Wife, Bad News, Run On Home Baby Brother, Oh How Sad
It's My Time Bear Family BCD 15422 (Germany), 1989 * previously unissued track	It's My Time, No Playing In The Snow Today, The Little Grave, I'm Looking For A World, What Is It?, Bubble Please Break, Ma Baker's Little Acre, Mary's No Longer Mine, To Hell With Love, Talkin' Silver Cloud Blues, Joey Stays With Me, The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian, The Jones', You're The Guilty One, Where Have They Gone, The Little Bird, Brown Girl, Givin' You All My Love *, I Chose You, Honey, That Ain't All, Interstate 40, Do You, Tobacco Road
Sittin' In The Balcony Bear Family BCD 15875 (Germany), 1995 * previously unissued track	Sittin' In The Balcony, A-Plus In Love, It's Gotta Be You, Teenage Queen, 1000 Conrete Blocks, In My Simple Way, That's All I've Got, Asiatic Flu, Somebody Sweet, They Were Right, Yearbook, Susie's House, Yo-Yo, Lover's Lane, Goin' Away To School, This Cold War With You, Please Don't Play No Nine , The Angel Of Flight 509 , Midnight Bus, The Red Headed Stranger, Tobacco Road, The Happy Wanderer (Val-De-Ri, Val-De-Ra), March Of The Minute Men *
Language Of Love Collectables COL-CD-6296, 2000	Tracks same as the 1961 LP plus bonus tracks: Thou Shalt Not Steal, Callin' Doctor Casey, Road Hog
The Open Mind of John D Loudermilk Omni Recording Corporation Omni 105 (Australia), 2006	Tracks same as the 1979 LP plus bonus tracks: To Hell With Love, Ma Baker's Little Acre, No Playing In The Snow Today, Bad News, The Little Grave, Talkin' Silver Cloud Blues, I'm Looking For a World, The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian, Interstate 40, Where have They Gone, The Little Bird, Tobacco Road, Bubble Please Break, It's My Time, That Ain't All

Some statistics...

Most covered songs...

as far as I found covers, updated Dec 2013:
1. Tobacco Road (233 covers)
2. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (163)
3. Abilene (143)
4. Windy & Warm (114)
5. Break My Mind (107)
6. Talk Back Tremblin' Lips (85)
7. Sad Movies (78)
8. Indian Reservation (67)
9. Turn Me On (56)
10. Norman (51)
11. Bad News (42)
12. Waterloo (40)
13. The Great Snow Man (38)
14. Road Hog (36)
15. Torture (35)
16. This Little Bird (34)
17. I Wanna Live (31)
18. Amigo's Guitar (27)
19. Big Daddy (26)

Most covering artists...

1. Sue Thompson (26 covers, an idea to release a cd with those songs?!)
2. George Hamilton IV (23)
3. Bob Luman (13)
4. Chet Atkins (12)
4. Jana Louise (12)
6. The Browns (10)
7. Kris Jensen (7)
8. Everly Brothers (6)
8. Mark Dinning (6)
8. Carmel Quinn (6)
8. Kitty Wells (6)
8. Clarence Gatemouth Brown (6)
11. Jimmy C Newman (5)

Most played songs, 2007-2012, (source)

and the most prominent artists

1. Turn Me on (Norah Jones, Nina Simone)
2. Tobacco Road (Jefferson Airplane, David Lee Roth, Nashville Teens)
3. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (Casinos, Bettye Swann, Eddy Arnold)
4. Indian Reservation (Paul Revere/ Raiders, Don Fardon, Laibach)
5. A Rose and a Baby Ruth (Marilyn Manson, George Hamilton IV)
6. This Little Bird (Marianne Faithfull, Jewel, Spell)
7. Sittin' in the Balcony (Eddie Cochran)
8. Windy and Warm (Doc Watson, Tommy Emmanuel, Ventures)
9. Road Hog [Calhambeque] (Roberto Carlos)
10. Abilene (George Hamilton IV, Po' Girl)
11. Bad News (Johnny Cash, Johnny Winter)
12. Sad Movies [Filme Triste] (Chico César, Sue Thompson, Boney M)
12. Break My Mind (Flying Burrito Brothers, Carter Family)
14. Talk Back Tremblin' Lips (Johnny Tillotson)
15. Waterloo (Stonewall Jackson)

16. Ebony Eyes (Everly Brothers)
17. Norman (Sue Thompson, Cepellin [Tomas])
18. Sunglasses (Tracey Ullman)
19. God Will (Johnny Cash)
20. Weep No More (Brenda Lee)
21. Boo Boo Stick Beat (Chet Atkins)
22. Amigo's Guitar (Kitty Wells)
23. It's My Time (Dolly Parton)
24. Google Eye (Nashville Teens)
25. Paper Tiger (Sue Thompson)
26. Torture [Coeur Blessé] (Kris Jensen, Petula Clark)
27. Angela Jones (Michael Cox)
28. That Ain't All [Un cadeau de papa] (Joe Dassin)
29. I Wanna Live (Glen Campbell)
30. Language of Love (John D. Loudermilk)

Some links:

PrageFrank's JDL sessions discography.
The site of Arnold Rijpens, that gathers all the original versions of tophits and popmusic. Through his radio program on BRT-Belgium in the 1980s I got hooked on the original music of singer-songwriters like Loudermilk.
Great site of Lyn Nuttall: originals of Australian pop hits.

Many thanks for giving additional informations and corrections: Bill Aldred, Damien Avelange, Tommy Bengtsson, John W Beveridge, Chris Bishop, Jens Bohn, Mark Bridgland, Kees Brinkerink, Josh Brown, Jim Callahan, David Caudell, Art Chartrand, Vic Chinn, Keith O'Conner Murphy, Glenn Dean, John DeAngelis, Phil Dirt, Enrique Dufau, John Engstrom, Hans Evers, Record Exchanger, Stuart Fraser, Rob Giesbertz, Marco Giunco, Henk Gorter, Paul Griffiths, Meridian Green, Dirk Grossiels, Rich Grunke, Hansi Hammer, Bob Hayden, Dik de Heer, Dietrich Heitz, Paul Hennessey, Rainer Holzhauer, 'Butcher' Pete Hoppula, Richard Huet, Edd Hurt, Cathy Illman, Ruud de Jonker, Ben Joosten, Albert Keijser, Gene Kennedy, Klaus Kettner, Fedor Kiebert, Chris Kimberley, Corey Kleinbauer, Kåre and Edvin Kristiansen, Alexander Kurochko, Andre Landgraf, Sven Libaek, John Laursen, Florent Lavoie, Bill Littleton, Steve Lonsdale, Tertius Louw, Sandy Mason, Bas Möllenkramer, Hugh Moore, Holly Moors, Ayrton Mugnaini, Cynthia 'Kangaroo Girl' Muse, Julio Niño, Barry Nostradamus Sher, Joe Novak, Zbigniew Nowara, Neil Packman, Country Paul Payton, Jean-Pierre Piellen, Fred Poet, Johannes Potgieter, Austin Powell, Chris Quaedvlieg, Ulf Reissberg, Peter Roberts, Paul Robin, Åke Roos, Bernd Rüttgers, Hans De Ruyck, Sandy Samples, Erwin Schapendonk, Gerd Scheffold, John Schelp, Siegfried Schneeweiß, Hartmut Schulla, Jan Sigurd, Henri Smeets, Ian Sparrow, Joe Specht, Ed Steklasa, Helm Stone, Luis Torres, Mike Turner, Henrik Uhlin, Paul Urbahns, Tapio Vaisanen, Jaroslav Vener, Jerry A. Veneskey, Henk Verhulst, Jukka Voudinmäki, Wilfried Weiler, Klaas Vonk, Peter Vreeburg, Wolfgang Wittmann, Bob Wynne, Pascal Yvernel, Gustavo Zamora, Greg Zechman, Ben Zehnder
and special thanks for the big contributions of Nerissa Cassell, Philippe Edouard, René Ferri, Mike Spicer, Ad 'Big O' Swart and Thieu van de Vorst.

And sure a lot of thanks for the kind help of John D, Susan C and Rick Loudermilk!

Mail to Kees van der Hoeven

Last update Oct 2023

John D Loudermilk Londermilk, John Dee Loudermilk, John E Loudermilk, JD Loudermilk, J D Loudermilk, John D Laudermilk, John D Lowdermilk, Loudemilk, J Loudermilk Lowdemilk Lautemilk Lautermilch Lowdemilk