For the latest single from his Accomplice Two album, guitar maestro Tommy Emmanuel has a music video with the Del McCoury Band on the Merle Travis classic, Sweet Temptation.
Bluegrass and country fans alike will recall Ricky Skaggs’ 1979 recording of this song, giving us the first taste of his country revivalist sound that was to sweep over Nashville a few years later.
Here Tommy, Del, and the boys give it a swingy acoustic/bluegrass vibe, with Del singing up high and all the guys tearing through their solos.
Emmanuel says that cutting with the McCourys was a major moment for him.
“When I found out that The Del McCoury Band were up for doing a song with me, I was elated! Then I was challenged to find the right song that I could suggest to Del to showcase his incredible voice, his band of powerful players, and something that I could have fun with too!
Sweet Temptation was the perfect fit for us all, and Del pushed us all to get it in the right key, the right tempo, and the right arrangement. It was pure magic in the studio, and we all had smiles on our dials. We actually went to play the Grand Ole Opry together straight from the studio!
Thanks Del and his band for another Bucket-list Moment for this kid from nowhere!”
The video was shot as the song was being recorded in the studio, with Tommy on guitar, Jason Carter on fiddle, Rob McCoury on banjo, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, and Alan Bartram on bass.
Have a look/listen…
Sweet Temptation, and the full Accomplice Two album, are available from all the popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs and vinyl LPs can be purchased directly from Tommy’s web site.
