Loving You

by Bobbie Nelson, Amanda Shires

Overview

Amanda Shires planned to include a version of "Always on My Mind," a song popularized by Willie Nelson, on her 2022 album Take It Like a Man, going so far as to invite Willie's sister Bobbie to play on the track. Once Shires and Bobbie Nelson shared studio space, they got to know each other by playing a few classic country covers. By the end of the day, they decided to cut an entire album together, knocking out Loving You quickly, but it sat on the shelf as Take It Like a Man received its promotional cycle in 2022. By the time Loving You appeared in June 2023, Bobbie Nelson had been dead for a year, turning this unassuming lark of an album into an affectionate farewell to a country music legend. Although a handful of tracks have received some sweetening -- there are strings, plus a Willie vocal on "Summertime" -- the vibe on Loving You is strikingly intimate; even when a rhythm section is involved, it doesn't feel like there are any other musicians in the studio besides Shires and Nelson. The stripped-down surroundings shift the focus to Nelson's lyrical playing; heard outside of her brother's Family band, it's easy to hear the elegance she brought to the group. Whether she's singing or playing violin, Shires has a relaxed, natural rapport with Nelson that gives Loving You a genuine sense of warmth: this wasn't intended as a tribute or a goodbye, it was merely a relaxed session between two kindred spirits and its inherent modesty makes it quite satisfying. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	06/23/2023
Label:	Ato
UPC:	0880882567125

Tracks

1. Waltz Across Texas
2. Always on My Mind
3. Old Fashioned Love
4. Summertime
5. Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground
6. Dream a Little Dream of Me
7. Tempted and Tried
8. La Paloma
9. Loving You
10. Over the Rainbow

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Amanda Shires   Primary Artist,Fiddle,Vocals
Bobbie Nelson   Primary Artist,Piano
Willie Nelson   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Jay Bellerose   Drums
Chris Powell   Drums
Emily Rodgers   Cello
Todd Lombardo   Banjo,Guitar (Nylon String)
Freddy Fletcher   Drums
Chris Maresh   Bass (Upright)
Kristin Weber   Violin
Lawrence Rothman   Guitar,Chamberlin
Quentin Flowers   Double Bass

Technical Credits

Willie Nelson   Composer
Gus Kahn   Composer
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg   Composer
Public Domain   Composer
Jacob Sciba   Engineer,Recording
Amanda Shires   Producer,Liner Notes
Joshua Black Wilkins   Photography
Sebastian Yradier   Composer
Barney Elliott Warren   Composer
Jordan Lehning   String Arrangements
W.B. Stevens   Composer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Bobbie Nelson   Composer
Fabian Andre   Composer
George Gershwin   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
Wayne Carson   Composer
Johnny Christopher   Composer
DuBose Heyward   Composer
Wilbur Schwandt   Composer
Mark James   Composer
Pete Lyman   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Barney E. Warren   Composer
Lawrence Rothman   Mixing,Producer
William Stevens   Composer
Will Welch   Art Direction
Rob Vargas   Design
Fritz Miller   Composer
Billy Talmadge   Composer
Frank Loesser   Composer
Brian David Willis   Digital Editing