THE BLUE CHIP RADIO REPORT
News, Charts, Show Prep, Sales Info
February 22, 1999
Bill Miller
Editor & Publisher
The Blue Chip Radio Report is a free weekly newsletter for people in the
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remove your name, send your request to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks!
The Blue Chip Song of the Week: "Maybe Not Tonight" by Sammy Kershaw &
Lorrie Morgan. Writers: Keith Stegall and Dan Hill. Produced by Keith
Stegall. Label: Mercury. Two of the finest voices in country music blend
beautifully on this ode to fading, but not fully faded, love. This one has
the potential to be one of the biggest songs of 1999.
Sawyer Brown may not record any more videos. CMT has refused to play
"Drive Me Wild" without editing. The group refuses to edit the video.
Meanwhile, the lack of video airply on CMT doesn't seem to have hurt the
single at all- in fact, it's doing better than most of the group's recent
releases.
In Brad Schmitt's column in The (Nashville) Tennessean, the group's Mark
Miller questions the wisdom of spending $ 100,000 to record a video when the
promotional funds might be spent more productively elsewhere.
Certainly, some songs become hits because the videos do a better job of
marketing the artist than the song does sans video.
Which is another way of saying that same song isn't strong enough to make
it without the video gimmick.
Shania Twain told USA Today that she hates being in videos, but loves to
direct them.
Garth Brooks' next album will be a pop-rock movie soundtrack, according
to Chet Flippo at Billboard Online ( http://www.billboard.com ) . Garth may
also star in the movie, "The Lamb", if he can work it into his busy King Of
The World schedule.
New York Post writer Susan Brady Konig suggests that Garth might want to
consider running for the U.S. Senate from New York. Ms. Konig notes that
Garth's age makes him a longshot for baseball but "old and fat are perfect
credentials for a United States senator!"
By the way, Garth was first to arrive at the San Diego Padres spring
training camp. No one has ever accused the man of not being focused.
However, first reports from camp say he was easily winded.
Producers for TV's "King Of The Hill" are pretty smart. They've lined up
a long list of country stars to do voiceovers for the animated show. Mac
Davis and Clint Black have laid down tracks as football announcers for a
future episode. Now, The Dixie Chicks are trying to work a taping into their
schedule.
Guess someone figured out that if they booked 'em, you'd plug 'em on the
radio.
Speaking of voiceovers, Lee Ann Womack will be the voice of Becky
Thatcher in the new MGM animated movie "Tom Sawyer".
Boxcar Willie has a recurrence of leukemia. He has cancelled his season
at Branson and will again undergo chemotherapy.
Buddy Knox died Sunday (2/14/99) in Bremerton WA of cancer.
Knox had a long string of hits, mostly in the 1950's, with his group The
Rhythm Orchids. "Party Doll" was a million-seller in 1956 and is still
considered a rockabilly and rock & roll classic. A cardboard box substituted
for drums on the session. Jimmy Bowen, notorious former Nashville label
head, played stand-up bass.
Buddy Knox was 65 years old.
Two radio legends passed away on February 1st, both from cancer.
Mike Hoyer may have been best known nationally for his late night show on
WHO in Des Moines. In my early radio days, I spent many nights driving around
East Tennessee and punching between the 50,000 clear channel shows. Mike was
one of the best. After a stroke and extensive rehab several years ago, he
turned to writing a column for a Minnesota newspaper.
Max Gardner is also a member of the Disc Jockey Hall of Fame. He might
be best remembered for his time in San Antonio radio, including at least a
couple of stints at KKYX. He also worked in Nashville in the music industry
for awhile.
Memorial funds have been setup to aid the Hoyer and Gardner families.
For the addresses, please drop me an e-mail.
Billy Ray Cyrus has a role in the new David Lynch made-for-TV movie.
Billy Ray plays a California pool man in the movie. Working title for the
flick is "Mulholland Drive".
Trace Adkins is back on stage, despite a broken ankle. He's wearing a
cast and sitting on a stool while performing.
Kudos to CMT for the "Stone Country" program. The wide variety of
country music makes it my favorite show on that particular channel.
Vince Gill and Shania Twain are set to perform on the Grammy Awards show
on Wednesday night (2/24). Gill is up for 4 Grammys. Martina McBride will
be a presenter on the show.
Our Blue Chip West Coasters might want to consider booking out to The
Troubadour in L.A. tonight (Monday). In a cooperative move with The Bluebird
Cafe in Nashville, Performing Songwriter Magazine and the Nashville
Songwriters Association, five Grammy nominees will perform as a warm-up for
the Grammy show: Trisha Yearwood, Randy Scruggs, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Tracy
Nelson and Ashley Cleveland. Two shows are scheduled (7:30 and 9:30). For
info, call The Troubadour at (310) 276-1158.
CORRECTION: Right song, wrong country rock group. Last week we
should have said that Ricochet will include the Mickey Newbury song "Why You
Been Gone So Long?" in the group's next album.
The Blue Chip Radio Report is in the process of moving to Tennessee so
that we can be closer to Nashville. Please note the new mailing address for
promotional materials. The address is always printed in the last paragraph of
the newsletter.
"A Good-Natured Riot: The Birth Of The Grand Ole Opry", a new book by
Charles K. Wolfe, promises a look at the Opry's history from 1925 through
1939. The Vanderbilt University Press/Country Music Foundation Press will
bring it to the market in May.
TNN's Opry telecast was a killer Saturday night. Among the varied
performers on the one-hour special: Porter Wagoner, The Whites, Vince Gill,
Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Claudia Church, The Wilkinsons,
Daryle Singletary, Patty Loveless and Rodney Crowell.
We've been hearing for years how the Opry is struggling with its lineup
of great, but aging, performers. One would think that an imaginative lineup,
like this past Saturday, would be just the ticket to restore the shine that
the Opry deserves. The Opry would make a perfect showcase for the hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of young and old artists available in Country Rock,
Americana, bluegrass, folk, gospel, etc.
Saturday night was a confident step in that direction.
EXIT/IN: ........The Judds have signed with Mercury
Records.......Wynonna also signed a solo deal with Mercury, but Curb is still
included in some manner, according to Billboard Online.......The Nitty Gritty
Dirt Band has inked a contract with the Dreamworks label in Nashville.
More than 40 acts have signed up for Fan Fair so far, including Tim
McGraw, Billy Ray Cyrus and Trisha Yearwood. More than 100 are expected to
perform.
Billy Dean may be without a label now, but he plans to record a live
album at Fan Fair. He'd also like to release a collection of classic
Christmas songs before the holidays.
There seems to be some confusion about albums. What are they, exactly?
Albums are collections. For example, a picture album is a collection of
pictures. Thus, a collection of songs is an album.
For the record, a CD is an album. A cassette is an album. Vinyl
records are albums, too.
All vinyl collections are albums, but not all albums are recorded on
vinyl.
By the way, CD's are records, too. A "record" is short for a recording.
It's the physical package (for example vinyl, cassette, compact disc, etc. )
that distinguishes them.
Now that we're all confused, let's move forward.
Trio II is off to an explosive start. The long-delayed album from
Emmylou, Dolly and Linda debuted at # 5 on this week's Billboard Top Country
Albums chart.
And whatever happened to Wesley Dennis?
TWANG T.V.:
2/23..........Shania Twain on Leno, NBC
2/24..........Grammy Awards, CBS
2/25..........Travis Tritt on "Diagnosis Murder", CBS
2/26..........Billy Ray Cyrus guests on "The Love Boat", UPN
2/26..........Wynonna on Rosie O'Donnell
2/28.........."Shania Twain: Behind The Music", VH1
3/1............Barbara Mandrell on "At Home With...", HGTV
3/2............Trisha Yearwood on "Jag", CBS
3/2............"The Life and Times of Deana Carter", TNN
3/3............Shania Twain special, CBS
3/3............Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Mindy McCready on
"Girls Night Out", CMT
3/6............Vince Gill, Martin McBride on "Austin City Limits",
PBS *
* 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.superstarcountry.com , a source for many of the Twang TV listings.
CROOK & CHASE musical guests: (afternoon shows repeat the next
morning)
2/22........The Wilkinsons, Tareva Henderson
2/23........Andy Griggs
2/24........Neal McCoy, Tareva Henderson
2/25........Kelly Willis
2/26........Mark Wills
TNN PRIME TIME COUNTRY musical guests:
2/22.......Lee Roy Parnell, Hank Williams Jr.
2/23.......Neal McCoy
2/24.......Faith Hill, Ricky Van Shelton
2/25.......Reba McEntire, Ricochet
3/1.........Trini Triggs, Wynonna
THE BLUE CHIP ADULT COUNTRY CHART (25-49 demographics)
2/22/99
LW TW Title Artist
----- ----- ------- --------
1 1 I Don't Want To Miss...... . . .. Mark Chestnutt
2 2 Powerful Thing . . . . . . . . . . ..Trisha Yearwood
5 3 You Were Mine . . . . . . . . . . .Dixie Chicks
3 4 Wrong Night . . . . . . . . . . . . .Reba McEntire
4 5 For A Little While . . . . . . . . . Tim McGraw
6 6 Hold On To Me . . . . . . . . . . .J. M. Montgomery
7 7 No Place That Far . . . . . . . ...Sara Evans
8 8 Unbelievable . . . . . . . . . . . ...Diamond Rio
9 9 How Forever Feels . . . . . . . . Kenny Chesney
10 10 Busy Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...Billy Ray Cyrus
12 11 Meanwhile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Strait
13 12 I'll Think Of A Reason Later . ..Lee Ann Womack
14 13 Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Wilkinsons
20 14 Gone Crazy . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Jackson
15 15 Keepin' Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama
16 16 Love Ain't Like That . . . . . . . .Faith Hill
17 17 I Can't Get Over You . . . . . . ..Brooks & Dunn
19 18 Ordinary Life . . . . . . . . . . . .. Chad Brock
21 19 That Don't Impress Me...... . . Shania Twain
22 20 Hands Of A Working Man . . ..Ty Herndon
23 21 When Mama Ain't Happy . . . .Tracy Byrd
25 22 You Won't Ever Be Lonely . . ..Andy Griggs
28 23 Wish You Were Here . . . . . .. Mark Wills
29 24 Anyone Else . . . . . . . . . . . . Collin Raye
26 25 Somebody's Out There . . . . ..The Kinleys
27 26 Drive Me Wild . . . . . . . . . . . .Sawyer Brown
30 27 Can't Get Enough . . . . . . . . . Patty Loveless
31 28 Don't Come Crying To Me . . . Vince Gill
32 29 Everytime I Cry . . . . . . . . . . Terri Clark
11 30 Stand Beside Me . . . . . . . ....Jo Dee Messina
34 31 No More Looking Over ..... . . Travis Tritt
35 32 I'm Leaving . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aaron Tippin
36 33 You Don't Need Me Now . ... . Clint Black
37 34 You Still Shake Me . . . . . . . .Deana Carter
*** 35 What's The Matter..... . . . . . .Claudia Church
40 36 Say Anthing . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shane McAnally
*** 37 With You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lila McCann
39 38 Better Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Warren Bros.
*** 39 Hillbilly Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . Montgomery Gentry
18 40 A Bitter End . . . . . . . . . . . . .Deryl Dodd
DROPPED: Steve Wariner, Michael Peterson, Randy Travis
NASH-ROCK (a.k.a "Young Country") (Teens, 18-24 demos)
LW TW Title Artist
----- ----- ------- --------
1 1 I Don't Want To Miss..... . . . ..Mark Chestnutt
3 2 Unbelievable . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diamond Rio
2 3 For A Little While . . . . . . . . . Tim McGraw
5 4 Hold On To Me . . . . . . . . . . . J. M. Montgomery
9 5 You Were Mine . . . . . . . . . . . Dixie Chicks
6 6 Powerful Thing . . . . . . . . . . . .Trisha Yearwood
7 7 Wrong Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reba McEntire
8 8 No Place that Far . . . . . . . . . Sara Evans
10 9 Busy Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Billy Ray Cyrus
11 10 That Don't Impress Me..... . . . .Shania Twain
12 11 Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wilkinsons
13 12 Meanwhile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Strait
14 13 How Forever Feels . . . . . . . . .Kenny Chesney
15 14 Keepin' Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama
16 15 Somebody's Out There . . . . . Kinleys
17 16 I'll Think Of A Reason Later . . Lee Ann Womack
18 17 I Can't Get Over You . . . . . . . Brooks & Dunn
19 18 Love Ain't Like That . . . . . . . .Faith Hill
20 19 Ordinary Life . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chad Brock
*** 20 Gone Crazy . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Jackson
DROP: Jo Dee Messina
Blue Chip Communications produces great-sounding, easy-to-sell radio features!
Special thanks this week to Chuck Chellman, Tony Gunter, Amy Kurland, Fred
Vail. The Blue Chip Radio Report is a copyrighted feature of Blue Chip
Communications, All Rights Reserved. (c) Bill Miller, Blue Chip
Communications. Please note our new address for promotional materials:
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