The track listing for Hootie and the Blowfish's upcoming Scattered, Smothered, and Covered has finally been set. Nine cover song were initially chosen by the band, some of which were previously unreleased, while others showed up on soundtracks, compilations and an MTV Unplugged appearance. In August the band offered fans (twenty-one-years and older) a chance to vote for the five remaining songs on the album, out of eight possible choices, as well as picking one of three cover designs on www.budweiser.com.

Scattered, the band's fourth release, is set for release on Oct. 24. Hootie have also begun work on their next studio album, which is tentatively scheduled for release in early 2002. In the meantime, on Oct. 16, Darius Rucker and Co. will kick off a nineteen-city fall tour, which will keep them on the road into mid-November.

Tracks chosen by fans:

"Let Me Be Your Man" (Kim Richey)
"I Go Blind" -- Friends: Music from the TV Series
"Almost Home" (the Reivers)
"Hey Hey What Can I Do" (Led Zeppelin) -- from Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin
"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" (the Smiths)

Tracks chosen by the band:

"Fine Line" (Radney Foster)
"Use Me" (Bill Withers) -- recorded live in Charlotte, N.C., June 2000
"I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You" (Tom Waits) -- from MTV Unplugged
"Araby" (the Reivers)
"Driver 8" (R.E.M.)
"Dream Baby (Roy Orbison) -- from the soundtrack to White Man's Burden
"Renaissance Eyes" (Don Dixon)
"I'm Over You" (the Silos)
"Gravity of the Situation" (Vic Chesnutt) -- with Nanci Griffith, from Sweet Relief II

ANDREW DANSBY
(October 4, 2000)