Willie Nelson Covers Hank, Hank, Hank & Hank on New Album With “The Boys”
We’re plenty well satiated on new music from Willie Nelson after the release of his latest album God’s Problem Child in May. In fact it might be one of Willie’s best recordings in many years, and certainly one of the better selections since signing with Sony’s Legacy imprint some years back. But there’s no rest for the wicked, and no rest for the Willie as the restless 84-year-old is planning to release a new album called Willie Nelson and the Boys on October 20th, which will be the second installment of Willie recordings released under the Willie’s Stash imprint.
Though the Willie’s Stash series was set up to release more archival-style studio material that didn’t make other more proper releases, Willie and the Boys is special for a number of reasons. First, it features his two sons from his most recently marriage, Lukas and Micah, joining their father on the recordings. The second is that the release focuses in on the Hank legacy of country music, mostly of Hank Williams, but not just stopping there.
If you’ve seen Willie Nelson in recent years, you know he dedicates an entire portion of his live show to playing many of the hits of Hank Williams in either full renditions or medley style. Now fans will have studio recording versions of songs such as “Mind You Own Business,” “Cold, Cold Heart,” and “Mansion on the Hill” from Willie. But it doesn’t stop there. On Willie and the Boys, Nelson also covers Hank Locklin’s “Send Me The Pillow You Dream On,” Hank Cochran’s “Can I Sleep In Your Arms,” and Hank Snow’s “I’m Movin’ On.” There’s a lot of Hank’s in country music, and Willie hits nearly all of them in this new record.
Buddy Cannon was the producer of Willie and the Boys, and it was recorded by Steve Chadie at Pedernales Recordings Studio in Austin, Texas. It will be Nelson’s 10th release on Legacy, and despite the idea that old folks don’t sell anymore, Willie’s God’s Problem Child went #1 on the Country Albums Chart, and he’s now sold over a million records as part of his Sony Legacy deal.
Track List:
1. “Move It On Over” (Hank Williams)
2. “Mind Your Own Business” (Hank Williams)
3. “Healing Hands of Time” (Willie Nelson)
4. “Can I Sleep In Your Arms” (Hank Cochran)
5. “Send Me the Pillow You Dream On” (Hank Locklin)
6. “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” (Hank Williams Sr.)
7. “I’m Movin’ On” (Hank Snow)
8. “Your Cheatin’ Heart” (Hank Williams)
9. “My Tears Fall” (Alyssa Miller)
10. “Cold, Cold Heart” (Hank Williams)
11. “Mansion on the Hill” (Hank Williams and Fred Rose)
12. “Why Don’t You Love Me” (Hank Williams)
September 20, 2017 @ 11:09 am
I thought you meant he was gonna have Hank Jr and Hank 3 and another Hank as duet partners or something too from the title lol
September 20, 2017 @ 11:12 am
Was kinda hoping for a III cover… Something like “Country Heroes” would be perfect. And “Dick In Dixie” would be hilarious, but unlikely
September 20, 2017 @ 5:06 pm
Me too. Lol
Thrown out of the bar anyone?
September 20, 2017 @ 12:08 pm
Ah ..the forgotten Hanks, Locklin, Snow, Cochran. See…you Trecephus fans out there always think the world revolves around III ! Ha! One day he’ll come out of hiding though, I would think economics might necessitate it eventually.
Another Willie release ain’t a bad thing either.
September 21, 2017 @ 5:28 am
Trecephus! That’s hilarious, Kevin.
September 20, 2017 @ 12:16 pm
This is fantastic. Can never have too much of the all-time great songs. Willie doing them makes it that much more special.
September 20, 2017 @ 12:29 pm
Love how he pushes albums out but the quality remains stellar.
September 20, 2017 @ 1:53 pm
I have no doubt this will be good indeed…
…but I was expecting Hank Thompson!
September 20, 2017 @ 2:40 pm
Since Willie has covered virtually every song ever recorded I’m sure he has recorded ‘The Wild Side Of Life’ somewhere along the way.
September 20, 2017 @ 5:47 pm
“Song of Songs” was a duet Willie did with Boxcar Willie about Hank Thompson and Kitty Wells
September 20, 2017 @ 5:54 pm
I wonder how many different performers Willie has dueted with on record? It must be a huge number.
September 20, 2017 @ 3:19 pm
Sounds interesting. Trigg – if you have checked out Jeremy Pinnell’s album that came out a few months ago, it’s definitely worth a listen!
September 20, 2017 @ 5:31 pm
Here’s a good title for Willie’s all-Hanks album (IMHO): HANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.
September 20, 2017 @ 7:02 pm
This is very exciting indeed. For all with Spotify, Willie just uploaded a track from the upcoming record. A great cover of “Move It On Over”. Go check it out!
September 20, 2017 @ 7:08 pm
Opps! Sorry. It’s a cover of “Mind Your Own Business”. It IS from the upcoming release, though. Just listened to it. Sorry about the confusion.
September 20, 2017 @ 7:42 pm
“A Six-Pack to Go” would’ve been a hoot of a Hank Thompson cover for Willie.
September 20, 2017 @ 8:56 pm
i wonder if Hank III and Willie Nelson have ever performed together?
September 20, 2017 @ 9:08 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIQuaq0zQtM
September 21, 2017 @ 3:09 am
Wish I could like this twice. 😉
September 21, 2017 @ 9:09 am
I always liked that version of Dead Flowers.
September 21, 2017 @ 12:34 am
Always happy to see new Willie music! Will almost certainly be getting this one!
September 21, 2017 @ 3:46 am
Good luck with your bets of this year Trigger. There have been so many albums come out already this year and there are more to come before the years end. Loved Lukas’ album can’t say I have heard anything from Micah so I am looking forward to this one.
September 21, 2017 @ 5:12 am
Have loved Willie since Yesterday’s Wine & only man who ever rated his name being tattooed on me, right under my smoking marijuana leaf????
September 21, 2017 @ 3:54 pm
I listened to “Mind Your Own Business” on Rolling Stone….. I liked it. Both boys are good.