On May 15, 2020, Gretchen Peters released The Night You Wrote That Song, an album of Mickey Newbury's songs recorded at historic Cinderella Studios, where Newbury recorded his legendary albums of the late 1960s/early 1970s including Looks Like Rain, Frisco Mabel Joy and Heaven Help The Child.
A lifelong devotee of Mickey Newbury’s albums as well as his songwriting, Peters chose to record his songs in stripped-down fashion at the same studio where the original magic happened. Guest appearances on the album include Buddy Miller, studio founder and legendary guitarist (Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt) Wayne Moss, Country Music Hall of Famer and legendary harmonica player (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley) Charlie McCoy, Will Kimbrough, Barry Walsh and more.
"In sifting through all the Mickey Newbury songs I could get my hands on, there were only two criteria for inclusion on the album: did I love it, and did I think I could bring something of myself to it?" Gretchen explains. "I decided early on that I didn’t want to make an album of Mickey’s hits; that opened up the potential field to his late-career songs, which took a decided turn towards folk, and obscure early songs, as well as hits. All my lifelong favourites were on the first list, of course - but some of those, much as I loved them, proved not to be the right fit. I came across “The Night You Wrote That Song” early on, and felt it was the perfect title for the album. "You never knew how right you were the night you wrote that song..." seems to sum up my feelings towards Mickey Newbury perfectly. In so many ways he was ahead of his time."
She continues: "Mickey’s sensibilities as an artist were probably the first thing that drew me to his records. I identified with him, not only because of his songs but because of the way I felt he saw himself. I only deduced this from listening to his records; I didn’t know him (I actually had several chances to meet him when I first came to town, but he was such a hero of mine that I was afraid to) - but he was an artist. He was hugely successful as a songwriter and yet he rejected - in both his writing and his recording - the Nashville assembly line approach. He approached everything he did as an artist, and as a young songwriter I deeply identified with that. That was what I wanted to do, what I felt I could do best. His records were thrilling to me."
Tracklist:
1. The Sailor
2. She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye
3. Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
4. The Night You Wrote That Song
5. Wish I Was
6. Why You Been Gone So Long
7. Frisco Depot
8. Leavin' Kentucky
9. Heaven Help The Child
10. San Francisco Mabel Joy
11. Saint Cecilia
12. Three Bells For Stephen
Please note the LP version does not include tracks 9 and 11.
