Glen Hansard is an Irish songwriter, actor, vocalist and guitarist for the Irish group The Frames, and one half of folk-rock duo The Swell Season.
Hansard also appeared in The Commitments, as well as starring in the film Once, which earned him a number of major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly”, with co-writer and co-star Markéta Irglová.
Hansard also sang the song “Take the Heartland” on the soundtrack for the 2012 film The Hunger Games. Another song he wrote, “Come Away to the Water”, is featured on the soundtrack, but is covered by Maroon 5 and Rozzi Crane.
Eddie Vedder is the front man of Pearl Jam, and now spends his days doing solo albums. His record label, UMe/Republic Records, is set to reissue both Deluxe Edition and Standard Edition LP versions of Eddie Vedder’s acclaimed second solo album, May 2011’s Ukulele Songs. This is the first time this record has been pressed on vinyl since its initial LP release a decade ago.
Glen Hansard with Eddie Vedder
Guest vocalists appear on a pair of key Ukulele tracks, both of them fine covers of notable standards. One guest is no other than Glen Hansard. He adds his Irish folk DNA to “Sleepless Nights,” which was written by Felice and Boudreaux Bryant and remade by The Everly Brothers in 1960, in addition to later being covered by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, and Elvis Costello.
The Deluxe Edition LP features the original 16-track Ukulele Songs album on high-grade 180-gram black vinyl in expanded packaging that includes a 16-page booklet and a special lithograph. The Standard Edition LP has also been pressed on 180-gram black vinyl.
Ukulele Songs comprises a mixture of original material penned by Vedder that he initially performed live, alongside vintage classics and standards. A recast, uke-driven version of “Can’t Keep,” which originally appeared as the opening track on Pearl Jam’s hard-charging November 2002 album Riot Act, opens the proceedings, while newer-bred original songs like the resigned lament of “Sleeping By Myself,” the charming love orbit of “Satellite,” the hopeful brightness of “Light Today,” and the instrumental interlude “Waving Palms” all set the table for the 35-minute album.
Foo Fighters Connection
Produced by Eddie Vedder and Adam Kasper (Foo Fighters, Soundgarden), Ukulele Songs peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200, hit No. 2 on the U.S. Top Rock Albums on Billboard, and achieved Gold status in Canada.
You can pre-order a copy here.
EDDIE VEDDER: UKULELE SONGS
Side A
- Can’t Keep
- Sleeping By Myself
- Without You
- More Than You Know
- Goodbye
- Broken Heart
- Satellite
Side B
- Longing To Belong
- Hey Fahkah
- You’re True
- Light Today
- Sleepless Nights
- Once In A While
- Waving Palms
- Tonight You Belong To Me
- Dream A Little Dream
Like music stories? Then check this out.
