ong ah ela , ▁Ohio )" ▁— ▁is ▁a ▁song ▁written ▁by ▁John ▁Kur h aj etz ▁and ▁Mark ▁Hen ley , ▁and ▁recorded ▁by ▁American ▁country ▁music ▁group ▁The ▁Oak ▁R idge ▁Boys . ▁It ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁as ▁the ▁lead - off ▁single ▁from ▁the ▁album ▁Mon ong ah ela . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁ ▁the ▁song ▁asc ended ▁to ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁magazine ▁Hot ▁Country ▁Singles ▁chart . ▁The ▁band ' s ▁ 1 5 th ▁chart ▁to pper ▁in ▁a ▁string ▁d ating ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁" G onna ▁Take ▁a ▁Lot ▁of ▁River " ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁song ▁to ▁feature ▁the ▁lead ▁vocals ▁of ▁group ▁bar it one ▁Steve ▁Sand ers , ▁who ▁succeeded ▁William ▁Lee ▁Golden ▁in ▁the ▁group ' s ▁line up . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁group ▁r ere cord ed ▁the ▁song ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁arrangement ▁and ▁ten or ▁singer ▁Joe ▁B ons all ▁on ▁lead ▁vocals ▁for ▁their ▁It ' s ▁Only ▁Natural ▁project ▁at ▁Cra cker ▁Bar rel ▁Old ▁Country ▁Store . ▁The ▁album ▁included ▁songs ▁originally ▁s ung ▁by ▁Sand ers . ▁The ▁line up ▁included ▁Golden ▁on ▁bar it one ▁vocals . ▁ ▁Chart ▁positions ▁ ▁S ources ▁ ▁Roland , ▁Tom , ▁" The ▁Billboard ▁Book ▁of ▁Number ▁One ▁Country ▁H its ." ▁( B ill board ▁Books , ▁Watson - Gu pt ill