Ever since The Beatles made it possible artists of all kinds who are vaguely associated with popular music have been encouraged to be the writers of their own material. In all truth it is the only thing I was ever interested in doing and anyone who knows me will tell you the list of songs I can cover is very short. When I decide to do a cover on tour it’s usually a job to learn it up and immediately forget it afterwards. But cover we will and cover we must. Right now we are planning a few good things to touch upon come September – hope you can make it along to hear them.
Over the summer there have been some great tours crisscrossing the Atlantic and the southern US States which have featured many of the artists we favour on Another Country. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the stories coming from Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Tour which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with Bob Dylan playing on every show from May to September. Bob doesn’t change the show around too much these days but often his own songs feel a little like a slightly oblique cover version. I’m probably not the only one who recognises a song until a couple of minutes in. But that would suggest a disapproval I don’t intend as some of his reinventions are my favourite moments in the shows I’ve seen recently.
On this week’s AC we aere going to celebrate the cover version by playing some current stand out covers popping up on summer dates. You will hear Bob, Willie Nelson, Margo Price, Luke Combs and The Castellows. The thing about the cover is it often gives us more of an inkling to the thought process of the artist as much as the songs of their own they choose to include. It also happens on recordings too when you think of Eric Church’s recent album closing with Tom Waits’ Clap Hands. It’s a splendid take on the song too, that had it come a few months earlier, would have certainly been a high point in our Tom celebrations a few months back.
This week I’m also indebted to some fine listener suggestions which have come in over the last week. Look out for a great Neil Young country track and two new artists witnessed live by regular listeners. We shall also celebrate a summer visit by Chappell Roan to Edinburgh this week and remind you of fab things coming your way in this long summer which seems to go on and on. it’s all on BBC Radio Scotland FM or BBC Sounds from five past eight this Tuesday evening. Join me if you can.