William Shatner is at it again. Not long ago, we got his collaboration with Canned Heat. Now the actor, director, novelist and singer has focused his sensors on the blues.
His next album is actually called The Blues, and though it’s not out until Oct. 2 on Cleopatra Records, the first single is here: Shatner has teamed with guitar-god Ritchie Blackmore for a rendition of the classic “The Thrill Is Gone,” composed in 1951 and later made famous by B.B. King.
Shatner’s connection with the song is that it was written the same year he made his film debut. You won’t mistake Shatner’s update, however, for the version popularized by the late King.
Blackmore, the former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist, provides an authentic and stirring lead. What else would you expect from him? Shatner, to his credit, uses his unique speak/sing vocals with disturbingly dark effectiveness. Is it William Shatner reliving years of anguish and disappointment, or is he merely acting?
He’s thankfully not attempting to conjure B.B. King, but “The Thrill is Gone” takes a darker tone than expected. Ritchie Blackmore, and the blues-drenched Hammond Organ, walking bass and straight-forward drumming only add flavor to this foreboding walk through a classic.
As Mr. Spock would say, “Fascinating.”
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