Canada's very own cosmic country twang masters the Sadies have announced they're pairing up with X punker John Doe for the band's next full-length. Via Yep Roc, the collaborators are to release Country Club, an album that finds the Sadies and Doe taking on several classic country tunes, as well as a few originals.
And just how do a few of good ol' boys from Toronto end working with such a storied punk? "Country Club is the result of a drunken promise or threat I made to Travis and Dallas [Good, of the Sadies] the first night we played together in Toronto," Doe explains in an online statement. "These happen all the time but it's rare that anyone remembers them the morning after, let alone follows through and makes it a reality. I'm really glad we did."
As for the album's covers, Country Club includes several reworks of songs by the likes of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash, with the Sadies and Doe enlisting a few guest stars to help put a slightly psychedelic slant on several of the tracks, the press release says. Among the contributors is one-time Exclaim! cover star Kathleen Edwards, as well as Blue Rodeo man Bob Egan and several other members of the Good family. Also, X's Exene Cervenka helped write one of the record's four original tunes alongside Doe, with the Sadies taking care of the other three.
In regards to the album's sound, Doe says to expect a retro-styled blend of '60s Nashville pop and Bakersfield honky tonk, adding: "We're not sure why it sounds like it's from the '60s. Maybe that's our favourite era of country music or maybe that's what we listened to when we first learned how to play it. But what was called 'Countrypolitan' always seemed one of the coolest hybrids of country music. But we agreed quickly and completely that there were going to be no string sections, horns or choirs."
There is no word if the Sadies and Doe will tour Country Club, but the album is due out April 14. Here is the tracklisting and credits:
1. "Stop the World and Let Me Off"
Songwriter: Carl Belew
Made famous by: Waylon Jennings
Veronica Jane Doe - vocals
2. "Husbands and Wives"
Songwriter: Roger Miller
D.J. Bonebrake - vibraphones
Margaret Good - vocals
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
3. "'Til I Get It Right"
Songwriters: Red Lane, Larry Henley
Made famous by: Tammy Wynette
D.J. Bonebrake - vibraphones
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
4. "It Just Dawned on Me"
Songwriters: Exene Cervenka, John Doe
Kathleen Edwards - vocals
5. "(Now and Then) There's a Fool Such As I"
Songwriter: William Marvin Trader
Made famous by: Hank Snow
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
Cindy Wasserman - vocals
6. "The Night Life"
Songwriters: Paul F. Buskirk, Walter M. Breeland, Willie Nelson
Made famous by: Ray Price
D.J. Bonebrake - vibraphones
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
7. "The Sudbury Nickel"
Songwriters: The Sadies
8. "Before I Wake"
Songwriters: The Sadies
Bob Egan - pedal steel
Margaret Good - vocals
Bruce Good - autoharp
9. "I Still Miss Someone"
Songwriters: Johnny Cash, Roy Cash Jr.
Bruce Good - autoharp
10. "The Cold Hard Facts of Life"
Songwriter: Bill Anderson
Made famous by: Porter Wagoner
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
11. "Take These Chains from My Heart"
Songwriter: Fred Rose, Hy Heath
Made famous by: Hank Williams
D.J. Bonebrake - vibraphones
Margaret Good - vocals
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
Cindy Wasserman - vocals
12. "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
Songwriter: Kris Kristofferson
13. "Are the Good Times Really Over for Good"
Songwriter: Merle Haggard
Kathleen Edwards - vocals
14. "Detroit City"
Songwriters: Danny Dill, Mel Tillis
Made famous by: Bobby Bare
15. "Pink Mountain Rag"
Songwriters: The Sadies
Bob Egan - pedal steel
Hank Snow "(Now and Then) There's a Fool Such As I"
And just how do a few of good ol' boys from Toronto end working with such a storied punk? "Country Club is the result of a drunken promise or threat I made to Travis and Dallas [Good, of the Sadies] the first night we played together in Toronto," Doe explains in an online statement. "These happen all the time but it's rare that anyone remembers them the morning after, let alone follows through and makes it a reality. I'm really glad we did."
As for the album's covers, Country Club includes several reworks of songs by the likes of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash, with the Sadies and Doe enlisting a few guest stars to help put a slightly psychedelic slant on several of the tracks, the press release says. Among the contributors is one-time Exclaim! cover star Kathleen Edwards, as well as Blue Rodeo man Bob Egan and several other members of the Good family. Also, X's Exene Cervenka helped write one of the record's four original tunes alongside Doe, with the Sadies taking care of the other three.
In regards to the album's sound, Doe says to expect a retro-styled blend of '60s Nashville pop and Bakersfield honky tonk, adding: "We're not sure why it sounds like it's from the '60s. Maybe that's our favourite era of country music or maybe that's what we listened to when we first learned how to play it. But what was called 'Countrypolitan' always seemed one of the coolest hybrids of country music. But we agreed quickly and completely that there were going to be no string sections, horns or choirs."
There is no word if the Sadies and Doe will tour Country Club, but the album is due out April 14. Here is the tracklisting and credits:
1. "Stop the World and Let Me Off"
Songwriter: Carl Belew
Made famous by: Waylon Jennings
Veronica Jane Doe - vocals
2. "Husbands and Wives"
Songwriter: Roger Miller
D.J. Bonebrake - vibraphones
Margaret Good - vocals
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
3. "'Til I Get It Right"
Songwriters: Red Lane, Larry Henley
Made famous by: Tammy Wynette
D.J. Bonebrake - vibraphones
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
4. "It Just Dawned on Me"
Songwriters: Exene Cervenka, John Doe
Kathleen Edwards - vocals
5. "(Now and Then) There's a Fool Such As I"
Songwriter: William Marvin Trader
Made famous by: Hank Snow
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
Cindy Wasserman - vocals
6. "The Night Life"
Songwriters: Paul F. Buskirk, Walter M. Breeland, Willie Nelson
Made famous by: Ray Price
D.J. Bonebrake - vibraphones
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
7. "The Sudbury Nickel"
Songwriters: The Sadies
8. "Before I Wake"
Songwriters: The Sadies
Bob Egan - pedal steel
Margaret Good - vocals
Bruce Good - autoharp
9. "I Still Miss Someone"
Songwriters: Johnny Cash, Roy Cash Jr.
Bruce Good - autoharp
10. "The Cold Hard Facts of Life"
Songwriter: Bill Anderson
Made famous by: Porter Wagoner
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
11. "Take These Chains from My Heart"
Songwriter: Fred Rose, Hy Heath
Made famous by: Hank Williams
D.J. Bonebrake - vibraphones
Margaret Good - vocals
Eric Heywood - pedal steel
Cindy Wasserman - vocals
12. "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
Songwriter: Kris Kristofferson
13. "Are the Good Times Really Over for Good"
Songwriter: Merle Haggard
Kathleen Edwards - vocals
14. "Detroit City"
Songwriters: Danny Dill, Mel Tillis
Made famous by: Bobby Bare
15. "Pink Mountain Rag"
Songwriters: The Sadies
Bob Egan - pedal steel
Hank Snow "(Now and Then) There's a Fool Such As I"
