Vince Gill Releasing ‘Bakersfield: Deluxe Edition’ Via Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is releasing a deluxe edition of Vince Gill and Paul Franklin's 'Bakersfield.'

The album, which hits Cracker Barrel stores on Jan. 27, is a tribute to the Bakersfield sound of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and features 14 covers of the iconic country artists, with four of those tracks being exclusive to the deluxe edition.

“This project has been a labor of love for me and Paul,” Gill says in a press release. “Paul and I both love the ‘Bakersfield’ sound that Buck and Merle represent. We are excited that Cracker Barrel Old Country Store approached us to create this special deluxe edition of 'Bakersfield' because it allowed us to go back and record some additional songs we think everyone will enjoy.”

Gill admits that although he enjoyed making the record, he was nervous to record the songs of his heroes and be able to live up to original recordings.

“As a singer, it’s a daunting task to have the guts to take on any of these songs. It’s almost foolish,” Gill admits. “I like a good challenge, and I love the way that when I sang Buck’s songs or Merle’s songs, I honored the way that they sang. I phrased like they did a little bit, and with Merle’s songs, he had more of a crooner side to his style than Buck did.”

The digital version of the deluxe edition will be available on iTunes and Amazon one day after its release, on Jan. 28.