Mercury Rev has announced an ambitious project paying tribute to country legend Bobbie Gentry‘s 1968 album The Delta Sweete. The Upstate New York dream pop outfit assembled an all-star roster of female musicians to help cover the album in its entirety, including Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier, Norah Jones, Hope Sandoval, and Vashti Bunyan. Lucinda Williams tackles Gentry’s chart topper “Ode To Billie Joe.”
The first single off of Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited is “Sermon” featuring rising country star Margo Price.
“Bobbie Gentry is one of the greatest writers and performers of our time. She was the definition of country funk and southern soul. Her songs were well crafted, literary masterpieces. Bobbie produced so much of her own work that she didn’t get credit for,” Price said in a statement. “Her influence on my music has been massive and her influence on the music world in general is earth shattering. Bobbie is iconic, original, eloquent and timeless. She is an elusive wonder in a world of plain spoken, worn out cliques. She has remained a strong voice and an eternal spirit of the delta, wrapped in mystery, yet forever here.”
The complete track listing is below:
01 “Okolona River Bottom Band” (Feat. Norah Jones)
02 “Big Boss Man” (Feat. Hope Sandoval)
03 “Reunion” (Feat. Rachel Goswell)
04 “Parchman Farm” (Feat. Carice van Houten)
05 “Mornin’ Glory” (Feat. Laetitia Sadier)
06 “Sermon” (Feat. Margo Price)
07 “Tobacco Road” (Feat. Susanne Sundfør)
08 “Penduli Pendulum” (Feat. Vashti Bunyan w/ Kaela Sinclair)
09 “Jessye’ Lisabeth” (Feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
10 “Refractions” (Feat. Marissa Nadler)
11 “Courtyard” (Feat. Beth Orton)
12 “Ode To Billie Joe” (Feat. Lucinda Williams)
Bobbie Gentry’s Delta Sweete Revisited drops on February 8 and can be pre-ordered here.
