The Civil Wars // Billie Jean // VH1 Unplugged

Watch The Civil Wars cover Michael Jackson's hit song, "Billie Jean," from VH1 Unplugged - available on iTunes November 13th.

Production of VH1
Directed by Jeff Baumgardner
Recorded & Mixed by Jason Gates & Eric Spring

On November 13, two-time Grammy award-winning duo The Civil Wars will release the audio and video from their acclaimed "VH1 Unplugged" performance exclusively on iTunes (Sensibility Music). The 7-track EP features duo partners John Paul White and Joy Williams (who is the first known musician to perform pregnant on "Unplugged") and includes material from the band's RIAA certified Gold album, Barton Hollow, as well as their song "Kingdom Come" from The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12. The release also includes never-before-released renditions of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Portishead's "Sour Times" (see below for complete track-listing).

This latest release adds to an already widely successful few years for the duo, who won "Best Folk Album" and "Best Country Duo/Group Performance" at 54th annual GRAMMY Awards and "Duo/Group of the Year" at the 2012 Americana Music Association's Honors & Awards. The band also performed 60 seconds of the album's title track on the live GRAMMY Award's broadcast. The band is also nominated for two CMA Awards— for "Vocal Duo of the Year" and "Musical Event of the Year" (for their collaboration with Taylor Swift on "Safe & Sound" from The Hunger Games soundtrack).

In addition to performing on "VH1 Unplugged," the band has also appeared on "Good Morning America," "Late Show with David Letterman," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," "Austin City Limits," BBC's "Later...with Jools Holland," "A Prairie Home Companion," "Morning Becomes Eclectic" and three times on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Moreover, the music video for "Barton Hollow" is currently featured on VH1's "Pop Up Video" program.
After taking a short summer hiatus following the birth of Williams' son, the duo will resume touring this fall, including appearances at San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and the Austin City Limits Music Festival. See reverse for complete details.

TRACK-LISTING
1. I've Got This Friend
2. Kingdom Come
3. Sour Times
4. Poison & Wine
5. Barton Hollow
6. 20 Years
7. Billie Jean

[chipsterb]

Her harmonies and sense of timing are unconventional and flawless. Love these 2 together.

[TheWh]

10 years later and still my favorite cover

[senectarius]

Probably the best version ive ever heraed of billy jean. Outstanding

[ronniealexander]

No Woman is as Elegant as Joy Williams!

[KspaceDoc]

So bittersweet to see these two produce such memorable moments/tunes.

[robjacobs]

Those 2 are the embodiment of perfect singing and performing. i cant stop listening to them

[livelaughlovelevine]

their voices are delicate yet powerful

[houndmother]

Lord - their voices are just magic together.  I could listen to them all day....

[jadeconstantine]

❤😊love this cover. Aside from the guitar its essentially acapela. Because they are so awesome at vocalizing it dosen't need anything else

[mrdd]

best cover of this song i've heard so far

[ObliteratedZane]

Her voice shoots. His voice rips. What a duo.

[spudx]

Damn. I hope that on my last day on this rock, I get to see this and hear this one more time.

[BlueCollarBeerSnob]

beautiful harmonies with overwrought gestures and pirate hair

[dinaheena]

I have to say this is the best MJ cover ever. Beautiful

[JustinPone]

I gotta tell ya, these two are brilliant. What chemistry and voices that just fit perfectly.

[beauddicted]

Their voices are just pure magic... I can listen to this on repeat all day long. Lovely.

[georgeweasley]

They have this aura around that seems out of this world. Their very own, eerie, intangible, beautiful, musical bubble

[marion_t]

The guy's voice is just BEYOND GOOD .

[sgtg]

OK...how the heck do these two look at each other like that, making music, and such magic together and not be able to be together forever?

[JMWrites]

They seem so genuinely happy here... What could have gone wrong?... Hopefully whatever caused this latest civil war is a resolvable obstacle; the world can't afford to lose the Civil Wars! You two are the most beautiful duo to have emerged in music since Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan and even they couldn't hope to match your flawless harmonies! Hopefully 2013 will bring better news..