Young's own recollection was that the final version of "Seven Bridges Road" "was put together over a period of several years. Sometimes I'd say myself 'good song'. Then I'd say nobody could relate to a song like this." Young did play a completed version of the song at a gig in Montgomery - according to Jimmy Evans, Young's usual local performing venue was the Shady Grove club - ; (Young quote:) "it got a big reaction. I was very surprised and thought it just because it was a local known thing and that was why they liked it." When Young did approach a Hollywood-based music publisher in 1969 with "Seven Bridges Road" he was advised the song "wasn't commercial enough." "Seven Bridges Road" was not originally intended for inclusion on the "Rock Salt & Nails" album; in fact, Young states album producer Tommy LiPuma "didn't want me to record original songs. He wanted me to be strictly a singer and interpreter of folk songs and country standards." However, in Young's words: "One day we ran out of songs to record "Rock Salt & Nails" in the studio... I started playing 'Seven Bridges Road'. LiPuma interjected: 'You "know" I don't want to hear original stuff.' But James Burton said: 'Hey, this song sounds good and it is ready, let's put it down... After it was recorded, LiPuma had to admit that, original or not, it was good." Subsequent to the song's introduction on "Rock Salt & Nails", Young remade the song twice, on his 1972 album entitled "Seven Bridges Road" and on his 1978 album "No Place to Fall".