It may still be another two weeks until Christmas, but it’s already time to start planning for Valentine’s Day (and then next week you’ll have to start mulling over your options for Flag Day). On February 4th, Hear Music/Concord Music and Starbucks will release Sweethearts 2014, their fifth compilation of romantic cover songs. This year’s collection features 13 tracks firmly split between brand new covers and selections that have been in the artist’s setlist for some time.
In the former category, My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James tackles Bob Marley’s “Turn Your Lights Down Low”, Vampire Weekend re-imagine opera singer Andrea Bocelli’s “Con Te Partirò”, Fiona Apple and her sister Maude Maggart duet on The Third Man’s “I’m In The Middle of a Riddle”, and The Head and the Heart cover Harry Nilsson’s “Don’t Forget Me”. In the latter, versions of covers of John Lennon’s “Love” by Beck, Bob Dylan’s “Tomorrow Is A Long Time” by Phosphorescent, and Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” by Ben Harper are readily available online.
The physical version of the album will be sold only at Starbucks. A digital copy will be available through Concord Music Group.
For a (chocolaty) taste of the album, listen to James’ cover of “Turn Your Lights Down Low”, which is a bit of 1970s-Nashville-meets-the-tropics.
Or, for more bite-sized nuggets, check out 30-second samples of the entire album.
Sweetheart 2014 Tracklist:
01. Jim James – “Turn Your Lights Down Low” (Bob Marley cover)
02. Vampire Weekend – “Con Te Partirò” (Inspired by the Andrea Bocelli recording)
03. Beck – “Love” (John Lennon cover)
04. Phosphorescent – “Tomorrow Is A Long Time” (Bob Dylan cover)
05. The Head and the Heart – “Don’t Forget Me” (Harry Nilsson cover)
06. Valerie June – “Happy or Lonesome” (the Carter Family cover)
07. Bahamas – “Always on My Mind” (Willie Nelson cover)
08. Thao – “If You Were Mine” (Ray Charles cover)
09. Ben Harper – “Fade Into You” (Mazzy Star cover)
10. Fiona Apple – “I’m In The Middle of a Riddle” (Anton Karas cover)
11. Brandi Carlile – “The Chain” (Fleetwood Mac cover)
12. Blake Mills – “I Hope” (Bobby Charles cover)
13. Sharon Jones – “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” (Stevie Wonder cover)
