Treasure Trove of Fresh Material this Month
Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Stevens may have just turned 82, but to him, age is just a number. Today the ever-energetic Stevens revealed he’s planning to release four brand new albums over the course of the next few months.
Stevens recently returned to Curb Records to bring his music to fans across the globe. The GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, through Curb, will begin digitally dropping the new material this month with the release of Great Country Ballads on February 26. Additional releases throughout the spring include Melancholy Fescue (High Class Bluegrass) on March 26, Slow Dance on April 23, and Nouveau Retro (What’s Old Is New Again) on May 21.
“I’ve been working in my recording studio for the last few years recording songs that I’ve heard all through my life,” explains Stevens. “These new recordings are the ‘soundtrack of my life,’ so to speak. I had a great time making these records and I hope others will enjoy them too.”
On Great Country Ballads, Stevens pays tribute to timeless songs of the genre in his own unique way, while on Melancholy Fescue (High Class Bluegrass), he takes the idea he explored with “Misty” to new heights as he gives a bluegrass treatment to songs you’d never expect to be performed that way, and then adds symphonic strings and chorale. Slow Dance gives Stevens’ take on classic love songs of the yesteryear. With Nouveau Retro (What’s Old Is New Again), he takes very familiar, favorite songs and presents them in a brand new, completely different way.
Stevens and Curb are also planning to release all four new albums in a special edition box set, Iconic Songs of the 20th Century (The Soundtrack of Our Lives), available for purchase on June 18.
Track Listings:
Great Country Ballads
1. Please Help Me, I’m Falling (In Love With You)
2. Crazy
3. City Lights
4. I Can’t Stop Loving You
5. Bouquet of Roses
6. Room Full of Roses
7. Your Cheatin’ Heart
8. Crying Time
9. I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You)
10. Making Believe
11. Sweet Dreams
12. ‘Til I Get It Right
Melancholy Fescue (High Class Bluegrass)
1. Ruby/Ruby Baby (medley)
2. Pretty Woman
3. In The Still of The Night / In The Still of The Night (medley)
4. At This Moment
5. Twilight Time
6. Unchained Melody
7. Spring Is Here
8. Sophisticated Lady
9. People
10. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
11. Goin’ Out of My Head
12. MacArthur Park
Slow Dance
1. Only You (And You Alone)
2. Unforgettable
3. Make Believe / It’s Only Make Believe (medley)
4. The Great Pretender
5. I’ll See You In My Dreams
6. (Swaying To The Music) Slow Dancing
7. Answer Me
8. Stardust
9. As Usual
10. Dream
11. This Is All I Ask
12. What A Wonderful World
Nouveau Retro (What’s Old Is New Again)
2. Blue Moon
3. Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)
4. Lay Me Down (Roll Me Out To Sea)
5. Cry Me A River
6. Mountain of Love
7. Talk To Me
8. Young Love
9. Indian Love Call
10. No, Not Much
11. You Don’t Know Me
12. Always Chasing Rainbows / Over The Rainbow (medley)About Ray Stevens
Twelve-time nominated and two-time GRAMMY® Award winner Ray Stevens has spanned the generations with more than 60 years of comedic musical talent, including songs such as his multi-million selling hit “The Streak” and his classic pop standard “Everything Is Beautiful.” Throughout his career, Stevens has sold more than 40 million albums. In 2018, the music legend opened his very own Nashville entertainment venue, the CabaRay Showroom, a 35,000 square foot music venue where, during non-COVID-19 times, Stevens performs weekly live concerts. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, has a star on the Music City Walk of Fame and was formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the fall of 2019.For more information on Ray Stevens, visit raystevens.com.
