"Drift Away" is a song written byMentor Williams in 1970 and originally recorded by British singer and actorMike Berry on his 1972 albumDrift Away. A version byJohn Henry Kurtz was released two months later in November 1972.[1][2] Mentor Williams was a country songwriter, and John Henry Kurtz was an actor andswamp rock singer. It was later given to soul singerDobie Gray for whom it became a surprise international hit. In 1973, the song became Gray's biggest hit, peaking at number five on the USBillboard Hot 100 and receiving a gold certification from theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song has been covered by numerous musicians.
A country version was recorded by American country music and rockabilly singerNarvel Felts in 1973. Felts' version — which changed the lyrics "I wanna get lost in your rock and roll" to "I wanna get lost in your country song" — peaked at number 8 on the USBillboard Hot Country Singles chart in mid-August 1973, about three months after Gray's version reached its popularity peak.[14] This song marked Narvel's first success in the country scene, as he was known from the late 1950s as a rockabilly singer.
American singer and songwriterMichael Bolton covered "Drift Away" and released it as the second single from his 1992 covers album,Timeless: The Classics, in December 1992 byColumbia. His rendition was produced by Bolton withDavid Foster andWalter Afanasieff. It became the only hit version of the song in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 18, and also charted in Ireland and New Zealand.
American singer-songwriterUncle Kracker released a cover version from his second studio album,No Stranger to Shame (2002), in January 2003. This version, which features Dobie Gray singing parts of the song with Kracker, reached number nine on theBillboard Hot 100 and spent a then-record-setting 28 weeks atop theBillboardAdult Contemporary chart. It also peaked at number 25 on theNew Zealand Singles Chart.
The music video for the song was directed by Bronston Jones. Filmed in Kracker's hometown ofDetroit, it shows him performing the song on stage to an audience (Dobie, during his parts, comes in to perform) and Kracker working at a garage (owned by his brother), unloading and stacking tires. Scenes also feature him walking alone on snowy railroad tracks, and singing on an empty stage in the garage. His mechanic's uniform is labeled "Matt," a reference to his real first name, Matthew.
The Rolling Stones recorded a cover of the song during the sessions for theirIt's Only Rock 'n Roll LP in 1974, but it did not appear on the finished album.[35] It was finally given an official release in October 2021 as part of theTattoo You reissue.
