give the song a psychedelic ambience. Although Bob Hite was the group's primary vocalist, "On the Road" features Wilson as the singer, "utilizing his best Skip James-inspired falsetto vocal". Wilson also provides the harmonica parts. The basic riff is used again by Canned Heat on "Fried Hockey Boogie", an eleven-minute boogie by Larry Taylor which showcases the band's musicality with a series of virtuoso solo performances by members. Personnel Alan Wilson – vocal, harmonica, electric guitar, tambura Henry Vestine – electric guitar Larry Taylor – bass guitar Adolfo de la Parra – drums Releases and charts "On the Road Again" is included on Canned Heat's second album, Boogie with Canned Heat, released January 21, 1968, by Liberty Records. After receiving strong response from airplay on American "underground" FM radio, Liberty issued the song as a single on April 24, 1968. To make the song more Top-40 AM radio-friendly, Liberty edited it from the original length of 4:55 to a 3:33 single version. It became Canned Heat's first single to appear in the record charts. On the singles, Floyd Jones and Alan Wilson are listed as the composers, while the album credits Jim Oden/James Burke Oden (also known as St. Louis Jimmy Oden). "On the Road Again" appears on several Canned Heat compilation albums, including Let's Work Together: The Best of Canned Heat (1989) and Uncanned! The Best of Canned Heat (1994). Also, it is featured on the soundtrack to Wim Wenders 1974 film Alice in the Cities. Influence Although songs inspired by John Lee Hooker's "Detroit-era boogie" had been recorded over the years by a variety of blues musicians, Canned Heat's "On the Road Again" popularized the guitar-boogie or E/G/A riff in the rock world. As a result, "it's been a standard rock and roll pattern ever since". Canned Heat used it frequently as the starting point for several of their extended jam songs, including the 40 minute live opus "Refried Boogie (Part I & II)" from their late 1968 Living the Blues album. When Hooker recorded an updated version of "Boogie Chillen'", titled "Boogie Chillen No. 2", with the group in 1970 for Hooker 'n Heat, it had come full circle. Notes Footnotes Citations References Songs about roads 1968 singles Blues songs Canned Heat songs 1967 songs Liberty Records singles Katie Melua songs sv:On the Road Again