Tuesday, September 21, 1999

Lyle Lovett and Keb’ Mo’ cover Bob Seger's "Till It Shines"

Till It Shines

Lyle Lovett & Keb’ Mo’

Writer(s): Bob Seger (see lyrics here)

Released: 5/5/1978 (Seger), 9/21/1999 (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’)

First Charted: --

Peak: 47 CL (Seger), 1 DF (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’) (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): --

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio; 2.20 (Seger), 0.04 (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’) video; 15.12 (Seger), 0.62 (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’) streaming

Awards (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’):

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Music history is littered with overlooked songs. Some get released as singles but just don’t catch on. Others are unfairly overlooked as possible singles. There are some songs – like “Till It Shines” – which manage to miss the mark more than once.

Bob Seger wrote the song and released it on Stranger in Town in 1978. It was his second consecutive top-ten, multi-platinum album with his Silver Bullet Band. The album featured four top-40 hits – “Still the Same” (#4), “Hollywood Nights” (#12), “We’ve Got Tonite” (#13), and “Old Time Rock and Roll” (#28) as well as the album rock staple “Feel Like a Number.” That could well explain why a song as good as “Till It Shines” got lost in the shuffle. While a good song, it was overwhelmed by just how strong the entire album was.

GreatSongs.com called the song a “powerful anthem” ^FL that “is beautifully straightforward yet profoundly universal,” ^FL delivering a “message with an authenticity that is both comforting and inspiring.” ^FL It speaks of “navigating the complexities of life with a blend of grit and optimism.” ^FL It “speaks of the daily grind, the challenges that life throws our way, and the unwavering hope that keeps us going, believing that eventually things will get better.” ^FL

The song got a second chance two decades later when Lyle Lovett and Keb’ Mo’ covered it. It was featured on the soundtrack for Mumford, a comedy/drama film from director Lawrence Kasdan. Sadly, the powers that be failed once again to see the potential the song had as a single.

The pairing of Lyle Lovett and Keb’ Mo’ was inspired. Both artists were veterans with more than a decade of albums under their belt. Both built audiences because of their blend of different genres. Lovett, born in Houston in 1957, was pegged as a country artist, but he blended jazz, blues, and even big band into his sound. He had six straight gold albums and had gained a measure of celebrity status for his marriage to Julia Roberts from 1993 to 1995.

Keb’ Mo’, born Kevin Moore in Los Angeles in 1951, was known for music in a blues vein, but held an appeal to the same adult alternative radio listeners who championed Lovett. He had four albums under his belt at the time and while none had sold enough to even reach gold status, his previous two releases both won Grammys for Best Contemporary Blues Album, an award he would snag again in 2000.

In the end, a song written by a massively successful recording artist didn’t land the first time. It didn’t land the second time. However, in the hands of two artists who knew how to connect with their audiences, it fell short of the audience it deserved but still delivered its message of hope and inspiration to those who did listen.