Grace Potter Finds Her Muscle Shoals Sound With Stirring Etta James Cover [Exclusive Premiere]
Grace Potter's Etta James cover brings bittersweet nostalgia. The singer's personal recording of “I’d Rather Go Blind” for the Muscle Shoals … Small Town, Big Sound compilation album illustrates the studio’s influence on her raising, as well as on American experience across generations.
The 16-track collection of hit songs also includes performances by Alison Krauss (“Come and Go Blues”), Alan Jackson “Wild Horses” and Jamey Johnson, with Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton and Lee Ann Womack (“Gotta Serve Somebody”). Taste of Country is proud to premiere Potter’s version of James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” a song first released in 1968.
“I was about 15 when I first fell in love," Potter tells Taste of Country via email. "And I was miserable and weightless all at once and looking for an outlet to express those crazy feelings. As I’d wander down the aisles of record stores, I found that soul music, more than any other genre, really resonated with me. I started collecting albums from artists like Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Phoebe Snow, Clarence Carter, Aretha, of course."
Later Potter would dig deep into each album's liner notes and discover all were cut at Muscle Shoals. "That place is a vortex of soul," she says.
Muscle Shoals … Small Town, Big Sound will be available on Sept. 28. Previously, Steven Tyler and Nuno Bettencourt’s vision of “Brown Sugar” was revealed to music fans. Other familiar titles on the Rodney Hall arranged project include “I’ll Take You There” (The Staple Sisters), “Mustang Sally” (Wilson Pickett) and “We’ve Got Tonight” (Bob Seger). Hall is the son of Fame Studio owner Rick Hall, who died in January. For this 60th anniversary collection, most of the artists featured made the trip to Alabama to record at Fame in Muscle Shoals. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Grammy Foundation as well as the Muscle Shoals Music Association and the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation.
Muscle Shoals … Small Town, Big Sound Track Listing:
1. "The Road of Love" — Keb’ Mo’
2. "I’d Rather Go Blind" — Grace Potter
3. "Brown Sugar" — Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt
4. "Gotta Serve Somebody" — Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack
5. "Steal Away" — Eli “Paperboy” Reed
6. "Snatching It Back" — Kid Rock
7. "I’ll Take You There" — Aloe Blacc
8. "Cry Like A Rainy Day" — Michael McDonald
9. "True Love" — Vince Gill, Wendy Moten
10. "Come and Go Blues" — Alison Krauss
11. "Respect Yourself" — Mike Farris with The Blind Boys of Alabama
12. "Wild Horses" — Alan Jackson
13. "Mustang Sally" — Brently Stephen Smith of Shinedown
14. "We’ve Got Tonight" — Chord Overstreet
15. "Giving It Up for Your Love" — Tom Johnston & Delbert McClinton
16. "I Ain’t Easy to Love" — Candi Staton with Jason Isbell, John Paul White
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