Stacked List of Contributors for John Anderson Tribute Album
There are run-of-the-mill tribute albums, and then there’s this tribute album due out August 5th called Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson. What makes it remarkable is that a rather incredible list of contributors are coming together on an album to be released by Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound.
Tyler Childers, Jamey Johnson, Brent Cobb, Sierra Ferrell, Sturgill Simpson, and even the late John Prine will make an appearance, as will big mainstream names like Eric Church and Luke Combs, with the selection being produced by Dan Auerbach and David Ferguson—the same duo behind John Anderson’s well-received comeback record in 2020 called Years.
“Listening to everybody do their own takes on the songs shows how the songs really come through,” says Anderson. “And I thought to myself, ‘You might have been young and foolish back then, but you sure did pick some good songs. It’s very gratifying to know that some things really do not change, and a great country song remains a great country song. Any one person on the record would be a real tribute, but all of them together? It’s a pretty big deal for me personally.”
Now 67-years-old, the caramel-voiced country crooner might be a strong contender for the Country Music Hall of Fame in the coming years, and is definitely experiencing a career resurgence, especially with the renewed interest in 90’s country when Anderson released his Double Platinum signature album Seminole Wind.
John Anderson amassed a good handful of hits over the years, including some that will be represented on the tribute record such as “Straight Tequila Night” performed by Ashley McByde, and “Wild and Blue” performed by Brent Cobb. But there’s also more obscure tracks, and Sierra Ferrell performs “Years,” which was the big takeaway from John Anderson’s 2020 record. How nobody covered “Swingin'” is a good question, but it’s still a solid track list nonetheless.
“We weren’t trying to piddle around and make the normal tribute record,” says Dan Auerbach. “It had to be the best singers with the best songs and the best arrangements, and they had to come into the studio. This wasn’t like, ‘Mail me the song, and we’ll put it together.’ I think it makes this record unique. I don’t think most tribute records are done like this. I think that’s why it sounds like a cohesive album. It feels like an amazing mix tape.”
TRACK LIST:
1. “1959” performed by John Prine
2. “Years” performed by Sierra Ferrell
3. “Wild and Blue” performed by Brent Cobb
4. “Low Dog Blues” performed by Nathaniel Rateliff
5. “Mississippi Moon” performed by Eric Church
6. “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories” performed by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
7. “Shoot Low Sheriff!” performed by Tyler Childers
8. “Seminole Wind” performed by Luke Combs
9. “When It Comes to You” performed by Sturgill Simpson
10. “You Can’t Judge A Book (By The Cover)” performed by Brothers Osborne
11. “Would You Catch A Falling Star” performed by Del McCoury feat. Sierra Hull
12. “Straight Tequila Night” performed by Ashley McBryde
13. “I’m Just An Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Some Day)” performed by Jamey Johnson
May 4, 2022 @ 1:57 pm
Hot damn, there’s no way this won’t be a treat.
May 4, 2022 @ 2:02 pm
I wonder when Sturgill recorded this.. Before or after the vocal chord hemorrhage. Album looks like it is going to be a real treat.
May 4, 2022 @ 2:14 pm
I wondered that too. But when you see a John Prine track on there as well, I’m guessing this is something that has been brewing for a while now, so very well could have been from before Sturgill’s vocal issues.
May 4, 2022 @ 2:14 pm
Can’t wait!
May 4, 2022 @ 2:53 pm
I love John Anderson’s voice as it fades in and out with real emotion. One of the greats in my book…
May 4, 2022 @ 2:53 pm
Sounds awesome! Can’t wait!!
May 4, 2022 @ 3:50 pm
Del McCoury!!
May 4, 2022 @ 4:16 pm
Can’t wait to hear this. Sounds exciting.
May 4, 2022 @ 4:25 pm
Should be a dandy tribute to a fine artist.
May 4, 2022 @ 4:26 pm
I concur!
May 4, 2022 @ 6:21 pm
I concur!
https://youtu.be/i5j1wWY-qus
May 4, 2022 @ 7:33 pm
Great movie, Bill.
May 4, 2022 @ 7:33 pm
That movie is good, but I always liked the classic “Gone with the Wind” more.
May 4, 2022 @ 7:34 pm
I like film as well.
May 4, 2022 @ 4:26 pm
Jeff, what does concur mean?
May 4, 2022 @ 4:29 pm
Concur: be of the same opinion, agree. In this case, it means that I agree with your assessment/opinion that this John Anderson tribute album will be good.
May 4, 2022 @ 4:29 pm
Thanks for clearing that up, sir. I’m sure it will be a solid record.
May 4, 2022 @ 4:30 pm
Awesome! Great cast! I don’t think he wrote chunk of coal though. He didn’t own it either – Billy Joe owns that tune to the core.
May 4, 2022 @ 6:50 pm
Shavers tune, but John took his version to number 4 in 1981 and was nominated for song of the year.
May 4, 2022 @ 4:37 pm
Love Mr. Anderson. This should be a great album though my favorite song isn’t on there., wish I could have been there. That catch a falling star take should be really good.
May 4, 2022 @ 6:57 pm
Odd song selection.
John Anderson had 5 No. 1 hits in his career. Only two are included here: “Wild and Blue” and “Straight Tequilla Night.” Left out are “Swingin’,” “Black Sheep” and “Money in the Bank.”
“Swingin’,” and “Money in the Bank.” at least, should definitely be included here, as they’re both big, fun songs.
I remember Vince Gill introduced and saluted John Anderson to perform “Money in the Bank” at the ACM’s 1n 1993 during the week that it was the number one song in the country and the whole place was electric. I’d venture that that was one of the biggest nights of John’s career
May 4, 2022 @ 4:38 pm
John is a great artist. I also am glad to hear Del McCoury is contributing. Of course, what is a cover album without Jamey Johnson?
I listened to Welch and Rawlings but was not especially enamored by their rendition of “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories”. I am a huge fan of them, but that effort didn’t click for me. They are great though.
Nonetheless, stellar lineup and blessings to John.
May 4, 2022 @ 4:47 pm
No tribute album is complete without tribute queen Sheryl Crow.
May 4, 2022 @ 5:43 pm
How the heck is Josh Turner not on this album?
Anderson is one of his biggest inspirations.
Disappointing.
May 4, 2022 @ 6:07 pm
Especially considering he’s already covered John Anderson in his country tribute album
May 5, 2022 @ 5:59 am
And they performed the song “White Noise” on one of Turner’s earliest albums “Your Man” back in 2006.
Great little protest song. It takes shots at hip-hop and name drops Charley Pride. (Sadly one of the few songs to do so.)
May 4, 2022 @ 7:37 pm
He’s not “woke” enough for them (i.e.; being a Christian, heterosexual, white male).
May 5, 2022 @ 3:51 am
Oh come off your damn perpetual outrage BS.
May 5, 2022 @ 6:06 am
I am all for calling out the woke narrative that is destroying art but I am not sure it applies here. That tracklist is pretty solid outside of Brothers Osborne. I like them but they are not close to Anderson’s style. Then again neither is Eric Church. Who is one of my favorites. I would say that most of the decisions were more art based with a touch of popularity (Combs, Church, and Osborne).
Unfortunately for Josh Turner, he is not Nashville popular anymore and he doesn’t have the independent cred like Childers and Simpson. He is in no man’s land.
Here is video of Turner covering “Seminole Wind.” His version is better than whatever Combs will create. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pos6sckUKMU
May 5, 2022 @ 2:42 pm
That’s almost as good as this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5gQxlMUCdA
May 5, 2022 @ 6:08 am
Somehow the dude who got some Confederate flag flack (Luke Combs) made the cut.
May 4, 2022 @ 8:19 pm
Yes I had forgot about money in the bank, very good song as well. I think the obvious thing to do is the favorites so I can understand why they choose some of the other songs. Plus maybe those songs for their style better.
May 4, 2022 @ 11:47 pm
Can’t wait to pick this one up!
May 5, 2022 @ 12:45 am
This lineup doesn’t exactly suck but it also doesn’t feel very relevant to John Anderson. When you consider the artists from the last 40 or so years who could’ve been involved.
May 5, 2022 @ 7:19 am
It was put together by Easy Eye Sound and Dan Auerbach, so it’s going to overlap with “new” Nashville, and the hip artists who comprise it. I agree there should be a place for artists that are more akin to John Anderson, while Nathaniel Rateliff really isn’t exactly that. That said, by including names like Tyler Childers and Sierra Ferrell, it gives this a cool factor it wouldn’t have if it was compiled by the same artists you see on every single RFD-TV schedule over and over. This is Dan Auerbach’s concept of a John Anderson tribute record. It reminds me a lot of the approach taken with John Prine later in his life, using younger artists to ingratiate Anderson to a new generation.
May 5, 2022 @ 8:12 am
You’re right, quite simply it’s Auerbach’s John Anderson tribute. I’d like to think a more all-encompassing one will appear at some time, hopefully while he’s still with us.
May 8, 2022 @ 7:22 am
There are some other of John’s great songs I would like to see on that tribute when it comes out, notably “I Wish I Could’ve Been There” and “Nashville Tears.” And Auerbach is obviously entitled to his own choices, but it’s surprising that no one grabbed the chance to cover “Swingin’,” given that it’s one of the coolest songs ever recorded.
May 5, 2022 @ 1:21 am
He is one artist who truly deserves a tribute album. One of the great voices of country music and for me one of the greats of country music. However, I would rather listen to my collection of John Anderson albums rather than others doing his songs. I do not think anyone can better the original versions. Some great songs and some interesting contributors. It will be worth a listen.
May 5, 2022 @ 4:36 am
Ags and Wuk. I couldnt agree more. Dont get the why on this project. John Andersons work stands on its own merits. Some of the people on this are a bit puzzling. Luke Combs? Sturgill? Rateliff? Cobb? I would think using more of his peers might make better sense. Maybe Travis Tritt, Dwight, Clint Black, George Strait, to name a few. I suppose it calls attention to John Andersons career, and thats not a bad thing.
May 5, 2022 @ 6:23 am
This makes me especially sad that Daryle Singletary is no longer with us – he did a few fine Anderson covers on record and in concert, could slip into a remarkable Anderson impersonation.
May 5, 2022 @ 8:51 am
Yes, and Brandon Jenkins also would have been great for this album. I would have loved his version of “Swingin'”. RIP
May 5, 2022 @ 7:17 am
Good tribute albums are such a good way to breath new life into old classics.
May 5, 2022 @ 7:17 am
I think she Just Started Liking Cheating Songs should have been included. It was one of the songs that established him. Can’t believe the Brothers Isbourne were included. They simply are not at this level.
May 5, 2022 @ 7:52 am
How is not one person does the song “Swingin”?
May 5, 2022 @ 4:42 pm
I wouldn’t want to touch that one. It’s either going to be a pale imitation of the original, or an awkward reimagining. It’s a perfect song for Anderson’s voice.
May 8, 2022 @ 7:38 am
Zebb, agree. That’s the only reason I can think of it’s not on the album.
May 5, 2022 @ 8:26 am
Fat boy Luke Combs better not do his piercing , shrill , screaming , over-singing on Seminole Wind . Thats an outstanding song
May 5, 2022 @ 10:17 am
Looking forward to it, especially if it has the promised cohesiveness.
I find the best tribute albums are the ones which sound like they were recorded together. Like “this one’s for him”
Will be interesting if the Combs version gets airplay/streamplay.
May 5, 2022 @ 3:09 pm
As much as I think Dan Auerbach is hit or miss with his productions, he does have a distinct sound and vision and I’m curious about how this motley crew of artists will sound under his “guidance”. If anything I’m really impressed by this lineup.
May 5, 2022 @ 4:10 pm
will sound like shit
May 6, 2022 @ 12:57 pm
At first scroll, was hoping to see JJ Grey and Mofro listed next to Seminole Wind, since they have been covering it live for many years, and are Fla natives, but also understand its a bit out of the wheelhouse if aiming for cohesive stylings as a total project.
May 6, 2022 @ 2:50 pm
The Billy Droze cover of “Chicken Truck” (feat. John Anderson) is a catchy sonuvagun. Too bad it won’t be included here – though I completely understand why it won’t.
May 7, 2022 @ 4:06 pm
I loved a guy named Anderson, my names John. If I’d taken his name…
These thoughts came about when John Andersons Years cd came out. When my love wasn’t returned there was some property damage and so forth. I made it to the jailhouse and saw him there too.
Anyways I told my brother this more or less and he poo poo-ed the idea that John Anderson was a somebody. The world needs to know he’s a somebody!
May 8, 2022 @ 7:54 am
This piece sent me to my John Anderson albums. Gotta say, love the guy.