Randall Deaton recalls the long journey from his home in Eastern Kentucky for his pet project to come to fruition. “I started this project in 2012,” he says. And in July, the record he masterminded and produced was finally released. Silver Bullet Bluegrass is Randall’s ode to Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band. “I have been a big Bob Seger fan for a long time,” says Randall.
“We had a bluegrass record label,” he explains, Lonesome Day Records. In 2008, Randall had an aha moment, realizing that good songs can be transposed into bluegrass. That year, Ralph Stanley II recorded Elton John’s “Georgia” in his studio. Not long after that, a bluegrass group called Youngstown recorded Bruce Springsteen’s “Blue Moon Rising.” Randall started thinking about Bob Seger's songs and how those could sound played in the bluegrass style.
In 2012, Randall says he did a track session for the album in their studio in Eastern Kentucky. “From that point on, pieces gradually fell into place.”
Randall met Gary Nichols, who sang with the Steel Drivers, and said he would love to be involved with the project. “He introduced me to Jimmy Nutt, who had a recording studio, The NuttHouse, in Muscle Shoals,” says Randall. “That’s where Gary was from and where Seger recorded a lot.”
When Randall asked for suggestions on who to sing “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man,” Gary suggested Bo Bice (fourth runner-up against Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of American Idol). The song, made famous by Seger in 1968, was the first single released from the album; Bo did a gritty, rock-tinged bluegrass version of the song, which was produced and co-engineered by Randall as head of Lonesome Day Records, along with Gary. The track was recorded at Lonesome Day Recording in Booneville, Kentucky, and The NuttHouse Recording Studio.
The second radio release from the album was “Long Twin Silver Line,” recorded by Carson Peters. “I was blown away by how good Carson is in the studio,” says Randall. “This is the convergence of a great song, a great vocalist, and great musicians creating a lasting record."
Carson grew up listening to classic rock ‘n roll and always enjoyed hearing Seger songs. Carson was sold when Randall approached him with the idea of cutting a track for the tribute project. “I loved the idea and jumped at the chance to be included with the great artists already on board,” he recalls. The two played around with the arrangement for the fiddle break in the middle, but Carson credits Randall as the brains behind it. As for the rest, Peters says, “I think (and hope) that the youthfulness in my voice and aggressive style of the fiddle playing suits this song well and gives it a nice spin.”
The third single, “Roll Me Away,” was recorded by Bill Taylor. The song features Bill’s smooth vocals along with a beautiful arrangement. The rest of the album has heavy star power as well, with Shona Tucker of Drive-By Truckers (“Hollywood Nights”), Tim Shelton (“Against the Wind”), Keith Garrett (“You’ll Accompany Me”), Jeff Parker (“We’ve Got Tonight”), Ward Hayden (“Betty Lou’s Getting Out Tonight’), Josh Shilling (“Main Street”), Tim Stafford (“Even Now”), Robert Hale (“Feel Like a Number”), and Larry Cordle (“Night Moves”). “We also used studio musicians from Muscle Shoals, which added a real Muscle Shoals flavor to the album,” says Randall.
By 2015, the album was close to being finished, but Randall and his wife got involved in other things outside of music. “I shelved it, waiting for the right time to release it.”
The Deatons purchased a campground in Michigan's upper peninsula, which proved quite time-consuming. Wanting to keep his toes in music water, Randall brought music to the camp in 2021. “We had Black Hawk the first year and Ricky Skaggs the next,” he says. By 2023, Randall was ready to get the Seger project back on track. They returned to the studio in early 2023, and Carson Peters did some tracks. Bill Taylor came in and recorded “Roll Me Away.” In November 2023, Randall started the process of releasing the record.
“It’s the first record we’ve put out in nine years,” he says. The release date for Silver Bullet Bluegrass was July 12. The album has broad appeal and should charm Seger fans and Bluegrass lovers alike. For engineer Jimmy Nutt, the recordings offered a chance to reunite with several players and singers in the studio. “I am so grateful to Randall for letting me work on this. It was an incredible experience.” For Randall, “capturing the power and essence of these classic rock songs in a bluegrass presentation was a challenge. But the result proves that the skills of top-tier bluegrass musicians and vocalists are unmatched. I hope folks enjoy listening to it as much as we all enjoyed making it.”
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