Bill Medley rose to fame ’60s and one half of the Righteous Brothers. The duo had hits like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “Unchained Melody.” Medley’s rich bass-baritone voice was the duo’s hallmark. After the duo split he went on to have a successful solo career. Today (February 21) Medley is breaking new ground with Straight from the Heart, a collection of covers of country classics. The album features songs written or recorded by greats like Kris Kristofferson, Garth Brooks, Hank Williams, and George Jones. Guest artists on the collection include the likes of Vince Gill and Keb’ Mo’.
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Ahead of the album’s release, Medley sat down with American Songwriter to discuss the album, how he selected the songs, and more.
How Bill Medley Chose the Songs for Straight from the Heart
“I wanted this album to be a tribute to the songwriters and the singers,” Medley said. He then revealed that he wasn’t the only one who brought songs to the table. “I had a list and my producer, Fred Mollin, had a list of songs that we thought we should do. They were just songs that I really loved. I love the writing and the singers,” he explained.
While Medley loves all the songs on the album, he was unsure about tackling one of them. “The George Jones song, ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ I was a little leery of,” he said. “We certainly wanted to do it but it’s such a historic song for George Jones. So, I said, ‘Make the track and I will sing it and if I can make it my own, we’ll put it on the album.’” Listen to the track below to see how Medley transformed the country classic.
Medley’s Love of Country Music
Bill Medley isn’t just jumping on the country bandwagon because it’s the popular thing to do. He has been a fan of the genre for decades. “When I left the Righteous Brothers in ’68 for about six years, the first album I was going to do was all country songs,” he recalled. “I don’t consider myself a country singer. I’m just Bill Medley singing country songs. To me, the best Bill Medley you can get is me doing country songs. I used to do ‘Born to Lose’ and ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ in my show. Of course, I blamed it on Ray Charles. But I loved those songs. I just feel so comfortable with those songs and the songwriting is just so simple,” he added.
A Surprise Duet with Vince Gill
“These Days” is the title track from Vince Gill’s 2006 box set. Bill Medley asked Gill if he would play guitar on his rendition of the track and got so much more. “I recorded that song a little while ago and I asked Vince if he would do some guitar work on it,” Medley said. “We sent it to him, and when he sent it back it was a full-on duet with him singing the second verse and the choruses with me. He’s one of those triple threats–singer, songwriter, and musician–he just does it all,” he added.
Bill Medley’s Favorite Song from the Album
“If you did a movie on my life, this album would be the soundtrack,” Bill Medley said of Straight from the Heart. “But, I think Kris Kristofferson’s ‘Sunday Morning Comin’ Down’ is one of my favorites. But it’s kind of an emotional reason. Kris was a friend and I just wanted him to know how much I loved him and his music. And ‘Sunday Morning Comin’ Down’ is such a great song,” he explained. “All the rest of the songs I did because I love them and the singers.”
Featured Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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