Oscar Nominee, GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, and Country Music Hall of Fame member Glen Campbell documented his final tour while struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease in the Critics’ Choice nominated film GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME. Music from the documentary’s soundtrack will be released on February 17 on Big Machine Records.
The soundtrack will feature the Oscar and GRAMMY nominated song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” which was co-written by Campbell and producer Julian Raymond. The song, in collaboration with the famed Wrecking Crew, is the last one Campbell ever recorded.
Said Rolling Stone of the soundtrack’s hit single, “Glen Campbell has recorded his final song and the result, ‘I’m Not Gonna Miss You,’ is a poignant, confessional tune that serves as a stunningly personal coda to a career spent entertaining millions throughout the world.”
“…heartbreakingly demonstrates the man’s profound understanding of the disease, something that does not always come across in the filmed footage,” added Variety of the song.
GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME is an epic human drama that intimately showcases the man and his music throughout Campbell’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. Chronicling the story of love, laughter, resilience and power of song, this film shows how against all odds, America’s greatest country star would not give up. It was directed and produced by James Keach (producer of Walk The Line) and produced by Trevor Albert (Groundhog Day).
The soundtrack is also composed of songs that capture the myriad facets of an Arkansas traveller who became a first call Los Angeles session player, toured with the Beach Boys and recorded one of ASCAP’s Most Played Songs – “Gentle on My Mind” – of all time. Whether it was his “Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,” which ran for four seasons, “True Grit,” also starring John Wayne, or his collaborations with Jimmy Webb (“Wichita Lineman,” “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”), the maple-coated tenor has broken ground and maintained a sense of artistry regardless of the medium he was working in.
For the soundtrack to GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME the translational reality of his music is evident in various representations of the songs that have become a part of the American musical lexicon. The 10 track compilation is a witness to how music transcends moments, time and limitations – and exists in the hearts of all who embrace it.
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” is the heart-breaking final song of a career that’s spanned pop, country and adult contemporary. A heart-tugging portrait of what it means to recede into Alzheimer’s, buoyed by the Beach Boys’ harmonies and anchored by the echo-of-time piano chords, is an acknowledgement of the reality to come. Unflinching in its recognition of what’s lost, an elegiac dignity to being honest about the numb fills the void of memory.
“Gentle On My Mind” finds break-out young superstars The Band Perry considering the tug of being gone that colours John Hartford’s “Gentle On My Mind.” Kimberly Perry’s smoky alto – breathy over a finger-banjo and the bend of a steel guitar — balances the yearning for what’s gone with the lure of what’s beyond the next horizon to reflect Campbell’s own innocent grasp of love and rambling that defined a generation almost a half century ago.
“Home Again” finds Campbell’s daughter Ashley comfortably filling her father’s place as a reassuring presence, weaving acoustic instruments with a vocal warmth that is acceptance of life on its terms and the embrace of the good things found along the way. Her brightness suggests the same sense of being present in the moment that made her father the voice of people coming into their own during the turbulent ‘70s and into the ‘80s.
“Wichita Lineman” (Live from the Ryman) is a tremendous testament to the indelible place music holds in Campbell’s soul. Already well into Alzheimer’s grasp, he not only acknowledges Webb’s writing prowess, the multiple Grammy-winner brings a weathered truth to enduring the distance between where he must be and the one he loves. As the pathos of the vocal strikes listeners, Campbell’s guitar-playing rises from the tracks, stunning with an emotional twining of notes and tension on the strings that conveys even more pain than his vocal – only to finish with a soaring final profession of endurance on the song’s protestation of “I’m doing fine.”
“A Better Place” (Live From The Ryman) is the song from that historic Ryman concert that sums up Campbell’s life 2:38 minutes. A bit philosophy, a string of details, a few insights into his current state of being, the gently strummed song of fidelity to his family, the admission of his need to lean on them and the acceptance of love existing beyond traditional definitions lends a sense of the things that truly matter.
For a man who’s led a life beyond dreams, in some ways, GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME is a sad denouement. But to see it lived out with so much heart, so much hope, so much caring and ultimately, so much music, the documentary and accompanying soundtrack are articles of the faith that in love all abides. Do as Campbell would hope: enjoy the music and find the way to enfold the ones you love any way you can while you can… and know even when it’s not perfect, it’s perfect in what it is.
Big Machine Records is partnering with CMT US, who will stream the entire soundtrack exclusively, the week before release. From 2/10 – 2/16, fans can listen to all 10 tracks exclusively on GlenCampbell.CMT.com and on the CMT Artists App.
Big Machine Label Group CEO and President Scott Borchetta is the Executive Producer of the soundtrack.
GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME SOUNDTRACK will include the following tracks:
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” / Glen Campbell and The Wrecking Crew (2:57)
“Gentle On My Mind*” (Documentary Version) / The Band Perry (3:41)
“Remembering” / Ashley Campbell (3:59)
“All I Need Is You” / Glen Campbell (4:00)
“The Long Walk Home” / Glen Campbell (2:21)
“Wichita Lineman” (Live from Ryman Auditorium) / Glen Campbell (4:11)
“A Better Place” (Live from Ryman Auditorium) / Glen Campbell (2:19)
“Gentle On My Mind*” (Single Version) / The Band Perry (3:10)
“Home Again” / Ashley Campbell (2:55)
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” (Single Version) / Glen Campbell (2:57)
See the trailer for the film here.
