Charlie Louvin Readies Two Releases

From Pitchfork.com: Country music legend Charlie Louvin, along with his late brother Ira, set the standard for duo close harmony singing that would later be followed by the The Everly Brothers, the The Wilburn Brothers and the Beach Boys. After Ira’s death in June 1965 Charlie launched a solo career that was put on hold for nearly a decade until last year’s “Charlie Louvin” was released on New York label Tompkins Square and featured a cast which included George Jones, Elvis Costello, Marty Stuart, Tom T. Hall, and Jeff Tweedy.

On September 16 Tompkins Square will release Louvin’s self-proclaimed “gospel record,” called Steps to Heaven. It features versions of 8 traditionals and two Louvin Brothers tunes.
Steps to Heaven Track List:

01 Love at Home
02 How Beautiful Heaven Must Be
03 Precious Lord, Take My Hand
04 There’s a Higher Power
05 Where We’ll Never Grow Old
06 If We Never Meet Again This Side of Heaven
07 Just Rehearsing
08 When the Roll Is Called up Yonder
09 I Feel Like Traveling On
10 I Am Bound for the Promised Land

A second record, Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs, is Louvin’s exploration of the darker songs, comes out December 9 also on Tompkins Square, and it borrows nine songs from the label’s recent compilation, People Take Warning! Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs, 1913-1938. Those songs are supplemented on the record by the appearance of new versions of a couple songs from the first Louvin Brothers album, Tragic Songs of Life.

Mark Nevers of Lambchop, who has worked on records by Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Andrew Bird, produced, recorded, and mixed both albums.

Louvin has dates  throughout the rest of the year which includes a show in Nashville on July 30 opening up for M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel’s She & Him.

Charlie Louvin:

07-13 Winnipeg, Manitoba – Winnipeg Folk Festival
07-18 Athens, GA – Melting Pot
07-26 Palmer Rapids, Ontario – TBA
07-30 Nashville, TN – The Mercy Lounge *
08-08 Moss Point, MS – Moss Point
09-06 Sparta, NC – Sparta High School
09-20 Berea, KY – College Berea (Spoonbread Festival)
09-21 Chattanooga, TN – Chattahippie Music Festival
10-17 Austin, TX – Cactus Cafe
10-18 Durant, OK – TBA
11-01 Mobile, AL – Alabama Pecan Festival
01-17 Tampa, FL – 6th Annual Bell Buckle Cruise

* with She & Him

Related posts:

1. Charlie Louvin Redies New Releases, Adds Tour dates Dates with Levon Helm and the Old 97’s.
2. Charlie Louvin Reviewed on Pitchfork.com
3. Charlie Louvin Gets Help From Friends for New CD
4. Charlie Louvin Plays New York City
5. Create a Set List for the Drive By Truckers