As far as cool covers go, it sounds like an unbeatable proposition to take a Beatles classic and give it the Isaacs’ bluegrass treatment. The proof is in the listening, and the multi-Grammy-nominated family group’s rendition of “We Can Work It Out” earns a heavy-rotation position before you even get to the first chorus.
We’re pleased to be premiering the new song for you to hear for yourself just how well the idea worked out. It’s just one of the tunes on The Isaacs’ upcoming new 12-song album, The American Face, out on August 13 (produced by Ben Isaacs and Bryan Sutton, on House of Isaacs label), which includes covers and new material like the title track, released on July 2 as the lead single.
“We Can Work It Out” was first released in December 1965 as a double A-sided single with “Day Tripper.” The Lennon-McCartney-penned tune has aged wonderfully and sounds just as musically sprightly and lyrically thoughtful 55 years later in the capable hands of vocalist siblings Ben Isaacs, Sonya Isaacs Yeary, and Rebecca Isaacs Bowman and their mom, Lily Isaacs.
“Growing up in the mid- to late ’60s in New York City was an interesting time,” says Lily Isaacs. “When the Beatles came on the scene, my girlfriend and I always went crazy! We were at the very first Beatles concert in New York City. We had to sit in the bleachers, so they looked like tiny little figurines, but they were great. Since then, I’ve purchased every new Beatles record that ever came out. I had the whole collection, and I had my walls plastered with posters of all four of them. I had a crush on one one week and another the next.”
Lily has always been a huge fan of Paul McCartney’s and John Lennon’s terrific songwriting. “They caught so much of the time period that we were living in during the ’60s that it was a very timely message,” she says. “The song ‘We Can Work It Out’ is still such an important message for today. It reminds me a lot of what we went through with all of the social unrest and political upheaval in the ’60s. That’s what really started the hippie movement. Being a Beatlemaniac still, when I suggested the song to my family, they went for it. Now we’re all big Beatles fans. I hope everyone enjoys our rendition of this amazing song.”
With roots dating back to 1971 and a musical style influenced by country, bluegrass, R &B, folk, contemporary, acoustic, and gospel, the family band are the newest inductees into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame. They play their own acoustic instruments and, joined by other band members, blend tight family harmony with contemporary acoustic instrumentation. It’s possible you’ve heard them sing on albums and on stage with high-profile artists like including Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, and Paul Simon.
They’re not just great musicians: They’re good people. Through the band’s foundation, a portion of proceeds from The American Face will go to The Bridge Ministry, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Nashville that works to alleviate the suffering of underprivileged children, the homeless, and the working poor.
Listen to “We Can Work It Out.”
The American Face Track List
1. “The American Face”
Jimmy Yeary, Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Tom Douglas
2. “We Can Work It Out”
John Lennon, Paul McCartney
3. “You’re the Inspiration”
Peter Cetera, David Foster 4. “Never Too Late for Love”
Tim Nichols, Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Rebecca Isaacs Bowman
5. “Turn Turn Turn”
Peter Seeger
6. “Just Words”
Connie Harrington, Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Rebecca Isaacs Bowman
7. “Humpty Dumpty Heart”
Ronnie Bowman, Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Rebecca Isaacs Bowman
8. “Forever & for Always”
Robert John Lange, Shania Twain
9. “Dance With Me
Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Jimmy Yeary, Rebecca Isaacs Bowman
10. More Than Words”
Gary F. Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt
11. “Love With All Your Heart”
Rebecca Isaacs Bowman, Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Steven Jones
12. “The Water Is Wide”
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For more on The Isaacs, visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Photography: (Cover image) courtesy Frederick Breedon
