UNDER THE COVERS is a collection of songs originally recorded by the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Sonny & Cher, Johnny Horton and others. It contains a hidden track, "T For Texas."
Personnel includes: Dwight Yoakam (vocals, acoustic guitar); Sheryl Crow (vocals); Dean Parks (acoustic guitar); Pete Anderson (electric, baritone & 12-string guitars, electric sitar); Tom Brumley (pedal steel, lap steel); Ralph Stanley (banjo, background vocals); Scott Joss (mandolin, fiddle); Tom Peterson, Bruce Eskovitz (flute, alto, tenor & baritone saxophones); Earl Lon Price (tenor saxophone); Greg Smith (baritone saxophone); Lee Thornburg, Chris Tedesco (trumpet); Eric Jorgensen, Nick Lane (trombone); Skip Edwards (Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards); Charles Domanico (acoustic bass); Taras Prodaniuk (acoustic & electric basses); Jim Christie, Jeff Donovan (drums); Alex Neciosup-Acuna, Tempo (percussion); Ralph Forbes, Dusty Wakeman (drum programming); Tommy Funderburk, Beth Andersen, Anthony Crawford, The Lonesome Strangers (background vocals).
UNDER THE COVERS was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Country Album.
Personnel: Dwight Yoakam (vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Sheryl Crow (vocals); Dean Parks (acoustic guitar); Tom Brumley (lap steel guitar); Ralph Stanley (banjo, background vocals); Scott Joss (mandolin, fiddle); Earl Lon Price (tenor saxophone); Greg Smith (baritone saxophone); Chris Tedesco , Lee Thornburg (trumpet); Nick Lane, Eric Jorgensen (trombone); Skip Edwards (organ, keyboards); Chuck Domanico, Taras Prodaniuk (upright bass); Jeff Donovan, Jim Christie (drums); Tempo, Alex Acu¤a (percussion); Dusty Wakeman, Ralph Forbes (drum programming); Beth Andersen, Jeff Rymes, Randy Weeks, Anthony Crawford , Tommy Funderburk (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: David Leonard ; Judy Clapp; Michael Dumas.
Photographers: Scott Lightner; Bryan Suckut; Brad Bowman.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Chuck Smith; Stephen Moore; Ross Garfield; Gary White; Chris Rugalo; Brad Bowman; Robert Glicken; Eric Bradley.
Yoakam takes a break from making Nashville safe for sophisticated songcraft, putting down his pen and letting his hair down on this album of songs made famous by other performers. Though many of Yoakam's choices were popularized by artists firmly ensconced in the baby boomer canon (The Beatles' "Things We Said Today," Van Morrison's "Here Comes The Night"); he ventures further afield on a couple of tracks, and the element of surprise works to his advantage.
Yoakam's reworking of the Clash's "Train In Vain" as a bluegrass lament is nothing short of inspired. Elsewhere, he dips deep into the Roger Miller catalog (never a bad idea) and comes up with "Playboy." Star-spotters will be entranced by his duet with Sheryl Crow on the Sonny & Cher chestnut "Baby Don't Go," while hardcore country enthusiasts will be more impressed by the hidden track at disc's end, a loving resurrection of Jimmie Rodgers' "T For Texas."
Professional Reviews
Entertainment Weekly (7/25/97, p.73) - "...Inspired as hell and absolutely out of control." - Rating: B
