Willie Nelson can cover anything and make it sounds just as good as the original, if not better.
Last week, he released the third single from his forthcoming 98th career studio album (his 73rd solo studio album to go along with his 26 collaborative studio albums) I Don’t Know A Thing About Love, which is a cover of “Streets Of Baltimore.”
It was written by Tompall Glaser and Harlan Howard in 1966, and Bobby Bare released his version in June of that year, which was produced by Chet Akins. Tompall Glaser & The Glaser Brothers recorded theirs in September of 1966.
It has been covered tons of other artists over the years, too, including Gram Parsons (who made the song most famous), as well as John Prine, Charley Pride, The Del McCoury Band and tons more.
Willie’s new project will consist of fresh takes of 10 classic songs penned by the legendary American songwriter and aforementioned Harlan Howard, who was an early inspiration of Willie’s, and quite famously defined a great country song as “three chords and the truth.”
Over a six-decade career, Harlan churned out dozens of hits, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and, in 1997, was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
I Don’t Know A Thing About Love is due out everywhere this Friday on March 3rd, and you’re gonna want to make sure you check out this new tune while you’re here too…
The Gram Parsons version:
I Don’t Know A Thing About Love tracklist:
1. Tiger By The Tail
2. The Chokin’ Kind
3. Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got A Heartache)
4. Life Turned Her That Way
5. I Don’t Know A Thing About Love
6. Streets Of Baltimore
7. Busted
8. She Called Me Baby
9. Too Many Rivers
10. Beautiful Annabel Lee
