Eat A Peach - History

History

This album came close on the heels of their breakthrough At Fillmore East (1971) set and featured live tracks that did not make it onto that album, including boogie classic "One Way Out" and two entire album sides devoted to "Mountain Jam", a 33-minute improvisation based around Donovan's song "There Is a Mountain."

The remainder of the album was recorded in-studio and served to cement the band's reputation as innovative Southern rockers. Only three studio tracks were recorded with Duane Allman, including his own acoustic composition, "Little Martha," the lilting "Blue Sky" (which became an album-oriented rock radio staple) and the Berry Oakley penned "Stand Back." Following their leader's death, the group re-recorded Gregg Allman's "Melissa," one of his brother's favorite songs. Betts composed "Les Brers in A Minor," while Gregg Allman's "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" served as both a quiet generational anthem and a personal statement of purpose by the band in the face of Duane's death.

The widespread story regarding the origin of the album's title, that the truck involved in Duane's fatal motorcycle accident was a peach truck, is not correct; the truck involved was a flatbed lumber truck. Rather the album name came from something Duane said in an interview shortly before he was killed. When asked what he was doing to help the revolution, Duane replied, "There ain't no revolution, it's evolution, but every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace." The album's name was originally slated to be The Kind We Grow in Dixie and the artwork for the album showed a peach. Band members were dissatisfied with the name and the image suggested Duane's quote instead.