Songpluggers Reflect On Country Music Industry
- Songwriters write songs. Performers perform those songs. But how do they get from the songwriters to the performers? Through songpluggers like Sherrill Blackman, Dale Dodson, Tom Luteran and Abbe Nameche. Randy Rudder says they gathered at CMA one morning to discuss their craft.
What, for you, are the best and/or worst aspects of the songplugger’s life?
Blackman: The worst part is when I can’t find a home for a song I love.
Dodson: The worst part is the politics, but the best part of the business is having relationships with great people who love the music and hearing great songs.
Luteran: Being able to get new songs out to the music community.
Nameche: For me, the worst thing is when you feel strongly that a song has “song of the year” potential but it never makes it through the Music Row gantlet. And the best part is the thrill and challenge of the chase. Getting a cut these days is like winning the lottery. Faith that a great song will prevail is what keeps us motivated and enthusiastic.
- Trace Adkins was the keynote speaker this morning at a news conference to help support the preservation of America’s remaining Civil War battlefields.
- Numerous commenters vent their disappointment in seeing Julio Iglesias win Gone Country on John Rich’s show blog. An unofficial study (ie: a quick scroll through the comments) shows that “not country” seems to be the most used description of Iglesias’s performance, while Rich gets charged with inconsistent motives.
- Hopefully that inconsistency doesn’t crop up again on Nashville Star, where Rich has been tapped to be a judge-mentor. He’ll also be writing and producing the winner’s debut single for Warner Bros. Records.
- On Sunday evening at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Trisha Yearwood announced she’d be performing songs from throughout her career and not just the greatest-hits package. Stuart Munro of The Boston Globe says she sampled five songs from her latest album and even forgot the words to “Near Distant Shore,” a song from her first album that fans voted for on her website. She had never played the song live before.
- Clint Black first digital EP, The Long Cool EP, was released yesterday to digital outlets. All of the songs will be available on his album this summer except for an exclusive bonus track, a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin.” If you really want the tracks, I suppose you could download the EP today and round out the collection with the missing songs when the full album is released later. Besides, paying $1.99 for four songs on iTunes ain’t too shabby.
- Sarah Johns’ influences hail from bygone eras of country music, when Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and George Jones ruled the roost. Those influences show up on her newest album, and if it weren’t for some friction from her producer they’d be even more apparent. “I didn’t want to make a pop record,” she said adamantly. “I was thinking it even needs to be more country.”
- A Galleywinter member posted an article on the rise of Ryan Bingham that will be going out in the April issue of Explore.
- Natalie Johnson says the crowd at the United Spirit Arena went wild last Friday when they got a close-up view of George Strait’s famous Wranglers from behind.
- Speaking of Strait, on April 1st he’ll get his own XM Radio channel to coincide with the release of his newest album, Troubadour. The station will run through May 31st and feature music from his catalog along with exclusive interviews.
- The Bluegrass Blog posted a YouTube video of The GrooveGrass Boyz preforming their latest single, “Crank That (Farmer Boy).” The single is a bluegrass (non-traditional) remake of the popular rap song “Crank That (Soulja Boy).”
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Current Discussion
- Steve Harvey: I do wish however, that he would choose some of his singles differently. According to some interviews I've read, he doesn't ...
- Alena: K, you've said it. I agree with you 100%. A wise person once told me something that I've always believed ...
- Paul W Dennis: Also I am not sure that comparisons between Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are terribly germane. Other than both being ...
- Phil: Aren't most people who write these reviews just frustrated songwriters who couldn't make it in the music business?? Yea, ...
- JCH: It's not exactly an irregularity to hold Underwood in esteem while thinking very little of the material she is delivering. ...
- K: "I would not take a review that uses that type of language seriously at all. You did a great job ...
- Steve M.: Perhaps the reviewers are simply stating that Carrie Underwood is wasting her talent on material beneath her talents.
- K: "Lady A had a bad review of their live performance at the Houston Livestock Show recently. Can’t believe they won ...
- Jon: Well, Steven M., sometimes criticism of artists is framed in such a way as to constitute a attack on the ...
- Steve M.: That would be personally.
5 Comments
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March 12, 2008 at 11:11 am Permalink
Great. First Nashville Star gets picked up by a major network and then they put John Rich in charge. Won’t be wasting any of my time watching this go round….
I love Sarah Johns and find it absolutely disappointing that her first two singles were both goofy jingle ditties guaranteed to attach the label “novelty artist” to her name at country radio. She must release “Big Love In a Small Town” as her next single, if she gets the chance that is. Talk about torpedoing one’s own career path….
I hope the George Strait XM channel comes with frequent warnings that listening while driving could be extremely hazardous as many of George’s songs have been known to induce narcolepsy……
March 12, 2008 at 12:03 pm Permalink
I wouldn’t call “He Hates Me” a failure… yet. It’s still getting adds on Mediabase after multiple weeks on the chart. Today, one station added the song with 17 new plays. Usually, a song starts out at about 7-9 new plays when it’s first added. It’s showing some potential IMO, and I think it’s a great song. I wish Sarah the best with it.
March 12, 2008 at 12:17 pm Permalink
i think sarah has great voice, but i havent liked either of her singles yet, i thought they were poorly written and both failed at achieving humor. i havent listened to her cd and would give her other songs aa chance, but i havent liked her songwritting so far
March 12, 2008 at 3:10 pm Permalink
I had a lot of goodwill towards John Rich after he brought John Anderson back and helped produce his great record “Easy Money”, but he is once again starting to burn that goodwill.
March 14, 2008 at 8:16 am Permalink
agreed on the john anderson record. i had plenty of goodwill towards john rich. i still have some left, but it’s burning fast. now if only john anderson would find a producer like rick rubin or daniel lanois. that would be awesome.
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