Tommy Emmanuel and John Knowles Premiere New Song, "Cold, Cold Heart"

Be the first to hear the two master guitarists' new take on the classic Hank Williams ballad.

Author:: Jackson Maxwell
Publish date:: Nov 1, 2018
Updated on: Nov 1, 2018

Earlier this week, Tommy Emmanuel and John Knowles announced Heart Songs, a collaborative instrumental album featuring covers of classic love songs by the likes of the Bee Gees, Billy Joel, Michael McDonald and many more. Today, we're delighted to present the exclusive premiere of the album's first single, an absolutely gorgeous cover of the classic Hank Williams ballad, "Cold, Cold Heart."

"John’s beautiful, haunting intro on this is a tip of his hat to Lenny Breau," Emmanuel told Guitar Player. "It drips with feeling and emotion and sets up the song in such a beautiful way. I have loved this Hank Williams classic since I first heard it when I was 4 years old sitting on the floor in front of our record player, while the tears ran down my mother's cheeks. Hank sure could write 'em!"

"I’ve always loved 'Cold, Cold Heart,'" Knowles added. "The melody is simple which means you can re-harmonize it to follow the emotions. I showed Tommy my take on it, and we got to work. Our ending is unresolved, like Hank’s dilemma."

Recorded at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, Heart Songs is set for a January 11 release via CGP Sounds/Thirty Tigers.

Emmanuel and Knowles are also heading out on tour in support of the album in January. You can check out their itinerary—plus Heart Songs' album art and tracklist—below.

For more on Tommy Emmanuel, head on over to tommyemmanuel.com. For more on John Knowles, follow along on Facebook.