Watching The Tide

Even after his death, Steve Cropper left one last musical surprise. On August 28th, 2026, "Watching The Tide", the new and posthumous album by Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour, will be released. The album feels like a powerful final chord from a musician who played a defining role in soul, rhythm'n'blues and rock'n'roll for decades.

Cropper, who passed away in December 2025, was much more than just a guitarist. As a songwriter, producer and key figure within Stax Records and Booker T & The M.G.'s, he was at the basis of much of American music history.

After the 2024 Grammy nominated "Friendlytown", many people thought that Cropper had already made his last album. But according to producer and songwriter Jon Tiven, Cropper wanted to go into the studio one more time.

"Making music was the most important thing for Steve", says Tiven. "He got a lot of energy from 'Friendlytown' and definitely wanted to make another record". That became "Watching The Tide", a title that subtly refers to Cropper's legendary composition "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay".

The 1st single "Ticket First" is out now and contains a guest appearance by Eric Clapton. According to Tiven, Clapton recorded eleven takes and immediately gave the song an extra dimension.

Big names also appear on the rest of the album. Brian May and Billy Gibbons can be heard on "My Angels Are Calling", Ronnie Wood plays slide guitar on "Until Now" and Ana Grosh makes a fresh vocal contribution on several songs.

The recordings took place at the legendary RCA Studio C in Nashville.

One of the most special details about this release is that Cropper heard most of the final mixes before he passed away. According to Tiven, Cropper even called it "the best record" he had ever made.

For someone with such an impressive track record, that says it all.