In March when revealing a new album from Turnpike bassist RC Edwards and Amber Watson and their project RC and the Ambers, Turnpike Troubadours steel guitarist Hammerin’ Hank Early (who also plays on the RC album) said, “Wish I could give you some good news, but I’ve been told not to share any details about all the good news I’d love to share.” Evan Felker got sober, which was the underlying reason for the indefinite hiatus in the first place. At this point, it’s pretty likely something is going to happen, whether it’s a new album, or a new tour, or both.Īll signs have been pointing positive for a while now. Jon Folk is also the booking agent for the band. What I can tell you is that after the Turnpike Troubadours dissolved their management contract with Cory McDaniels in a rather messy situation, the band’s affairs are currently being managed by Jon Folk, who is the owner and CEO of the booking agency Red 11. And whatever the Turnpike Troubadours have in store, that is for them to announce, and on their terms. That would be like taking a peek at your Christmas presents before Thanksgiving. And in truth, you don’t want to know the details yet anyway. Am I at liberty to say how I know this information, or give any further details on what might transpire? No, I am not. Is this the first sign that the long suffering indefinite hiatus of the Turnpike Troubadours is likely coming to an end in the near future? Yes, it is.
But until they start putting bodies in the ground, never count them out.įolks are flipping out today because the Turnpike Troubadours updated their website with a graphic simply saying “Coming Soon,” and they also wiped their Instagram page clean. It’s not just the money, it’s the camaraderie, and the deep friendships that exist in these bands that you just can’t cast off, no matter how severe the drama may seem in the near term. It’s because they all had to eat their words when they said a new tour and album would never happen. There’s a reason The Eagles had to name their 1994-1996 tour and a subsequent live album Hell Freezes Over. If you know anything about music, and anything about the Turnpike Troubadours, you had to know that betting against a reunification of this band after the indefinite hiatus they announced on May 31st, 2019 was a foolish proposition, no matter how bleak it appeared to be at times. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.UPDATE: The Turnpike Troubadours Are Back Together Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. Related Post: After fifty years, Yusuf/Cat Stevens revisits “Tea for the Tillerman” *Lyrics in bold to “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens Hopefully, sooner than later, we’ll be able to jump in the “Peace Train.” Still, the idea behind the song is something to aim for. Even those of us who bought into the lyrics of fifty years ago have seen enough to know that thoughts behind the music are impossible in this era of divide and lack of trust in the other side. I’m not sure the Cat Stevens of today would be able to write this song.
In reality, we’ve never come together as one since back in the days of “Peace Train.” His supporters think it goes back eight years earlier with the election of Barack Obama. One side says it started five years ago with the election of Donald Trump. We’ve recently passed the fifty-year mark of “Teaser and the Firecat” and “Peace Train.” Those of us who were around for the divide of 1971 are reliving it in 2021. “Peace Train” was a top-five hit on all American music charts. I don’t know if Cat was naive or if he really believed this, but the song struck a chord among music buyers. The lyrics state that he believed that all people would soon be living together in peace and solidarity. It’s amazing that during a time of despair and distress that Stevens could write a song of such optimism and hope. Some of the more popular songs on the record included “The Wind”, “Morning Has Broken”, and “Moonshadow.” But the highlight was “Peace Train”, the final track of the album. It was certified as a triple-platinum record. “Teaser” received unanimously positive reviews while selling more than three million albums. “Teaser and the Firecat” was the follow-up to “Tea for the Tillerman”, his first hit album from the previous year. On the first day of October, Cat Stevens released his fifth studio album. It was definitely an era of us versus them. Protests over the war in Vietnam and civil rights are ongoing. The United States is as divided as it’s ever been.