In his decade-plus career, Craig Morgan hasn't covered any
other artists on record. However, on his new album "The Journey: Livin'
Hits" (Sept. 3), the singer re-imagines quite a few tracks that have
been recorded before -- from himself.
Morgan has re-cut six songs that were hits for him during
his prior stint on Broken Bow -- something that he said is a rare move
for an artist.
"Most artists don't normally get an opportunity to do
that. When they put out a Greatest Hits album, they just utilize the
original tracks. Very seldom do you go back in and re-record. Because
I'm on a different label, we had to go back in and re-record them."
Morgan stated that it was interesting for him as a singer
to re-visit his catalog, and approach his hits from a different place.
"If everybody had the opportunity to do that after singing them live for
a few years, they will do them a little bit different. Vocally, I get
to do what I've been doing out on the road, plus you've been doing them
for so long that you're confident in the song, because they are hits.
It's different than when you're singing them for the very first time and
you're hoping that it's going to be a hit."
here is the video link of his hit song;
When asked about specific cuts that he enjoyed revisiting,
he didn't miss a beat. "In 'Redneck Yacht Club,' there's a lot more
confidence in my vocal than there was in my vocal when I first recorded
it. I think that the majority of the people won't notice a whole lot of
difference, but there will be people who will think it feels different,"
he said.
The collection also contains four new cuts, with the lead
single "Wake Up Lovin' You." Morgan feels the single has the potential
to be a career song. "I've heard that a bunch," he admits. "I remember
when 'Almost Home' came out, and everyone said 'That's the song of your
career.' Then, people said that about 'That's What I Love About Sunday,'
or 'Redneck Yacht Club.' But, the reason I feel so strongly about this
song is that I have been at a certain level in my career for a little
while now, and I feel this is a song that will elevate my profile to the
next level. I really believe this song and this album will do that."
The singer goes as far to say "If this label, this album,
and this song doesn't do it, I'm out of the record making business for
record labels. That's how confident I am in this song. I believe in this
song so much, and if I can't do it with this song, label, or album,
then I don't know if I can do that. I'll still make records, but I'll
sell them myself -- and make a whole lot more money."
One song that will no doubt make an impact on Morgan's fan
base is the touching "If Not Me." It sounds like one the Army veteran
would have penned himself. Instead, it was written by Tom Douglas and
Lee Miller. "The hardest thing as an artist – writer is finding songs
that are who you are. I'm a writer first, so I feel like I should write
everything, but when you find a song that is so perfect that you think
you wrote it, you'd be an idiot not to record it. It's one of those
songs where every line feels like it was something that I had written.
It was a no-brainer to record it."
Morgan, who is gearing up for his annual Craig Morgan
Charity Weekend, held September 14 in Dickson County, TN, is celebrating
another career milestone in 2013 – five years as a member of the Grand
Ole Opry. "That is the highlight of my career, and always will be," he
says
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