Oh, I am VERY excited for this one.
Saddle up because we are getting new music from the Turnpike Troubadours. The only thing that would make this a little sweeter is if it was released across all streaming platforms (maybe it will someday), BUT we will take anything we can get.
Today, the Oklahoma red dirt band announced they are teaming up with Amazon Music to release a cover of Bobby Darin’s “Me & Mr. Hohner.”
“We’ve got a new song coming out on Amazon Music called ‘Me and Mr. Hohner.’ It’s an old Bobby Darin cover. It’s a pretty obscure track that, hopefully, nobody knows, and it will be a big surprise for you guys. It is not one of our songs…but it is very good, and I hope that you check it out.”
You might not know the name Bobby Darin, but you definitely know the song “Splish Splash,” which he recorded in 1958. You might also know “Dream Lover” which followed in 1959. But by the late ’60s, towards the end of his career, Darin’s sound had morphed from the big band/swing rock ‘n roll sound of the late 50s to more of a folk rock style. And dare I say… rap?
Released in 1969 as the lead single from his album Commitment, “Me & Mr. Hohner” is essentially a rap song about police harassment that sounds quite a bit ahead of its time. It almost gives me Gorillaz vibes… just a little bit. There is a good harmonica lick throughout the song (Hohner is a popular harmonica brand, hence the name of the song), which I am sure Felker will light fire to with their take on the track. That being said, I am very interested to see how they interpret it. It’s quite different from the fiddle and steel type of boot stomping country music we’ve come to know and love from the Oklahoma natives.
Any day we get news of new Turnpike is always a good day. I can’t wait to fire this one up when it comes out tomorrow, August 24th.
While you’re here, familiarize yourself with “Me & Mr. Hohner,” it’s a jam.
