Eddie Money is going country

Eddie Money is going country. The veteran rocker is working on an album featuring countrified remakes of some of his early hits, including "Two Tickets to Paradise" and "Hard Life."

The first single from "The Other Side of Money," a new version of "Give Me Some Water" recorded in Nashville with backing vocals by Grammy winner Vince Gill and co-produced by John Ford Coley, is scheduled to be released this weekend.

The album is a production of Big 7 Records, a small country record label based in Northern California, where Money began his career.

Dennis Sanfillipo, who co-founded Big 7 with some of the millions he won in the state lottery 16 years ago, has known the gravelly voiced singer for years and helped persuade him to give country music a try.

"I knew Eddie was really well-known, but the way the country people have ingratiated him to the community is really incredible," Sanfillipo said.

Money, 58, released his last album of new music in 1999 and came out last year with a disc of 1960s soul and R&B covers.