The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde Announces Duets Album, Unveils “Always on My Mind” with Rufus Wainwright: Stream

The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde has announced a new duets album entitled Duets Special, arriving October 17th via Rhino.

The album sees Hynde performing a selection of covers and standards alongside a star-studded cast of fellow rock/pop vocalists including Rufus Wainwright, who sings with Hynde on the lead single — a take on the classic ballad “Always on My Mind.” Their world-class pipes shine over the moody and minimal instrumentation, with the rest of the album sharing this stripped-down vibe.

It was a conversation with Rufus Wainwright’s husband, Jörn, that inspired Hynde to collaborate with Rufus and eventually craft an entire album of duets.

“I never thought about doing a Duets album before,” Hynde said via a press release. “I think the idea came about in 2023. I was talking to Jörn, Rufus Wainwright’s husband, on the phone. I think we were recommending novels to each other, and for some reason, I said ‘Hey, maybe Rufus and I should do something,’ and quickly scribbled out 10 songs off the top of my head. So Jörn asked Rufus, who was up for it, and that’s how it started. A spontaneous and what I thought would be a fun thing.”

The theme connecting the song selections was simply “great melodies.” Other vocalists on the album include the late Mark Lanegan, Lucinda Williams, Dave Gahan, Cat Power, Carleen Anderson, Brandon Flowers, Julian Lennon, Debbie Harry, Alan Sparhawk, Shirley Manson, and Dan Auerbach.

You can pre-order/pre-save Duets Special via this location. Stream Hynde’s duet with Rufus Wainwright below.

Duets Special Artwork:

Duets Special Tracklist:
01. Me & Mrs Jones (feat. k.d. lang)
02. Can’t Help Falling In Love (feat. Mark Lanegan)
03. Sway (feat. Lucinda Williams)
04. Dolphins (feat. Dave Gahan)
05. First Of The Gang To Die (feat. Cat Power)
06. Always On My Mind (feat. Rufus Wainwright)
07. Every Little Bit Hurts (feat. Carleen Anderson)
08. I’m Not In Love (feat. Brandon Flowers)
09. It’s Only Love (feat. Julian Lennon)
10. Try To Sleep (feat. Debbie Harry)
11. County Line (feat. Alan Sparhawk)
12. Love Letters (feat. Shirley Manson)
13. (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration (feat. Dan Auerbach)