Joe Diffie Throws Back to His ’90s Roots With Limited-Edition Vinyl, ‘Joe, Joe, Joe Diffie!’
Joe Diffie takes a look back at his extensive country career with a new, limited-edition LP called Joe, Joe, Joe Diffie!, the first of its kind that the country mainstay has ever released. The project features re-recorded versions of 11 of Diffie's signature hits, including "Pickup Man" and "John Deere Green;" it also features a brand-new duet, and each of the 500 vinyl records that have been pressed is signed by the artist.
But the coolest part of the new album, according to Diffie? "It's green!" he told The Boot on the carpet of the 2019 CMA Awards, grinning. "The coolest part is the album is green. It's actually green, when you pull it out, the color of it."
Color aside, Diffie goes on to say that he loved the process of re-living some of his greatest hits while recording Joe, Joe, Joe Diffie! He's particularly excited for fans to hear the new track, "Pride & Joy," a song originally recorded by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Diffie says that getting into the studio with his collaborator, singer-songwriter Marc Broussard, made that track a highlight of the project.
"He's a singing fool," the singer adds admiringly.
Diffie says that he has noticed traditional country making a resurgence within the format, helped along by modern, traditional-leaning artists such as Luke Combs and Jon Pardi. As someone who came of age in the heyday of '90s country, Diffie is excited about that turn in the genre's trends.
"I feel [traditional country coming back]," he notes. "Actually, the last few years, me and my contemporaries have all commented on this. We talk amongst each other, saying, 'Man, the audiences that we're getting are just unbelievable.' And vinyl is making a resurgence. It seems like everybody has a record player now, which, God, that's what I grew up on."
As for releasing his new project, there was one part that Diffie admits was a little taxing.
"I signed 500 copies of this. Have you ever signed 500 copies of anything?! Good Lord! It took me a while," he adds with a laugh. "But it's a really cool thing, and I'm excited."
Joe Diffie, Joe, Joe, Joe Diffie! Track Listing:
1. "Home"
2. "If the Devil Danced (in Empty Pockets)"
3. "Ships That Don't Come In"
4. "Honky Tonk Attitude"
5. "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)"
6. "John Deere Green"
7. "Third Rock From the Sun"
8. "Pickup Man"
9. "So Help Me Girl"
10. "Bigger Than the Beatles"
11. "C-O-U-N-T-R-Y"
12. "Pride & Joy" (with Marc Broussard)