Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood and ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro have debuted a second advance single from their upcoming collaborative album, Blues Experience, which will be released on October 18. The track, which is available now via digital formats, is an instrumental version of Procol Harum’s classic 1967 hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
A video featuring Fleetwood, Shimabukuro, and their studio collaborators performing the song in a studio has debuted at Shimabukuro’s official YouTube channel. The clip captures Jake playing a reverb-drenched rendition of the “Whiter Shade of Pale” melody, adding additional notes as he solos furiously later in the performance. Fleetwood, meanwhile, lays down a steady, skillful slow-tempo groove.
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Shimabukuro discussed the cover of “A Whiter Shade of Pale” in a post on his social media pages.
“Mick suggested recording ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ for our upcoming blues album,” he noted. “The original recorded by Procol Harum is a world renowned classic. [I]t truly plays like an anthem, with a melody so strong it became a gift to us! We’re so excited that it’s out now, go listen!”
Shimabukuro’s Video Message About the New Song and Album
Shimabukuro also posted a video in which talked briefly about his version of “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and the upcoming Blues Experience album.
“Very excited about releasing our new single off of the new album,” he said. “It’s called ‘Whiter Shade of Pale,’ and it’s one of my all-time favorite songs. I know Mick Fleetwood loved this one as well. And, you know, it was just such an honor to record this with him.”
[RELATED: Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood Drops Lead Single From Collaborative Blues Album With Ukulele Whiz Jake Shimabukuro]
Jake added, “[Blues Experience is] a blues record. … [It] consists of Mick Fleetwood on drums, my dear friend Jackson Waldhoff on electric bass, and also a longtime friend of mine, Michael Grande, on keys. And we’re just so excited about this record, and hope you enjoy it. And hope you enjoy the new single.”
More About the Blues Experience Album
As previously reported, Blues Experience is a 10-track collection featuring reinterpreted versions of various classic blues songs and other covers.
The album also includes an original tune called “Kula Blues” that Shimabukuro wrote about the area of the Hawaiian island of Maui where Fleetwood lives.
A rendition of the blues standard “Rollin’ N Tumblin’” was released as the first advance single from the record. The album also includes versions of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” Little Willie John’s “Need Your Love So Bad,” and the Stevie Wonder-penned Jeff Beck classic “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers.”
In addition, Blues Experience features a spoken-word version of the Christine McVie-penned Fleetwood Mac ballad “Songbird,” which originally was released in July 2023 to mark what would have been the late McVie’s 80th birthday. A second rendition of the tune, without vocals, is included on the album as well.
Blues Experience can be pre-ordered now, and is available on CD, as a vinyl LP, and via digital formats.
Shimabukuro’s and Fleetwood’s Upcoming Performance Plans
Shimabukuro has more than 40 concerts scheduled in North America through early 2025. They span a September 5 show in Hopewell, Virginia, through a February 1, 2025, performance in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Fleetwood will be performing during the inaugural Maui Music & Food Experience, a festival taking place September 5-7 on Hawaiian island of Maui. The event will help support those affected by the devastating fires that hit the town of Lahaina in August 2023. The fires killed more than 100 people and destroyed a large part of the town, including a restaurant and music venue owned by Mick.
Tickets for Shimabukuro’s concerts are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
Blues Experience Track List:
- “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers”
- “Rollin’ N Tumblin’”
- “Need Your Love So Bad”
- “Kula Blues”
- “Whiter Shade of Pale”
- “I Wanna Get Funky”
- “Still Got the Blues”
- “Rockin’ in the Free World”
- “Songbird”
- “Songbird” (Mick spoken word)
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