Shawn Colvin Covers Tammy Wynette, Robert Earl Keen and More on New Album
Shawn Colvin is paying homage to some of her own musical heroes with her new album, Uncovered. The 12-track record features covers of an eclectic list of artists, including Tammy Wynette, Robert Earl Keen and Graham Nash, among others.
Colvin released her first album of cover tunes, Cover Girl, in 1994. That project, she says, paved the way for the eventual release of Uncovered, 21 years later.
"The songs on Cover Girl were actually staples of my live act at the time," Colvin explains (quote via Vintage Vinyl News). "This wasn’t the case with Uncovered. Some of these songs I knew how to play, others I learned for the purpose of recording this album. Until you learn a song, you don’t know if you can bring anything to it."
As with Cover Girl, Colvin used Eagles guitarist Steuart Smith to co-produce the album.
"Twenty-one years later, even though I am primarily known as the composer of my material, I’ve never tired of learning covers, and I had more than a few in the hopper," Colvin continues. "It seemed fitting to get together with Steuart once more and record a followup to Cover Girl."
The singer-songwriter also acknowledges the significance of the title of her latest set of tunes.
"The title Uncovered has a few meanings," Colvin adds. "It means uncovering as in an excavation and uncovered in the sense of vulnerability. This album was made very spontaneously; we didn’t over-think or overdub it. One of my friends said to me, ‘You sound so exposed on this record!’ and I think that’s the thematic key, vulnerability."
See a complete track listing for Uncovered below. The record is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes.
Shawn Colvin, Uncovered Track Listing:
1. "Tougher Than the Rest" (Bruce Springsteen)
2. "American Tune" (Paul Simon)
3. "Baker Street" feat. David Crosby (Gerry Rafferty)
4. "Hold On" (Kathleen Brenan / Tom Waits)
5. "I Used to Be a King" (Graham Nash)
6. "Private Universe" (Neil Finn)
7. "Heaven Is Ten Zillion Light Years Away" (Stevie Wonder)
8. "Gimme a Little Sign" feat. Marc Cohn (Jerry Winn / Alfred Smith / Joseph Hooven)
9. "Acadian Driftwood" (Robbie Robertson)
10. "Lodi" (John C. Fogerty)
11. "Not a Drop of Rain" (Robert Earl Keen)
12. "‘Till I Get it Right" (Tammy Wynette)
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