Nutbush City Limits

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Lore & Background

The song's title points to Nutbush, an unincorporated rural community in Haywood County, Tennessee. As an unincorporated community, Nutbush does not have geographical city limits; rather, its general boundaries are indicated by signs reading "Nutbush, Unincorporated" which are posted on the local highway (Tennessee State Route 19). The single received positive reviews; a reviewer for Cash Box (August 11, 1973) wrote: "'Proud Mary' was the single that brought this dynamic group to national attention. Well, here's one that leaves all of their prior efforts in the dust. Absolutely sensational is the only way this future smash can be described. Has to go top 20." The single was a hit in various countries, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard R&B singles chart, No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached No. 1 in Austria, and No. 2 in Switzerland and West Germany. In Australia, the single peaked at No. 14, spent 52 weeks in the top 100, and is still a party staple among Generation X and Y where it is accompanied by a dance of the same name. In 1973, the single was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling a quarter of a million units. In 1974, the Turners received the first ever Golden European Award for selling more than one million records of "Nutbush City Limits" in Europe.

In Their Own Story

The song has gained cult popularity in Australia, particularly due to the Nutbush dance. The dance is often performed at weddings, school concerts, and bushdances. Turner never performed the dance to the song, although there are similarities between it and performances by Turner and The Ikettes in the seventies. The origins of the dance have been elusive, though in May 2024, ABC News Australia reported on research indicating that the dance routine for the Nutbush was most likely invented by the education department of the state of New South Wales in Australia, having been distributed to teacher training institutions as a teaching aid in 1975. A line dance to the song, called the "Nutbush", created in the mid-1970s as a teaching aid in Australia, has seen sustained popularity in that country, and later gained viral popularity internationally through TikTok.

Reader's Guide

Following the couple's split, the song became a staple of Tina's live show where she reworked the funky studio version into a hard-driving rock and roll showstopper. A live recording of "Nutbush City Limits" from Turner's 1986–1987 Break Every Rule Tour was released as the lead single to promote the 1988 double album Tina Live in Europe, but it was in fact a different recording than the one that appeared on the official concert album. In 1984, a live version of "Nutbush City Limits" was released as the b-side of Tina Turner's single "Private Dancer" (the fourth U.S. single released from her "Private Dancer" album). This is a different version from the 1988 live version of the song. Turner re-recorded "Nutbush City Limits" in a modern dance style—subtitled "The 90s Version"—for inclusion on her 1991 compilation album Simply the Best. Upon its release as a single, the song peaked at No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart and was a Top 20 hit in several other European countries. In 1993, Turner re-recorded the track as a re-working of the original studio arrangement for the What's Love Got to Do with It soundtrack album.

Did You Know?

• The song was recorded at the Turners' Bolic Sound recording studio in Inglewood, California in May 1973.
• It has been rumored for years that Marc Bolan, frontman for the glam rock band T. Rex, played guitar on the track, though a 2008 Ebony article identified James 'Bino' Lewis as the guitarist.
• In 1974, the Turners received the first ever Golden European Award for selling more than one million records of 'Nutbush City Limits' in Europe.
• A line dance to the song, called the 'Nutbush', was created in the mid-1970s as a teaching aid in Australia and later gained viral popularity internationally through TikTok.
• The single peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and spent 52 weeks in the Australian top 100.