The SONGWRITER’S CIRCLE: Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt - Bush Hall, London UK 2010 | Albums That Should Exist

 Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt & Joe Ely - Songwriters' Circle, Bush Hall, London, Britain, 10-15-2010

Paul says: American singer-songwriter Joe Ely died yesterday, December 15, 2025, of age-related issues. He was 78 years old. It so happens that I'm not very familiar with his music. I've heard good things, but there's just so much music out there, I haven't gotten to everything I'd want to. So I hadn't planned to post anything to mark his passing. But it also just so happens that I had an episode of the BBC TV show "Songwriters' Circle" in which Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Joe Ely took turns performing their songs. I figured this was the ideal time to post that, so here it is.

Okay, getting to the content of this album already, if you look at the cover image, you can probably tell that all three singer-songwriters here had long careers by the time they appeared on this show in 2010. Joe Ely's first album (with the Flatlanders) is from 1972, John Hiatt's first album is from 1974, and Lyle Lovett's first album is from 1986. They all are influenced by folk and country, so their styles fit well together.

As is the usual format for the show, each of them took turns performing songs, then they came together to all perform the last song. However, there were some instances where they backed each other on guitar or backing vocals. I only included that in the song credits if it was significant, such as "Thing Called Love," a Hiatt song where Lovett also had a prominent singing role. 

The music is unreleased, and the sound quality is excellent. 

This album is an hour and two minutes long. 

01 talk (Joe Ely)
02 Billy the Kid (Joe Ely)
03 Thing Called Love (John Hiatt & Lyle Lovett)
04 talk (John Hiatt & Lyle Lovett)
05 If I Had a Boat (Lyle Lovett)
06 talk (Joe Ely)
07 My Baby Thinks She's French (Joe Ely)
08 talk (Joe Ely & John Hiatt)
09 Master of Disaster (John Hiatt)
10 She's No Lady (Lyle Lovett)
11 talk (Joe Ely)
12 All that You Need (Joe Ely)
13 talk (John Hiatt)
14 Drive South (John Hiatt)
15 talk (Lyle Lovett)
16 Simple Song (Lyle Lovett)
17 Honky Tonk Masquerade (Joe Ely)
18 Have a Little Faith in Me (John Hiatt)
19 My Baby Don't Tolerate (John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett & Joe Ely)
20 Old Dusty Road [Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad] (John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett & Joe Ely)

In tribute to Joe Ely