Revolution at the Ryman; George Strait’s Roots; Vince Vaughn Loves Country Music
- Vernell Hackett recapped last night’s “Revolution at the Ryman” for The Boot.
After tearing through all 15 songs on ‘Revolution,’ Miranda cautioned the band, “Don’t go away, we’ll be right back!” Minutes later the she returned to the stage with her guitar. “Merle Haggard was a tremendous influence on me, so you can’t play the Ryman without doing one of his songs,” she said, launching into “The Way I Am.” She then astounded the audience by singing the Patsy Cline classic ‘Crazy’ without benefit of a mic, receiving her second standing ovation, and finished with Hank Williams’ ‘Settin’ The Woods on Fire” before the band rejoined her for a few of her earlier hits, capping off the evening with ‘Gunpowder and Lead.’”
- Ronnie Milsap and a handful of firefighters and police officers protested outside the offices of Capitol Records yesterday before security asked them to leave. Milsap says the protest isn’t over though, and he’ll be back with more supporters. Capitol Records and Trace Adkins have yet to comment on the situation.
- Speaking of Trace Adkins, his video for “All I Ask For Anymore” will debut on CMT next Monday.
- Music Fog has video of Corb Lund preforming “This Is My Prairie” from his forthcoming release Losin’ Lately Gambler. It’s one of the standouts on a disc full of good tunes.
- I don’t know if Chet Flippo received a personalized copy of Kris Kristofferson’s new album, but my copy doesn’t have this song:
Interestingly, besides including Kris’ latest compositions, this album also has, as a hidden track, the first song he ever wrote, at age 11. It’s called “I Hate Your Ugly Face.”
- No Depression’s Peter Blackstock recapped Guy Clark’s performance at the Belcourt in Nashville a couple of nights ago. For his first set, Clark played the new record in sequence, from start to finish.
- Folk artist PALEFACE released a new video for a song titled “Hank Williams From His Grave.” (via No Depression)
- Michael Corcoran traces the roots of George Strait.
“Country band looking for singer” was all it said, with a phone number. From that seed of torn paper stuck on the cluttered bulletin board at the Southwest Texas State University student center in August 1975 grew a chapter of country music history that’s still a page-turner.
The first person to answer the ad, placed by three students who were former members of the band Stoney Ridge, was an agriculture major just back from a hitch in the Army.
“I remember that audition like it was yesterday,” steel guitarist Mike Daily said of the day George Strait walked into his life. “George sang two lines, and it was over.”
- Actor Vince Vaughn digs country music. (via Twang Nation)
- Country Haiku:
So grown men don’t cry?
Try a swift kick to the nuts
I think you’ll see tears - Sarah Jarosz and Sam Bush will appear on the season opener of “A Prairie Home Companion” this Saturday.
- Werner Trieschmann explains why nobody cared when Glen Campbell released his latest album, Meet Glen Campbell.
The notable thing about Campbell is that unlike other musicians—Cash, again, is a great counterexample—there is no depth to his catalog. There is no great, lost Glen Campbell album—there is no great Campbell album, period. After you hear the hits (which, thanks to those myriad songwriters, are almost impossible to find on one CD), you’ve heard what you need to hear.
- If you can spare the cash, Alt-512 Music Musings says it would behoove you to pick up any of the latest offerings from Corb Lund, Guy Clark, or Tom Russell.
- Kris Kristofferson discussed several songs from his new album, Closer to the Bone, in a Q&A with The Boot. Listen to the title track on his website.
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September 25, 2009 at 11:30 am Permalink
It’s nice – and I mean it – that Miranda Lambert took the time to do a few oldies, but it’s hard to think of a major country star less associated with the Ryman than Merle Haggard, and “The Way I Am” isn’t really, though he had a hit with it, one of his songs; it was written by the great Sonny Throckmorton.
September 25, 2009 at 12:25 pm Permalink
Miranda frequently does “The Way I Am” in concert.
September 25, 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink
That bonus Kristofferson track was in fact on some advances.
September 25, 2009 at 12:52 pm Permalink
Why would Trace Adkins care about Ronnie Milsap’s problems?
September 25, 2009 at 12:58 pm Permalink
You gotta read the story to know how Trace Adkins is involved. It oughta be pretty explanatory.
September 25, 2009 at 12:59 pm Permalink
It’s still his song even if someone else wrote it, if he’s the one who made it famous. Otherwise, Strait wouldn’t have any songs.
September 25, 2009 at 1:11 pm Permalink
Yeah, Leeann, but we’re not talking about Strait, we’re talking about Merle Haggard, one of the best-known songwriters in the history of country music. Like I said, I appreciate the gesture, but it remains a somewhat off-kilter one nonetheless, as it would be if someone did a show at the Crystal Palace, said “if you’re in Bakersfield, you gotta do a Hank Williams song” – and then sang “Lost Highway.”
September 25, 2009 at 1:13 pm Permalink
Jon: Perhaps she couldn’t play an iconic country venue without doing a song from one of her country heros. You missed half of the quote: “Merle Haggard was a tremendous influence on me, so you can’t play the Ryman without doing one of his songs.”
September 25, 2009 at 1:16 pm Permalink
Jon, I see your point now. I still think it’s fine, but I see your point.
September 25, 2009 at 1:22 pm Permalink
As far as the Adkins/Milsap thing is concerned, tough luck. Wow, the music BUSINESS is about BUSINESS and money?? It stands to reason that they are going to make a good bit of money on the sales and airplay of the single, so cut Capitol in on what is likely their property from a contractual perspective and get on with the good that you were doing…
September 25, 2009 at 1:28 pm Permalink
Kelly,
But that logic would derail from the right to protest the ‘big bad label.’
September 25, 2009 at 1:29 pm Permalink
Like someone already said, she does “The Way I Am” frequently in concert, so it stands to reason she would do that song. I would rather someone do their favorite song by their favorite artist than one they don’t like as much just because that person wrote it.
September 25, 2009 at 1:36 pm Permalink
Capitol allegedly gave Adkins permission to record the song, so it’s not that cut-and-dry.
September 25, 2009 at 1:41 pm Permalink
Brady, they may have but perhaps they just didn’t like the promo push the song was getting. It’s odd to me that there is still the thought that a song like the Milsap/Adkins song would derail the other Adkins song from doing well, which is obviously what the “Cease and Desist” was all about. While some artists get overexposed in pop, there are a plethora of ‘featuring so and so’ songs. Certainly one ‘featuring Trace Adkins’ song isn’t gonna derail the chances of a Trace Adkins song, is it?
September 25, 2009 at 1:43 pm Permalink
I’m guessing Lambert wasn’t tying Haggard with The Ryman as much as tying the Ryman with good, traditional country music, which Haggard does represent. Likewise, I think choosing her favorite Haggard song means that she’s not required to sing one that he wrote.
September 25, 2009 at 2:13 pm Permalink
As far as the Adkins/Milsap thing is concerned, tough luck. Wow, the music BUSINESS is about BUSINESS and money?? It stands to reason that they are going to make a good bit of money on the sales and airplay of the single, so cut Capitol in on what is likely their property from a contractual perspective and get on with the good that you were doing…
The proceeds of the single are supposed to go to a charity for firefighters (and perhaps policemen as well, I forget)so it’s a pretty crappy move by Capitol to try and shut it down. I can’t imagine that Adkins cut the song without their prior knowledge.
September 25, 2009 at 2:26 pm Permalink
Yeah, yeah, it was a nice gesture (like I’ve already said a couple of times), but kind of a fuzzy-thinking one – fuzzy in the sense of suggesting that she’s not really much of a student of Haggard’s or of “classic country,” but rather someone whose heart is in the right place. If it had been, oh, Carrie Underwood, there are certainly folks here who would likely have made the same kind of observation, only more scornfully and minus the “nice gesture” part.
September 25, 2009 at 2:40 pm Permalink
Not me. I would have been fine and happy with her choice if she chose to sing any Haggard song.
September 25, 2009 at 2:43 pm Permalink
It wasn’t you I had in mind, Leeann ;-).
September 25, 2009 at 2:52 pm Permalink
I am really getting into Miranda’s music. I bought her ACM/CMA? Album of the year “Gunpowder and Lead” just this summer and couldn’t stop playing it. So last week, I ordered David Nail, and preordered Miranda Lambert’s Revolution and Carrie Underwoods, “Play On” on amazon. I’m anxious to get them!
September 25, 2009 at 3:36 pm Permalink
“so it’s a pretty crappy move by Capitol to try and shut it down”
I guess, but what does that have to do with real-life and corporate America. It is what it is. If there were specific parameters on the contract about how the song was to be released, marketed and distributed, then thats how it is…
September 25, 2009 at 3:41 pm Permalink
^ The album is actually Crazy Ex-Girlfriend =)
———
Can’t wait for Tuesday when Revolution comes out! I’m buying it right after school! :)
September 25, 2009 at 3:42 pm Permalink
My above comment was for Vicki
September 25, 2009 at 4:05 pm Permalink
Oops you are right Nicolas. Thanks for the correction.
Who ever said why would Trace care about Ronnie’s problems? Well, while watching “How Great Thou Art” on GAC, Trace said then Ronnie was one of his mentors and has the up most respect for him.
September 25, 2009 at 4:08 pm Permalink
I’d venture to say, regardless of the song, a Ronnie Milsap tune wont have much affect on any of Trace’s radio singles, no matter the case.
September 25, 2009 at 5:10 pm Permalink
“so it’s a pretty crappy move by Capitol to try and shut it down”
I disagree. I think its the responsible thing for Capitol to do. Capitol has a duty to its shareholders and investors, and Capitol should vigilantly protect the value of its assets (e.g., Trace Adkins).
September 25, 2009 at 5:23 pm Permalink
I realize Capitol’s argument and if it comes down to it and they didn’t grant permission, then it’s their right and I can’t fault them. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not a crappy move. In any case, demonstrating that their assets are being sufficiently devalued to the point where they need to take legal action against a charitable cause is going to be a tough sell.
It’s a sticky situation that they allowed to develop and they can’t come out of it without gettin’ a little muddy, even if it is within their right.
Now if Milsap and folks went into this knowing they didn’t have permission and are only stirring up a little controversy for publicity and more money, then that makes things a little different.
But without the facts anyone saying anything is really just speculatin’. No use in getting adamant without the facts.
September 25, 2009 at 5:25 pm Permalink
While I agree with much of what Werner Trieschmann wrote re Glen Campbell, he’s wrong about one thing. That “Meet Glen Campbell” recording from 2008 is one damn good record.
September 25, 2009 at 5:34 pm Permalink
“Capitol should vigilantly protect the value of its assets (e.g., Trace Adkins)”
While I don’t believe the fact that it’s for a charity absolves Milsap’s label of the responsibility for ensuring all the rights were secured before sending the track to radio, and Capitol may well be legally in the right (not being privy to the background I can, like (probably) everyone else in this thread, only speculate), I think it makes Capitol (and by extension Trace) look mean spirited to apparently crush a charity’s attempt at fundraising. And longterm, is presenting that image really in the best interests of Trace’s career?
September 25, 2009 at 5:47 pm Permalink
What Brady said. Whether they’re within their rights or not, there’s no way I can see that Capitol comes out of this looking good.
More generally, you wouldn’t believe the amount of cool stuff that’s laying on shelves because of rights issues similar in one way or another to this one.
September 25, 2009 at 5:49 pm Permalink
I think Capitol Nashville is showing about as much sense in this fiasco as they did in signing Unknown Hinson while dropping The Jenkins back in 2005. They will be portrayed as an anti-charity “Grinch” and their goodwill with the public will suffer.
Now that the controversy has gotten a lot of media attention, its time for Capitol to resolve this amicably and let the single be released. If they don’t they will wind up looking like the bad guys even if the legal aspects are in their favor.
September 25, 2009 at 8:41 pm Permalink
While I don’t believe the fact that it’s for a charity absolves Milsap’s label of the responsibility for ensuring all the rights were secured before sending the track to radio, and Capitol may well be legally in the right (not being privy to the background I can, like (probably) everyone else in this thread, only speculate), I think it makes Capitol (and by extension Trace) look mean spirited to apparently crush a charity’s attempt at fundraising. And longterm, is presenting that image really in the best interests of Trace’s career?
I agree completely. Admittedly, we don’t have all the facts, but I have a hard time believing that Milsap, his label, and Adkins colluded to make this recording without Capitol’s knowledge or permission. Milsap and his label might have had a motive to — i.e., creating publicity for the single, but Trace would have nothing to gain except angering his own label.
This recording likely would not have gotten much radio airplay anyway, so it’s hard to argue the case that it’s costing Capitol a lot of money. While they may be legally in the right, it’s a really bad PR move.
September 27, 2009 at 12:17 pm Permalink
screen shots of Carrie’s Cowboy Casanova video leaked
http://luvdc.blogspot.com/2009/09/screenshot-carrie-underwood-cowboy.html
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