Posted on 05/20/2006 11:44:36 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Disappointing airplay for the first two singles from the new album by the Dixie Chicks exposes a deep -- and seemingly growing -- rift between the trio and the country radio market that helped turn the group into superstars.
"Taking the Long Way," due out May 23, is the band's first album since singer Natalie Maines sparked a major controversy in 2003 by declaring that she was ashamed to hail from the same state as fellow Texan President George W. Bush. Radio boycotts ensued, and many fans abandoned the band.
The first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, beginning its descent after just seven weeks. The second single, "Everybody Knows," is now at No. 50, down two places in its fourth week.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" performed only slightly better at adult contemporary radio, peaking at No. 32 on the AC chart and falling off after six weeks.
From the beginning of the album rollout, the Dixie Chicks were eager that their songs be worked to radio formats beyond country. The album was produced by rock veteran Rick Rubin, whose credits include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down and Johnny Cash.
By picking the defiant "Not Ready" as the first single, they've reopened a wound that was particularly deep for country radio fans, and left many country programmers with the burning question: Why on earth would the band choose to do this?
After hearing the album, WKIS Miami program director Bob Barnett says he was "excited about the opportunity to introduce some great Chicks music to the listeners." But the group's decision to come with "Not Ready" as the lead single left him "stunned, especially in light of the fact that, when asked, programmers and consultants that listened to the project were virtually unanimous in saying we should put the politics behind us and concentrate on all this other great music we were hearing."
KUBL/KKAT Salt Lake City PD Ed Hill criticizes the song's "self-indulgent and selfish lyrics."
Barnett played the song for a week, but pulled it after listeners called to say it sounded like the Chicks were "gloating" or "rubbing our noses in it," he reports. "We didn't need to pick at the scab any longer."
He and other country programmers were upset that the group chose to launch its new album with a single that rehashed all the angst of three years ago.
The two singles have had a striking lack of impact at radio, considering the band's history. Between 1997 and 2003, it notched 14 top 10 country singles, including six No. 1 hits. In addition to eight Grammy Awards, the group has won 10 Country Music Assn. Awards and eight Academy of Country Music Awards. The trio has sold 23.4 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The Dixie Chicks and reps from their label, Columbia Records, declined to participate in this story. But -- at least as far as Maines is concerned -- the drop-off at country radio was part of its plan.
Maines was quoted in late January on entertainmentweekly.com, before the single went to country radio, saying: "For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was ... I would be cheating myself ... to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened ... I couldn't want to be farther away from that."
Maines also said, "I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life."
At KNCI Sacramento, Calif., the Chicks' music weathered the 2003 controversy only to be pulled as a result of Maines' new Entertainment Weekly comments, coupled with poor scores in local music tests.
"When an artist says that they don't want to be a part of that industry, it made our decision a no-brainer," program director Mark Evans says. "There are too many talented new artists dying to have a song played on country radio, so I'd rather give one of them a shot."
They should have gone with their manager's suggestion for a first single: "We're Really Very Sorry, We Were Totally Wrong" and things might have worked out better for them...
Saying that Lubbock hated Buddy Holly in the 1950s is like saying Memphis hated Elvis before he died.
What a stupid, arrogant, airheaded bimbo Natalie is!
Buddy Holly had class. That's something Natalie will never have.
People won't buy their records because they like their political position, if they don't like the music.
But people will stop buying the records if they hate their political position, even if they otherwise would love the music.
That's why bands should SHUT UP AND SING.
Way to burn down your careers, Dixie Dodos.
Thanks for posting the lyrics. She really isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.
> Cue the Monty Python foot coming down on the Chix <
LOL! Nice image. Don't forget the squishy sound.
Don't think this has as much to do with that as it does the Chicks' move from mainstream country for awhile. Their last album was good, decent even. But their song about Earl (the album before IIRC) was just a little off to say the least and perhaps was an omen where they wanted to go all along. Sort of alternative country. Top 40 country stations won't play that.
Funny thing is, country music fans will forgive just about anything if you come back repentant. The Grande Ole Opry threw Hank Williams off because he frequently missed shows, and sometimes showed up too drunk to play, but they'd have taken him back in a minute if he'd showed up sober. He never did, of course. Williams had talent, though. The Chicks were successful because they're moderately good looking on stage and had good production. Their name also connotated a redneck anti-feminism. Thus, Maines alienated her core fans, and thinks others are ready to buy her work.
Most big time music today is based on image, rather than talent. Loretta Lynn probably couldn't get a contract if she started singing today, and the window is very small for our increasingly young-obsessed culture. I mean, how many movies has Alicia Silverstone made since she turned eighteen? Kirsten Dunst will probably find that Spider-man 2 is her last hurrah, and I'd be surprised if Cameron Diaz has many more hit movies. The Chicks made it off their looks, as their music was totally fabricated anonymous sounds okay in the background work. They won't recapture their star. Time for them to go hang out with Markie Post and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Did she comment about "Rednecks" vrs "Progressives" before or after the trio sang "Goodbye Earl"
Excellent observation.
Don't worry about your career, Natalie. You can always be a pole dancer.
Indeed.
The Chicks had a tradition of getting a little chicken foot tattoo on their ankles every time a song of theirs reached number 1. I hope their tattoo artist has other clients.
Country music accepts almost anyone. I despise the new Bon Jovi song, but it is number one on the country music charts right now. There was some Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow song that got some airplay a few years back.
Disagree...their last album was a huge country success. You couldn't play a country station for more than 15 minutes without hearing a DC song. But after the "incident" it's like they never even existed. BIZARRE. But I think the Country music world was more than happy to get rid of them. They pissed alot of people off. I do believe the country music world is a big family and they were known to insult other performers, and that's a no no. And then when they pulled their FUTK at the music awards, that was just too much. So when the "incident" happened, I don't think the country world shed a tear to get rid of them. And I don't know whose idea it was to use what happened in their comeback, but it had to be one of the worst ideas ever. It is a shame, because that Natalie girl has a great voice...wasted.
So, she's telling us she was faking it. ;-)
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