Grateful Dead Family Discography: Battle Of New Orleans (Song)

Battle Of New Orleans

Composer: Jimmie Driftwood

Battle Of New Orleans was performed by Robert Hunter with Comfort in the late 1970's. It was also performed by Bob Weir with Kingfish. Jerry Garcia played Battle Of New Orleans whilst sitting in with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on April 28, 1974. Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann played the song with Norton Buffalo, John Cipollina, Barry Melton and Peter Walsh at a Freedom Foundation benefit show in Corte Madera on December 21, 1982.

Battle Of New Orleans was written when Driftwood was a school principal as a way of trying to interest students in history. The melody of the song is based on the fiddle tune The Eighth Of January. The song was popularised by Johnny Horton whose 1959 recording topped the country and pop charts. In the UK the song was popularised by Lonnie Donegan.

Note that on recordings Driftwood's first name is spelt both Jimmy and Jimmie. The Jimmie spelling has been used on this page for consistency sake rather than with any certainty of correctness.

Kingfish

Kingfish In Concert: King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Kingfish, Kingfish, 1996
A Night In New York, Kingfish, 1996
Rock This Way, Vol. 1: Live, Various Artists, 1998
Legends Of Rock: Classic Rock Heroes, Various Artists, 1999
Rare Live Performances, Various Artists, 2001
From the Front Row: Live, Kingfish, 2003 (DVD Audio)

Other recordings

Sings Newly Discovered Early American Folk Songs, Jimmie Driftwood, 1958
no info Single (The Battle Of New Orleans / All For The Love Of A Girl), Johnny Horton, 1959
no info The Spectacular, Johnny Horton, 1959
Battle Of New Orleans, Jimmie Driftwood, 1959
no info Nonesuch and Other Folk Tunes for Harmonica, Flute, Recorder, Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo, 12-String Guitar, and Voices, Pete Seeger/Frank Hamilton, 1959
no info Single (The Battle Of New Orleans / Theme From "Hercules"), Vaughn Monroe, 1959
no info Single (The Battle Of New Orleans / Damyankee Lad), Jimmie Driftwood, 1959
no info Single (The Battle Of New Orleans / Pale Wildwood Flower), Buddy Starcher, 1959
no info Single (Battle Of New Orleans / Darling Corey), Lonnie Donegan and his Skiffle Group, 1959
no info The Big Hits!, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1959
no info America's Top Tunes, Various Artists (Frank Gray & Hi Tones), 1959
no info EP, Buddy Starcher, 1960
no info Young Pops, Les Baxter Orchestra 1960
no info Johnny Horton's Greatest Hits, Johnny Horton, 1960
no info Johnny Horton Makes History, Johnny Horton, 1960
no info Hits That Sold a Million, Rusty Draper with David Carroll & His Orchestra, 1960
no info Sweet With a Beat, Jimmy Richardson, 1960
no info Country Music Spectacular: The Golden Country Hits of the Fifties, Various Artists (Buddy Starcher), 1960
no info Single (The Battle Of New Orleans / North To Alaska), Johnny Horton, 1961
no info A Golden Treasury of the Greatest Hits, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1961
no info Spotlight On, The Jordanaires, 1962
no info Country Style, Sandy Nelson, 1962
no info Steel Guitar Sounds, Walter Haynes with Merry Melody Singers, 1962
no info Buddy Starcher and His Mountain Guitar, Buddy Starcher, 1963
12 String Guitar, Billy Strange, 1963?
no info Our Man Down South, Eddy Arnold, 1963
no info America's Most Authentic Folk Banjo, Raymond Fairchild, 1963
no info Tribute To Six, Ray Allen & the Upbeats, 1963
no info The Yakin' Sax Man, Boots Randolph, 1964
Songs of the Cities, Roy Drusky, 1964
More Big Folk Hits, The Brothers Four, 1964
no info Great Hits Of The '50's, Kelso Herston & Guitar Kings, 1964
no info The Best of, Jimmie Driftwood, 1966
no info On Stage, Johnny Horton, 1966
no info History Repeats Itself!, Buddy Starcher, 1966
no info Snoopy Versus The Red Baron, The Royal Guardsmen, 1966
no info Single (Battle Of New Orleans / This Gun), Uncle Eli, 1966
no info Single (Battle Of New Orleans / Answer To Battle Of New Orleans), Jimmie Driftwood, 1966
no info A Touch Of Country, Grady Martin, 1967
no info Single (Battle of New Orleans / Cripple Creek), Jack Lynch & the Miami Valley Boys, 1967
no info The Secret Life of, Harpers Bizarre, 1968
no info Single (Battle Of New Orleans / Green Apple Tree), Harpers Bizarre, 1968
Country's Best on Record, Jim Ed Brown, 1968
no info Grammy Award Songs, Pete King, 1968
no info Yakety Revisited, Boots Randolph, 1969
no info Picks On The Pops, Chet Atkins & Boston Pops / Arthur Fiedler, 1969
no info I Remember Johnny Horton, Claude King, 1969
The Sound of Today and Tomorrow, Various Artists (Harpers Bizarre), 1969
no info Howard Crockett, Howard Crockett, 1970
no info Doug Kershaw, Doug Kershaw, 1971
no info Battle Of New Orleans, Johnny Horton, 1971
no info The World Of, Johnny Horton, 1971
no info The You Can Tell Me Goodbye, Eddy Arnold, 1971
no info Honky Tonkin' Country Blues, Raymond Fairchild, 1971
no info Bert Sommer, Bert Sommer, 1971
no info Single (Battle Of New Orleans / Bonnie Tree), Howard Crockett, 1971
Medicine Ball Caravan, Various Artists (Doug Kershaw), 1971
no info Chained To A Memory, Eddy Arnold, 1972
no info America, Johnny Cash, 1972
no info Super Country Hits, Floyd Cramer, 1973
no info Charley Pride Presents The Pridesmen, 1973
Hank Wilson's Back, Leon Russell, 1973
no info Single (Battle Of New Orleans / Leave Your Back Porch Light On), Nick Nickson, 1973
Stars And Stripes Forever, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1974
no info Symphonion Dream, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1975
no info Alive and Pickin', Doug Kershaw, 1975
no info Rosewood Junction, Railway Express, 1975
no info Single (Battle Of New Orleans / Run Him To The Roundhouse Nellie), Buck Owens, 1975
no info Single (Battle Of New Orleans / Anywhere The Lovelight Shines), Howard Crockett, 1975
no info Keys To The Country, Barefoot Jerry, 1976
no info The Best Of, Vol. 6, Buck Owens, 1976
no info Rockin', Rollin' Horton, Johnny Horton, 1976
Dirt, Silver And Gold, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1976
no info Single (Battle of New Orleans / Release Me / Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain) Ernie Dunlap, 1976
no info A Tribute To My Heroes, Hylo Brown & his Timberliners, 1977
no info Rock'N Roll Gold, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1977
Banjoman Soundtrack, Various Artists (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), 1977
Everhart, Bob Everhart, 1978
no info Roses For Mama, C.W. McCall, 1978
no info Best Of The Best, Tex Williams, 1978
no info Sundown, Lonnie Donegan, 1978
no info America Remembers, Johnny Horton, 1979
Live At Wolfendale's, The Vestich Brothers, 1979
no info Where Did the Money Go?, Hoyt Axton, 1980
We The People, Various Artists (Johnny Cash), 1987
no info American Originals, Johnny Horton, 1989
no info Country USA: 1959, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1989
no info Americana, Jimmie Driftwood, 1990
no info Billboard Top Country Hits: 1959, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1990
no info Your Hit Parade: 1959, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1990
no info Come Along And Ride This Train, Johnny Cash, 1991
no info 1956-1960, Johnny Horton, 1991
no info Wolverton Mountain, Claude King, 1992
no info Railroad Man/Folk Hits, Billy Strange, 1992
no info The EP Collection, Lonnie Donegan, 1992
no info The Best Of The EMI Years, Craig Douglas, 1993
no info Digging In, Kips Bay Ceili Band, 1993
no info More Than "Pye in the Sky", Lonnie Donegan, 1994
Railroad Man (comp), Billy Strange, 1995
no info Lotta Lotta Women, Gordon Terry, 1995
no info Thunderin' Bluegrass, Joe Ross with Cold Thunder, 1995
no info Dreamers and Believers, The Whole Shabang!, 1995
no info Home Grown Tomatoes, The Fritts Family, 1995
no info The 101 Greatest Country Hits, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1995
Nashville at Newport, Various Artists (Jimmie Driftwood), 1995
no info Honky Tonk Man: 1956-1960, Johnny Horton, 1996
no info All American Country, Roy Drusky, 1996
no info Driftwood on the River, Sherwin Linton, 1996
no info Raggles to Riches, The Prodigal Sons, 1997
no info Country Style/Teenage House Party, Sandy Nelson, 1997
no info Lancaster County Prison, Lancaster County Prison, 1997
Vanguard Collector's Edition, Various Artists (Jimmie Driftwood), 1997
no info Skiffle Sensation, Lonnie Donegan, 1998
no info The Best of, Boxcar Willie, 1998
no info Rusty Old Halo/Where Did the Money Go, Hoyt Axton, 1998
no info Classic Country: 1950-1959, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1998
no info Classic Country: Legendary Country, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1998
no info Classic Country: Greatest Hits, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1998
Kerrville Folk Festival: Early Years 1972-1981, Various Artists (Jimmie Driftwood), 1998
no info Gotta Keep Rollin' Hoyt Axton, 1999
no info 16 Biggest Hits, Johnny Horton, 1999
no info King Of Skiffle, Lonnie Donegan, 1999
no info Keeping Company with Dinah, Dinah Shore, 1999
no info Big Requests, Jim Sundquest & His Fendermen 2000, 1999
no info There I Sing/Swing It Again, Vaughn Monroe, 1999 (CD track)
no info Classic Country: Great Story Songs, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1999
no info Classic Country: 1950-1964, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1999
no info American Songs of the Wild Frontier & The Front Porch, Various Artists(Tex Williams), 1999
Country: The American Tradition, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1999
Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 1999
no info Anthems for Outlaws, Hammerlock, 2000
no info The Best of the Good Brothers: Live, The Good Brothers, 2000
no info Talking Guitar Blues: The Very Best of, Lonnie Donegan , 2000
no info Country Music Classics, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2000
no info Snoopy vs. the Red Baron/Snoopy & His Friends, The Royal Guardsmen, 2001
no info Radio Gold, Vol. 4, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2001
no info America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song, Various Artists (Johnny Cash), 2001
no info Rock Island Line: The Singles Anthology 1955-1967, Lonnie Donegan, 2002
The Danny Thomas Band Live, The Danny Thomas Band, 2002
Red, White & Rock, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2002
no info The Golden Age of American Rock 'N' Roll: Special Country Edition, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2002
no info Country Cream, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Tex Williams), 2002
Live at Lock 3, Brick Road Ramblers, 2003
no info King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents, Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, 2003
no info Greatest Hits, Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, 2003
no info Live Recordings from the Louisiana Hayride, Johnny Horton, 2004
no info The Very Best Of, Craig Douglas, 2004
no info Truck Drivin' Man, Boxcar Willie, 2004
no info Alive & Pickin'/Louisiana Man, Doug Kershaw, 2005
no info Full Throttle Celtic, Coyote Run, 2005
no info River Road, Willie Jones, 2005
no info Keys to the Country/Barefootin', Barefoot Jerry, 2006
no info Best of Classic Country: The '50s, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2006
no info Country Goes Bluegrass, Steve Ivey, 2006
no info Pleads the Fifth, Coyote Run, 2006
no info True Grit: The First Five Years, Hammerlock, 2006
no info Doug Kershaw/Mama Kershaw's Boy, Doug Kershaw, 2007
no info Voice of the People, Jimmie Driftwood, 2007
no info New Orleans Moon, Ray Stevens, 2007
no info Hits Of 1959, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2010
no info Retroactive, VW Boys, 2011
no info The Hit Collection, Lonnie Donegan, 2011
no info The Golden Age of Country, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2011
no info The Cruisin' Story 1959, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2011
no info The 1959 British Hit Parade, Various Artists (Johnny Horton), 2011
no info The 1959 British Hit Parade, Various Artists (Lonnie Donegan), 2011