I am a big fan of William Shatner and this forthcoming title sounds as it is very personal (Read my review of Shatner's riveting live performance at the Coach House in October 2013 HERE). Listen to the two compelling advance tracks from "Bill" released today and learn more about the album via the media release below...Robert Kinsler
RELEASES TWO SINGLES “CLOUDS OF GUILT” FEAT. JOE JONAS
AND “SO FAR FROM THE MOON” FEAT. BRAD PAISLEY TODAY
PRE-ORDER BILL HERE
LISTEN TO “CLOUDS OF GUILT” FEAT. JOE JONAS HERE
LISTEN TO “SO FAR FROM THE MOON” FEAT. BRAD PAISLEY HERE
LISTEN TO “SO FAR FROM THE MOON” FEAT. BRAD PAISLEY HERE
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 27TH – Today, award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, and chart-topping recording artist William Shatner announces his forthcoming new album, BILL, set for release on September 24th via Joe Jonas’ new label Let’s Get It! Records/Republic Records. To celebrate the announcement, William Shatner teams up with Joe Jonas and Brad Paisley to release the first two singles from the album, “Clouds of Guilt” feat. Joe Jonas and “So Far From the Moon” feat. Brad Paisley, out now.
LISTEN TO “CLOUDS OF GUILT” FEAT. JOE JONAS HERE
LISTEN TO “SO FAR FROM THE MOON” FEAT. BRAD PAISLEY HERE
LISTEN TO “SO FAR FROM THE MOON” FEAT. BRAD PAISLEY HERE
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| William Shatner performing at The Coach House on Oct. 25, 2013. Photo: Kelly A. Swift |
Through spoken word and genre-bending music, the songs on BILL chronicle significant autobiographical moments in William Shatner’s life and the ideas, challenges, and questions he’s confronted along the way. The tracks were co-written and produced by Grammy Award-winner Dan Miller [They Might Be Giants], while the lyrics were a collaboration between Shatner and his friend and writer Robert Sharenow. In addition to Joe Jonas and Brad Paisley, BILL features guitarist Joe Walsh [James Gang, Eagles, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band], pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph [Robert Randolph and the Family Band], musician John Lurie, saxophonist Dave Koz, and more. See the full tracklist below.
On creating the album remotely during the pandemic, William Shatner says, “Through a series of phone calls, texts, and emails, music and words flew back and forth across the country. The [Covid-19] crisis created an urgency and quickly unleashed a candor between us that allowed us to peel back layers that sat on the surface of a subject to reveal the depth of truth buried underneath. What better time to contemplate life’s biggest questions than during a global pandemic? Some songs touched on painful or beautiful moments, while others turned into elliptical philosophical explorations about the very nature of existence and death.”
He continues, “BILL blends long-form autobiographical poetry and prose, music, spoken word performance art, and philosophical exploration. Toggling between passion and despair, reflection and yearning, this collection explores my life journey during a pivotal and chilling moment of history.”
On “Clouds of Guilt,” William Shatner explores the strangely powerful role guilt has played throughout his life, with equal measures of wit, irony, and self-awareness.
Joe Jonas states, “I’ve been a fan of Bill’s for as long as I can remember. He’s iconic. To not only be featured on one of his songs that mean so much to him but to also get to be a label partner on the entire project, it’s an honor.”
While on “So Far From the Moon,” William Shatner revisits a pivotal moment in his life after the cancelation of Star Trek and his divorce, when he was doing dinner theater and living out of the back of his pickup truck. One the night of July 20th, 1969, as he lay out in a sleeping bag in the back of the truck, staring at the sky, he listened to the live broadcast of the moon landing. Despite being at a low point in his career, Shatner found inspiration and a connection to the astronauts in the sky above, who he had met years before while they were training for their mission.
Brad Paisley comments, “It’s so interesting to hear what effect the moon landing had on Bill, because every generation of astronauts since those days credit him with inspiration. I’m so proud to be on this track.”
The other songs on BILL dive into various stories and topics, including the nature of relationships, the struggle with fame and identity, the meaning of life, and more. Like epic song cycles of the past from Homer to Kendrick Lamar, William Shatner’s journey is both extremely personal and universal, extraordinary and relatable. His unique insights and delivery, beloved by millions worldwide, give voice to the joys and struggles we all face.
Stay tuned for more music to come from William Shatner soon!
BILL TRACKLIST:
- “I Ride”
- “Made In The Shade” feat. Joe Walsh
- “Clouds of Guilt” feat. Joe Jonas
- “So Far From the Moon” feat. Brad Paisley
- “Love, Death, and Horses”
- “Just Forgive” feat. Robert Randolph
- “Loneliness” feat. John Lurie
- “Thunder and Fire” feat. Joan as Police Woman
- “The Bridge” feat. Daniel Miller
- “Black Horse”
- “Masks” feat. Dave Koz
- “Monday Night in London”
- “Toughie” feat. Robert Randolph
- “What Do We Know”
ABOUT WILLIAM SHATNER:
William Shatner has cultivated a career spanning over 60 years as an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist, and horseman. He is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable figures and a major philanthropist. In 1966, Shatner originated the role of “Captain James T. Kirk” in the television series Star Trek. The series spawned a feature film franchise where Shatner returned as Captain Kirk in seven of the Star Trek movies, one of which he directed. Shatner played the title role in the hit television series T.J. Hooker before hosting television’s first reality-based series Rescue 911. He won Emmys and his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of eccentric lawyer “Denny Crane” on both The Practice and Boston Legal. He received four more Emmy nominations as well as other Golden Globe and SAG Award nods. Mr. Shatner currently is the host and executive producer of The UnXplained on The History Channel. His love of music inspired him to record the critically acclaimed album Has Been. The Milwaukee Ballet performed “Common People,” a dance presentation set to several numbers from the record; the event and its preparations are featured in the documentary Gonzo Ballet, which played to sold out houses at film festivals worldwide. In October 2020, Shatner released an album titled The Blues, which quickly reached number one on Billboard’s Top Blues Albums chart. Shatner previously released the country music album, What About Me, in August 2018 with Jeff Cook and Heartland Records. Quickly following that, Shatner experienced much success with Shatner Clause: The Christmas Album, a holiday album released in October 2018 which peaked in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 Chart. Off the screen and broadcast waves, Shatner has authored nearly 30 best-sellers in both the fiction and non-fiction genres. His autobiography, Up Till Now, was a New York Times best-seller and was followed by Shatner Rules, which was released in October 2011. William Shatner’s book, Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, was released in February 2016 appearing on the New York Times best-seller list. William Shatner’s newest book, Live Long And...What I Might Have Learned Along the Way, was released in September 2018. In April 2011, Shatner launched his hugely popular one-man show Shatner’s World on Broadway. He toured in Australia and New Zealand, followed by tours in Canada and over 50 cities in the United States. Shatner has been successful in another area—horse breeding. His passions for horses and philanthropy were united when he started the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which benefits Los Angeles-based children’s charities. Shatner continues to act, write, produce, direct, and write and record music, while still making time to work with charities and further his passion in equestrian sports. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
WILLIAM SHATNER: INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE
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