‘King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Miller’drops August 31st. Among the celebrity renditions, you’ll also find a Franklin band featured on the album.
The two-disc collection contains new renditions of Miller’s songs by Ringo Starr, Dolly Parton, Eric Church, Loretta Lynn, John Goodman, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard on disc one. But on disc two, you will notice Franklin band Daphne & the Mystery Machines listed for “I Believe in the Sunshine.”
We spoke to Daphne Culver who says their appearance came after a mention from Kacey Musgraves followed by an email.
“I got an email one day and it was Cole Wright of Wright of Center who had recently been turned on to my music by Kacey, asking me if I’d be interested in being on a tribute album for Roger Miller, he’d mentioned a few of my favorite bands and childhood heroes were going to be on there as well. I was apprehensive and excited if that makes sense. I wasn’t sure if this guy was even for real if I’m completely honest,” said Culver.
It was over coffee where Wright and Culver met and discussed the band recording ‘Boeing Boeing 707’ or ‘I Believe in the Sunshine’
“I always thought ‘I Believe in the Sunshine’ was kind of a sad song, like when he says ‘I’m glad the sunshine found me, I know I’ve been hard to find’ for example, sounded like he was getting back to his happy place after maybe being depressed, or down, Â but the chords were all peppy, upbeat and major. I told Cole that if I was going to do either of those songs it would sound nothing like the original, and he was okay with it. He basically said if it wasn’t any good, it wouldn’t make the final cut,” says Culver.
They recorded three different versions of ‘I Believe in the Sunshine’ at the Sound Emporium Studio in Nashville and together Wright and Culver decided which version made it to the album. Culver said the uncut version will be released online later this year and it might be making an appearance on a TV show (but we will learn more about that later.)
In addition to working on the Roger Miller tribute album, Culver says she’s been working on some of her own new music.
“I’ve been spending most of my spare time in the studio, I have enough to drop a few albums right now, Â and I’ll be in the studio almost every night this week, so you should expect some new music by the end of the year, or beginning of 2019 at the latest.”
The tribute album was produced by Miller’s son, Dean Miller, and Colby Barnum Wright, ‘King of the Road’ offers a fresh look at the work of Miller who died of cancer at the age of 56. His signature songs are “Dang Me” and “King of the Road.” He held the record for most GRAMMY wins in a single night until Michael Jackson and ‘Thriller’ broke it in 1984. Miller wrote songs and voiced a character for Walt Disney’s 1973 Robin Hood film. He also wrote the music and lyrics for the Tony-winning Big River, helping launch the career of actor John Goodman, who reprises the musical’s “Guv’ment” on ‘King of the Road.’
‘‘King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Miller’ Tracklist:
Disc One
Greatest Songwriter (Banter)
Chug-a-Lug – Asleep at the Wheel ft. Huey Lewis
Dang Me – Brad Paisley
Leavin’s Not the Only Way to Go – The Stellas/Lennon and Maisy
Kansas City Star – Kacey Musgraves
World So Full of Love – Rodney Crowell
Old Friends (Banter)
Old Friends – Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard
Lock Stock and Teardrops – Mandy Barnett
You Oughta Be Here With Me – Alison Krauss ft. The Cox Family
The Crossing – Ronnie Dunn, The Blind Boys of Alabama
In the Summertime – The Earls of Leicester ft. Shawn Camp
Fiddle (Banter)
England Swings – Lyle Lovett
You Can’t Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd – Various Artists
Half a Mind – Loretta Lynn
Invitation to the Blues – Shooter Jennings, Jessi Colter
It Only Hurts Me When I Cry (Live) – Dwight Yoakam
Disc Two
Mouth Noises (Banter)
Oo De Lally – Eric Church
Engine, Engine #9 – Emerson Hart ft. Jon Randall
When Two Worlds Collide – Flatt Lonesome
Reincarnation – Cake
You Can’t Do Me This Way and Get By With It – Dean Miller ft. The McCrary Sisters
Chicken S#$! (Banter)
Nothing Can Stop Me – Toad the Wet Sprocket
Husbands and Wives – Jamey Johnson ft. Emmylou Harris
I’ll Pickup My Heart and Go Home – Lily Meola
I Believe in the Sunshine – Daphne and the Mystery Machines
Guv’ment – John Goodman
Old Songwriters Never Die (Banter)
Hey, Would You Hold It Down? – Ringo Starr
The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me – Dolly Parton ft. Alison Krauss
I’d Come Back to Me – Radney Foster ft. Tawnya Reynolds
One Dying and a Burying – The Dead South
Do Wacka Do – Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
King of the Road – Various Artists
Follow Daphne & the Mystery Machines on Facebook for news on upcoming shows.
