This week at MusicRow The Taylor Tribune, we have the understanding that Big Machine Label Group doesn’t do anything halfway. Case in point: no-stone-unturned, full-throttle launch of Taylor Swift’s fourth album Red, which hit stores Oct. 22 and will undoubtedly shift a mind-boggling number of units in the process.
To aid Red’s launch on the radio side, Big Machine hosted a unique remote broadcast event on Friday (10/26) that was designed to super-serve Swift-friendly markets with a whole batch of exclusive content and prize giveaways (guitars, food, etc). Surrounded by a gorgeous panorama of downtown Nashville on the 21st floor of the Pinnacle Building, a total of 72 radio outlets were selected for the broadcast. Many of the usual suspects were present, including Mike Hammond from Knoxville and Captain Jack from Las Vegas, but there were also stations present from such far flung locales as South Africa, India, New Zealand, and Germany.
During the afternoon session (half the stations did their remote broadcasts in the morning), 36 stations operated out of makeshift cubicle studios appointed with red accent lighting. The lounge furniture was also red, as were the floral decorations in the catering area. Brand partner Papa John’s had its wares out on the tables, and company founder John H. Schnatter was milling around. Moving from station to station to give five minute interviews were Swift, Borchetta, Papa, and Swift band member Grant Mickelson.
At every turn there was a video screen or plaque celebrating Taylor’s many successes, and in the corners of the Pinnacle building were some of the elaborate costumes from her stage show. Visiting stations had access to a row of net-ready computers for show prep. Nearby, BMLG staffers were uploading the recordings of every station’s interviews so they could be used immediately. It was a whole turnkey experience for those stations lucky enough to participate.
Whether or not Red will be Swift’s second consecutive first week million-seller will bear out soon enough (all signs point to yes, and then some), but the masterfully executed marketing campaign is worthy of mention. Look at the timing: one week prior to the CMA Awards (where she is nominated for Entertainer of the Year), primed for holiday shopping season, and almost six years to the day since her 5x-Platinum self-titled debut album was released. These things don’t happen by accident.
One interesting facet of this gigantic rollout and promotion is that the first news of Red’s release happened on August 13, followed by single debut of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” That’s a very short time ago, and yet there was virtually no chatter leading up to the announcement. According to Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta, Swift had been working on the music for several months and felt it was important she make the announcement herself.
“We try to stay quiet between records as much as we can,” says Borchetta. “With someone who’s so dynamic it’s really hard, but it’s a lot more fun for all of us [having] the moment where she announces when the record is coming. That way she’s talking directly, with all due respect, to who’s most important: the fans.”
On the retail side, Swift and team carefully assembled brand partnerships that fit her personality and image. Cover Girl, Target, Keds, Papa John’s, and an innovative “store within a store” concept for Walgreens are all key components of the campaign, and representative of the Taylor brand. “You won’t see her name and likeness on hundreds of items,” notes Borchetta. “She only puts her mark on things she really believes in and likes.”
Borchetta feels confident that Red’s first week sales will eclipse those of Speak Now, which set the bar with a lofty 1.047 million debut week units in 2010. That didn’t deter the Big Machine team in the slightest, if anything it probably encouraged them, and the release has been delivered with gusto. Swift will also embark on a huge tour to support it, and co-host the Grammy Nominations Concert in Nashville.
“You have to understand what the market is, what it will bear, and where is she right now. Last time around with Speak Now, to some extent, it was like, ‘Oh you guys again,’ and it’s like, ‘Yeah, us again.’ This time it’s like, ‘Let’s get out of the way and let Taylor have her moment.’ The fact that everybody understands the magnitude of her and the brilliant record she’s made to back it up, we almost have an open lane right now.”
Sony Music Nashville Signing
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): Gary Overton, Angie Johnson, Lisa Ramsey Perkins (Sr. Director A&R, Sony Music Nashville)
Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Nashville, Gary Overton, has signed Missouri Air National Guard Tech Sergeant Angie Johnson to a recording contract with the label.
Johnson, a previous contestant on NBC’s The Voice for team Cee Lo Green, will be produced by fellow St. Louis native Josh Leo (Alabama, Love and Theft).
Johnson spent six years in the Air Force as an intelligence analyst and featured performer in the Air Force Tops In Blue Band after being honorably discharged. Her band, Sidewinder, gained attention after a video performing Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” was submitted on YouTube.
Toby Keith Revs Up ‘Hope On The Rocks’ Today
/by Sarah SkatesKeith partnered with Clear Channel Radio for a text-to-win promotion airing on country stations nationwide. Winners of daily cash prizes will be entered to win a new Ford F-150, then flown to a secret location to pick up the keys from Keith.
Lead single “I Like Girls That Drink Beer” is a hit heading into album launch week, with the title track set to be the follow up single.
Keith’s promotional appearances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Talk. He recently wrapped his 2012 Live In Overdrive Tour.
Also, a “Red Solo Cup (Live)” video was released today.
ASCAP Country Award Winners
/by Sarah SkatesPublisher of the Year: Sony/ATV/EMI Music Publishing. (L-R): Ed Williams, Ben Strain, Abbey Adams, Josh Van Valkenberg, Troy Tomlinson, ASCAP Board member Barry Coburn, Terry Wakefield, and ASCAP’s Randy Grimmett
Ben Hayslip accepts ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year
ASCAP’s Country Awards were presented Monday night (10/29) in the Presidential Ballroom of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Here’s a brief recap. See Bobby Karl’s in-depth coverage for MusicRow members here.
Songwriter of the Year: Ben Hayslip, who penned four of the most performed songs of the past year: “Honey Bee” (Blake Shelton), “I Don’t Want This Night To End” (Luke Bryan), “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” (Martina McBride) and “This Ole Boy” (Craig Morgan)
Country Music Song of the Year: “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” written by Eric Paslay and Terry Sawchuk; published by Cal IV Entertainment
Country Music Song of the Year: “Honey Bee,” written by Ben Hayslip; published by Warner/Chappell and This Music
Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year: Brad Paisley. It was his third win thanks to hits including “Camouflage,” “Old Alabama” and “Remind Me.”
Country Publisher of the Year: Sony/ATV/EMI, who had nine award-winning songs: “Bait A Hook,” “Camouflage, “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” “I Got You,” “I Won’t Let Go,” “Remind Me,” “Tomorrow,” “You” and “You Gonna Fly”
Golden Note Award: Bob McDill. ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams, and ASCAP Publisher Board member Dean Kay presented the award, and a special musical tribute included performances by Ronnie Dunn; Chris and Morgane Stapleton (“Amanda”); Josh Kelley (“Good Ole Boys Like Me”); and Jessi Alexander and Jon Randall, backed by their band 18 South (“Don’t Close Your Eyes”).
Creative Voice Award: Lyle Lovett. ASCAP Executive Vice President of Membership Randy Grimmett presented the award, and a musical tribute to Lovett featured Guy Clark (“The Waltzing Fool”); Robert Earl Keen (“The Front Porch Song”); and Sam Bush and Jon Randall (“If I Had A Boat”).
The event celebrated ASCAP’s most performed country songs between April 2011 and March 2012. A total of 35 song honors were handed out, interspersed with performances by the writers of the top five most performed songs:
• “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” written by Andy Gibson, Paul Jenkins and Jason Sellers
• “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” written by Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Luke Bryan
• “God Gave Me You,” written by Dave Barnes
• “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” written by Eric Paslay, Terry Sawchuk, and Dylan Altman
• “Honey Bee,” written by Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins
(L-R): ASCAP EVP of Membership Randy Grimmett, Song of the Year honorees Cal IV Entertainment's Daniel Hill, Terry Sawchuck, Eric Paslay, Cal IV's Natalie Harker, Billy Lynn, and ASCAP's Michael Martin
(L-R): ASCAP’s Randy Grimmett, Jon Randall, Sam Bush, Creative Voice Award honoree Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, Tony Brown
April Taylor Joins Webster PR
/by Eric T. ParkerApril Taylor
Kirt Webster, President of Webster & Associates, has announced April Taylor will join the firm as Senior Director, Publicity, effective Monday, November 12.
“Kirt has made huge waves in the music industry and his achievements have played a major role in the shaping of so many artist careers,” said Taylor. “I am honored to be a part of his team and excited to work with his star-studded roster.”
Most recently, Taylor was Promotions Director for Bluewater Broadcasting in Montgomery, AL. She previously spent six years with RCA publicity and Arista Nashville’s Artist Development & Marketing teams where she worked with artists including Kenny Chesney, Alabama, Martina McBride, Lonestar, Sara Evans, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, and more. She holds a B.S. from Auburn University at Montgomery and a B.B.A. from Belmont University.
Contact Taylor by email or phone 615-777-6995.
Two CMA Awards to be Revealed on “GMA”
/by FreemanThe winners for the Musical Event and Music Video of the Year will be named during the popular morning program, which will also include performances by Reba McEntire and an appearance by Awards co-host Brad Paisley. Fans in Nashville can attend the broadcast at the corner of Broadway and Fifth Ave.
“These two categories are normally presented during pre-televised activities and acknowledged during the Awards broadcast, which we will still do,” says Steve Moore, CMA CEO. “But being able to share the announcement of the winners live with the broader GMA viewership and the live audience in Nashville adds a whole new level of excitement for our fans and the recipients.”
Trophies will be presented to the winners prior to the start of the CMA Awards, and the ceremony will be hosted by Vocal Duo and New Artist nominee Love and Theft. The 46th Annual CMA Awards, co-hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, airs live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on ABC Nov. 1 at 7 pm/CT. Check here for a list of performers and presenters.
Kobalt Inks Deal With Brave Music
/by Sarah SkatesBrave Music, the artist development/publishing and production company owned by Jeremy Spillman, has signed an exclusive worldwide administration deal with Kobalt Music Publishing America.
In addition to songs penned by Spillman, Brave Music publishes songs by artist/writer Jared Crump. Brave Music has several cuts on Canadian band High Valley’s current album including singles, “Let It Be Me” and “Love You for a Long Time.” Brave also has songs on upcoming albums by Crump, fellow Kobalt writer Travis Meadows, Keith Urban, Randy Rogers Band, and more.
(L-R) front row: Brave Music artist/songwriter Jared Crump and Brave Music owner and songwriter Jeremy Spillman. Back row: Kobalt team members Stephanie Cox, VP Creative; Whitney Daane, SVP Creative; Jeff Skaggs, Creative Director; and Kendall Lettow, Creative Assistant.
McGraw Announces New Album
/by Freeman“I always go into the studio to make the best record I can possibly make, and this one is no different. But ‘Freedom’ is a powerful word,” said McGraw. “To come into a situation where there’s some weight lifted, some refreshment going on, you can feel that in the music. I think you can feel the horses gallop on this record, and where I might go and what I might do when my engines are revving.”
McGraw served as co-producer on Two Lanes of Freedom, along with his longtime collaborator Byron Gallimore. Fans can hear a preview of “One of Those Nights” today (10/30) when McGraw appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Exclusive: Cassetty Entertainment Launches
/by Sarah SkatesTodd Cassetty today announced the launch of Cassetty Entertainment, an artist management enterprise which has signed Scotty McCreery.
Cassetty is stepping away from his day-to-day roles with Hi-Fi Fusion and Todd Cassetty Welding Service but the online and video marketing companies will continue operation. Additional details regarding Hi-Fi Fusion will be forthcoming.
For the past 18 months, Cassetty has been working with McCreery on multiple projects from television shows to promotional campaigns to music videos. Says McCreery, “Todd has been involved in my career since I first came to Nashville after American Idol, and our great working relationship made the management scenario a no-brainer.”
Cassetty adds, “For years, I’ve been looking for an artist to inspire me to integrate 20 years of experience into an artist management role. Scotty McCreery is that artist. His vocal talent and authenticity as an entertainer are the impetus behind Cassetty Entertainment, and I could not be more excited to work with him.”
Cassetty’s music industry career began in the early ‘90s with marketing and promotion stints at Country Radio Seminar, Warner/Reprise and Gaylord Entertainment’s MusicCountry.com. From there, he started Hi-Fi Fusion, Nashville’s first digital marketing company, which works with every major record label and many of the biggest artists in music. In 2007, he launched Todd Cassetty Welding Service, a television, video and film production company that has since created TV specials and music videos for McCreery, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire and Taylor Swift.
[Updated Arrangements] Songwriter Tim Johnson Passes
/by Sarah SkatesTim Johnson
A memorial service for Tim Johnson will be held Thurs., Nov. 1, 2 to 4 p.m. at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden’s Massey Hall. There will be no admission charge for attendees. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to MusiCares at www.grammy.org/musicares/donate.
• • • •
Songwriter Tim Johnson passed away Sun., Oct. 21, following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 52 and died at home. The established member of Nashville’s music community had more than 100 major label cuts to his credit, with some of his biggest hits including Diamond Rio’s “God Only Cries,” Jimmy Wayne’s “Do You Believe Me Now,” and Daryle Singletary’s “I Let Her Lie.”
His list of singles and cuts also includes Joey + Rory’s “Remember Me” and “That’s Important to Me,” Tim Rushlow’s “She Misses Him,” Jeannie Kendall’s “Out of Loneliness,” Rockie Lynne’s “I Can’t Believe It’s Me,” Tracy Lawrence’s “Up to Him,” Blaine Larsen’s “The Best Man,” Derek Sholl’s “When They Come Back,” and Doug Stone’s “Nice Problem.” Johnson’s “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” written with Jon Wolfe and James Dean Hicks, was recorded by Joe Nichols for his 2011 album release.
Johnson’s talent extended to the studio, where he produced artists including Blaine Larsen. The respected songwriter was active with NSAI, where he served on its Song Camp faculty and was a longtime board member. He assisted the organization with its legislative work in Washington, D.C. Friends say he was a champion of songs and songwriters, and always encouraged aspiring writers. He also founded the Songwriter’s Institute.
In 2007 Johnson teamed with Rory Feek and Jeff Skillen to establish the Song Trust, which had success with “Bring Him Home Santa,” a song about fathers who serve in the military. Feek and his wife, Joey, said they are “saddened with the loss of our good friend. His passing leaves a big hole in our hearts and an even bigger one in the heart of country music.”
Growing up in Noti, Oregon, one of Johnson’s early songwriting influences was Mickey Newbury.
Johnson is survived by wife Meg, son Jack and daughter Cey. MusicRow extends sincere condolences to his loved ones.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced. Check MusicRow.com for updates.
Friend and songwriter James Dean Hicks shared his thoughts on Tim:
Swift Super-Serves Radio and the Fans
/by FreemanMusicRowThe Taylor Tribune, we have the understanding that Big Machine Label Group doesn’t do anything halfway. Case in point: no-stone-unturned, full-throttle launch of Taylor Swift’s fourth album Red, which hit stores Oct. 22 and will undoubtedly shift a mind-boggling number of units in the process.To aid Red’s launch on the radio side, Big Machine hosted a unique remote broadcast event on Friday (10/26) that was designed to super-serve Swift-friendly markets with a whole batch of exclusive content and prize giveaways (guitars, food, etc). Surrounded by a gorgeous panorama of downtown Nashville on the 21st floor of the Pinnacle Building, a total of 72 radio outlets were selected for the broadcast. Many of the usual suspects were present, including Mike Hammond from Knoxville and Captain Jack from Las Vegas, but there were also stations present from such far flung locales as South Africa, India, New Zealand, and Germany.
During the afternoon session (half the stations did their remote broadcasts in the morning), 36 stations operated out of makeshift cubicle studios appointed with red accent lighting. The lounge furniture was also red, as were the floral decorations in the catering area. Brand partner Papa John’s had its wares out on the tables, and company founder John H. Schnatter was milling around. Moving from station to station to give five minute interviews were Swift, Borchetta, Papa, and Swift band member Grant Mickelson.
At every turn there was a video screen or plaque celebrating Taylor’s many successes, and in the corners of the Pinnacle building were some of the elaborate costumes from her stage show. Visiting stations had access to a row of net-ready computers for show prep. Nearby, BMLG staffers were uploading the recordings of every station’s interviews so they could be used immediately. It was a whole turnkey experience for those stations lucky enough to participate.
Whether or not Red will be Swift’s second consecutive first week million-seller will bear out soon enough (all signs point to yes, and then some), but the masterfully executed marketing campaign is worthy of mention. Look at the timing: one week prior to the CMA Awards (where she is nominated for Entertainer of the Year), primed for holiday shopping season, and almost six years to the day since her 5x-Platinum self-titled debut album was released. These things don’t happen by accident.
One interesting facet of this gigantic rollout and promotion is that the first news of Red’s release happened on August 13, followed by single debut of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” That’s a very short time ago, and yet there was virtually no chatter leading up to the announcement. According to Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta, Swift had been working on the music for several months and felt it was important she make the announcement herself.
“We try to stay quiet between records as much as we can,” says Borchetta. “With someone who’s so dynamic it’s really hard, but it’s a lot more fun for all of us [having] the moment where she announces when the record is coming. That way she’s talking directly, with all due respect, to who’s most important: the fans.”
On the retail side, Swift and team carefully assembled brand partnerships that fit her personality and image. Cover Girl, Target, Keds, Papa John’s, and an innovative “store within a store” concept for Walgreens are all key components of the campaign, and representative of the Taylor brand. “You won’t see her name and likeness on hundreds of items,” notes Borchetta. “She only puts her mark on things she really believes in and likes.”
Borchetta feels confident that Red’s first week sales will eclipse those of Speak Now, which set the bar with a lofty 1.047 million debut week units in 2010. That didn’t deter the Big Machine team in the slightest, if anything it probably encouraged them, and the release has been delivered with gusto. Swift will also embark on a huge tour to support it, and co-host the Grammy Nominations Concert in Nashville.
“You have to understand what the market is, what it will bear, and where is she right now. Last time around with Speak Now, to some extent, it was like, ‘Oh you guys again,’ and it’s like, ‘Yeah, us again.’ This time it’s like, ‘Let’s get out of the way and let Taylor have her moment.’ The fact that everybody understands the magnitude of her and the brilliant record she’s made to back it up, we almost have an open lane right now.”