Jensen and Music

Jensen performing at Jus In Bello Italy 2010

Jensen in the video clip for Angeles from Steve Carlson's "Sharing The Covers" album

Jensen's public association with music goes back to his time in Days of Our Lives when he recorded a song for a cover album featuring the stars of the soap opera. Later in the Dark Angel episode The Berrisford Agenda, Jensen learned a Chopin piece for piano that his character Alec had to play. Although it had been planned to use shots of a professional musician laying the piece, Jensen's playing was so good they also used it in the final cut.

• At Asylum Europe 2 Jensen talked about learning the piece. He also mentioned that when he was growing up, his mother played the piano, and his father played the guitar, which was the instrument Jensen preferred.

Jensen counts a number of musicians amongst his circle of friends - Jason Manns, Steve Carlson and Christian Kane. Jensen's first musical outing during his time on Supernatural was at his very first convention - Asylum 2007.

In 2019, it was revealed that Jensen and Steve Carlson had written and recorded an album together. Here's a clip of Jensen recording a song called Cannonball.

On the show, Dean's broken out in song on a number of occasions - the joke being that Dean is a terrible singer. For more on Dean's musical tastes see this article about the music of Supernatural.

Jensen talking about singing and music:

• on why he enjoys playing music at Asylum 1 2007
• Recording covers and Jared teases about his favorite songs at Asylum 6 2011
• Supernatural the musical and why he wouldn't make an album at Jus In Bello Italy 2011
• Fangasm report about collaborating with Steve Carlson and Jared filming the video, from his Meet & Greet at Salute to Supernatural Dallas 2012.

• Supercut of Jensen singing.

Recordings and Performances

Conventions

Jensen sang with with Jason Manns at Asylum 2007

• Jensen singing with Jason Manns at Asylum 2007 by cologne -chick
• Singing with Jason Manns at Asylum 2007 by shannenb

At the Salute to Supernatural L.A. 2011, Jensen and Jason gave a private jam session for around forty fans. Tickets, through silent auction, were around $1500.

• Playlist from Jensen and Jason's Jam session
• Report on the Jensen and Jason jam session by Fangasm
• Report on Jensen and Jason Jam session by indie chicks
• A fangirl's squee on Jensen's and Jason's Jam Session by sn-mistress
• Jensen and the jam session by sweetondean
• Jensen's jam session by a-sick-puppy

• Jensen singing "The Weight" with Jason Manns at Jus In Bello Italy 2010: Video #1 and Video #2

Since 2013 when Louden Swain started performing at conventions between the guest panels, spontaneous performances by Jensen during his panel or the Saturday Night Special Concert have become a regular highlight. His first apprarance at a Saturday Night Special was at Salute to Supernatural Phoenix 2015.

• Jensen singing "Seven Bridges Road"
• Jensen singing "Sister Christian" at Salute to Supernatural Las Vegas 2015.
• Jensen singing "Simple Man" at Salute to Supernatural Vancouver 2015.
• Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Jensen cover "Dead or Alive" at VegasCon!
  • Watch the official Creation video.
  • Interview from Corey Taylor from Slipknot by Fangasm

With Jason Manns

In addition to their convention eprormances, Jensen has recorded with Jason Manns.

• Jason talks about singing with Jensen by zap2it

• Jason performed at Salute to Supernatural Convention in L.A. in March 2008, where he released a single of him and Jensen singing "Crazy Love", which we you can listen to at his MySpace page or on YouTube

Jensen and the Impalas

In 2014, Jason recorded an album Christmas with Friends on which Jensen sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". On Christmas Eve that year, Jensen joined Jason for a streaming Stageit concert, filmed at Jensen's home in LA.

With Steve Carlson

Steve and Jensen on stage in Portland

• Jensen sang harmonies on "Come around more Alabama" (Spot in the Corner), as well as backing vocals on "Hummingbird Billy", "Rocking Chair" and "Wasted Jamie" (Rollin' On). Jason Manns supported Jensen's backing vocals on "Rollin' On".
• Jensen helped co-write two songs on Steve's April 2008 record, "Stripped Down", namely "Where my River flows" and "Love you or leave you".
• Kane - the band fronted by Christian Kane and Steve Carlson - have played an number of gigs at Dante's in Portland, Oregon, where Chris's series Leverage films. On June 28, 2009 Jensen and Danneel joined Leverage co-stars Tim Hutton and Aldis Hodge to celebrate Chris' birthday. Jensen joined the band on stage for a few songs including "Happy Birthday".
• Jensen and Steve did a jam session at Salute to Supernatural Nashville 2011. Part of the proceeds went to support victims of the recent tornadoes
  • Report on Jensen and Steve's jam session via danielltbd
  • Report on Jensen and Steve's jam session by Fangasm
  • Report on Jensen and Steve's jam session by sen1995
• Steve did an online Stageit concert on 31 Aug 2011 and said the guitar he was playing belonged to Jensen.
• Danneel posted a photo on twitter of Steve and Jensen playing together.
• Steve did an online StageIt concert with Jonah Dolan on 27 November 2011 and near the end Jensen joined them by playing the guitar.
• Jensen sang lead vocal and played guitar while Steve played mandolin on the song "Angeles" on Steve Carlson's album "Sharing the Covers" released in September 2012. Hear a sample of Jensen singing "Angeles". The album is available from iTunes or Amazon. Jensen talked about it at his Meet&Greet at the Dallas 2012 con. This interview with Steve is about recording and singing with Jensen. This report with Steve talks about the album and explains why "Angeles" is only available for purchase as part of the album - because credit for that single song would have been reported as belonging to Steve and neither of them thought that was fair. The song was recorded in Vancouver, in the Supernatural ADR (sound recording) van. There is a free YouTube video for the song which was edited by Steve and part of which was recorded by Jared on his iPhone. Jensen says that Steve talked him into doing the video because Steve said 'why don’t we just shoot something, because you know that if we don’t, they’re (the fans) gonna take the song and just compile their own music video on YouTube'. source. It's one of several videos on Steve's YouTube channel.
  • Watch the video of "Angeles" here.
    
• Steve's latest album Different Town comes out Nov 5th, 2012. The album notes say Steve wrote the title song with Jensen in Italy.
• Steve Carlson and Jensen doing a concert at Family Business Beer Company in 2018.

Radio Company

Based in Austin, Texas, Radio Company was formed in 2018 as a collaboration between Jensen Ackles and Steve Carlson.

• Their first album "Volume #1" was released on November 8th 2019. A song from the album "Sounds of Someday" was used in 15.04 Atomic Monsters which Jensen also directed. The album reached 151 on the US Billboard 200, and at number 18 on the US Top Rock Albums chart.
• The second album "Volume #2" was released on May 7, 2021. A music video for "City Grown Willow" - shot by Steve and Jensen - was released on April 2, 2021

• Radio Company website

On Supernatural

• Dean sings "I Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon in 2.05 Simon Said
• Dean and Sam sing "Silent Night" in 3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas
• Dean and Sam sing "Wanted Dead or Alive" in 3.16 No Rest for the Wicked

• Miming to Eye Of The Tiger. This aired after 4.06 Yellow Fever. This was entirely spontaneous on Jensen's part. It was set up when Jared decided not to give Jensen his cue to stop, and decided to see what would happen. Luckily director Philip Sgriccia kept the cameras rolling. Watch it here
• Jensen and Jared talk about filming the scene

• in 7.06 Slash Fiction, Dean sings along to the Air Supply song "All out of Love". This sequence in the show was an homage to the scene of Brad Pitt singing Air Supply in “Mr and Mrs Brown”. see the comparison here.
  • Here is an outtake of Jensen singing the whole song from the Season 7 DVD and Blu-Ray.

• Demon!Dean sings "I'm Too Sexy" and "Imaginary Lover" at a karaoke bar in 10.01 Black

The Impalas

For the 100th episode party for the Show, Jensen was part of a band formed by fellow crew members called "The Impalas". The band "The Impalas" was made up of:

• Harp/Vocals: Bob Singer
• Guitar/Vocals: Jim Michaels
• Vocals: Jensen Ackles
• Guitar/Vocals: Chris Glyn Jones (Boom Op/Sound)
• Keys/Vocals: Dave Weber (On Set Construction)
• Guitar/Vocals: Tracy Dunlop (Set Dresser)
• Drums: Cam Beck (Rigging Grip)
• Bass/Vocals: Jeff Budnick (Transportation/Picture Cars)
• Percussion/Vocals: Dave Riopel (Dolly Grip)
• Jensen singing 'Soul Man' with The Impalas.

The Impalas also performed at the 200th Episode Celebrations and the 300th Episode Celebrations

The Boys

• Soldier Boy on Solid Gold. Jensen's performance of Rapture by Blondie, is done in the style of William Shatner who famously did a cover of Common People by Pulp. The Blondie official Twitter account responded gleefully to the clip!.
• Soldier Boy sings "From A Logical Point Of View. In this tweet Kripke explains the Robert Mitchum inspiration for the video.
• Kripke on Soldier Boy's music videos
• The Boys soundtrack album released including Jensen's songs