Watch The Marshall Tucker Band Perform “Fire on the Mountain” Live In 1981

The first single of Marshall Tucker Band, “Fire on the Mountain” is synonymous with the group’s long-standing career. When it was finally released as the first single from the album, the song reached its highest position on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 38. The band had previously recorded the song for their album Searchin’ for a Rainbow, which was published in 1975.

George McCorkle penned “Fire on the Mountain” with the intention of having his buddy Charlie Daniels include it on the album of the same name. Although Daniels passed on the idea, McCorkle had The Marshall Tucker Band (in which Daniels guest-played the violin) record it. Among the best-known examples of Southern rock, it gave the band its first Top 40 smash single and was a classic staple in rock radio stations across the U.S.

The song’s lyrics take place during the gold rush in California. A family from South Carolina leaves to go pan for gold and make a living, and their story is told in “Fire on the Mountain.” The singer is shot and died, leaving behind an insignificant claim for his wife.

Check out one of Marshall Tucker Band’s finest performances of “Fire on the Mountain” in 1981 below.