Artist: Bob Gibson
Author: John Prine
Label: Capitol
Year: 1971

One of the first to record a John Prine song, with Papa Denny Doherty on backing vocals. His album came out two weeks before the author's version. Bob cowrote Abilene. John's demo (as part of Great Society Conflict Veteran's Blues) is out on The Singing Mailman Delivers (Oh Boy Records - '11).

Both John Prine and Steve Goodman owe their first record contract to this song, signed following the day Paul Anka met Kris Kristofferson on a mutual flight to Chicago. Paul had just recorded one of Kristofferson's songs so they ended up swapping tickets for the shows they were giving in town. Paul's in an expensive lounge, Kris in a club with Steve Goodman supporting. Paul Anka was inpressed, both by Steve's song City Of New Orleans and Sam Stone, written by his friend John Prine, by coincidence performing that same night in a club nearby. So that's where they all ended up, changing the life-course of both Goodman and Prine.