Country Music

-1991 Billboard starts using sales data from Sound Scan

-Before record stores estimated how many records sold

-Sound scan change to a bar code system that was exact 

– In the first week using sound scan, data showed that Nashville music selling way higher than estimates

– In this week,  Garth Brooks album went from #4 to 16

– This was important because radio stations saw how popular country really was and many decided to switch and become country stations

– Country sales double from 1989 to 91 and then double again from 91 to 93

-Garth brooks later releases first country album to debut at #1 on Billboard charts

– Before this, radio considered a public trust so the government had to worry what was on radio

– Before you could only own a few radio stations

– Deregulation allows companies to buy as many radio stations as they want- so there could be someone in Boston programming hundreds of country stations

-new type of country music in the 90s

– Americana allows for people who no longer fit in country’s narrow parameters

– began with Gillian Welch writing a song for Emmylou Harris called “Orphan Girl” on wrecking ball- first americana album

– Got her Start on Porter Wagners syndicated TV show

– Her an porter had a very bad public breakup- then she writes “I will always love you”- later becomes a monster hit

-Had a pop image different from most country – “takes alot of money to look this cheap”

– First Artist to appear on cover of Rolling Stone (when it was legit)

– “Jolene” – big hit for her that was a different type of song for her

– Wrote story songs- ones you could not come into the middle of though

– wrote songs from being in jail from drinking/speeding

– Rough childhood- poor – mother died he’s young

– Songs “A week in County Jail” & “Homecoming”

– Broke alot of barriers in country music

– Creative movement – about musicians deciding about how they want the music to go

– Willie nelson wanted to do something similar to bobby bare

– Willie gets a clause to record whatever he wants- records a very plain album called “Red Headed Stranger”- the label doesn’t even want to put it out but then it becomes huge- center of outlaw movement

-“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” a hit from album

-Conceptual movement about artists taking control of their own stuff

– Reaction to perceived blandness of mainstream country music in the early 80s

– Ricky Scaggs and george strait usher in movement;

– instrumental background with a “traditional” country vocal style like hank williams

– known for his drinking and escapades with women

– spent most of 70s in bad shape – drinking/coke

– reputation as “no-show jones”

– split personalities where he did a duck voice that was very mean

-rode his lawnmower to town when wife took his keys to get booze

– “He stopped loving her today” – the song that put him back on the map and made him relevant again

– Discovered by Gram Parsons- he asked her to sing with him and they recorded 2 albums in LA (“cosmic american music”)

– She is distraught by his death in early 70s from a drug overdose

– “two more bottles of wine”

– used solo career to further parsons “cosmic american music”

– Wrecking Ball her huge album

-started off in the Byrds- they got booed off stage at grand ole opry because of long hair- folk/rock guys had long hair- he was an innovator

– combined traditional country and “wild” stuff- his albums in 70s sold terribly- ahead of his time ; marketed poorly

– Died in early 70s from overdose at joshua tree

– “I can’t dance”

– Wanted by the outlaws

– consisted Willie Nelson ; Waylon Jennings

– From texas- doesn’t have all his fingers from an accident

– At first he had a disagreement with Waylon jennings- wanted him to look at his album- finally waylon did and then really liked it

-they went on to record album with all songs written by billy joe shaver

– Called Honkytonk Heroes and became a big deal

– Big part of the outlaw movement

– all about artistic freedom and artists taking control

– goes to Texas to Armadillo World headquarters to record the music that he wants

– “blue eyes crying in the rain”

– Lullabies, Legends, and Lies -his big album

– Stories based from Shel Silverstien 

– Some very big hits from the album

-they produced their own songs because the producer was very busy

– grew up well, well eduacated, good at everything

-went to pomona, played football, track, boxed

-became a Rhodes Scholar

– Goes into military and excels at that- flew helicopters in officer position

– turns down being prof. at west point to come to Nashville and write songs- becomes janitor at studio where Johnny Cash records

-Cash befriends him when Kris receives letter from mother disowning him

-Cash finally listens to Kris’s tapes and they’re good

– “Jesus was a Capricorn” & “To beat the Devil”

– Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson all meet up

– modern era of country music begins

– combination of hippies and rednecks- opening up the genre

-technology began in the 90s that fixed pitch problems- was not used in excess like it is now

– Meant you could be not that great of a singer and still be a country star- looks became alot more important

– temptation to ignore talent in favor of looks i.e. shania twain

– Very pop oriented country that seemed different at the time 

– teamed up with Mutt Wang who was known for producing def lepperd and AC/DC- some songs he produces aren’t very good but get stuck in your head

– shania was an example of use of auto-tune and favoring her good looks

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– 80s part of neotraditional country music

– Album: Storms of Life

-Workout addict- started this craze in country music

– “On the Other Hand”

– Signed with tony Brown at MCA but then left because they were “trying to change her to pop”

Biggest female country star of 80s and 90s

– melodic switch in songs to let Reba belt out that big note she was known for

– “Whoever’s in New England” – appealed to soccer mom crowd

– Johnny Cash’s daughter

– part of great credibility scare

– was married to Rodney Crowell- his 3 solo albums didn’t do well- then they split up and she becomes famous and he has to produce “seven year ache” (steel guitar sounds like synth) which is about him being a shitty husband

– Guy at MCA

– Signed all of the great credibility scare artists

– was looking for a new type of country sound

– was known as best steel guitar players

– paul mcCartney came to Nashville to record and recorded “Sally G” with Lloyd green on steel guitar

Nanci Griffith

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– folk influenced called “folkabilly”

– signed by tony brown at MCA

– great credibility scare

– “love at the five and dime”

– the term Gram Parsons came up with (Emmylou Harris singing with him)

– blend of country roots, R;B, and rock

-ahead of its time, innovative;

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– Travis Tritt

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(others were: Garth Brooks, Clint black, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alan Jackson)

Johnny Cash- “hurt”

Loretta Lynn “Portland Oregon” (Jack White)

Who sang “on the other hand” – co written by don schlitz

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A song that is about the singer deciding not to cheat

Which best describes Ricky skaggs music of the 80s?

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Every detail in tom t. hall’s “A week in country jail” is true.

T or F?

– ditched first main singer and found Natalie Mayne

– she sounded alot like Joy lynne white- one of the best singers in nashville the past 20 years, precursor and influence on dixie chicks

– huge musical talent (fiddle, vocals)

– second biggest selling country artist last year

– a crossover artist- not just locked into country

-“you belong with me”

– grew up in pennsylvania- moved to hendersonville (where cash was from) and got songwriting lessons