Chicks Boycott Overblown - Country trio still ruling the roost on radio (Rolling Stone Propaganda)

Rolling Stone ^ | March 19, 2003 | Richard Skanse

[Dont Mention the War]

Chicks Boycott Overblown

Country trio still ruling the roost on radio

Safe at home

While rock acts like Pearl Jam have gone relatively unchallenged when protesting the war on Iraq, the Dixie Chicks found out the hard way that such sentiments didn't fly as well with the flag-waving country set. After Lubbock, Texas, born singer Natalie Maines' remarked at a March 10th London show that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas," reports of boycotts abounded. But Jaye Albright, a consultant to fifty country radio stations in the U.S. and Canada, calls the controversy "a tempest in a teapot."

"Out of some 2,100 country stations in America, maybe five or six boycotted the Chicks, and most of them only for a day or two as a publicity stunt," says Albright, singling out a bulldozing of Chicks CDs by Shreveport, Louisiana, station KRMD that drew an estimated 200 to 400 listeners. "A station can get that many people at any remote broadcast from a car dealership. It was very underwhelming, almost laughable."

The Dixie Chicks' U.S. arena tour, which kicks off May 1st in Greenville, South Carolina, has also enjoyed strong sales. The tour set an industry mark, selling out fifty-one out of fifty-nine dates the day tickets went on sale.

Maines quickly issued a personal apology to President Bush last week for her "disrespectful" remark. So far the storm has had no ill effect on the album sales for the band's Home, which sold 124,000 over the past week, good enough for Number Four on the charts. Next week's charts, which represent the sales week from March 16th through March 22nd, might provide an even better barometer as to whether the statement will have any ill effect on the band's popularity.

RICHARD SKANSE
(March 19, 2003)

[Dont Mention the War]

Rolling Stone has taken a turn to the Hard Hate Left (even for them) under their latest editor, so you can rest assured this was written under direct orders to spin, spin, spin. The "data" within certainly runs counter to, oh, every other article that's been written about Fat-alie's big mouth, except where it's completely irrelevant (sales from the 10th to the 14th mean nothing when this didn't explode until well near the end of that week).

Oh, and when was the last time you saw 400 people show up at a car dealership because a local radio station was giving away free t-shirts?

One last thing: Billboard's new charts ARE out. And the Chunks' album FELL TWO SPOTS. Indeed, Mr. Skanse, we have our better barometer, and the only thing overblown turns out to be your politicized prose. What's it like being Jann Wenner's buttboy, Richie, forced to churn out slanted articles to fit an agenda instead of writing actual music news like, say, the professional journalists at Billboard?

[Dont Mention the War]

Surprise! "Consultant" Jaye Albright is a liberal who is actively working to save the Dixie Chicks' career! CHECK OUT PRACTICALLY EVERY LINK in this google search! Particularly the first two! She's working like a paid Dixie Chicks employee!

[pnz1]

When was their song "Travelin' Soldier" released?

[jaz.357]

Jaye Albright President/Country McVay Media jayemcvay@aol.com.

[T Lady]

They've also taken to embracing the worst in the world of Popular Music. Last November they ran a cover story on Christina Aguilera, with her posing nude, save for a pair of lace-up boots, an elaborate necklace, and a strategically placed guitar. Things got much worse when reading the article; the gal has a serious potty-mouth.

...I'm sure at the rate Natalie Maines is going, she'll probably make the switch to Pop/Rock and pose semi-nude for a future cover.

-Regards, T.

[Dont Mention the War]

More proof that it's all about politics for Rolling Stone: Their original review of the Vichy Pigs' album last September only gave them two stars! "Bug-cute Maines' voice is inadequate on screechy novelties such as "White Trash Wedding" and plangent beauties alike -- she sounds lost under Stevie Nicks' "Landslide." They are incapable of shaping a song, teasing out tension, friction or emotional swoop."

[Dont Mention the War]

When was their song "Travelin' Soldier" released?

It's been on the Billboard country charts for 24 weeks, so it's been about six months.

[quietolong]

Now if the year was 1999 and she said Clinton instead of Bush. And Arkansas. not Texas Would everyone here be in a uproar about disrespecting the president on foreign soil ? Or would everyone be posting how great they are. And be running out buying ther
CD’s ?
Not defending them. But just seeing if everyone consistent

[Dont Mention the War]

Now if the year was 1999 and she said Clinton instead of Bush. And Arkansas. not Texas Would everyone here be in a uproar about disrespecting the president on foreign soil ? Or would everyone be posting how great they are. And be running out buying ther CD’s ?

If we were within days of a major war that could kill thousands of American troops? You're damn right I would be ripping their heads off.

[Search4Truth]

Jaye Albright, Partner,
Albright & O'Malley Country Consulting/RadioIQ
7699 Fletcher Bay Rd NE
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Voice: (206) 498-6261
RadioConsultJ@aol.com
Jaye@RadioConsult.com
EFax: (419) 858-6148
Office Fax: (206) 780-9200

http://www.radioconsult.com/about_us/bio_albright.htm

[Newbomb Turk]

Not where I live. All the station within range of me gave em da boot. About 10 station total.

[HHFi]

I write a daily syndicated radio service and am in touch with stations all over the world, and I can tell from this that Rolling Stone either knows nothing about the radio business or (more likely) is engaged in an active spin campaign to try to brush off the fans' anger in hopes that with enough media poo-pooing, it will dissipate.

These days, a big act like that is like a freight train, and it takes awhile to stop it. You've still got stations playing songs because they're waiting to see if the negative reaction holds up, sales stats coming in from a week ago, concert ticket sales tallies that reflect transactions from last month at the latest, etc. We won't begin know the full extent of their career damage for several weeks. The thing to watch to find out if they've put a permanent nail in their coffin will be actual store sales of their next CD. Not units shipped to stores, but how many actually sell to customers. Even then, of course, you'll have the record companies trying to jigger the charts, and magazines like RS, with a vested interest in marginalizing the impact on their careers, playing down any sales slippage. But thanks to SoundScan, it's a lot harder to rig the record charts than it used to be.

By the way, I talk daily to radio DJs all over the world, and it's not just country listeners who are PO'ed at the Dixie Chicks, it's a lot of DJs and programmers, too. That is not a good sign for them.

[CyberAnt]

Well ... when nobody shows up at their concerts, we'll see what Rolling Stone has to say then.

These people think we're sheeple - just like the dems do! I refuse to be used like I'm some sort of slave and I don't have a choice not to listen to these people.

[Cold Heat]

That mag was commie back in the mid to late sixties.

[LibertarianInExile]

Have y'all read the forum on natalie maines' site? Gawdamighty, it's ferocious. There was ONE supportive comment that I saw, and THAT was from Vermont, a state well known for its longtime conservative tendencies (in the way that Robert Mugabe is known for his strong support for human rights).

[Cold Heat]

LOL! When will celebs learn to stay away from politics? I am so pissed at so many of them that I have refused to see many movies and shows.

[Belial]

Who cares what some hayseed country band thinks anyway? I wouldn't listen to that crap for any reason.

[Houmatt]

Did you catch this quote from Jaye Albright in that first Google link?

In Atlanta, classic country WYAY has already dropped the Chicks and GM Victor Sansone emailed me to say: “Be assured that this is not a stunt in Atlanta. In our WYAY web blast poll we asked a very specific question: are you ready to har their music yet in light of their apology? Overwhelmingly 50 percent said not yet, and 30 said never. How long it takes to convert nevers is their challange, but clearly 80 percent of WYAY listeners need a "time out."”

This is like Peter Jennings saying the voters who changed the makeup of Congress in 1994 had "a temper tantrum."

It's bad enough we have the Ditzie Chicks' manager saying this is all the fault of Free Republic, but now we have someone who is for all intents and purposes a Chicks promoter implying people who are angry with Maines are being childish.

Yes, by all means, write to this woman, and tell her she is grossly underestimating the power and spirit of America.

And then tell her to shut the hell up.

[an amused spectator]

Now if the year was 1999 and she said Clinton instead of Bush. And Arkansas. not Texas Would everyone here be in a uproar about disrespecting the president on foreign soil ? Or would everyone be posting how great they are. And be running out buying ther CD’s ? Not defending them. But just seeing if everyone consistent

We're playing under Senate Minority Leader Rules? ;-)

[OperationFreedom]

Bad comparison...

Plus if Clinton was doing what Bush is doing in the terror business we would rip the Ditsy Chicks. The catch is that Clinton would be too busy getting blow jobs to do much of anything. So your question is not a valid one.

Try harder next time OK?