Photo Credit: Kii Arens

Today, April 12, Big Machine Records and Surfdog Records have released “Strong (with Brian Wilson),” the latest entry in the expansive tribute collection Glen Campbell Duets: Ghost on the Canvas Sessions. This track figures the Beach Boy alongside Campbell on a soul-stirring original from the country star’s 2011 album Ghost on the Canvas, which opens up on Campbell’s courage in the face of unimaginable adversity following his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease. The complete assembly of duets, which features contributions from Carole King, Eric Clapton, Elton John and more, is due for release next Friday, April 19.

On “Strong,” Wilson commits himself entirely to the song’s mission, plumbing his own depths of perseverance to craft a powerful, universal call to be the best one can be, wounds and all. Wilson and Campbell trade earnest deliveries of unflinchingly honest lines, stacking the late legend’s composition atop a dreamscape of plucky strings and rich harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys’ bold mid-’60s psychedelia like Pet Sounds. “Glen was a great singer and a great guy,” Wilson shares on the offering. “Our intention in doing ‘Strong’ was to echo back to ‘Guess I’m Dumb’ and the times that Glen and I worked together. It’s kinda got that vibe to it and I dig the sound of it.”

“Dreams do come true,” adds producer and co-writer Julian Raymond, who also produced Ghost on the Canvas in 2011, which was intended as Campbell’s final farewell to the industry and his fans after his diagnosis. “Hearing Brian and his team record one of Glen’s wife Kim’s favorite songs was very emotional for sure. Everything that Brian has been through himself shows up in this performance of ‘Strong.’”

“Strong” follows preview singles that pair Campbell with Carole King, Eric Clapton, Eric Church and Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval, the first entries in the touching 12-track cycle. Glen Campbell Duets: Ghost on the Canvas Sessions is available to pre-order now. For more information on the great Glen Campbell and his indelible legacy, visit glencampbell.com.

Read on for the complete tracklist from Glen Campbell Duets: Ghost on the Canvas Sessions.

Glen Campbell Duets: Ghost on the Canvas Sessions Tracklist.

  1. “There’s No Me… Without You (with Carole King)”
  2. “Ghost On The Canvas (with Sting)”
  3. “Hold On Hope (with Eric Church)”
  4. “The Long Walk Home (with Hope Sandoval)”
  5. “Nothing But The Whole Wide World (with Eric Clapton)”
  6. “In My Arms (with Brian Setzer)”
  7. “A Better Place (with Dolly Parton)”
  8. “Strong (with Brian Wilson)”
  9. “A Thousand Lifetimes (with Linda Perry)”
  10. “It’s Your Amazing Grace (with Daryl Hall & Dave Stewart)”
  11. “Any Trouble (with X)”
  12. “I’m Not Gonna Miss You (with Elton John)”