Rolling Stone Country Premieres Anderson’s “Give It Away”
Available Now With Pre-Order of the Album
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – ‘Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, the sole songwriter in history to write and chart country songs in seven consecutive decades, whose storied career includes membership into country music’s most prestigious institutions, will release his 73rd album, The Hits Re-Imagined, July 24. The album includes 10 of the Country Music Hall of Famer’s most iconic songs he’s written and recorded himself, as well as songs of his made famous by George Strait, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney and more. In addition to these fresh, re-imagined hits, the album includes instrumental versions of each track, full track listing below.
For The Hits Re-Imagined, Anderson explains he wanted “to go to both ends of the spectrum,” including on the project some of his earliest hits like “City Lights” and “Po’ Folks” as well as his more contemporary cuts such as “Whiskey Lullaby.” The project was co-produced by Anderson with Thomm Jutz.
Anderson revisits his more than 60 years of hits with Rolling Stone Country, discussing the new album, his mainstay at the Grand Ole Opry, zoom writing with Brad Paisley and more as the outlet premieres “Give It Away,” an instant download with every album pre-order. “Give It Away” won Anderson both an ACM and CMA award for ‘Song of the Year’ after George Strait recorded it in 2006. Anderson’s newly recorded version “puts a fresh, acoustic bluegrass-inspired spin on the tune, accentuated by Anderson’s warm vocal” (Stephen L. Betts / Rolling Stone Country).
The Hits Re-Imagined Track List
1. Bright Lights and Country Music
2. Whiskey Lullaby
3. Po’ Folks
4. I’ll Wait for You
5. City Lights
6. Still
7. Give It Away
8. The Tips of My Fingers
9. A Lot of Things Different
10. Which Bridge to Cross (Which Bridge to Burn)
11. Bright Lights and Country Music (Instrumental)
12. Whiskey Lullaby (Instrumental)
13. Po’ Folks (Instrumental)
14. I’ll Wait for You (Instrumental)
15. City Lights (Instrumental)
16. Still (Instrumental)
17. Give It Away (Instrumental)
18. The Tips of My Fingers (Instrumental)
19. A Lot of Things Different (Instrumental)
20. Which Bridge To Cross (Which Bridge To Burn) (Instrumental)
“Whisperin’ Bill” Anderson, who is known for his breathy, conversational vocal style, has received many accolades over his extensive career that spans more than half a century. He has achieved 37 Top Ten hits as a recording artist and more than 50 BMI awards for songwriting. Anderson’s songs have been recorded by James Brown, Kenny Chesney, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dean Martin, and hundreds of others, among them Hall of Fame members, Porter Wagoner and Kitty Wells. In 2005, Anderson and Jon Randall Stewart wrote “Whiskey Lullaby,” recorded by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss. It was CMA Song of the Year, and in 2007, Anderson won the CMA and ACM Song of the Year awards for “Give It Away,” written with Buddy Cannon and Jamey Johnson and recorded by George Strait. A Grand Ole Opry member since 1961, Anderson entered the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975, the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002 and the New York-based Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. In late 2020, he will be honored with an exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame that will give visitors an inside look into the legacy that is “Whisperin’ Bill” Anderson.
For more information on Bill Anderson visit BillAnderson.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.