While Black Friday is a good time to take inventory of all the season’s holiday songs, there’s a new cover out this week that’s even more appropriate than any Christmas jam: Nicole Atkins and Screaming Trees’ Mark Lanegan have teamed up to cover Guns N’ Roses’ epic rock ballad “November Rain.”
The result is a reimagined slow-burner country ballad that shaves down the arena ambition but retains its sentimental charm. And lord knows us here in Boston know a thing or two about rain in November.
Word is Atkins developed a desire to cover the song after having strange dreams at a cozy Vermont inn. “I dreamt that I was in an old tower and I was singing an old ’60s country style duet of the Guns N’ Roses song ‘November Rain,’ and it sounded awesome. I immediately woke up and sang it into my phone the way I heard it.”
Atkins returned to Nashville where she recorded the song, but she felt the rendition was missing a duet partner. So she rang Lanegan. “I still didn’t know who I’d get to sing it with me and then I thought, “well who’s the best living singer?” For me it’s Mark Lanegan… Mark and I have been talking about singing together now for over 10 years so this seemed like the perfect time to do it. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose by asking and it turned out exactly as I’d pictured.”
Lanegan seemed to enjoy the experience as well, adding: “Doing this song was a blast. It combined two of my favorite things: Nicole’s beautiful voice and GNR.”
Listen to the track below, and stay tuned for word of a North American tour announcement from Atkins, who’ll be back on our shores not too long after her December UK run with Mercury Rev.
Featured image by Shervin Lainez.