Case IH To Sponsor Craig Morgan Tour
- Agricultural equipment global leader Case IH announced an agreement to sponsor a concert tour by Craig Morgan.
- If you’ll remember back to last year, Trace Adkins was ready to begin work on his 10th studio album and then Celebrity Apprentice came along. With Apprentice over, Adkins is ready to release the yet-to-be-titled album on November 25th, and the first single, “Muddy Water,” next Monday (Aug. 4).
- Kenny Chesney plans to release a new album in October, and the first single from that album, “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” (listen here) was sent to radio yesterday. However, Country On-Demand says George Strait will be releasing the same song to digital outlets next Tuesday. (via NashvilleGab)
- Keeping with the Kenny Chesney subject, he’s signed on to become part of the 2008 Farm Aid line-up.
- Lee Ann Womack talks about scrapping her previous album before it came out and the reasons behind that decision:
With a solid decade of recording and touring behind her, Womack admitted that Finding My Way Home was simply “made for the wrong reasons.” The album’s title track was released briefly to country radio and quickly fizzled. Womack then asked for a delay in the album’s release. But management, record label executives and even the singer herself later agreed to can the record entirely.
“I felt like I went in and started making a record simply because it was time to make another record. It was about meeting the commitments of my record deal, that sort of thing. That’s not to say that none of that material won’t ever be heard. Just as a whole, though, I knew the album wasn’t going to come out. I think I was making that record more in my head than my heart. And I always have more luck and success when I follow my heart instead.”
- The bus carrying Mark Chesnutt after his performance in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday night was rear-ended by a car traveling 100mph. Fortunately no one was hurt.
- Faith Hill scored another year with the NFL promoting their broadcasts of Sunday Night Football.
- Alison Bonaguro found a cool website called Wear Your Music, where you can purchase bracelets made out of guitar strings from several different artists. At a quick glance it appears as though Carrie Underwood and Tim McGraw are currently the only country artists.
- Twenty-eight years after the National Baseball Hall of Fame opened, country music, inspired by baseball’s hall, opened their own. In honor of baseball’s Hall of Fame celebration, MLB.com visited the Country Hall and dug up some connections. They found Roy Acuff, who dreamed of playing for the New York Yankees until a sunstroke and nervous breakdown left him bed-ridden for a year and Charley Pride, who had a life-long love for the game and was symbolically “drafted” by the Texas Rangers on June 5th.
- This Is Texas Music introduces Luke Olson, who just released his fifth album, Red River Blue. (MySpace)
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July 29, 2008 at 12:03 pm Permalink
Didn’t Charley actually play minor league ball for a while?
July 29, 2008 at 12:04 pm Permalink
He did. Dang my brain is fried.
July 29, 2008 at 12:17 pm Permalink
Why on earth is Strait releasing the same single as Chesney? It’s not even on Troubadour… the ways of Nashville continue to befuddle me.
July 29, 2008 at 12:23 pm Permalink
- I personally think it’s great when non-alcoholic companies sponsor a tour. Good crossover for promotions too.
- Watch, Trace will have one of his most successful albums thanks to the television exposure. Trace is a class act in my opinion.
- Why does Kenny have to make EVERY song sound like the tropics? The guy can sing a country song, is an amazing performer, it just doesn’t always need a Jamaican-style influence to it. Anybody see his “Amarillo By Morning” cover on cmt a while back? It was spectacular, no steel drum needed:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NU5wnQBli2c
Kenny really did carry on Strait’s style musically in a good way. Happy he’s doing FarmAid, great cause.
- How you don’t get hurt in a 100mph crash is beyond me, somebody’s being looked out for.
- Cool bracelet idea, ridiculous price. Yes, a donation is made - but somebody’s still profiting considerably. Great business if they were cheaper. Not something I’d buy, but I can see fans flocking to it.
July 29, 2008 at 12:41 pm Permalink
I’m not always quick, but was the George Strait releasing the same song as Kenny story a joke? Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense as was pointed out above.
July 29, 2008 at 12:46 pm Permalink
I was confused about that one, too. I’ve heard that George Strait was going to record the song and Kenny heard and asked for it, so Strait gave it to him. I dunno if maybe somehow that story got twisted, or if George is really going to record it and release it himself.
July 29, 2008 at 1:00 pm Permalink
Jim Collins (co-writer of song in question) has said (more than once) that George recorded it, Kenny heard it, liked it, wanted it, George gave it to him. Jim didnt indicate that George would release it in any form, but then again, songwriters have no control over, and generally dont know what’s going on with a song once it’s been recorded that first time.
I’ll be anxious to hear the two recorded versions and compare them, since all I’ve heard so far is Jim singing it live at the Bluebird.
July 29, 2008 at 1:00 pm Permalink
You’re correct, Brody.
George was going to record it on Troubadour, but it didn’t make it after everything else went on. Kenny had heard the song from George from a show in Alabama and asked if he could record it after he found out it didn’t make George’s album. It’s co-written by Jim Collins, who wrote some of Kenny’s other songs.
George isn’t releasing it as a single, of course, but is releasing his version digitally. Not really sure why…
Just learned today that Kenny’s new album will be titled “Lucky Old Sun”.
July 29, 2008 at 1:01 pm Permalink
Paula beat me to it! :)
July 29, 2008 at 1:03 pm Permalink
Brian Wilson’s new album is going to be called ‘That Lucky Old Sun.’ Hope people don’t get them confused.
July 29, 2008 at 1:07 pm Permalink
But you said it so much more eloquently Zach.
:-)
July 29, 2008 at 2:09 pm Permalink
Keith Anderson recorded “Lost In This Moment” for his last record and after his co-writer John Rich recorded and released it, Columbia released Keith’s version. It will also be on his new CD “C’Mon.”
July 29, 2008 at 2:13 pm Permalink
Speaking of Keith Anderson … did anybody else notice how similar his “I Still Miss You” is to “Every Time I Hear Your Name”?
July 29, 2008 at 2:15 pm Permalink
Yes, Paula, I did. Both songs bored me.
July 29, 2008 at 2:19 pm Permalink
Leeann, you might wanna stay away from his record then.
July 29, 2008 at 2:41 pm Permalink
I actually liked the uptempo stuff on his 3 Chord Country album.
July 29, 2008 at 3:02 pm Permalink
I see,
I actually like all of his stuff but I do see where some of his ballads do get a bit ’same sounding’ at times. Still he does have a cover of Foster & Lloyd’s “Crazy Over You” that’s great (the old duo guests on it too).
July 29, 2008 at 3:05 pm Permalink
Matt, the first verses were lyrically very similiar in the two songs.
July 29, 2008 at 3:48 pm Permalink
They touch on the same themes, yes.
July 29, 2008 at 3:54 pm Permalink
Hmm …
Finally got over that song of ours; stopped chasin’ little red sports cars,
To check the license plates and I quit drivin’ by your place
Back makin’ the rounds at our old haunts: Honky Tonks, restaurants
And seein’ some of our old friends, it feels good to dance again
And I can finally smell your perfume and not look around the room for you
And I can walk right by your picture in a frame and not feel a thing
I’ve changed the presets in my truck
so those old songs don’t sneak up
they still find me and remind me
yeah you come back that easy
try restaurants I’ve never been to
order new things off the menu
that I never tried cause you didn’t like
two drinks in you were by my side
July 29, 2008 at 3:59 pm Permalink
Chris,
Just what I surmised by listening to both back to back. They touch on similar themes sure but they’re hardly the same song.
July 29, 2008 at 4:00 pm Permalink
Uncanny!
July 29, 2008 at 4:01 pm Permalink
I noticed that on those Keith Anderson songs as well. That girl must have really messed him up.
July 29, 2008 at 4:07 pm Permalink
Just what I surmised by listening to both back to back. They touch on similar themes sure but they’re hardly the same song.
But they are way too similar to both be released as singles. In my opinion anyway.
Although, I guess they thought if it worked once, it would work twice.
And just for the record - I liked the first one better.
July 29, 2008 at 4:13 pm Permalink
Paula,
Yeah I don’t know why they did it but it’s working for him. Perhaps it goes to the ‘familiarity’ thing from radio.
July 29, 2008 at 4:35 pm Permalink
It’s a hit, so it must be awesome!
July 29, 2008 at 4:40 pm Permalink
hehe,
I posted a message on Keith’s message board (not about here) and discussed the new album and How I heard it. I said I’d be reviewing it for ‘my website’ and they BANNED me from posting on the site! Seemed a bit dictatorial to me.
I felt like I was in China again.
July 29, 2008 at 5:39 pm Permalink
Matt B, did they tell you why they banned you? That’s really strange. Did you say stuff they didn’t like? Usually, people like to hear that their album was going to get some press.
July 29, 2008 at 5:41 pm Permalink
Leeann, I signed up again w/another name and email to ask that question. Looks like they instantly ban anyone who’s ‘new’ and posts a link or something. I have heard of moderating but that’s a bit much and smacks of laziness by the admin of the message board there.
July 29, 2008 at 6:15 pm Permalink
Matt - are you talking about Keith’s CMT board? If you post a link of any kind there, they ban you immediately. You cant even post an artists website link on the artists message board. Sometimes you can get away with something like “his name and that little period thing and then those other three letters”. I’ve seen some pretty creative link descriptions to get around it.
July 29, 2008 at 6:22 pm Permalink
Never mind my question. I didnt realize Keith had a message board on his website. (See what a big fan I am?)
July 29, 2008 at 6:22 pm Permalink
Paula,
Nah, I don’t post on CMT. It was Keith’s personal message board and it’s due to them being afraid of spammers, I guess. CMT think’s they should be the ONLY website for anything country related.
July 29, 2008 at 6:30 pm Permalink
Ah, that’s why when I posted a link on the CMT blog a couple of days ago, it’s still awaiting moderation. I thought Allison had just banned me.:)
July 29, 2008 at 7:08 pm Permalink
Back when Sarah Buxton got shafted by Lyric Street with the release of only 5 songs via download, I was bagging on the label in Sarah’s CMT forum. The posts were deleted almost immediately. I gave up on the CMT forums about that time….
Today’s a slow news day, so here’s something that will cheer up Stormy! Its the five most added albums at Americana Radio this week: (from allaboutcountry)
“Here are Americana’s Five Most-Added Albums:”
1. Carrie Rodriguez/She Ain’t Me (22)
2. The Duhks/Fast Paced World (12) (<-Attn: Stormy)
3. Buddy Guy/Skin Deep (10)
4. Maria Muldaur/Yes We Can (9)
5. The Grascals/Keep On Walkin’ (8)”
Wow, I remember when Maria Muldaur released the sultry “Midnight at The Oasis” back in the 1970’s. Americana keeps expanding its boudaries it seems….
July 29, 2008 at 7:39 pm Permalink
That is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day. That I would have the power to ban anyone from posting. I’m just a writer, not a moderator. So keep the comments coming, and be not afraid of me!
July 29, 2008 at 8:09 pm Permalink
Allison, I think you already know, but I just want to go on record and say that I was just kidding. My comment did say something about awaiting moderation, but I didn’t really think I was being banned. I just figured it was the weekend and that my comment had to be filtered from spammers or something. I respect that you’ve allowed some comments that have been unfair and outright rude to you to stay on your posts.
July 29, 2008 at 9:48 pm Permalink
Thanks, Leeann. But honestly, I have no control over that. I have to live with the comments, good or bad! I think they only filter them if you put in a link or if you say something dirty. Or if you put in a dirty link, I suppose! And once someone put a comment attacking me personally and they moderators took that out. Bless them.
July 30, 2008 at 6:48 am Permalink
Yeah, I agree with that kind of censorship on a blog. Profanity, vulgarity, threats and jibberish rants should definitely be deal breakers on blog threads.
July 30, 2008 at 7:52 am Permalink
Rick: I love Carrie Rodriguez.
Have you heard The Duhks new music?
July 30, 2008 at 8:59 am Permalink
Chris, it gets better. My understanding is that the title tracks of both the Chesney and Wilson albums i “That Lucky Old Sun” (as in the classic song) and that Kenny’s will be a duet with Willie Nelson.
July 30, 2008 at 9:09 am Permalink
“That Lucky Old Sun” appeared on the recent legacy edition of Willie Nelson’s Stardust, too.
July 30, 2008 at 9:52 am Permalink
“Profanity, vulgarity, threats and jibberish rants should definitely be deal breakers on blog threads.”
Then what would I have left to say?
July 30, 2008 at 10:05 am Permalink
Chris, ha! Maybe I was specifically targetting you.:)
July 30, 2008 at 11:43 am Permalink
My question, after listening to the Chesney single, is why EITHER Strait or Chesney would record that song? It’s so absolutely bland and passionless.
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