NIGH on thirty years now into their recording career – yep, Back To The Grotto came out waay back now, in ’92 – California’s country rockers The Mother Hips have just released their first cover in that entire ten, soon-to-be 11-album canon.
It’s here for you now; it also features on the new set, Glowing Lantern, which is out in early December; it’s a rather warming take on a song perhaps better known in the take by Anne Murray; and it came to the band by serendipitous provenance.
For it came to the band on a tape bought at truck stop years back; and they’ve brought big harmonies, valve-amp warmth and Muscle Shoals-like keys to the party.
“We came across an Anne Murray cassette tape in a truck stop some years back. The album cover was so fascinating to us that we decided to buy it,” says the Hips’ Greg Loiacono.
“The music and recording blew us away. Her version of this song in particular with its groove, harmonies and far-out production really spoke to us, so we worked up our own version.
“It’s absurd in a way, a rock band covering an Anne Murray song. She’s mom music. We had no idea her first record was this weird countrypolitan, psychedelic record with Glen Campbell and all these LA hotshot musicians on it.
“We later realize it was written by David Wiffen, whose songs have been recorded by Roger McGuinn, The Cowboy Junkies, The Jayhawks and The Black Crowes, so all in all, it turned out to be a fitting choice for the first ever cover song on a Mother Hips record.”
In support of that album release – you’ll find how to score your own copy, below – The Mother Hips will be playing dates through November and into next year, when they’ll be appearing at the first Tropic of Cancer Festival in Todos Santos, Mexico.
Those dates are as follows:
Friday, November 19th, Denton, TX, Dan’s Silverleaf;
Saturday, November 20th, Austin, 3Ten Austin City Limits Live;
Saturday, November 27th, Felton, CA, Felton Music Hall;
Friday, December 3rd, Springdale, UT, Bit & Spur Restaurant & Saloon;
Saturday, December 4th, Salt Lake City, The State Room;
Friday to Sunday, December 17th to 19th, San Francisco, Great American Music Hall;
Thursday and Friday, December 30th and 31st, Sacramento, Harlow’s, and
Wednesday, January 12th to Sunday, January 16th, Tropic of Cancer Festival, Todos Santos, Mexico.
Tickets for these forthcoming dates are available here.
The Mother Hips’ Glowing Lantern will be released by Blue Rose on December 3rd, digitally and on limited edition warm golden coloured vinyl; you can order yours here.
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