Superstars Collaborate To Mark Milestone
Vince Gill has long been regarded as one of the nicest guys in Nashville – with a voice to match his persona. And another popular figure in Music City is Marty Stuart, one of the wisest commentators on the evolution of country music. Accolades aside, the pair are also the closest of friends who have known each other for around five decades.
And so it is not surprising that the two singer-songwriters have teamed up to help Gill mark his career milestone of 50 years in music. The pair have got together in the latest of a series of EP’s thematically titled 50 Years From Home that Gill has drip-fed over the past 12 month. There are 11 so far – encompassing 78 songs. A final EP is expected by the end of the year.
Gill has made his selection from over one hundred songs he has written, or co-written, mostly over the past few years. And the co-writer of five of the seven songs on the latest collection – aptly titled 50 Years From Home: Marty And Me – is Stuart, who also duets with Gill on one track, “Praying Like Hell For Rain.” Surprisingly, it is the first time the duo has got together despite the immense mutual respect for each other’s talent!
When the pair first met, Stuart was a teenager touring with Lester Flatt, while Gill was playing in a teenage bluegrass band. Both would end up in Nashville – Gill via Oklahoma, Kentucky and California.
Kindred spirits they turned out to be.
“We’re so much alike in our deep love for what genuinely matters in this world of music,” Gill explained on his promotional website. ”I see Marty as one of the folks, like myself, who’s respectful and reverent of the past, and that he knows a lot about. We have so much of our history intertwined. It’s a great friendship.”
Stuart, too, was equally doting. “Regardless of what’s trending in Music City, Vince can always be depended on to deliver state-of-the-art, integrity-based music to the forefront. This project confirms that yet again.”
And there is one song – the title track “Marty And Me” - from the collaboration that indeed confirms such bonding. It has to be the finest track so far in the unique collection. And that’s saying something given the purity – both vocal and instrumental – achieved by Gill in this easy-listening compilation.
“Marty And Me” is exquisitely reflective, from the first verse.
We’ve both been running
For a long, long time
Spent our whole life chasing
Those little white lines
Two rambling boys who shared the same dream
Broke our mama’s hearts
When we packed up to leave
As might be expected from such humble superstars, there is due recognition to those who would sow the seeds for their global success.
Our heroes were strangers who welcomed us in
They passed on their wisdom just like an old friend
Gave us the courage to live wild and free
Here’s to the story of Marty and me
And, buried somewhere in between, is a wonderful self-effacing stanza that says it all about the two country music hall of famers.
Destined to live like the songs that we heard
You picked like the wind and I sang like a bird
For Gill, now 69, has an ageless voice. Indeed, one for the ages. And he must rank as the finest tenor currently in Nashville. Over the years, individual artists and groups have lined up for his singalong services. His 22 Grammy Awards – the most by any solo country male artist – says it all.
But his distinctive vocals should not overshadow his prowess as a great songwriter. And the 70-plus songs already released in the 50 Years From Home project provide a valuable insight into his expansive writing catalogue. Not surprisingly, versions of two classic compositions got an early outing as the various EP’s were turned out.
The opening release, 50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I had, ends with what is Gill’s signature song and best-selling single. He wrote “Go Rest High on That Mountain” as a requiem for his older brother Bob and country singer Keith Whitley who both died young. The song, released in 1995, would win two Grammys and was 1996 Country Music Association Song of the Year. It gained global recognition as a tribute song when Gill struggled to hold back tears as he and Patty Loveless performed it at George Jones’ funeral in 2013. His version on 50 Years is somewhat extended.
And the third EP 50 Years From Home: Brown’s Diner Bar - released in January – ends with his other big hit “When I Call Your Name.” It was the title song to his 1989 debut album with MCA Nashville Records and would come to be considered his breakthrough release. The single would win Gill his first Grammy in 1991, in the Best Male Vocal Country Performance category. A year earlier, it won Single of the Year at the CMA awards. What makes the song so compelling is the sheer majesty of Gill’s vocals - the chorus harmony with Loveless is simply beautiful.
Two other country chart-toppers, “I Still Believe in You” and “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slipping Away,” are also revived for the 50 Years output. Both were on Gill’s 1992 blockbuster “I Still Believe in You, which sold over five million copies.
But, like “Marty and Me,” it is the previously-unreleased tracks that give the 50 Years From Home collection a wonderful insight to the depth of Gill’s skills as a songwriter! These musically-crafted lyrical gems include “Last Night At Closing Time” (It was a broken heart that killed him/Last night at closing time), “The Last Thing You Left Behind” (I just found what I never thought I’d find/Your wedding ring is the last thing you left behind), “How Lonely Lonely Gets” (Even whiskey for the pain can’t help me to forget/Since I watched you go I really know how lonely lonely gets) and “When A Soldier Dies” (There is nothing fair I realise/What you sacrifice when a soldier dies). The last was written after Gill had visited Arlington National Cemetery.
And to top it all off are the distinctive EP covers.
Aside from his singing and song-writing, Gill is famous for having one of the biggest guitar
collection in Nashville. He has more than 200 instruments, including more than 40 Fender Telecasters. And he fittingly delves into his collection to adorn the covers of each EP in the 50 Years From Home series. The first cover features a 1942 Martin D-28 Herringbone Acoustic he bought when he was only 18.
And, what could be seen as a tribute to Stuart, the cover of Marty and Me features Marty’s Fender Telecaster alongside Vince’s custom Mark Whitebook acoustic. Nothing can better illustrate their long friendship and recent collaboration.
Paul Cutler
Editor Crossroads – Americana Music Appreciation
Comments