PREMIERE: Colin Hay ‘I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’ Acoustic Performance; New Covers LP Out Now

Colin Hay, the prolific singer/songwriter known for his solo career in addition to years fronting the Australian group Men at Work, released a new album titled I Just Don’t Know What To Do with Myself, on Aug. 6.

The project came about during the quarantine months of 2020, while Colin Hay found himself stuck at home. Per the album’s abundant liner notes, penned by Hay:

This record was unplanned, but I’m glad it came to be. Gerry Marsden sadly had just died, and I was sitting around in the basement, playing major 7th chords, as you do, and I started singing “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying” to myself. So I switched on the machines with the pretty lights and recorded it. Just vocals and guitar. I sent it to my best man, Chad Fischer, and said, “See what you can do with this”, and he did. It sounded more than delightful to both of us. He said, “Send me another”. And so it went, until we had ten. Quite enough for the moment.

Colin is here to have a chat with you about his new record – "I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself" – stay tuned as he will be talking about each song on the new record in a new track-by-track video series. https://t.co/dFvMBghIWY pic.twitter.com/V0eduPpZ36

— Colin Hay (@ColinHay) August 7, 2021

In celebration of the album’s release, Rock Cellar is premiering an acoustic performance from Hay of the title track, which you can experience below:

The album features extensive liner notes penned by Hay, detailing the decision-making process behind the tracks he explored for this record. Regarding the title track:

“I worked in my parents record store in the 60’s in Saltcoats, Scotland, and it seemed Dusty Springfield always had a hit on the charts. ‘I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’ was produced by Johnny Franz, whose team created the closest thing Britain had to the Phil Spector ‘wall of sound’. Dusty Springfield’s voice is divine.”

Click here to pick up I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself on LP from our Rock Cellar Store
Click here to pick up I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself on CD from our Rock Cellar Store

Other classics featured on the album include Glen Campbell (“Wichita Lineman”), the Beatles (“Norwegian Wood” and “Across the Universe”), the Kinks (“Waterloo Sunset”) and more.

1. I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself
2. Waterloo Sunset
3. Wichita Lineman
4. Norwegian Wood
5. Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying
6. Ooh la la
7. Driving with the Brakes on
8. Across the Universe
9. Can’t Find My Way Home
10. Many Rivers to Cross

Listen to the record below.

Catch Colin Hay and his band on the tour in the coming weeks:

Tues., Aug. 10 OCEAN CITY, NJ Ocean City Music Pier
Wed., Aug. 11 BETHLEHEM, PA Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza
Fri., Aug. 13 RIDGEFIELD, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
Sat.-Sun., Aug. 14-15 NEW YORK, NY City Winery New York
Tues.-Wed., Aug. 17-18 ALEXANDRIA, VA Birchmere
Thurs., Aug. 19 CHARLOTTE, NC McGlohan Theater
Fri., Aug. 20 ATLANTA, GA City Winery Atlanta
Sat., Aug. 21 PELHAM, TN The Caverns
Thurs., Aug. 26 GRAND RAPIDS, MI Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Sat., Aug. 28 WASHBURN, WI Big Top Chautauqua
Sun., Aug. 29 CHICAGO, IL Park West
Wed., Sept. 1 ARVADA, CO Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Thu., Sept. 2 SALT LAKE CITY, UT Red Butte Garden
Sat., Sept. 11 REDONDO BEACH, CA BeachLife Festival 2021