Dave Matthews (of the Dave Matthews Band) is one of the more prolific and successful songwriters and performers of the past 30 years. And while we covered what songs Matthews has written for other artists, there is also the matter of the songs Matthews is featured on by other artists.
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Below, we cover five of those songs from the elastic-voiced, acoustic guitar-playing author of tracks like “Crash” and “#41.” Matthews, who recently released Walk Around the Moon with DMB, writes intimate songs, often with a thread of hope holding them together.
But does he bring that same sensibility to the songs he’s a featured guest on? Let’s find out.
1. “I’m Alive,” Kenny Chesney
Co-written by Kenny Chesney, this song was first cut by Willie Nelson for his 2008 album, Moment of Forever, which was also produced by Chesney. Later, though, the country star borrowed the track for his 2008 album, Lucky Old Sun, which he recorded with Matthews. The song also landed on Chesney’s 2009 album, Greatest Hits II.
2. “Love of My Life,” Carlos Santana
A song co-written by Matthews for Carlos Santana’s 1999 comeback solo album, Supernatural, this song features stirring Spanish guitar and Matthews-loving lyrics. It was one of the several songs on Santana’s 1999 LP to feature big names, including the smash hit “Smooth” with Rob Thomas.
3. “Sing Along,” The Blue Man Group
A very catchy and yet lesser-known song, this strange musical offering features Matthews in all of his quirky glory. Matthews sings, and plays guitar while the famed stage group plays bouncy percussion and sword-slashing bits. The track comes from the Blue Man Group’s 2003 album, The Complex, which features other artists, including Bush’s Gavin Rossdale.
4. “Work It Out,” Jurassic 5
This genre-bridging track features the backpack rappers Jurassic 5 along with Matthews. It was the third single from the rap outfit’s fourth studio album, Feedback. The song features both Matthews’ eponymous band on the music and Matthews himself singing the chorus. Later, the song was part of the soundtrack for the video game, NBA Live 07. And as you can see below, it’s not the last song to bend Matthews’ music with hip-hop.
5. “Why/Crush/Why (What’s Going On),” The Roots with DMB
In 2004, Dave Matthews Band accepted the Chairman’s Award from the NAACP and performed as part of the ceremony. The group was joined by the iconic members of the Roots for what turned out to be an incredible collab.
Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
