The duo romp a little more on the easy swinging “Did You Say Such a Thing,” but also warn “the forecast is severe” on the piano and accordion-laden “A Life Full of Rain.” The album’s first single, “Wasted Days,” finds the pair in a reflective state (“Who’s counting now, these last remaining years / How many minutes do we have here?”). He also enlisted an old friend for a trio of songs, a kindred spirit in wistful storytelling: Bruce Springsteen. On Friday, Mellencamp unveils his first album in five years. “Strictly a One-Eyed Jack” features a dozen songs packed with themes of mortality and dense lyrics, guided by the album’s protagonist, “a dangerous old man” (i.e., the one-eyed Jack, which Mellencamp will further explain). From the early days of Johnny Cougar – a name he says “was forced on me. and I don’t like anybody telling me what to do” – through '80s MTV staples (“Pink Houses,” “Hurts So Good,” “Small Town”) rootsy zigzags (“Paper in Fire,” “Get a Leg Up,” “Wild Night”) a shadowy musical written with Stephen King (“Ghost Brothers of Darkland County”) and voluminous accolades (the Songwriters Hall of Fame, ASCAP Founders Award and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are but a few), his accomplishments overwhelm. Mellencamp’s is a rightfully celebrated career. Or, as it turns out, on the other end of the phone for an hour. Exactly the type who would make an ideal conversationalist over a few drinks. He’s calling from “on top of the mountain” in Northern California – not literally, but in his home – and for a guy often pegged as prickly, he’s immediately disarming. “If a squirrel chews through the line, we’re in trouble,” John Mellencamp says by way of introduction. The film is available now on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) YouTube channel.Watch Video: Diamond shines at Songwriters Hall of Fame This summer, Mellencamp’s documentary The Good Samaritan Tour 2000 was released by Federal Films, along with a companion live album of the same name on Republic Records. Narrated by Matthew McConaughey, with special contributions by Nora Guthrie, the documentary follows Mellencamp on his iconic 2000 tour in which he played free shows across the country. He recently participated in the “From Hollywood to the Heartland” interstitial, focusing on how small towns are portrayed in movies as part of TCM’s July on-air promotion. Mellencamp is also working with Turner Classic Movies on various projects including the sponsorship of his forthcoming tour, a landmark collaboration and first for the artist who has never had a tour sponsorship in all his years of performing live. ![]() He selected Tortilla Flat, Cool Hand Luke and The Misfits, which aired on September 17 followed by The Fugitive Kind, On the Waterfront and East of Eden, which occurred on September 24. I sang a little bit on his record.”Įarlier this month, Mellencamp announced the he was teaming with Turner Classic Movies to take on the celebrated role of guest programmer, curating two special nights of films. ![]() He’s a great songwriter and I have become very close and had a lot of fun with him. ![]() “I worked on three songs on John’s album and I spent some time in Indiana with him,” Springsteen revealed. The musician said he had recently spent time in Indiana with Mellencamp. ![]() Springsteen also teased the partnership in a recent interview with Sirius XM’s E Street Radio.
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