McCreery’s Big Grin Lifts Country Sales

This week’s SoundScan report is about Scotty McCreery’s big grin as he stays in the No. 1 position atop Nielsen SoundScan’s Country Current Albums list for a third consecutive week. To date he has notched impressive weekly sales of 197k, 88k and 57k for total sales of about 342k. Lovely Lauren Alaina, the Idol runner up has also made a strong showing, moving from No. 2 to No. 3 this week. After two weeks she has total sales of about 95k.

Lady Antebellum’s Own The Night, No. 2 this week, has been out for six weeks shifting a total of 687k units. (The trio’s last outing, Need You Now sold 1,285,000 in its first six weeks.)

Power duo Montgomery Gentry are back with a new album, Rebels On The Run and a new label Average Joes Entertainment. Their debut lands at No. 9 on the country list with sales of almost 12k units.

Looking at the remaining ten weeks till the end of the sales year, it is hard to predict exactly how the numbers will end up. YTD country has moved 31.18 million albums. The 2010 full year total was 43.72 million. That means we need to sell an average of 1.25 million for each of the ten weeks  till year end. (This week we sold 706k.)

Number crunchers know that country album sales are YTD ahead 9.3%. (All genre is ahead 3.3%) But next week’s tally (week ending 10/30/11) will be up against a slam bam outing by Taylor Swift who sold 1.05 million units (10/31/10). Next week will be bolstered by new debuts from Toby Keith and Vince Gill, but it is unlikely they will completely offset Swift’s impact in calculating the comparison percentage. The following week’s numbers will contain Miranda Lambert’s new collection. So stay tuned.

Tracking
The top five selling country track downloads are Blake Shelton “God Gave Me You” (50k); Luke Bryan “…This Night To End” (39.5k); Band Perry “If I Die Young” (36.7k); Lady Antebellum “Just A Kiss” (35k); and Eli Young Band “Crazy Girl” (34.5k).

YTD country coffers have received payments on 118 million track downloads. TEA albums (11.8 million) added to regular album sales would yield a YTD country total of 42.98 million.

Atkins and Applebee’s Thank Troops With New Campaign

Rodney Atkins recently partnered with Applebee’s to launch an ongoing military thank-you campaign, honoring veterans and active duty soldiers worldwide. As Ambassador of the Thank You Movement, Atkins debuted the campaign yesterday (10/25) with an exclusive announcement on NBC’s Today show. He followed up the launch with a live performance in New York’s Times Square for civilians, veterans and military organizations. Guests of honor at the event included representatives from Pinnacle Five, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Military.com.

Additionally, Atkins is scheduled to participate in a USO tour of military bases abroad in 2012.

Atkins and Randy Houser will also perform at the upcoming Third Annual Josie’s Birthday Bash. As previously announced, the annual charity event was created by Thompson Square to benefit children living with Cystic Fibrosis. The concert will be held at the Wildhorse Saloon on Nov. 16.

Big Vinny Competes On “The Biggest Loser”

Trailer Choir member, Big Vinny, joined this season of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, which premiered Sept. 20. Joining the show as one of the largest contestants of the season, Vinny’s starting weight was 426 lbs.

Along with fourteen other competitors, Vinny is currently competing for a chance at $250,000 and is working with this season’s trainers Bob Harper, Dolvett Quine and Anna Kournikova.

The singer/songwriter weighed in last night at 367 lbs, losing 59 lbs since the beginning of the season.

In the past, Trailer Choice has opened for Toby Keith, Sugarland and ZZ Top. Their music video “Rockin’ The Beer Gut” was nominated in 2010 for CMT Best Group Video of the Year.

To follow Vinny’s progress on The Biggest Loser, tune into NBC on Tuesday night’s at 8/7c.

 

Industry Ink Wednesday

Sea Gayle Records / Arista Nashville recording artist Brent Anderson visited MusicRow last week for an acoustic set. He is busy promoting debut single “Amy’s Song,” which includes snippets of the Pure Praire League classic "Amie." Former PPL members Vince Gill and Craig Fuller joined Anderson on the new track.

 

• A memorial service for songwriter Don Wayne will be held Fri., Nov. 11 at Nashville’s Texas Troubadour Theatre from 7:00-9:30 p.m.

• The Fall 2011 Curb Creative Leadership Lecture will feature Robert Levine, the former executive editor of Billboard, and contributor to Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times. In his first book, Free Ride, Levine charts how companies like YouTube built businesses on copyrighted content, and how Apple and Amazon drove down the price of music and books. The event is free and open to the public. See him Nov. 2, at 4:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt’s First Amendment Center Lecture Hall. More at www.vanderbilt.edu/curbcenter.

• Racecar driver Dan Wheldon was laid to rest Saturday (10/29) in St. Petersburg, Fla. and a public memorial was held Sunday at Indianapolis’ Conesco Fieldhouse, in the city where Wheldon won the 2011 Indy 500 championship. Special guests included Garth Brooks who performed “The Dance,” Reba who performed “If I Had Only Known” and The Band Perry who delivered a medley of “Go Rest High On This Mountain/Amazing Grace.” Wheldon was sponsored by Big Machine Records and Curb Records.

Donna Botts

Lamon Records Nashville welcomes Donna Botts as Director of Media Relations and Promotions, and Josh Moody as Vice President of Creative Operations. Lamon Records Nashville will soon be celebrating 50 years in the music industry, and is home to Bobby Dean, Kathryn Scheldt, Kimberly Patrick, Courtney Stewart, George Hamilton IV, The Moody Brothers and more. www.lamonrecords.com

Celeste Kellogg, a 17-year-old actress and singer, will host a music video premiere party and perform an acoustic set on Thurs., Nov. 3, 5:00 pm at Nashville’s Gibson Guitar Showroom. Kellogg is a former member of teen pop groups RD7 and No Limit. Her solo debut, This is Where I Wanna Be, was produced by multi-platinum producer Andrew Lane (Miley Cyrus, Backstreet Boys, High School Musical). The free event is open to the public.

Good Works: Jake Owen, Jerry Douglas

Jake Owen will headline “Rockin’ & Raising The Green Benefiting Evergreen” next Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the Wildhorse Saloon. HGTV’s Shane Tallant will host the event, which will also feature special guests Gary Jenkins and DJ Mindub. Tickets are available here.

Evergreen is devoted to serving people with developmental disabilities in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. At present the organization works with over 1,000 individuals. The Nov. 1 fundraiser at the Wildhorse will be Evergreen’s Nashville debut.

• • • • •

Renowned musician Jerry Douglas will help celebrate the holiday season by bringing his show “Jerry Christmas” to the Franklin Theatre Nov. 26 to help raise funds for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association.

“Jerry Christmas” will be held in honor of Witt “Baby Witt” Deane, a Franklin-area child who had a heart transplant in 2010, and proceeds will help with transplant-related expenses. Tickets are on sale here and range from $35 to $55, or $500 for a table.

Chesney’s Video, Gloriana’s Single, Durante’s Scream Stream

Chesney's new video.

Kenny Chesney’s high-octane live show is the centerpiece of the music video for new single “Reality.” Directed by longtime collaborator Shaun Silva, the four-minute reel highlights the star’s summer Goin’ Coastal Tour. See it here.

Over the weekend, Chesney performed an intimate acoustic set for former President Bill Clinton at the “Decade of Difference” event, celebrating 10 years of the William J. Clinton Foundation. Grace Potter joined Chesney for “You and Tequila.” Other performers included Lady Gaga, Usher, and Bono. Watch the concert on Yahoo!

• • •

Gloriana released new single, “(Kissed You) Good Night,” to iTunes on Monday (10/24). Written by band member Tom Gossin with hit writer Josh Kear, the song is from Gloriana’s forthcoming second studio album on Emblem Music Group/ Warner Bros. Records. Gloriana, made up of brothers Tom and Mike Gossin, along with Rachel Reinert, is on the road through the end of the year.

• • •

On Sun., Oct. 30, Margaret Durante will host her first live online broadcast called Margaret’s Halloween Scream Stream LIVE! The party celebration will take place at 7pm ET / 6pm CT and will feature lots of Halloween fun, music, giveaways and a chance to chat with Margaret. Watch it here.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/26/11)

Toby, Trace, Blake, Dolly, Merle and more—it’s all stars and no waiting in this week’s column.

Our Female Vocalist Disc of the Day goes to the indomitable Dolly Parton. Long may she sing. Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, Merle Haggard and our surprise winner, Billy Currington, vied for the Male Disc of the Day. Billy was the one who was smart enough to dip into the catalog of the late, great Harley Allen for his new single.

Owing to the glut of big-name record makers, there was, alas, no room for any worthy DisCovery Award.

TOBY KEITH/Red Solo Cup
Writer: Jim Beavers/Brett Beavers/Brad Warren/Brett Warren; Producer: Toby Keith; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Beavertime/BMG/Chestnut Barn/Chrysalis One/EMI Blackwood/StyleSonic, BMI; Show Dog (track)
—It’s sing-along drinking song with a spare banjo-guitar accompaniment. The recording sounds strikingly “live” and un-produced, and is therefore quite refreshing.

RODNEY ATKINS/He’s Mine
Writer: Casey Beathard/Phil O’Donnell/Tim James; Producer: Ted Hewitt & Rodney Atkins; Publisher: Sony-ATV Acuff-Rose/Sixteen Stars/Immokalee/Hodges House of Songwriters/Warner-Tamerlane/T-Bird’s, BMI; Curb (track)
—This, on the other hand, is totally compressed, auto-tuned and electro-produced within an inch of its life. The lyric has the Dad showing pride in his boy no matter what happens, good or bad.

KEITH URBAN/You Gonna Fly
Writer: Jaren Johnston/Chris Lucas/Preston Brust; Producer: Dann Huff & Keith Urban; Publisher: Sony-ATV Harmony/Texa Rae/Sony-ATV Cross Keys/Sony-ATV Tree, ASCAP/BMI; Capitol Nashville (track)
—The fourth single from Keith’s Get Closer collection is an upbeat, uplifting ode to escape and hope. His singing is super convincing, and the guitar solo blisters.

DOLLY PARTON/The Sacrifice
Writer: Dolly Parton; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: Velvet Apple, BMI; Dolly/Warner (track) (www.dollypartonmusic.net)
—The woman’s ongoing creativity is one of the wonders of our time. Five decades into her career, she is still writing and singing as powerfully as ever. This pulse-quickening little rocker is an autobiographical tale of how she willed herself to be a winner. And, boy, did she.

BILLY CURRINGTON/Like My Dog
Writer: Scotty Emerick/Harley Allen; Producer: Carson Chamberlain & Billy Currington; Publisher: Florida Room/BPJ/Coburn/Harley Allen, BMI; Mercury Nashville (track)
—For locating great songs, Currington has some of the best ears in Music City. This wickedly clever ditty praises the affections of a pooch, as compared to the judgmental attitudes of his gal. I grinned. So will you.

MERLE HAGGARD/Working In Tennessee
Writer: Merle Haggard; Producer: Merle Haggard & Lou Bradley; Publisher: Merle Haggard, BMI; Hag/Vanguard (track) (www.merlehaggard.com)
—The title tune to the Hag’s new CD is a quick-step western swinger. Guitarist Reggie Young, pianist Doug Colosio and fiddler Scott Joss all get in some hot licks while the vocalist offers some light-hearted, bluesy digs at Tune Town.

TRACE ADKINS/Million Dollar View
Writer: David Lee Murphy/George Teren; Producer: Kenny Beard & Mark Wright; Publisher: Old Desperados/Carol Vincent & Associates/EMI Blackwood/Terenator/Done and Dusted, ASCAP/BMI; Show Dog Universal
—As you might expect, the finest view isn’t from a beach, a mountaintop, a high rise or a vacation spot. It’s gazing at his baby in their humble, little living room. The band cooks with gas on this mid-tempo bopper, and Trace totally owns it, vocally.

HAYES CARLL/Stomp And Holler
Writer: Hayes Carll; Producer: Brad Jones; Publisher: Highway 87/Bug, SESAC; Lost Highway
—Perennial Americana fave Carll wails the bad-boy lyric like a wounded honky-tonk survivor. Guitars crash and scream all around this catchy rocker.

BLAKE SHELTON/Footloose
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Warner Bros. (track)
—I have said it before, many times: There is absolutely no point to remaking an oldie unless you’re going to put your own stamp on it and reinvent it. This merely apes the 1984 Kenny Loggins arrangement, right down to the grinding guitar licks.

CLAY DUSTIN/I’ll Take That Job
Writer: David Chamberlain/Mark Sherrill; Producer: David Chamberlain; Publisher: Handle It/Key/Mark, SESAC; PureHeart (track)
—The full title is “I’ll Take That Job That Johnny Paycheck Shoved.” His singing isn’t particularly distinctive, but Dustin is country right down to his boots.

CMA Country Christmas, New Awards Merch

Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles will return to host CMA Country Christmas for the second year. The two hour special featuring country’s hottest artists performing holiday favorites will tape Nov. 10 at the Bridgestone Arena and air at 8 pm CT Thursday, Dec. 1 on ABC.

“The recurring themes you find in Country Music are the foundation of what makes the holidays so meaningful – the comfort of home, family, and friends,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore. “‘CMA Country Christmas’ will be wrapped in those traditions.”

Tickets for the taping are $25 for upper level seating and $50 for club level.

CMA has also launched a new merch store at www.cmaawardsstore.com, featuring a selection of official items including a hat, tote bag, coffee mug, and six apparel selections. One of those items, the black event T-shirt (pictured), was inspired by the 2011 CMA Awards Program Book cover created by Eva Oglander.

Additionally, CMA Awards co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood had to beat some tough competition for their hosting gig, if a video on Paisley’s website is to be believed.

SoundExchange Distributions Continue Growing

SoundExchange, the non-profit performance rights organization (PRO) that was appointed by the Copyright Royalty Board to collect and distribute statutory performance royalties owed to recording artists and sound recording copyright owners, reports it has distributed almost $88 million to more than 18,300 payees during the Q3 2011. This distribution, the organization’s largest to date was collected from royalties paid by Internet radio, satellite radio, and cable TV music only channels.

“We’ve processed an unprecedented amount of digital performance data this quarter, which is proof positive that consumers are listening, purchasing and enjoying music in more ways than ever,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “These payments are the result of billions of digital performances by thousands of music services every month. It is our responsibility to ensure that this upsurge of digital performances can be converted into a reliable revenue stream for those who created the music.”

SoundExchange has seen a dramatic increase in payments to artists and labels since it began, as the accompanying graph shows. In 2010, total distributions were $249.2 million up from $155.5 million in 2009.

 

Industry Ink: Green Hills Music Group Signing

(L-R): Grin Like A Dog Songs’ Leslie Mitchell, Steve Mitchell and Green Hills Music Group’s Woody Bomar

Green Hills Music Welcomes Steve Mitchell
Green Hills Music Group is partnering with Grin Like A Dog Songs to promote the catalog of songwriter Steve Mitchell. The Canadian hitmaker recently relocated to Nashville from Vancouver, BC where he was a member of the Juno Award winning band The Paperboys. He is an international touring act whose music has been included in documentaries, film and TV.

Green Hills president Woody Bomar shares, “I am so impressed with Steve’s unique writing as well as his musicianship and his passion for developing new artist talent. He is a joy to work with.”

Green Hills Music Group started in 2007 and markets the music of Bob Regan, Bonnie Baker, Rick Giles, Georgia Middleman, Steve Williams, Paul Duncan, Patricia Summers and Dave Rivers. The company’s current releases include cuts by Hunter Hayes, The Dirt Drifters, Jaclyn North, Matt Stillwell and Six West.

Publisher Mickey Goldsen Passes
Publisher Mickey Goldsen died Oct. 19 at home in Encino, Calif. He was 99. His career included heading Capitol Records’ publishing division in the 1940s, where he worked alongside such legends as Johnny Mercer, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. In 1950 Goldsen founded Criterion Music Corp., where he served as CEO until his death. The publisher is home to classics including “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” “Tiny Bubbles,” “Doctor My Eyes,” “Dream,” “Moonlight in Vermont,” “Papa Oom Mow Mow,” “Seven Year Ache,” and dozens of Charlie Parker compositions. Services were held Mon., Oct. 24 in Mission Hills, Calif. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to MusiCares, The Child and Family Guidance Center of Northidge, or the Society of Singers. More here.

Avery Earls Arrives
Sr. VP of Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville, Kent Earls, and Martha Earls, Partner and co-GM of Effusion Entertainment are happy to announce the birth of their baby girl. Avery Caroline Earls was born Oct. 19, weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces and measuring 15 1/2 inches long.

Strong Ratings For Canadian Country Awards
Last month’s broadcast of The Canadian Country Music Awards was another smash-hit for the Canadian Broadcasting Channel, with the show attracting an average audience of nearly 750,000 viewers. At its peak, the two-hour broadcast pulled in almost one million viewers and more than 3.1 million Canadians watched some part of the show. Among the performers at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario were Johnny Reid, Ronnie Dunn, Luke Bryan, and Dean Brody. Country Music Week 2012 is happening in Saskatoon, SK from Sept. 6-9.

UMPG Promotes Brian Lambert
Universal Music Publishing Group, North America has promoted Brian Lambert to Executive Vice President/Head of Film & Television Music. From the company’s Santa Monica, Calif. headquarters, Lambert will report directly to President of Universal Music Publishing Group, North America Evan Lamberg.

Matt Mahaffey Moves To Nashville
Pop/rock artist/writer/producer Matt Mahaffey has relocated to Franklin, Tenn. following a decade in Los Angeles working on projects including DreamWorks’ Shrek, and his own releases under the Self moniker. The Murfreesboro native has built a new studio and recently finished work on an album by Atlantic Records artists I Fight Dragons. He is also working on a new Self project. Reach Mahaffey via David Surnow at Solid Music Company, david@solidmusic.net or (213) 610-1065.