He has released well over 350 albums in the course of his career, and the why not? spirit in which he is now publishing a second memoir seems to sum up his approach to recording, also. 1979: George Jones (I Gotta Get Drunk) 1998: Johnny Cash ([Ghost] Riders in the Sky) By speeding up the tempo on "Heartbreak Hotel," they won't make you forget Elvis Presley's original recording, but their energetic interpretation is a lot of fun. In An Epic Life, Joe Nick Patoskis biography of Nelson, Tommy Allsup, who produced some of Nelsons records in the early 1960s, describes the difficulties session players had in adapting to his style: He sang behind the beat. Her voice is one of a kind. 22 on the Billboard country songs chart, but it did earn Nelson and Womack a Grammy award for best country collaboration. Not all Nelsons forays into non-country territory have had such satisfactory results, however. Its some of the best physical exercise a person can do. In early 1962, Willie Nelson & Shirley Collie dueted their way into the Top 10 with Willingly. Murder on Music Row was a 1999 song that lamented the death of real country music. 2007: Emmylou Harris (One Paper Kid) (She is 11, and not yet sold on the idea of being named after a wizened country singer.) For myself, itd be hard to say. I walk up and down 57th Street a couple of times before I spot Willie Nelsons tour bus, Honeysuckle Rose V. Oh, the disappointment! A mindset. My playing, my singing, my writing, it all has flaws. Photograph: Chris Buck/August Image, Willie Nelson: Ive bought a lot of pot, and now Im selling some back, walk up and down 57th Street a couple of times before I spot. Dear Morgan: Yikes! Then Nelsons assistant offers to take a couple of photos of us on my phone. He released a duet version of his 1973 song Slow Down Old World with his daughter Paula Nelson, which is part of a project Paula has been working on with producer Bruce Robison on his The Next Waltz label. Even though Ive been doing this for 10 years now and I have a number of albums, I still started relatively late. 1992: Chieftains (Goodnight Irene) Although Jennings passed away in 2002, Nelson rarely plays a show without including "Mammas" at some point. Morgan Desmond, Cudahy, Wisconsin. The late great John Prine released a 2016 album of duets called For Better, Or Worse, which featured Lee Ann Womack, Holly Williams and Kacey Musgraves, among others. The most successful was their medley of these songs by Burt Bacharach & Hal David and Jimmy Webb respectively. By the time he hit 60, he was a knockout, a cross between Georgia OKeeffe and a Cherokee chief. And instead of drunk-dialing, these gentlemen are content to reflect on bygone romance. I thought they would have more fun doing songs that werent their own, Wilson says. He gets itchy with too much R&R. Its a lifestyle. WILLIE NELSON My friend's mother really loves this song, too, which surprised me at first. As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone a heartstring-tugging song about a woman trying to save a crumbling relationship was a massive hit in 1974 for Lynn and regular partner Twitty. 2008: Wynton Marsalis (Bright Lights, Big City) I do not. Imagine a couple at an altar, getting married and saying those things to each other.. Rant with us. Her sweet voice melded well with Nelsons raspy delivery, and the song won a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration. In 1971, Nelson moved to Austin. The best playlists in country musicperiod. 2010: Bill Anderson (The Lord Knows Im Drinkin'). By 1975, he was being described by the New York Times music critics as the acknowledged leader of country musics left wing, working to cleanse Nashville of its stale excesses by bringing it up to the present and its own folkish roots. Nothing at all? 2002: Vince Gill (Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain) 2009: Ziggy Marley (This Train) When Alan Jackson and George Strait sang it at the County Music Associations awards that year, they were handed the Vocal Event of the Year award. 2000: B.B. It was somewhere in his late 40s, when he started getting leaner and greyer, that his face started to acquire its gaunt, sculptural quality. Golden Ring, from 1976, is sublime. Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson have teamed up many times over the past 45 years, including this take on "You Win Again" at a 2004 TV special. I mean, everybody sort of minded their own business and nobody cared what you did or didnt do, as long as you didnt bother them. This interesting definition of liberalism is a clue to the essentially libertarian nature of Nelsons politics. All Rights reserved. Country music is the lifeblood of Whiskey Riff, and we pride ourselves on standing firmly in the corner of the independent artists, and those few in the mainstream still doing it the right way. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Thats what wed do. Thats my job, and I do it with my music. The whole music business is built around the idea of releasing one gigantic album every couple of years, he writes in The Tao Of Willie, while my idea is to play as much music with as many great musicians while I can. With music, as with golf, he says, If you care too much, youll screw it up. And when I get out there, Im always glad. Of course, they sound great together, and I cant wait to hear the next one: Willie is also gearing up to release his 98th career studio album I Dont Know A Thing About Loveon March 3rd. I cant imagine anybody could have anything more to ask.. Looking back on a celebrated career of collaborations, here are 10 prime Willie Nelson duets. Technology was working in our favor this time, she says. Theres always been people who say, Thats not country, whyre you doing that? Or, This would be a better song for you. Record company executives are the worst at it. A RIFF on what makes the great outdoorsgreat. 2002: Rob Thomas (Maria [Shut Up and Kiss Me]) During intermission, she turned to ask them how they knew the songs, and realized they wereBritish singer/songwriter Lewis Capaldi and One Directions Niall Horan. I dont think its possible to be perfect all the time. The tempestuous lovers had a hit with Jackson, which co-writer Billy Ed Wheeler said was partly inspired by the fighting husband-and-wife in Edward Albees play Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf. He and I recorded a couple of songs together many, many years ago. In his eighties, hes still recording and touring like he was twenty years ago. Two years later, his duet with Julio Iglesias, "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", became a worldwide hit. April 29, 1933. It just felt like there was something very spiritual about it. In television, too, his voice is often sought: for HBO'S Big Little Lies finale in 2019, Willie Nelson sang a powerful duet with Paula Nelson, covering Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain." Even Stephen Colbert recorded a song featuring Willie Nelson on his 2008 Christmas special. His favourite guitarist is Django Reinhardt, his favourite singer Frank Sinatra. 2002: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Roll in My Sweet Babys Arms) If you recorded with Willie, I dont care if you knew the song backwards, you better write out a chord chart and read that sumbitch. I think thats what people want to hear when they come to a show. It launched an uninterrupted string of top 10 hits for the duo that lasted for the following three years. "Just to Satisfy You" With Waylon Jennings. He had a great choice of songs, Nelson said recently. 1982: Dolly Parton (Everythings Beautiful [In Its Own Way]) I Fall to Pieces was written by celebrated songwriters Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard. The first week will feature her performing songs from the new album with actor and former The Tenors member Fraser Walters. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. My mind drifted and I started writing, she said. Nelson's longtime friend actually got top billing on this track from 1984 that became Charles' only No. Crocantes), an animation team who say their video was inspired by classic cartoons, fashion illustrations and Hollywood glamor, screwball and slapstick comedies., Nelson has called Sinatra his favorite all-time singer. Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn never collaborated on their separate Christmas albums, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton released 13 albums together without ever drawing from the holiday well, and although Faith Hill has one of the Top 10 best-selling Christmas singles of all-time (2001s Where Are You Christmas?), shes never recorded even one seasonal single with husband (and sometimes duet partner) Tim McGraw. 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They were two-time winners of The American Music Award for Favourite Duo. 1984: Ray Charles (Seven Spanish Angels) 1980: Dyan Cannon (Loving You Was Easier) Record companies werent that turned on by my phrasing, and it wasnt exactly what was going on in Nashville at the time., Part of the problem was that, in the studio, producers tended to augment his spare style with the lush strings and celestial choirs that were standard to country music at the time. When I ask which of his recordings are personal favourites, he seems to make no distinction between whats good and whats popular. That's not to say Nelson was an afterthought on his own song, though. Oh, there are nights when you think, I wish I could stay home tonight, he says, but its never serious. 1982: Webb Pierce (In the Jailhouse Now) Tammy Wynette and George Jones are just one example of a husband-and-wife singing partnership who flourished together musically. A solo write by Willie, Slow Down Old World was included on Willies iconic 1973 album Shotgun Willie, and Paula told Garden & Gun that its always been one of her favorite songs: Slow Down Old World has always been one of my favorite songs for so many reasons. I learned about what I wanted to do.. Nelson started off with a clean-cut look in the 60s. Some compositions just suit a duet interpretation. ] (Wilson and husband Tom Hanks are good friends with Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, and Wilson adds that Springsteen has heard the new version and gave it a thumbs up.), While each remake has its own flair, Wilson says it was important to not veer too far from what the originals were. In 1976, it became the first million-selling album in country music history. The Last Thing on My Mind is songwriter Tom Paxtons best known work. This is the case with Robby Hecht and Rose Cousinss moving version of a heartbreak song called Soon We Were Sleeping. The video for the song is cool, too. And it goes without saying how much it means to me to hear him say how proud of me he is. WebA total of 25 Nelson singles have reached number one on music charts in the US. Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings seemed so natural as a male singing partnership and their version of Ed Bruce's song about the cowboy life became a popular classic when it was covered on their 1978 duet album. It was confirmation to her that her new album,Rita Wilson Now & Forever: Duets, would hit a sweet spot, not just with her peers, but with younger generations raised on these 50-year-old pop classics by their parents. Arriving in 1978 on the album Waylon & Willie, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" proved to be career-defining for both performers. I felt like I was outdressing my audience, so I decided to make it easier on me and dress the way they dressed. Sometimes the brilliance of a particular song itself can be the decisive factor in making a country classic. Nelson with his ex-wife Connie and daughters Amy and Paula. Web73 kg. In 1968 singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell recorded their own sweet version of the classic written by Boudleaux Bryant. Two years later, The Fat Boys: Hip-Hops Pop Culture Ambassadors on Crushin 1987, How JD McPherson Blew Up Christmas Album Cliches on New Socks, See Chris Shifletts Scorching Live West Coast Town Video, The National Stay Up Late to Perform 'Tropic Morning News' on Fallon, David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78, How Deem Spencer Learned to be Vulnerable on His New Album adultSW!M, Suki Waterhouse Won't Take Romance for Granted on New Single 'To Love', Travis Barker Says His Finger Ligament Surgery Was a 'Success' After Postponing Blink-182 Tour. Willie Nelson is an ace at duets - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Rita Wilson Interview: Duets Album With Willie Nelson, Keith how many duets has willie nelson done Willie Nelson And His Daughter, Paula, Team Up For Beautiful Duet Of His 1973 Classic Slow Down Old World. 2005: Bellamy Brothers (Guardian Angel) And thats what it felt like when we were recording. 2004: Toots and the Maytals (Still Is Still Moving to Me) Duets He found various employment as a door-to-door salesman of vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias, as a plumbing assistant, as a gas pump attendant and as a DJ before finally, in 1960, emboldened by selling his first song, Family Bible, for $100, he moved to Nashville. More than 50 years later, he's still happy to harmonize. However, rather than being lumped into a pile of exes, the former flames are celebrated for everything they brought into the guy's lives. Pick any Hall of Fame member, and theyve probably written a song or two with the Red Headed Stranger (Merle Haggard anyone?). At first, Patsy Cline hated the sorrowful tale of a woman trying in vain to forget her lost love and only reluctantly recorded a version that became a sensation. Willie Nelson: Ive bought a lot of pot, and now Im selling some It was featured on Charles' Friendship album that also included collaborations with Hank Williams Jr., George Jones, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs and the Oak Ridge Boys, among others. Nanci Griffith is a remarkable songwriter and she co-wrote the modern classic Gulf Coast Highway for her 1987 album Little Love Affairs. Her voice blends well with Mac McAnally, a record producer and successful solo artist in his own right, on this sorrowful masterpiece. We were a year into the pandemic, so everyone had familiarized themselves with doing things on a screen, but at the same time not touring, not going out. You'd think being one of "all the girls" wouldn't be much of a compliment. The recording failed. With his manager, Mark Rothbaum, and Hillary Clinton. Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG. In 1961, Faron Young recorded Hello Walls, Patsy Cline recorded Crazy, Billy Walker recorded Funny How Time Slips Away and Ray Price recorded Nightlife and all four were top 20 hits in the country charts. Nelson wrote his first song when he was seven, and at 10 began playing guitar in a polka band. So whether his voice is a tiny bit weaker, or not, I still think its worth going to see him in concert. We've Got Tonite was written by rock singer Bob Seger in the 1970s. Willie Nelson explores the deep corners of the Frank Sinatra catalog on his new album Thats Life, out February 26th. With that in mind, what could be more appropriate than Nelson and fellow Texan Ray Price teaming up for one of Wills' signature songs? Nelsons hearing is beginning to go, and when I saw him at Radio City Music Hall last year, his gorgeous whine of a voice sounded a little weak. "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" With Julio Iglesias. 2008: Kenny Chesney (That Lucky Old Sun) Dwight Yoakams 1997 album Under the Covers featured songs by the Beatles, the Kinks and Sonny & Chers Baby Don't Go. Yoakam teamed up with Sheryl Crow one of the biggest female stars of the 1990s to deliver a rousing new version of this 1960s hit. The Texas-born singer has worked with so many greats it was hard to narrow things down to fit into this list. After narrowing it down, here are our top ten favorite Willie Nelson duets. 11. "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" - with Julio Iglesias Nominated for Song of the Year at the ACM Awards and the CMA Awards, this duet is one of Nelson's best. It helped put Iglesias on the map on English radio and was a number one hit on the country charts. 10. It would be hard to pick the definitive version of Townes Van Zandts gorgeous love song If I Needed You, because there have been fine versions by Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Kyle, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires and Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White, among others. They kept fooling with the music when I knew it needed to be simpler. 2002: Trick Pony (Whiskey River) His delivery is tied perfectly to the emotion of the song which finds a couple reminiscing fondly about a time when they were deeply in love. In 1988, 59-year-old Owens revisited the song in a duet with Dwight Yoakam. He made his first record in 1956, "No Place for Me", that included Leon Payne's "Lumberjack" on the B-side. The single spent three weeks at No. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. If Im happy with it after a couple of takes, I leave the studio. WILLIAM "BILLY" HUGH, JR. In 1995 they had a chart hit with an affecting duet version of Partons 1973 classic I Will Always Love You.. Sadly, on Christmas Day, 1991, two years after his mother, Martha, died, Billy took his own life. Its all scary, she says. Nearly 20 years after Jennings wrote it with Don Bowman, this 1982 duet became Willie and Waylon's third No. Homer Joy composed Streets of Bakersfield after trudging round the California town in new cowboy boots and getting blisters. They had to back off and take it, and when it wound up a number one record, they all said, Well, look what we did!. Taurus. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Willies Reserve marijuana is being launched this year. Willie Nelson albums and discography on AllMusic including all best, old, and 2002: Brian McKnight (Dont Fade Away) The Honeysuckles of yore the ones he rode in the 80s and 90s were gaudy, brown and silver behemoths with western scenes painted on their flanks; this sleek, bullet-grey vehicle has all the character of a special ops van. Some Willie Nelson Duets Great would do business with them again and again, FLEETWOOD MAC-DOUBLE VINYL RECORD-TUSK (#266095360312), EAGLES-VINYL RECORD-THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971-1975 (#266138748158). He takes a much more relaxed, hit-and-miss approach. Nelson is in New York to promote his autobiography, My Life: Its A Long Story. Written by Troy Seals and Eddie Setser, the Western imagery takes on an even more cinematic quality through the production and, of course, two iconic voices. Russell's career has taken a lot of twists and turns from his success as a Hollywood session musician in the '60s, through his rock star status in the '70s and, in 2010, his work with Elton John on their album The Union. Both were musical and encouraged the childrens musical talents. Its impossible to know. 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. Willie Nelson playing Always On My Mind in 1982. Sign up to receive exclusive discounts from Whiskey Riff Shop and breaking news. There is an interesting blend of country and folk on Lost on the River, a song that Hank Williams wrote and originally recorded as a duet with his wife Audrey. It was how do you take the story and reinvent it as a duet, a conversation between two people, she says. lang. Laugh with us. He is not a man who enjoys prolonged analysis. Co-written by Keith and Scotty Emerick, "Beer for My Horses" spent six weeks at No. 2008: Sandy Kelly (Against the Wind) 14-Foot Python Discovered On The Side Of The Road In Long Island? All 150 Willie Nelson Albums, Ranked. The set, which came out Tuesday (Sept. 27) on her own Orchard-distributed Sing It Loud imprint, features the singer/actress performing primarily soft-rock hits from the 70s, such as Without You, Crazy Love, Slip Slidin Awayand If, with a cadre of male artists, including legends Willie Nelson and Smokey Robinson, as well as country stars Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Vince Gill, among others. 1980: Ray Price (Faded Love) Lifelong fan Zo Heller boards the tour bus For Wilson, these revered songs are her version of the Great American Songbook, the term given to many jazz and Broadway show tunes released between the 1920s and 1950s that have become standards. 1997: Mel Tillis (Texas on a Saturday Night) The Bee Gees were so good at writing on the upbeat. Islands in the Stream, a tear-jerking love song, sold more than two million copies in America. Waylon Jennings Duets: 8 of the Country Legend's Best I print them out and stick them on my fridge, where they have remained ever since an ill-lit and slightly fuzzy record of my encounter with greatness. Willie Nelson And His Daughter, Paula, Team Up For Beautiful