THE BLUE CHIP RADIO REPORT
News, Charts, Show Prep, Sales Info
February 1, 1999
Bill Miller
Editor & Publisher
The Blue Chip Radio Report is a free weekly newsletter for people in the
radio and music industries. To add your name to our e-mailing list, or to
remove your name, send your request to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks!
The Blue Chip Song of the Week: none.
Tanya Tucker was supposed to get married last Saturday, but has now
postponed it till fall. The singer found out that she was 2 1/2 month's
pregnant and, being a woman who marches to the beat of a different drum
machine, supposedly said "My idea of perfect isn't going to my wedding
pregnant". This will be Tanya's 3rd trip to the maternity ward; it will be
her first to the altar, if she gets there.
Lead Dixie Chick Natalie Maines has filed for divorce from her husband of
20 months, Michael Tarabay. Reports say the parting is amicable.
"Club Dance", affectionately called "American Bandstand With Wrinkles" by
some, has been cancelled by TNN. Shot in Knoxville, fans regularly came from
all over the USA and Canada to be unpaid dancers on the show. The guest book
includes dancers from Australia, Finland and India.
The final new show airs February 5th. The shows will be re-run for the
rest of the year.
LeAnn Rimes has told her band that she plans to do fewer show dates in
1999 and they should look for work. LeAnn explained that she plans to spend
more time on her acting career.
Patty Loveless has decided to take an extended break from the road.
She'll have another greatest hits album out in March, but isn't expected to
tour this year.
Kris Kristofferson has signed a lucrative deal with HarperCollins for his
autobiography. Not many people know it, but the multi-talented Kristofferson
was first published while an undergraduate student in college. Esquire
magazine published two of his short stories during those years.
Look for Reba McEntire's fiery red locks on the January 26th cover of
Woman's World magazine.
Pam Tillis has been taking the road less traveled lately. Hot off a stay
with daddy Mel in Branson, Pam took a tour of Australia and has now signed for
3 weeks on Broadway as part of the cast of "Smokey Joe's Cafe". The Broadway
stint begins March 16th. Her plans for 1999 are said to include a longer run
with the Tillis family in Branson.
The Hank Williams Museum will open next Monday (8th) in Montgomery AL.
One of the prize exhibits will be the Cadillac that Hank was riding in when he
died. The car, now owned by Hank Junior, has an estimated worth of $ 3
million.
Randy Travis has been spending some spoken word time in the recording
studio. He recorded some of the Louis L'Amour novels for an audio books
project.
Welcome to our new subscribers, including guitarist Roy Nichols, Mark
Ericson OM at WOKQ in Portsmouth/Dover/Rochester NH, Chuck Stevens OM at WQXK
in Youngstown OH, J.C. Simon of KFM 102 in Las Vegas NV and Gina Mendello with
Mercury Records in Australia.
As expected, The National Transportation Safety Board has blamed John
Denver's fatal air crash on fuel problems and the singer's inexperience with
the new experimental plane. The board unanimously agreed that Denver took
took off with too little fuel in one tank, had trouble switching to his backup
tank and inadvertently put his plane into a roll while his attention was
diverted. In addition, the board said contributing factors included the plane
builder's decision to relocate the fuel tank selector handle to an easily
accessible location and the absence of correct markings on the handle and fuel
level gauges.
Scott Brocato, aka "Dave Scott", is headed for WNGC/fm 95.5 in Athens GA
for afternoon drive. Scott joins the station from WIL/fm in St. Louis.
Here are the top 10 albums on Gavin's Americana chart this week:
1. Robert Earl Keen/Walking Distance
2. Allison Moorer/Alabama Song
3. The Tractors/Farmers In A Changing World
4. Charlie Robison/Life Of The Party
5. Lyle Lovett/Step Inside This House
6. John Jennings/I Belong To You
7. Sara Evans/No Place That Far
8. The Warren Brothers/Beautiful Day In The Cold Cruel World
9. Chris Wall/Tainted Angel
10. Greg Trooper/Popular Dreams
( <A HREF="http://www.gavin.com/">http://ww.gavin.com</A> )
Naomi Judd has turned the song "Love Can Build A Bridge" into a
children's book of the same title. Harper Collins will release the book in
the springtime.
John Berry has signed with Disney's Lyric Street Records.
Mark down the name of Alecia Elliott. She an impressive, big-voiced
young singer from Muscle Shoals AL. She's been working on an album for MCA.
The Amazing Rhythm Aces have landed in Australia to begin nearly 3 weeks
of shows in that country and New Zealand. It's the Aces' 4th tour down under.
PBS' has the rights to air a new collection of Roy Orbison performances.
The "Roy Orbison Anthology" covers 3 decades of performances and will include
several lpieces from the 1960's. PBS plans to air the anthology during its'
March pledge drive. Air times will vary with the local markets.
According to The Tennessean, country WSIX/fm has been knocked out off the
top of Arbitron's ratings for the first time in 10 years. Gerry House's
morning show fell from # 1 to # 4.
Nashville's new # 1 is WQQK 92.1, a Class A, 3000 watt Urban-formatted FM
licensed to suburban Hendersonville.
Artist and producer's agent Jay Barron has joined Titley/Spalding &
Associates, a division of TBA Entertainment Corporation's Artist Management
operations.
Word is that Cowboy Jack Clement is still holding the fort down with
ClementVision in Nashville. He's been known to grab a lunch at Arnold's.
And whatever happened to Big Al Downing?
TWANG T.V.:
2/1............Vince Gill and Randy Scruggs on Letterman, CBS
2/1............Jo Dee Messina on "Regis & Kathie Lee"
2/2............"The Life And Times Of Bill Anderson", TNN
2/3............Hank Williams on "The Life & Times of Country
Crooners", TNN
2/4............Garth Brooks on "Sesame Street", PBS
2/5............Ricky Skaggs on Conan O'Brien, NBC
2/5............Steve Wariner performs on "Miss USA" pageant, CBS
2/6............Deana Carter on "Austin City Limits", PBS (season
premiere)
2/8............Billy Ray Cyrus on "Donny & Marie Show", syndication
2/9............Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt on
Leno, NBC
Check local listings for all shows, especially syndicated programs and "Austin
City Limits". Special thanks to Katie Pruett at SuperStar Country KYNG/fm in
Dallas/Ft. Worth TX and her work on the station's website, http://www.young-
country.com .
CROOK & CHASE musical guests: (afternoon shows repeat the next
morning)
2/1..........Tareva Henderson
2/3..........The Kinleys, Tareva Henderson
2/4..........The Nashville Bluegrass Band
2/5..........Bob Carlisle
TNN PRIME TIME COUNTRY musical guests:
2/1.........Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Jerry Reed
(Pt. 1)
2/2.........Bare, Jennings, Tillis, Reed (part 2)
2/3.........Charley Pride, Trini Triggs
2/4.........Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb
THE BLUE CHIP ADULT COUNTRY CHART (25-49 demographics)
2/1/99
LW TW Title Artist
----- ----- ------- --------
2 1 For A Little While . . . . . . . . . Tim McGraw
3 2 Wrong Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reba McEntire
4 3 Stand Beside Me . . . . . . . .... Jo Dee Messina
5 4 Powerful Thing . . . . . . . . . . ..Trisha Yearwood
1 5 Spirit Of A Boy..... . . . . . . . ...Randy Travis
6 6 Hold On To Me . . . . . . . . . . ..J. M. Montgomery
8 7 I Don't Want To Miss...... . . .. Mark Chestnutt
9 8 No Place That Far . . . . . . . .. Sara Evans
10 9 Unbelievable . . . . . . . . . . . ... Diamond Rio
11 10 Busy Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...Billy Ray Cyrus
14 11 You Were Mine . . . . . . . . . . .Dixie Chicks
16 12 How Forever Feels . . . . . . . . Kenny Chesney
13 13 A Bitter End . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deryl Dodd
7 14 Wrong Again . . . . . . . . . . . .Martina McBride
15 15 By The Book . . . . . . . . . . . .. Michael Peterson
24 16 Meanwhile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Strait
17 17 Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Wilkinsons
18 18 Keepin' Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama
19 19 These Arms Of Mine . . . . . . . LeAnn Rimes
21 20 That Don't Impress Me...... . . Shania Twain
22 21 Take Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lari White
12 22 Right On The Money . . . . . . . Alan Jackson
25 23 I Can't Get Over You . . . . . . ..Brooks & Dunn
28 24 I'll Think Of A Reason Later . ..Lee Ann Womack
29 25 Love Ain't Like That . . . . . . . .Faith Hill
27 26 I'll Take Today . . . . . . . . . .... Gary Allan
30 27 Hands Of A Working Man . . ..Ty Herndon
31 28 When Mama Ain't Happy . . . .Tracy Byrd
33 29 Ordinary Life . . . . . . . . . . . .. Chad Brock
34 30 Every Little Whisper . . . . . . ..Steve Wariner
38 31 You Won't Ever Be Lonely . . ..Andy Griggs
32 32 I'm Yours . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....Linda Davis
36 33 Drive Me Wild . . . . . . . . . . . .Sawyer Brown
35 34 Somebody's Out There . . . . ..The Kinleys
40 35 Anyone Else . . . . . . . . . . . . Collin Raye
37 36 Can't Get Enough . . . . . . . . . Patty Loveless
*** 37 Don't Come Crying To Me . . . Vince Gill
39 38 Wish You Were Here . . . . . .. Mark Wills
*** 39 Everytime I Cry . . . . . . . . . . Terri Clark
*** 40 No More Looking Over ..... . . Travis Tritt
DROPPED: Blackhawk, Tippin, Kershaw
NASH-ROCK (a.k.a "Young Country") (Teens, 18-24 demos)
LW TW Title Artist
----- ----- ------- --------
1 1 For A Little While . . . . . . . . . Tim McGraw
2 2 Stand Beside Me . . . . . . . . . .Jo Dee Messina
4 3 I Don't Want To Miss..... . . . ..Mark Chestnutt
6 4 Hold On To Me . . . . . . . . . . . J. M. Montgomery
8 5 Unbelievable . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diamond Rio
3 6 Spirit Of A Boy . . . . . . . . . . ..Randy Travis
7 7 Powerful Thing . . . . . . . . . . . .Trisha Yearwood
9 8 Wrong Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reba McEntire
10 9 No Place that Far . . . . . . . . . Sara Evans
5 10 Wrong Again . . . . . . . . . . . ...Martina McBride
11 11 That Don't Impress Me..... . . . Shania Twain
12 12 Busy Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Billy Ray Cyrus
13 13 You Were Mine . . . . . . . . . . .Dixie Chicks
14 14 Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wilkinsons
17 15 Meanwhile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Strait
16 16 Keepin' Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama
15 17 By The Book . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael Peterson
18 18 A Bitter End . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deryl Dodd
19 19 How Forever Feels . . . . . . . . .Kenny Chesney
20 20 I Can't Get Over You . . . . . . . Brooks & Dunn
DROP: none
Letters To The Editor
(Please indicate your permission to publish your letter online by writing
"Letter To The Editor" in the subject line of your e-mail. Letters subject to
editing. Keep 'em short and sweet. E-mail addresses will be added to your
signature unless otherwise requested)
After a tribute to Jimmy Day was presented by Jerry King of San Antonio's
KKYX, a caller requested more information on the NEW artist Johnny Bush. I
laughed so hard I had to pull over. The song was from Bush's 1967 "Sound of a
Heartache". My husband-Denny Mathis, one of San Antonio's top steel players-
remembers Day quite fondly, and roomed with Bush when they played for E. Z.
Adams' Texas Top Hands. We all look forward to the Classic Country coming
back, whenever it does.
Now if John could only get someone to market him as a new artist and have a
body double....
-Lynell Mathis
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Thanks to all of you for your response to my letter to the editor.
What's interesting is the diversity of the Blue Chip recipients: magazine
editors, producers, radio P.D.s and radio personalities, record store owners,
concert promoters, artists WITH major label deals, indy folks, veterans and
newbies...from all over this country! Out of 37 responses - not one person
disagreed with my laments.
Prediction - country music sill have another 2 years of fallout before it
gets back on a path of creativity and growth. "Lordy don't the wheels turn
slow" Alan Jackson
By the way - One thing I didn't address is the scam situation and the
exhorbitant amount of money innocent want to be stars are paying music
industry folks for vanity recordings...It disgusts me. You gotta record - but
why go broke? Naivete is expensive. Email me. I'll enlighten you.
-Karen Angela Moore
Daddy's Girl Music, Nashville
The Luedtke Agency, New York City
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your comments regarding Christian music and Wal-Mart may be right on
target but when you consider the overall growth of the Christian music market
over the past five to six years, those results speak even more positively
about its emergence. While country music has 'declined' by over thirty per
cent in sales, and over ten per cent in the number of radio stations playing
the format, Christian music sales have more than tripled during the same
period and are approaching one half of the market share of country!
The problem is that the entire Christian market is virtually controlled
by four distribution companies along with the Christian Bookseller's
Association, and if you think that country music is a 'good ol boys' network,
Christian music's tight protective community will blow you away! Many of them
apparently have never heard of the proverb: do unto others!
As to records taking so long to record, you've opened up a real can of
worms with that one, Bill. It's one of my favorite gripes. I grew up in an
era when it was not unusual for most successful artists to release at least
two albums a year. This would include Elvis, The Beatles, The Beach Boys,
Bobby Darin, Pat Boone, Chuck Berry, Jim Reeves, Johnny Horton and other
legends. The Beach Boys released six albums between '62 and '64, each one
containing new material, and no 'greatest hits' repackages to add fluff!
Meanwhile, Sheryl Crow, Hootie and The Blowfish, and other rock icons are
three years between albums and Whitney Houston, with the exception of "The
Bodyguard" soundtrack, was eight years between albums!
Add to that, Garth's statement that the only reason he and Trisha didn't
do a duo album--which has been promised for about five years now--was that
they couldn't find great material. Give me a break! We've got 300 publishers
in this town, thousands of writers, and a proportionate number of truly great
songs. As long as you don't demand split publishing, or co-writer credits,
there is no way a 'name' singer should have to struggle to find great material
in this town.
In 1970, while managing The Beach Boys, I was invited to the Billboard
convention in New York. One of the other speakers was the legendary Sir
George Martin, producer of The Beatles. After one of the panels he and I had
an opportunity to talk about the technological changes that the recording
industry was going through at the time, and the recent introduction of 'eight
track' analog recording. Considering that The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Elvis,
Frank Sinatra, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, and other greats had recorded the
vast majority of their musical legacy on two track and four track recordings,
including 'Pet Sounds' and 'Sgt. Pepper,' George said to me: "you know, Fred,
if you have to use more than eight tracks, you'd better find yourself an
artist with more talent.' Any lesson to be learned there?
-Fred Vail, Pres./CEO
Debut Artists Group
Nashville, TN
PH: (615) 297-1085
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Green. The Blue Chip Radio Report is a copyrighted feature of Blue Chip
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Hot new t-shirt just seen on a Minnesotan: "Our governor can beat up your
governor!"
The Blue Chip Radio Report 2/1/99
by way of Jeff Wall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Mon, 1 Feb 1999 00:26:06 -0500
