John Prine’s Last Moment On Record

American soul icon Swamp Dogg’s latest album release, Sorry You Couldn’t Make It, featured the late John Prine on several tracks. Of course, nobody would’ve thought – including us – that Prine would pass on to the next life, making the album the last recording that Prine would ever be part of in his lifetime. Swamp Dogg and Prine had known each other back in the golden age when the soul singer covered Prine’s “Sam Stone” in the early ’70s, exposing the material to a new audience.

On the album’s final track, “Please Let Me Go Round Again”, the duo sings what seems to be a fittingly haunting send-off for Prine. Evident during the song’s conclusion is the two’s emotional bond as they trade off jokes, memories, and stifled laughs over a subtle organ riff. As the song nears its end, Dogg seems to try his best to prolong the moment between him and Prine, where Prine says, “Please let me go round again, just one more chance,” and Swamp Dogg responds with, “You think that’s all you need, is one more?” The legendary John Prine affirms with a simple “I think so.”