Country Music, Y'all!

[UYI]

"They called me up in Tennessee, they said 'Tammy, stand by the JAMS!'"

The First Lady's unexpected foray into the pop music world, in 1991.

[Medicine Crow]

A long-time country music fan here.  I just turned 75 & I remember my Mom, Dad & I listening to the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday night on our old "tube" radio.  I have many old, old country songs on my play list, but one of my all-time favourites is The Long Black Veil by Lefty Frizzell, later recorded by Johnny Cash.  (I saw Johnny & June at the O'Keefe Centre in Toronto when I was in my twenties.)

Enjoy: 

[Medicine Crow]

... and if you like that one, here's the same song with a response song:

[Bucket]

22 minutes ago, Medicine Crow said:

A long-time country music fan here.  I just turned 75 & I remember my Mom, Dad & I listening to the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday night on our old "tube" radio.  I have many old, old country songs on my play list, but one of my all-time favourites is The Long Black Veil by Lefty Frizzell, later recorded by Johnny Cash.  (I saw Johnny & June at the O'Keefe Centre in Toronto when I was in my twenties.)

Enjoy: 

I am not a country western fan but I LOVE this song!!  I think Joan Baez or one of that ilk sang it and that is where I first heard it. 

[Bastet]

15 hours ago, UYI said:

"They called me up in Tennessee, they said 'Tammy, stand by the JAMS!'"

The First Lady's unexpected foray into the pop music world, in 1991.

OMG, no one ever knows what I'm talking about when I mention that song, but it is such a fantastically weird combination that I love it.  I have it on some "songs of the '90s" CD set.

[27bored]

I have a messy, vain point to make:

I want Keith Urban to cut his hair. I can’t be the only one.

For one thing, it’s either too long or too short. I could accept it if it was just long — some dudes like long hair. I could accept it if it was just a bit longer than most male country artists. But Keith’s hair is in a sensible bob that hits him right at the shoulders. It’s like he wants to be the long haired cool guy and a well-coifed pretty boy at the same time. Gotta pick one.

Also, he just looks like he saw a picture of Jennifer Anniston one time and was just like, “phbbt, girl please. I can do that”. Or maybe he thinks he’s Andy Brinker and wants to signal he doesn’t need corporate sponsorship. IDK.

I just feel like he needs to cut it. I could take long hair if I felt like it was part of a look, but Keith just looks too old for his hair. A married man with kids north of 35 doesn’t need to cling to the SoCal surfer locks. 

I know this is random but for real. It’s annoying.

Edited February 17, 2019 by 27bored

[Medicine Crow]

Did anyone watch the Elvis Presley All-Star Tribute last night (it was fantastic!!!)?  I've been looking for a dedicated thread, but no luck!!  HELP!!

[formerlyfreedom]

7 hours ago, Medicine Crow said:

Did anyone watch the Elvis Presley All-Star Tribute last night (it was fantastic!!!)?  I've been looking for a dedicated thread, but no luck!!  HELP!!

It doesn't look like there was one started, @Medicine Crow, but you're welcome to start one over in the Specials, TV Movies & Other One-Offs forum!

[Bunty]

Charlie Worsham wrote and performed a gorgeous tribute to his Mom.  

It's very simple just guitar and voice.

[UYI]

Here's a spotlight on the most famous women-only duet in country music history, "Does He Love You" by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis (one of Reba's back up singers for many years, she also released a series of her own solo albums in the 90's).

The infamous music video:

The CMA performance with Reba's infamous red dress, lol:

A cover by Jamie O'Neal and Carrie Underwood (the latter had just recently won American Idol at the time):

Another cover by Martina McBride and Kelly Clarkson (who is now Reba's stepdaughter-in-law, of course):

And finally, yet another cover by Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild and Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott--Linda Davis' daughter.

[Bastet]

I don't hate the song, but I'm too lazy to watch the video -- why was it infamous?  (I do remember the red dress pearl-clutching; what should be infamous is that hairdo, but that was par for the course at the time while that glimpse of cleavage was indeed scandalous.  Ah, country.)

I had no idea the Lady Antebellum singer was Linda Davis's daughter.  (I did know Kelly Clarkson married Reba's stepson - and that he's rumored to be as much a shithead as his dad, so I hope for the two of them doing some big "fuck all y'all" duet in the future.)

Edited February 23, 2019 by Bastet

[UYI]

33 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I don't hate the song, but I'm too lazy to watch the video -- why was it infamous?  (I do remember the red dress pearl-clutching; what should be infamous is that hairdo, but that was par for the course at the time while that glimpse of cleavage was indeed scandalous.  Ah, country.)

The speed boat explosion at the end that kills Linda and Reba's unfaithful onscreen husband (and the fact that Reba smiles after it happens implies that she was the one behind it)/the reveal that it wasn't real and that Rob Reiner was directing the video all along. Garth Brooks' "The Thunder Rolls" video had been banned from the major music video channels a few years before because of the domestic violence/death that occurs in it, so from what I understand, Reba wanted to keep the ending, but in order to prevent it from being banned for similar reasons, they pull out to the end of the actual video by showing Rob Reiner, Reba and Linda watching it together.

So...infamous might not be the right word here. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by UYI

[scarynikki12]

Yeah, CMT really didn't have any faith in their audience but at least the cut to Rob, Reba, and Linda was funny.  "Look!  You're dead!"

I love that video.  Reba going full Dynasty in look and character is so much fun.  Her grin right before the boat explodes was epic. 

[UYI]

When I was born 30 years ago today, the number one country song in America was "I Still Believe In You" by the Desert Rose Band, a country-rock band led by Chris Hillman, a founding member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, the two pioneer bands of country rock. 

The full top ten that week:

1. "I Still Believe In You"--The Desert Rose Band

2. "Highway Robbery"--Tanya Tucker

3. "Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)"--Ronnie Milsap

4. "I Wish I Was Still In Your Dreams"--Conway Twitty

5. "'Til You Cry"--Eddy Raven

6. "From A Jack to A King"--Ricky Van Shelton

7. "Honey I Dare You"--Southern Pacific

8. "New Fool At An Old Game"--Reba McEntire

9. "I Feel Fine"--Sweethearts of the Rodeo (Yes, THAT "I Feel Fine".)

10. "Baby's Gotten Good At Goodbye"--George Strait

The full list is here. You can plug any dates in and look up any of the Billboard charts for any day!

https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs/1989-03-04

THANK YOU for everyone here who reads my posts on this thread. I appreciate it so much. Like I've said before, I only truly came to country a few short years ago, but it has been a true joy and I'm happy to post here about it with all of you. 🙂

[Medicine Crow]

3 hours ago, UYI said:

When I was born 30 years ago today

THANK YOU for everyone here who reads my posts on this thread. I appreciate it so much. Like I've said before, I only truly came to country a few short years ago, but it has been a true joy and I'm happy to post here about it with all of you. 🙂

Happy, happy birthday @UYI .... I hope you have a great day!!!

It's always nice to "talk country" with people of like mind, although I think my memories go back waaaaay further than yours ... LOL!!

[Dandesun]

Oh man, you can't talk Chris Hillman without bringing Gram Parsons into it. Come on now...

[UYI]

4 hours ago, Dandesun said:

Oh man, you can't talk Chris Hillman without bringing Gram Parsons into it. Come on now...

Yes, of course. I just meant in terms of bands. But Gram was THE solo artist who gave us country-rock. 

[Dandesun]

Well, Gram joined the Byrds and they did Sweetheart of the Rodeo and then Hillman and McGuinn booted him but then Hillman and Parsons reconciled and did the Flying Burrito Brothers' Gilded Palace of Sin but, after a time, Hillman fired Parson from the Brothers too. Apparently because Gram was more interested in hanging out with the Stones. Keith Richards does have a Nudie suit given to him by Graham. The Stones were definitely blues influenced but they did go a countrified route in a bunch of their songs at the time Keith and Graham were hanging out. (Also, Keith is this bizarre musical anthropologist who really likes to dig when something catches his ear.)

And, of course, Emmylou was brought into country because of Graham. Worth it for that alone as far as I'm concerned.

[UYI]

12 minutes ago, Dandesun said:

And, of course, Emmylou was brought into country because of Graham. Worth it for that alone as far as I'm concerned.

This isn't very long, but the BBC's Lost Highway docu-series on the history of country music in 2004 featured this segment on Emmylou:

[ebk57]

Happy Birthday @UYI!!  Hope it was a great day!  Thanks for keeping this thread going.  I always enjoy the videos and discovering new - and old! - music. 

[UYI]

@Tosia: Here is the Lorrie Morgan you mentioned in The View forum, "Something in Red", although there IS a line about "something in blue", too. 🙂

[Medicine Crow]

That song still makes me tear up!!

[UYI]

A shout out to two of the most popular country stars of the 80's with very similar last names:

John Conlee, and Earl Thomas Conley.

[27bored]

I’m curious: do you guys consider “Picture” by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow (or Allison Moorer, depending on which version you’re familiar with) a pop song, a soft rock song, or a country-pop song? 

Edited March 7, 2019 by 27bored

[ebk57]

Just got tickets to see Kinky Friedman and Dale Watson next week at The Birchmere.  Should be fun!

[Medicine Crow]

7 hours ago, 27bored said:

I’m curious: do you guys consider “Picture” by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow (or Allison Moorer, depending on which version you’re familiar with) a pop song, a soft rock song, or a country-pop song? 

OMG, my "world" stopped when the intro of Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow came on the radio when I was at work.  I loved, loved, loved that song!!!  It was played on a "country station"!!!

[UYI]

Two of my favorite country songs from the 80's are ones that really aren't that country, but are still great.

[Bastet]

I like both those songs.  I like quite a few Ronnie Milsap songs -- Smoky Mountain Rain, No Gettin' Over Me, I Wouldn't Have Missed it For the World, Stand By My Woman Man, She Keeps the Home Fires Burning, his version of Any Day Now ... I'm sure more that aren't immediately springing to mind.

I haven't listened to his new Duets album yet, but it has some cool artists on it.

I love Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow's "Picture," but I'm not sure how I'd classify it beyond saying it's a great song. 

[UYI]

9 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I like both those songs.  I like quite a few Ronnie Milsap songs -- Smoky Mountain Rain, No Gettin' Over Me, I Wouldn't Have Missed it For the World, Stand By My Woman Man, She Keeps the Home Fires Burning, his version of Any Day Now ... I'm sure more that aren't immediately springing to mind.

I love "Lost in the Fifties" and how he incorporates "In the Still of the Night" into the song! 

[UYI]

My heart. ❤️

(And HELL YES to seeing Connie Smith here at the end, too!)

[27bored]

On 3/8/2019 at 12:14 AM, Medicine Crow said:

OMG, my "world" stopped when the intro of Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow came on the radio when I was at work.  I loved, loved, loved that song!!!  It was played on a "country station"!!!

Yeah, it’s a great song. And it’s one of those early songs that used snaps without sounding like a douche-y crossover attempt. It just worked as a light percussion accent.

I ask because the production of the song was soft rock (for those days...now it would be considered Country). Lyrically, it’s very Country. Kid Rock is a rapper who turned out to be a serviceable roots rock singer, Sheryl Crow is a pop singer, and even though Allison Moorer is mainly a Country singer, she’s pretty malleable. All that said, Kid Rick has mainly had Country girls sing that part with him (Jessie James Decker, Kellie Pickler, Gretchen Wilson, LeAnn Rimes, etc). And speaking to the radio format, when that song was out, they used to play it on Top 40 radio (where you’ll hear stuff like Chainsmokers, Halsey, Ariana Grande, etc).

Its funny that it’s so hard to peg that song, but that’s a testament to how good it is. I almost feel like Country music is full of mid-tempo numbers trying to recreate the magic of that song. 

[UYI]

Sheryl Crow DID release a country album in 2013, Feels Like Home. She decided to go back to her rock roots for her 2017 album, Be Myself, because of the difficulty she found in promotion in country radio, especially since it's so hard for women in country to get the airplay they deserve. She and her two boys live in Nashville, though (it's a little over three hours away from her hometown of Kennett, MO, which is in the southeastern corner of that state--the "bootheel"), and it's clear that she loves her adopted hometown in a way she NEVER truly loved Los Angeles, despite how many years she spent there. She is also really good friends with a lot of female country artists, and promotes their work on Twitter all the time. Her upcoming duet album is featuring at least one of them: Margo Price! 

She also has a studio by her horse farm in Nashville, and it's where Kacey Musgraves--your Grammy all-genre Album of the Year winner, thank you very much--recorded the majority of Golden Hour. 

Edited March 9, 2019 by UYI

[UYI]

Love this. Her voice may be VERY polarizing, but this song works with it PERFECTLY, in a way that "Somebody's Daughter"--which I like too, for the record--maybe lacks a bit.

Edited March 9, 2019 by UYI

[UYI]

This morning, the 2019 inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame were announced. There are three different categories: the Non-Performer, the Veteran Era, and the Modern Era.

They are:

Non-Performer: Jerry Bradley (former head of RCA Records in Nashville; the son of legendary country music producer Owen Bradley)

Veteran Era: Ray Stevens

Modern Era: Brooks & Dunn

Another year without Tanya Tucker in. SMH.

(To clarify: Tanya's first hit, "Delta Dawn", was released in 1972, when she was only 13/14 years old, and her career continued from there, including a HUGE comeback period in the late 80's/early 90's. She deserves to be inducted in the Veteran Era category, and it's insane to me to see her overlooked. Dwight Yoakam needs to get in soon, too, as does the late Keith Whitley--the 30th anniversary of his passing is this May 9th.) 

Edited March 18, 2019 by UYI

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, UYI said:

Another year without Tanya Tucker in.

That is some deep fried bullshit right there.

[UYI]

For anyone interested, there is an internet-only radio station called She Wolf Radio, which exclusively plays female artists, specifically in the country and bluegrass genres; it's probably THE best place to hear newer female artists that otherwise don't appear on country radio.

https://www.radionomy.com/en/radio/radioshewolf/index

It is also available as an app for those of you with smartphones. 

[Bastet]

There was a Loretta Lynn: An All-Star Birthday Celebration Concert in Nashville last night, and Lynn closed it out herself, joining Tanya Tucker and Crystal Gayle in a performance of "Coal Miner's Daughter."

From the AP:

Quote

The Country Music Hall of Famer sat side-stage at Bridgestone Arena for the show as more than a dozen artists came to sing songs from her catalog and sing her praises to a packed arena. Keith Urban even popped out of a giant birthday cake to fulfill a birthday wish for the singer-songwriter from eastern Kentucky.

Tanya Tucker brought out a bouquet of flowers after singing “While I’m Living” with Brandi Carlile, and Margo Price, who is eight months pregnant, said she was giving her daughter the middle name Lynn and sang “One’s On the Way.” Alan Jackson brought her a single yellow rose in a Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottle, which he called “a perfect example of country music.”

Darius Rucker gave a rousing performance of her controversial song released in the 1970s about a woman celebrating birth control, “The Pill,” after explaining that no one else had picked it, so he decided to sing it. Miranda Lambert thanked Lynn for “all the advice for when husbands piss you off,” before singing “Don’t Come Home A Drinking (With Lovin’ On Your Mind.)”

Jack White, who collaborated on her Grammy-winning album “Van Lear Rose,” kicked up the volume with her song “Have Mercy,” as Lynn smiled and clapped along.

Other artists performing during the show included Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Little Big Town, Lee Ann Womack, Martina McBride, George Strait and more. Other artists like Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan sent her video birthday messages.

This article contains a slideshow of pictures.

[UYI]

Loretta Lynn is the reason I became a country music fan, or at least my introduction to it. I remember being fascinated by her life story when I was younger--the fact that, despite the poverty she grew up with, her teenage marriage, the fact that she became a mom so young--she STILL found a way out! There was a period where I was listening to her music a lot, around a decade ago, but at the time I think I mostly dismissed it as a thing where I liked maybe a few country artists, rather than country music itself. Once I started truly listening to it and became a fan around four years ago (and even then, it was probably in the last year or two that I was really able to finally accept how much of it I really liked), I certainly began listening to her even more than I had before. And when I went to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville last year, there was an exhibit going on that was dedicated to her, so I got to see many of her awards, outfits, guitars and original copies of some of the songs she wrote in person!

Tammy Wynette is favorite of the three defining country women that began their careers in the 60's (which includes her, Loretta, and Dolly Parton), but truly, I love them all. 

I have the Honky Tonk Angels album they made in 1993, and their version of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" is so good! I also love the video.

[UYI]

I will say that one of my very favorite Loretta songs is "Blue Kentucky Girl", which was also covered wonderfully by Emmylou Harris.

[UYI]

We have a new lead single from Little Big Town! 🙂

[UYI]

Oh yeah, something else that's new today:

[Silver Raven]

Billy Ray Cyrus has just dropped a new rap song.

[UYI]

^^^^That's actually a remix of the original song, which was just removed from the Hot Country Songs chart. There was some controversy about it, too, because of the fact that Lil Nas X is black, and yet a bunch of alleged "country" artists who are white (and with penises, usually) get their songs on the radio all the time. So while part of me doesn't necessarily mind having Billboard put their foot down, it DOES look hypocritical, given both the race issue and the women making real country music who continue to be overlooked. 

Edited April 5, 2019 by UYI

[BuyMoreAndSave]

On 4/5/2019 at 2:34 PM, Silver Raven said:

Billy Ray Cyrus has just dropped a new rap song.

I don't listen to much country or trap, but this is great. Of course the fact that the beat was sampled from Nine Inch Nails is a big part of it. I like that rappers are branching more into metal/emo/etc. samples these days. But seriously if someone told me that Billy Ray Cyrus, Trent Reznor, and a Soundcloud rapper would create one of my favorite songs of 2019 I would be like "what...."

On 4/5/2019 at 2:42 PM, UYI said:

^^^^That's actually a remix of the original song, which was just removed from the Hot Country Songs chart. There was some controversy about it, too, because of the fact that Lil Nas X is black, and yet a bunch of alleged "country" artists who are white (and with penises, usually) get their songs on the radio all the time. So while part of me doesn't necessarily mind having Billboard put their foot down, it DOES look hypocritical, given both the race issue and the women making real country music who continue to be overlooked. 

I actually saw an interesting video today about modern country and realized a lot of modern country is pretty much 2000s R&B with Southern accents. Old Town Road is one of the more original songs to be associated with country in modern times. After all the "modern country sounds the same" memes, it's kind of funny that Billboard got upset about it being a country song. I guess they can't deal with change or innovation.

[UYI]

Billy Ray Cyrus' inclusion on the remix has a LOT of people questioning why it was even removed from the country charts in the first place. It seems pretty clear that he was added on as a way to get the song back on the country charts and cash in on the publicity surrounding it.

And oh dear God, they'll probably perform it at the ACM Awards tonight...shit. -_-

ETA: Grady Smith! He used to a be a music journalist/reviewer at Entertainment Weekly, covering country music. I don't always agree with him, but I do like him a lot. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by UYI

[Silver Raven]

I don't know who the ACMs named as new male artist of the year, but the song he sang was horrible.  There was no melody, and it just droned.

[UYI]

46 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

I don't know who the ACMs named as new male artist of the year, but the song he sang was horrible.  There was no melody, and it just droned.

Are you talking about Luke Combs and "Beautiful Crazy"? That's not my favorite of his, but he's great. 

Personally I prefer "One Number Away" and "She Got the Best of Me", though.

The performance I REALLY saw panned was from LANCO, the winner of Best New Group of the Year. 

And no "Old Town Road"! YAY!

(Although I could see the CMT Awards including it for sure.)

[vibeology]

On ‎4‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 2:42 PM, UYI said:

^^^^That's actually a remix of the original song, which was just removed from the Hot Country Songs chart. There was some controversy about it, too, because of the fact that Lil Nas X is black, and yet a bunch of alleged "country" artists who are white (and with penises, usually) get their songs on the radio all the time. So while part of me doesn't necessarily mind having Billboard put their foot down, it DOES look hypocritical, given both the race issue and the women making real country music who continue to be overlooked.  

The thing that makes it especially suspect was that Billboard didn't pull it off the charts until it was about to hit #1. It's a clear push to keep Lil Nas X from achieving a number one country hit. If it had been even just a little less successful, I doubt the original would have been removed.

I'm supposed to believe that Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett make country music but Lil Nas X doesn't. Cruise was a country song but this isn't? Take Your Time is country? Thomas Rhett puts out whole albums that have maybe one actual country song on them but the line is being drawn at Lil Nas X? It's so clear that race is a factor. It's been fine for years for white country artists to pull from black artists in other genres and copy their style or beats but the moment a black artist does something modern in country music he's shut out. That's ridiculous.

And just a reminder that country music has racism issues, Ray Charles isn't in the Country Music Hall of Fame despite a long career making country music in addition to the rock, soul and R&B and gospel music people tend to remember. Listen to Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and tell me his exclusion isn't suspect.

[BuyMoreAndSave]

19 minutes ago, vibeology said:

The thing that makes it especially suspect was that Billboard didn't pull it off the charts until it was about to hit #1. It's a clear push to keep Lil Nas X from achieving a number one country hit. If it had been even just a little less successful, I doubt the original would have been removed.

I'm supposed to believe that Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett make country music but Lil Nas X doesn't. Cruise was a country song but this isn't? Take Your Time is country? Thomas Rhett puts out whole albums that have maybe one actual country song on them but the line is being drawn at Lil Nas X? It's so clear that race is a factor. It's been fine for years for white country artists to pull from black artists in other genres and copy their style or beats but the moment a black artist does something modern in country music he's shut out. That's ridiculous.

And just a reminder that country music has racism issues, Ray Charles isn't in the Country Music Hall of Fame despite a long career making country music in addition to the rock, soul and R&B and gospel music people tend to remember. Listen to Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and tell me his exclusion isn't suspect.

Red was considered to be a country album too...I like that album but come on.

[UYI]

1 hour ago, BuyMoreAndSave said:

Red was considered to be a country album too...I like that album but come on.

Even calling it a pop country album is stretching things. 1989 was her first official pop album and not this? Sure, Jan.

(Then again, "Red" and "Begin Again" definitely fit more on country radio than pop, so there's that, but still.)

Carrie Underwood's third single off Cry Pretty is officially "Southbound", which she premiered at the ACMs last night. The album's second single, "Love Wins", never really caught on that much (although I actually love it a lot), probably in large part because of the fact that it drifted into some more controversial material (if having a line like "politics and prejudice" counts as controversial, which apparently it does among country radio programmers), and since "Southbound" is really the lightest song on the album, it was a good idea to move on and push a song that is sure to be a huge summer hit. There are some great ballads on Cry Pretty, but she can wait until single #4 to release one of those (preferably "Drinking Alone", which is a huge favorite among the die hard Carrie fans--I'm in the minority, but I kind of like "Spinning Bottles" a bit more).

Finally, Kacey Musgraves has achieved a rare Triple Crown--with her Album of the Year win for Golden Hour at the ACMs last night, she has now that same award both there and at the CMAs AND the Grammys, something only a few other country artists have done besides her. Even more impressive? She broke Miranda Lambert's streak and won the Female Vocalist of the Year award last night, too!

...And yet, she didn't even perform once, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's because she didn't kiss anyone's ass in the industry, with them shutting her out as a form of punishment. SMH.

Whatever. She's killing it right now. 🙂 

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by UYI