Updated: Garth Brooks Reveals 'Man Against Machine' Track Listing
Garth Brooks has revealed the track listing for his upcoming 14-track album, Man Against Machine, due on Nov. 11 through RCA Nashville/Pearl Records (full list below). Brooks co-wrote three tracks on the album.
Samples of each of the tracks from Garth Brooks’ new album are now available on GhostTunes through the end of today (Oct. 31). From the inspirational “People Loving People,” to the tearjerker ballad “Mom,” the classic Garth-sounding “All-American Kid,” to the swing-influenced “Romeo and Juliet,” Garth describes each song on the album, while a snippet of each tune plays in the background.
“It is the perfect Garth Brooks song,” he said of “All-American Kid.” “We’re lucky enough to travel around the world playing music. The first thing I tell people is, ‘I’m American. I’m not going to change to fit your format.’ We’re not going to lose the steels, the fiddles. We’re going to do what we do, which is Country music with muscle in it. It’s Garth Brooks Country music with a hell of a lot of muscle.”
“Because it is GhostTunes, Halloween seems like the perfect time,” said Garth in a release. “[We] speak a little bit on each song as a snippet of the song was playing…We went into studio and tried it. We were all surprised to hear how cool it turned out.”
Man Against Machine will digitally release exclusively with GhostTunes, but will be available at physical retailers nationwide.
The Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood will play Lexington, Ky. through Nov. 1, select dates in Minneapolis, Minn., from Nov. 6-15, Greensboro, N.C. from Nov. 19-23, St. Louis, Mo. from Dec. 4-7 and Little Rock, Ark., from Dec. 12-13.
Full track listing:
1. Man Against Machine (Larry Bastian/Jenny Yates/Brooks)
2. She’s Tired of Boys (Amanda Williams/Brooks)
3. Cold Like That (Steven Lee Olsen/Melissa Peirce/Chris Wallin)
4. All-American Kid (Craig Campbell/Brice Long/Terry McBride)
5. Mom (Don Sampson/Wynn Varble)
6. Wrong About You (Adam Wright)
7. Rodeo and Juliet (Bryan Kennedy/Brooks)
8. Midnight Train (Melissa Peirce/Matthew A. Rossi)
9. Cowboys Forever (Wynn Varble/John Martin/Dean Dillon)
10. People Loving People (Lee Miller/Chris Wallin/busbee)
11. Send ‘Em On Down the Road (Marc Beeson/Allen Shamblin)
12. Fish (Chris Wallin/Wynn Varble)
13. You Wreck Me (Stephanie Bentley/Kevin Kadish/Dan Muckala)
14. Tacoma (Caitlyn Smith/Bob DiPiero)
ole Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary
ole celebrated its 10th anniversary in style on Friday, October 24, with a blow-out bash at The Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District in Toronto.
The evening included performances from ole singer-songwriter and former American Idol finalist Haley Reinhart, who led her band through several songs that she wrote at ole Songcamps, and ole singer-songwriter Tim Hicks, who recently won two Juno Awards for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Country Album of the Year as well as a CCMA Award for Rising Star.
Other notable attendees included: Ichiro Asatsuma, Chairman of Fujipacific; Eric Baptiste, CEO of SOCAN; Deane Cameron, former President of EMI Music Canada; Shane Carter, President of Sony Music Entertainment Canada; Frank Davies, founder of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame; Nick Di Fruscia Senior Manager of Pop, Contemporary Instrumental, and Country Music at The Recording Academy; Ted Ellis, VP of Programming & Scheduling, Corus Entertainment; Don Green, President of the Canadian Country Music Association; Andrew Kintz, SVP & Managing Director, Sports and Entertainment for Suntrust Bank; Ron Kitchener, President of RGK; Randy Lennox, President & CEO of Universal Music Canada; Dennis Lord, Executive VP at SESAC; Doug Murphy, Executive VP & COO of Corus Entertainment; Tim Nichols, writer/publisher at This Music; Brad Peterson, VP 5/3 Music Division; Ray Tarantino, Counsel at Dentons and attorney for Rush; Chris Taylor, head of ole JV Last Gang Records; and Jody Williams, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations at BMI.
“After a decade in the publishing business, ole is going stronger than ever with the recent signings of Haley Reinhart, Rory Feek, and Joey Martin, not to mention our eighth straight CCMA Award for Music Publishing Company of the Year, our major publishing deal with Moraine Music, and our role in the first new Garth Brooks single in over a decade,” said Robert Ott, Chairman and CEO at ole. “We’re going to 11 – and many, many more.”
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Cole Swindell Plans 'Down Home Sessions' EP, Winter Tour
Cole Swindell
2014 might be winding down, but Warner Bros. Nashville artist and CMA New Artist of the Year nominee Cole Swindell isn’t slowing down anytime soon. After opening shows for Luke Bryan, Swindell will gear up for Jason Aldean’s 2015 Burn It Down Tour by embarking on his own 19-city, headlining club tour this winter. Swindell’s Down Home Tour runs Nov. 13 through Dec. 20. Venues include Joe’s Bar in Chicago, Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Texas, Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla., and House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Swindell will also release a five-song digital Down Home Sessions EP, produced by Michael Carter, and featuring co-writes with Bryan, Ashley Gorley, Brandon Kinney, and more. The project will release Nov. 17 on Warner Bros. Records. He says the EP is designed to be an outlet for his songwriting and a way to give fans new music between full-length albums.
“When I was getting to make my album, I knew from the songs we had, that we weren’t going to be able to put them all on the album,” said Swindell. “A couple are songs that fans heard me play live and wondered, ‘Why didn’t that make the album?’ You can only pick so many, so the fact that my label was behind me and supporting me, letting me put out a few new songs that I feel like people should have heard on the first album—and then some are special to me.”
“The Way You’re Loving Me Now,” penned by Swindell, Carter, and Bryan, almost found a home on one of Bryan’s albums. “We wrote it a couple of years ago and always thought Luke was going to put it on [one of his albums] and I don’t know what happened with that song.”
Gorley co-wrote another cut, titled “Kiss,” from the EP. “I’m excited about having a song with Ashley Gorley who is one of my favorite writers. He came out on the road a few months ago and we hammered out five songs. I’m excited for y’all to hear the whole thing.”
Swindell, an artist and songwriter in equal measure, was named one of MusicRow‘s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year honorees for 2014. He has penned chart-topping songs for Thomas Rhett, (“Get Me Some of That”), Florida Georgia Line (“This Is How We Roll”) and Bryan (“Roller Coaster”), as well as his own No. 1 songs “Chillin’ It” and “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight.”
“I don’t want songs I’ve written to start being forgotten about, and I feel that fans like getting new music,” he said. “As much as I love to write, I hope we’ll always be able to give them new music when we have albums out. I want to hopefully do that every year, give the fans new music and then go out and play the clubs which I started playing in. I’ve been on some crazy stages this year with some big artists, but to get to go back and play clubs, kind of how I started, and be there in the face of the fans, that’s going to be fun.”
Big Yellow Dog Hires O'Neill as A&R Director
Danni O’Neill
Danni O’Neill has been appointed as Big Yellow Dog Music’s A&R Director. O’Neill previously worked at the Crownover Firm since 2007, where she worked with artists, songwriters and producers.
“I am excited to be a part of a company that is not only passionate about music, artists and writers, but also innovative and forward thinking in this ever-changing industry,” said O’Neill.
“We’re thrilled to have Danni join our growing team! She possesses skills, focus and professionalism that are top notch. We’re lucky to have her,” said VP A&R, Brad Kennard.
O’Neill can be reached at [email protected].
Decosimo Merging With Elliot Davis
Decosimo, the accounting firm which includes Nashville-based Decosimo Vaden, is merging with another firm, Elliott Davis, effective January 1, 2015. Veteran business manager Michael Vaden is Decosimo’s entertainment practice leader, bringing to the role more than 35 years of experience in financial/business management, tax expertise, royalty examinations/ analyses and accounting services. Vaden joined with Decosimo in 2008.
Michael Vaden
The combined firm, which will be known as Elliott Davis Decosimo, creates the region’s fifth largest accounting firm with total annual revenues of $108 million and more than 800 professionals and specialists in 17 offices across seven states – Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia – and the Cayman Islands. Shareholders of both firms approved the merger in a unanimous vote. Terms were not disclosed.
Rick Davis, Managing Shareholder of Elliott Davis, will lead the combined firm. Decosimo Managing Principal Nick Decosimo will serve on the Executive Committee, which will be comprised of representatives from both firms.
Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Announces 2015 Induction Class
The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame will once again honor all forms of Kentucky music at the Induction Ceremony on April 10, 2015 at Lexington Center’s Bluegrass Ballroom.
The 2015 honorees include: Country duo Montgomery Gentry, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys, singer-songwriter Larry Cordle, artist management icon Clarence Spalding, country comedian, songwriter, musician and broadcaster Pete Stamper, Kentucky legend Doc Hopkins and pioneer R&B group The Moonglows. The 2015 induction class will join other Kentucky native music professionals to be honored for their contribution to music in the state of Kentucky and around the world.
Since its founding in 2002, the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame has inducted over 40 of Kentucky’s most notable musicians including Dwight Yoakam, Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, The Kentucky Headhunters, The Everly Brothers, Ricky Skaggs, John Conlee, Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Florence Henderson, Patty Loveless and Steve Wariner.
For more information on the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum, visit: www.kentuckymusicmuseum.com.
Still Working Music, BMG Chrysalis Nashville Sign Skip Black
Pictured (Front row, L-R): Alex Orbison, President of Still Working Music; Chelsea Kent, Creative Director of Still Working Music; Kos Weaver, EVP BMG Chrysalis Nashville; Skip Black; Tommy Lee James, CCO of Still Working Music; Sara Knabe, Sr. Creative Director BMG Chrysalis Nashville; Chris Oglesby, VP BMG Chrysalis Nashville; (Back row): Daniel Lee, Sr. Creative Director BMG Chrysalis Nashville; Kevin Lane, Creative Director BMG Chrysalis; Chuck Fleckenstein, GM and COO of Still Working Music
Still Working Music and BMG Chrysalis Nashville have partnered to sign songwriter Skip Black. Black has had cuts for Craig Morgan, Jana Kramer, Tyler Farr, Eric Paslay, and others. He also co-wrote the Top 20 hit “Amen” for Eden’s Edge.
“I’ve had my eyes and ears on Skip for years and couldn’t be happier to now have him join our wonderful and growing Still Working team of writers,” said Still Working President, Alex Orbison. “Skip is a plugged in and wise-beyond-his-years writer who was really already a part of our Still Working family having written often with so many others on our crew-I am delighted to now make this membership official. Welcome Skip and keep it coming!”
Still Working Music’s roster also includes Tommy Lee James, Terry McBride, Red Bow artist/songwriter Chase Bryant, Ryan Lafferty, Matt Nolen and Derrick Southerland.
Global Music Rights Has Growing Roster, Negotiating Power
Irving Azoff
The new performing rights organization, Global Music Rights, is growing in prominence. It is part of Azoff MSG Entertainment, which is a partnership between Madison Square Garden Company and Irving Azoff’s Azoff Music Management.
Former ASCAP executive Randy Grimmett is on board with Global Music Rights and according to the New York Times, the new PRO has been recruiting superstar songwriters and now controls works by Shane McAnally, Pharrell Williams, Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, members of Journey, Foreigner, Fleetwood Mac and Soundgarden, and the estates of Lennon and Ira Gershwin.
Global Music Rights would likely have more power than other PROs ASCAP and BMI when negotiating licenses on behalf of its members, due to the fact that it would not be subject to the same regulatory agreements that govern the more established organizations. These agreements, called consent decrees, have not been updated to take into account the digital music revolution, and therefore have led to low royalty rates for digital music performances such as streaming. According to the NYT, Global Music Rights is enticing rights holders with the promise of 30 percent higher royalties than they can get through ASCAP or BMI.
Among Global Music Rights’ negotiation advantages would be the ability to refuse permission to use its songs. ASCAP and BMI cannot refuse use because the consent decrees are designed to promote fair competition.
Meanwhile, ASCAP and BMI are fighting for changes or abolishment of the consent decrees. Read more about this in MusicRow’s new Publisher Issue.
Fellow PRO SESAC is a privately held company and therefore not subject to the consent decrees.
Producer Kyle Lehning Honored By Legal Aid Society
Pictured (L-R): Kyle Lehning, Gary Houspian
Nashville producer Kyle Lehning received the Bob Sullivan Service Award for his long-standing commitment to connecting Music Row and Legal Aid Society during this yesterday’s (10/29) annual Bob Sullivan Memorial Breakfast. The award honors those who have provided significant assistance to Legal Aid Society in promoting the services provided by the organization.
Lehning, producer for Randy Travis, George Jones, Dan Seals, Restless Heart among others, has assisted the society since 2009.
“Kyle has worked vigorously behind the scenes to connect Nashville’s entertainment industry to the work we’re doing at Legal Aid Society,” said Gary Housepian, Legal Aid Society’s executive director. “He is actually one of the reasons we started this annual breakfast and his efforts continue today. We are grateful to have such a passionate supporter and a true friend to assist us in providing more civil legal assistance to low-income Tennesseans.”
“Bob’s dedication to the work of Legal Aid Society was truly inspiring, and in his memory, I hope we can continue forging stronger ties between Music Row and Legal Aid Society,” said Lehning. “I don’t have a law degree and I never will, but I believe in the work Legal Aid Society does. It fights for justice for every person, but not only that, it fights for hope, and I think that’s something we can all stand behind.”
The award is named for the late Loeb & Loeb entertainment attorney who was a Legal Aid Society board member and long-time supporter of collaboration with Music Row before his untimely death in 2011.
The host committee for the breakfast included Vic Alexander, Jeff Bradford, John Briggs, Ron Cox, Derek Crownover, Kevin Doherty, Tim DuBois, Tiffany Dunn, Peter Erikson, Chris Farren, Richard Green, Daniel Hill, Amy Kurland, Danielle Lares Bouharoun, Kyle Lehning, Sam Lipshie, Mike Milom, Ralph Murphy, Robert K. Oermann, Sherod Robertson, Cathy Sullivan and Tim Warnock.
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands is a non-profit law firm that offers free civil legal representation, educational programs and advice, advocating for fairness and justice under the law. It serves 48 counties from offices in Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Gallatin, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge, and Tullahoma. Legal Aid Society is funded in part by United Way.
Pictured (L-R): Kyle Lehning, Patrick Clifford, Fred Mollin