Music Row Ramblings

Yesterday was an interesting day on the 'Row.

Started out my morning by meeting Fisher Stevenson. New guy on Big Machine Records. I'd heard him perform at the Big Machine Showcase during CRS. Nice guy.

There were two big news events yesterday, both involving Capitol Records.

First off we learned that Little Big Town has left Equity Records, and moved across town to Capitol. Most interesting is that they were able to take BOTH of their Equity Records albums with them. There's going to be a new LBT single - worked by Capitol - soon, from this album. They had a "key player" clause of some sort in their contract, and when one of the top label execs left a few weeks back, they were able to fly the coop.

The really big news, I thought, was that Lady Antebellum debuted as the #1 country album last week - and the #4 on the Billboard Top 200. Go Lady A!

According to Radio and Records:
Opening with 43,000 copies, Lady Antebellum's self-titled set (Capitol Nashville) is the first rookie album by a duo or group to start at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums since the chart was launched in 1964 and the chart's highest bow by a new duo or group since the Wreckers' "Stand Still, Look Pretty" popped on at No. 4 in the June 10, 2006 Billboard. "Lady Antebellum" pings The Billboard 200 at No. 4 and parks at No. 6 on Top Digital Albums (9,000 copies sold), accounting for an eye-catching 21% of the album's first-week total.

I don't think we got a chance to talk about the Lady Antebellum Driver's Ed taping, so this reminds me to tell you about it, now that the show has already aired, LOL. More often than not, my time with the artists is very limited when they come in to tape shows for 16... I do my best to cram a few words in edgewise, but a lot of times it's not much more than hi, bye, love the album, here's a t-shirt.

On Lady A, however, Amy Paige was hosting and I got the opportunity for a lot more interaction. They were totally fun! I had spent a lot of time before they came in watching their "Webisode Wednesdays" from their website, and worked a few elements from them into the things we did with them. (For example, you'll notice when you hear their liners on our air, it's not "and Dave." He doesn't like that he always comes last in the "This is Hillary, Charles, and Dave." So he got to go first. :-) Poor Hillary was last. LOL)

The songs they all did on the first take -- and boy do they sound great live!

Anyway, they were a lot of fun, but I was totally bummed that they didn't have a camera along to tape a Webisode Wednesday with us. Dave was kicking himself once he realized that I'd watched them... he actually had the camera, but not a tape. So, they promised to come into our brand new studios and tape a Webisode Wednesday, giving their fans the grand tour of the new digs.

I know, the next question is going to be "when are the new digs going to be done?" Next question?

I've been spending a lot of time in Strait Country this week. Jay Thomas, who's the MD for the channel, is on vacation, so I'm scheduling his logs. Fortunately, I don't have to mix them - the PD back at the Mother Ship takes care of that. I get cross eyed looking at all those George Strait songs! We just put a bunch more production on the air this week, so there's lots of new little treasures awaiting you in Strait Country! And lots more to come... including a VERY cool show that Jon Anthony put together that will air next month.

Fan Fair plans are shaping up nicely... we have several Fan Club Parties confirmed, with many more requests out. I'd tell you... but I'd have to shoot you. But I think we're going to have even MORE than last year. There's some Fan Fair surprises in the works too!

I think that catches you up on everything. Tomorrow's blog is going to be entitled "Discombobulated."