Outside of the small screen, William Shatner has enjoyed a steady music career for decades. In his spoken word style, the Star Trek star covered popular hits like Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” and The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” on his 1968 record The Transformed Man. He also put out a live album in 1977; the star-studded David Bowie-inspired Seeking Major Tom in 2011; and the Iggy Pop-featuring Shatner Claus holiday LP in 2018.
For his next full-length, Shatner is taking on blues classics with the help of some famous friends. Simply titled The Blues, the project features contributions from country star Brad Paisley, Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, and Canned Heat. Also appearing are Stax Records guitarist and producer Steve Cropper, former Elvis Presley associate James Burton, blues veteran Sonny Landreth, and guitarists Pat Travers and Albert Lee.
Found on the new album are reworked versions of “Sweet Home Chicago” and “I Put a Spell on You”, as well as “I Can’t Quit You Baby”, “Crossroads”, and “Born Under a Bad Sign”. As an early treat, Shatner previously shared his covers of “The Thrill is Gone” and “Let’s Work Together”, done in collaboration with Canned Heat, who originally released the song in 1970.
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Revisit “The Thrill is Gone” and “Let’s Work Together” below. The Blues is officially set to drop October 2nd via Cleopatra Records and is available for pre-order now.
The Blues Artwork:
The Blues Tracklist:
01. Sweet Home Chicago (feat. Brad Paisley)
02. I Can’t Quit You Baby (feat. Kirk Fletcher)
03. Sunshine Of Your Love (feat. Sonny Landreth)
04. The Thrill Is Gone (feat. Ritchie Blackmore)
05. Mannish Boy (feat. Ronnie Earl)
06. Born Under A Bad Sign (feat. Tyler Bryant)
07. I Put A Spell On You (feat. Pat Travers)
08. Crossroads (feat. James Burton)
09. Smokestack Lightnin’ (feat. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter)
10. As The Years Go Passing By (feat. Arthur Adams)
11. Let’s Work Together (feat. Harvey Mandel & Canned Heat)
12. Route 66 (feat. Steve Cropper)
13. In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company (feat. Albert Lee)
14. Secrets Or Sins