Eleven-time GRAMMY® Award–winning soul legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® inductee Al Green returns with a deeply moving new four-song EP, To Love Somebody, released today via Fat Possum Records. Available now on all digital platforms, the EP is a masterclass in reverence, restraint, and raw feeling—hallmarks of Green’s enduring artistry.
With To Love Somebody, Green revisits iconic songs across genres and generations, imprinting them with his unmistakable warmth and spiritual depth. The EP opens with a soulful reinterpretation of the Bee Gees’ 1967 classic “To Love Somebody,” where Green’s tender phrasing transforms heartbreak into devotion. The set continues with an unreleased alternate version of his acclaimed 2023 recording “Perfect Day,” featuring British singer-songwriter RAYE, adding a contemporary vocal texture to a timeless meditation on joy and fragility.
Green also brings new light to “I Found A Reason” by The Velvet Underground, offering a softer, gospel-inflected reading that underscores the song’s vulnerability. The EP closes with his previously released and widely praised rendition of “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M., a performance that feels especially resonant in today’s world—gentle, compassionate, and healing.
“When Fat Possum came to my studio and played me ‘To Love Somebody’ and ‘I Found A Reason,’ I felt this instant connection,” Green shares. “The music spoke to me, so we immediately went to work.” That sense of immediacy and sincerity flows through every track, reminding listeners why Green’s voice remains one of the most powerful instruments in American music.
Produced by Matthew Johnson, the EP reunites Green with the legendary Hi Rhythm Section, whose chemistry has shaped some of the most beloved soul recordings of all time. The lineup includes Reverend Charles Hodges (organ), Leroy Hodges (bass), Archie “Hubbie” Turner (piano), Will Sexton (guitar), and Steve Potts (drums), with lush string arrangements by Stax Records icon Lester Snell. The result is rich yet restrained—classic soul with modern clarity.
The project also serves as a conversation across musical history. Lou Reed once famously said he wanted to sound like Al Green, and here Green returns the admiration by reimagining Reed’s work with humility and grace. The New York Times previously described Green’s “Perfect Day” as “a sumptuous reimagining,” and that praise resonates again with this alternate version.
When Green released “Everybody Hurts” in 2024, R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe responded with heartfelt appreciation, calling the cover “an epic moment” for the band. That mutual respect underscores the spirit of To Love Somebody: an artist at peace with his legacy, still curious, still creating, still connecting.
To Love Somebody — Key Highlights
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A four-song EP featuring reimagined classics from soul, rock, and alternative music
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Includes “Perfect Day” (alternate version) featuring RAYE
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Produced by Matthew Johnson with the legendary Hi Rhythm Section
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String arrangements by Stax Records icon Lester Snell
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Released via Fat Possum Records and available on all digital platforms
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Continues Al Green’s legacy of soulful reinterpretation and spiritual depth
Track Listing
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To Love Somebody
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Perfect Day (Featuring RAYE)
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I Found A Reason
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Everybody Hurts
With To Love Somebody, Al Green doesn’t simply cover songs—he communes with them, offering listeners a timeless reminder that great music, like great love, only deepens with age.
