“Ashamed the President is from Texas” – Country Music Vs. The Dixie Chicks

Ten years ago this month, one of the most public displays of censorship in popular music took place. The victims: The Dixie Chicks. The censors: The country music industry. On March 10th, 2003, in an intimate London club, one sentence would change the course of the band’s career forever.

By the time the Chicks reached London they were at the height of their fame and one of the most successful groups in popular music. Their Top of The World Tour, which would start in small clubs and theatres in Europe before returning to the USA for a five month stint in arenas, was on its way to becoming the highest grossing country music tour ever. They had already been crowned the biggest selling female group in history, and were widely considered to be the archetypal, all-American, female country band. The pressure that came with this tag certainly wasn’t weighing on the minds of lead singer Natalie Maines, and sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maquire when they took the stage at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, however; outside the venue anti-war protests and the imminent invasion of Iraq dominated the headlines.

The Dixie Chicks singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVII in February 2003

Following a string of sultry, harmony infused, bluegrass songs from the group’s latest release, Home, Maines uttered the words, “Just so you know, [...] we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas”, to a cheering crowd. The statement, picked up by a review in the British newspaper, The Guardian, before being transported across the Atlantic through internet message boards, was not so amicably received back in the States.

Starting with a post on the internet message board at countrynation.com, radio stations, the backbone of the country music industry, were quick to remove the band from their playlists citing listener demand as their reasoning. By the time the group returned to the States in May their concerts were being protested, rallies were organised for the sole purpose of destroying Dixie Chicks albums, and Maines received a letter saying that she would “be shot dead at [her] show in Dallas”. The group were being all but physically removed from country music.

Entertainment Weekly – May 2nd, 2003

But what really was the source of all this hatred? Whilst it is true that radio stations did receive phone calls from listeners stating that they would not tune in anymore if the station continued to play the band’s music, this appeared to be coming from a small but vocal minority. The internet allowed for the news and disapproval to be quickly spread among ultra-conservative Bush supporters, with message boards such as the one at FreeRepublic.com urging angered individuals to call their local radio stations in protest. As R.J. Curtis, who was programme director for KZLA-FM at the time, detailed to me: “What you really had were people who heard the story on the news, heard the Chicks were a country act and called the only country station in Los Angeles to vent. [...] A lot of them weren’t really KZLA listeners.” Whilst this in itself would be cause for alarm for any radio station, this was not the only forcing hand that pushed the Dixie Chicks out of country music.

Thanks to the 1996 Telecommunications Act which removed barriers that had previously controlled the monopolisation of media organisations, by 2003 Clear Channel had garnered such a dominant stronghold on the radio market that it was almost unavoidable in everyday American life[i]. What this meant in real terms was that if you weren’t in the broadcasting corporation’s good books, you weren’t going to fare well in the music business.

A tractor destroying Dixie Chicks memorabilia at a rally organised by KRMD 101.1 FM in 2003

Starting in 2001, Clear Channel began to tighten their grip over what was and wasn’t acceptable to be heard by the general public in a post 9/11 world. Shortly after the attack on the World Trade Center, a list was circulated among Clear Channel owned radio stations containing more than 150 popular music songs which were now deemed “inappropriate” for airplay. Not only were they concerned over songs that might offend a grieving audience, but also programming which might paint the President or U.S. foreign policy in a negative light. In October 2001, a DJ in San Francisco was fired for airing clips of a speech made by Congresswoman Barbara Lee opposing the war in Afghanistan and in 2004 Howard Stern was removed from six major markets following disparaging remarks he made about the President. Neither of these incidents are surprising when you consider Clear Channel’s strong ties to the Bush administration (in the first 4 years of the decade Clear Channel donated three quarters of its campaign contributions to Republican candidates), nor are they isolated.

With this in mind, it becomes clear how the censorship of the Dixie Chicks was more than just audience driven. A large proportion of the radio stations which removed the Dixie Chicks were Clear Channel owned, and several pro-war/anti-Chicks rallies were organised and sponsored by Clear Channel and radio stations owned by them[ii]. Whether or not the organisation’s plea that there was no direct mandate for the banning of the Dixie Chicks is true doesn’t matter, the outcome would still be the same. Thanks to the way the corporation associated itself with the Republican Party, and its stronghold on the radio industry, anyone brave or dumb enough to step out of alignment with Clear Channel’s political views (artists and DJ’s alike) was committing career suicide. The moment that Maines spoke those words in London, the Dixie Chicks had been blacklisted from country radio.

It was this combination of vocal consumers, Clear Channel’s radio dominance, and country music’s historical ties with the Republican party[iii], conservatism, and unwavering patriotism in times of war that led to the demonisation of the Dixie Chicks and their being dismissed from country music. By the time the group released their comeback album, Taking the Long Way, in 2006, the Dixie Chicks had been outright rejected by the country music industry[iv]. Despite taking home five Grammy Awards for the album and lead single, ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’, in 2007, the group have yet to be invited back to any country music awards show. Sales for their 2006 Accidents and Accusations tour were low in previously well-selling markets and the group have been on a semi-hiatus since 2007, performing only a handful of shows across the States and Canada.

Aside from its status as a cautionary tale, this incident acts as an example of how the American music industry has taken a turn for the worse since the attacks of 9/11. In the mid-2000′s, many accused the media industries of imposing McCarthy-esque levels of censorship, that being censorship enforced through fear. With the widely publicised downfall of the Dixie Chicks, the amount of music which genuinely challenges its listener’s political or social values has reached almost nil – for already established artists, this move is far too risky. This is not to say that this music is not being made, we can be sure that it can be found on the gritty edges of the underground, but, thanks to the precedent set down by organisations such as Clear Channel, it will never reach the mainstream.

Currently McGuire and Robison perform in Court Yard Hounds while Maines is poised to release her debut (intentionally uncountry) solo album in May.

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[i] Following the Telecommunications Act, Clear Channel went from owning just over 40 radio stations to more than 1,200.

[ii] Refusing to let Clear Channel take all the credit, it should also be noted that Cumulus also took part in censoring the Dixie Chicks, placing an out-right ban on the Dixie Chicks music for 30 days in certain markets.

[iii] To see just how different the outcome could have been had Maines commented on a Democratic president one needs only to look at the lack of response Hank Williams Jr’s 2011 analogy between Barack Obama and Adolf Hitler received.

[iiv] Taking the Long Way took much of its lyrical content from the incident with ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’ acting as a defiant response to the fan-backlash and ‘Bitter End’ focusing on the absence of support from the country music industry in the wake of the incident.

Artist Spotlight… Bruce Robison

The following post was originally written for approval by ukCOUNTRYmusic.NET

Artist Spotlight… Bruce Robison

You may not have heard the name Bruce Robison before, but you’ll certainly have heard one of his songs. ‘Travelin’ Soldier’, ‘Angry All the Time’, ‘Desperately’, ‘Wrapped’ – all written by Robison. But this Texas native is far more than just a successful songwriter farming out songs to mainstream artists. With eight albums under his belt and another to be released next month, Bruce Robison stands out as an outstanding musician and performer in his own right.

Born in Bandera, Texas, the brother of fellow country musician, Charlie Robison, the former brother-in-law of a Dixie Chick, and the husband of singer-songwriter, Kelly Willis, Bruce began performing with his brother at local shows in his teens, playing a mixture of traditional country songs and ZZ Top covers. By the early 1990’s, Bruce was on his way to Austin to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter and in 1996 released his self-titled debut on Vireo records.

Bruce’s song-writing, and down-to-earth vocal style quickly caught the attention of Nashville and in 1998 Bruce released his first major label album, Wrapped, on Sony imprint, Lucky Dog. Both Wrapped and his 1999 follow-up, Long Way Home From Anywhere, the latter of which was produced by Lloyd Maines, came out to favourable reviews from critics but failed to make an impact on the radio. With both Sony disappointed by the lack of sales the two albums had produced, and Bruce disappointed with the polished, over-produced sound that Lucky Dog was pushing him towards, the pair split ways.

Returning to Texas after his split with Sony, Bruce was free to produce and record his albums exactly as he wanted to, and would go on to release a further five albums in the following years. The lack of studio-polish on these records sets them apart from the high-budget recordings of the same songs by the likes of Tim McGraw and George Strait. Bruce’s voice – wavering, straining, almost cracking at points – produces a more natural sound than his arena-headlining counterparts. The imperfections in his voice are what makes his music so relatable; he, just like you, is just an ordinary guy and if the stories he tells could happen to him, it could happen to you.

And now, Bruce is poised at another milestone in his recording career. On February 12^th, Bruce will release his sixth album, Cheaters Game, with his wife Kelly, the first album featuring both performers as equal contributors. True to the DIY nature of his past records, the album (which was produced by Brad Jones) was funded in part by a Kickstarter campaign, where fans donate money to help cover recording costs.

The first single to be released ahead of its release is an upbeat, samba-infused cover of Dave Alvin’s ‘Border Radio’. The driving backbeat of the song transforms this tale of heartbreak and mourning into a story of a woman overcoming the loss of her husband, now looking to the future, while the pairing of Kelly and Bruce’s vocals throughout adds a campfire sing-along feel. But judging by only the small snippets available online of the rest of the songs, this isn’t going to be the only standout track on the album. From the heart-wrenching ‘Long Way Home’, to the Simon and Garfunkel-tinged ‘But I Do’, Cheaters Game is scattered with tales of love, lament, and leaving. Standing in the footsteps of Johnny and June, this album is a welcome change from the pop-country sounds of current coupled artists. You may never find Bruce playing the main stage at the CMT music festival in Nashville, or graciously accepting an ACM award, but whilst he’s still producing records such as this he has a lot to offer country music.

Cheaters Game will be released on CD, vinyl and MP3 download on Tuesday, February 12^th.

The Story Behind the Song: ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain?’

“’Have you Ever Seen the Rain?’ is about the breakup of Creedence Clearwater Revival. ‘Have you ever seen the rain coming down, sunny day?’ Creedence was supposed to be sunny days, the golden times, yet look at the rain falling down on us […] I don’t think the band realised ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain?’ was about our breakup.”
John Fogerty, quoted in Bad Moon Rising (Bordowitz, 1998: 108)

Autumn 1970, San Francisco, California. John Fogerty sits beside his Creedence Clearwater Revival bandmates, guitarist John Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford, as they express their discontent at the domineering role that John has taken in the band. Feeling he has no other choice, John agrees to relinquish some of the blinding spotlight that up until now has been thrust solely upon him, allowing a more democratic song-writing and management process to take shape. As the band come near to putting the finishing touches on their 6^th album, Pendulum, John pens one more song that would become synonymous with the name Creedence Clearwater Revival, but also act as a premonition of the imminent dissolution of the group: ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain?’

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Creedence Clearwater Revival formed in the early 1960’s as a high-school covers band led by John’s brother, Tom. Following several name changes and the promotion of John to lead vocals, the band would sign a record deal with the Jazz label, Fantasy Records, in 1968, becoming the top earner for the label and producing more revenue for Fantasy in the four years the group were active than in the 20 years prior. The band solidified their place in the rock pantheon throughout the late 60’s and early 70’s through constant touring and a string of top selling singles, including ‘Bad Moon Rising’, ‘Looking Out My Back Door’, ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain’, and ‘Fortunate Son’, briefly outselling the Beatles. For a short while CCR were the biggest rock band in America, producing five albums in just three years, but on their sixth album, 1970’s Pendulum, the band began to unravel.

Throughout the recording of Pendulum John worked the band hard, dismissing ideas and performances that he felt weren’t worthy of the group’s name, resulting in an album entirely written and produced by Fogerty. The decision to transform the group into a democracy came at the end of the recording process and didn’t really affect the finished product, the majority of which had already been recorded, but inspired one further song. Written on the spot, ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’ was to be one of the bands biggest hits, their eighth millionth seller in a row, but it would also be one of their last demonstrations of brilliance.

Pendulum album cover.

The song acts as a summation of the despair Fogerty felt around the impending dissolution of the group. The reference to “rain comin’ down on a sunny day” in the chorus’ identifies his exasperation surrounding the break-up, particularly when they were at the height of their fame[i]. The screeching, gravelly scream that had by now become a trademark of CCR punctuates the beginning of the last chorus, fusing together all the frustration and despair Fogerty felt at the time into one gut-wrenching howl, while the band plays on underneath, almost oblivious to the coming storm. The bass and rhythm guitars provide a ‘business-as-usual’ foundation for Fogerty’s exasperation, while the drums seem to be the only instrument playing into the ascending storm, with cymbal crashes and snare rimshots acting as sonic lightning bolts, while the rain continues to drown the band[ii].

Pendulum was released in December 1970 quickly becoming the group’s fifth and final platinum album but with the departure of guitarist Tom Fogerty the following January the band went into a state of hiatus for several months. Returning as a three piece in 1972 with a new album, Mardi Gras, the disastrous effects of a musical democracy would prove to be the final nail in the coffin for CCR. Described by music critic, John Landau, as “the worst album I have ever heard from a major rock band”, the group called it a day six months after its release. In the years following, Stu and Doug would perform in various groups before forming Creedence Clearwater Revisited in 1995, remaining a staple of the North-American touring circuit to this day, Tom would go on to release several solo albums before succumbing to AIDS in 1990, and John would release two solo albums before legal disputes with Fantasy Records and a rejected third album (for Asylum Records) forced John to leave the music industry for several years before returning in 1985 with Centerfield.

L-R: John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook. 

‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain?’ remains one of the best Creedence Clearwater Revival songs and a highpoint at both John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revisited shows alike. Although open to different interpretations, the song takes on a certain potency when the true message is revealed. With no guitar solo or rhythmic changes of note, the emotions of loss and mourning are portrayed almost entirely through the vocals, giving us an insight into Fogerty’s mind during this period. The song’s ‘staying power’ comes from the universal emotions experienced during the song, allowing almost anyone to relate to the sentiments therein: loss, fear and mourning the inability to change the inevitable.

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[i] Admittedly, however, the assertion that “for all [his] time [,the] sun [has been] cold” leads us to believe that fame may have been a bittersweet victory for Fogerty anyway.

[ii] Fogerty’s tendency towards ambiguous lyrics leads the song to be often misinterpreted as a Vietnam protest song, the ‘rain’ often understood to be a metaphor for Agent Orange or napalm ‘comin’ down’ over Charlie. Indeed, compared to a lot of other rock bands of the time, Creedence prided themselves on their association with blue-collar workers (one of the demographics who were most likely to be drafted) and rarely risked alienating their core audience by speaking out against the war. Ultimately, ‘Fortunate Son’, written by Fogerty following his mandatory stint in the army reserves, is the only song by the band that can be considered to be a direct response to America’s involvement in the Vietnam war, with ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’, ‘Bad Moon Rising’, and ‘Run Through the Jungle’ often wrongly-assumed to be protesting the war (the final two actually referencing gun crime and the film, ‘The Devil and Daniel Webster’, respectively).

Halestorm – ‘Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde’ (EP) Review

It’s been a long three years waiting for some original Halestorm tracks since 2009’s frankly phenomenal debut. A live album and a covers EP (in 2010 and 2011 respectively) somewhat placated loyal fans, and now, in an increasing line of album appetisers designed to keep the hungry fan from starvation, we have Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde, an EP showcasing four of the tracks off of Halestorm’s upcoming album (set for release this April).

The E.P. kicks off with the fast and furious ‘Love Bites (But So Do I)’, an erotic ode further demonstrating frontwoman Lzzy’s Hale’s love of lust, with her throat ripping scream at the end of the third verse proving that this is far more than mere sexual hubris. ‘Rock Show’ quickly follows (ironically the track that most shows Halestorm’s pop sensibilities), a track that places you right in the pit for your favourite band during those few precious seconds between the lights coming down and the band diving head first into the first song. However, whilst the vocals, pounding bass line, and extensive use of reverb work to accomplish this, the frustratingly weak lead guitar tone stops this from being an entirely consuming experience.

Lzzy Hale of Halestorm

We are then treated to ‘Daughters of Darkness’ where Lzzy, aligning herself with Joan Jett, Suzi Quatro and others of the like, brazenly asserts her place in the pack of girls that gave the middle finger to those who said that women shouldn’t play guitar. Drummer Arejay militarily marches through the track, while the barrage of sound produced by the guitars and gang vocals builds a wall of resistance, stopping all the ‘haterz’ in their tracks. But it is the last track on this short, four song E.P. that really captivates. ‘Here’s To Us’, a camaradic drinking ballad, is one of those beautiful songs that for many will become part of the soundtrack of their lives. The melodic, slow moving guitar, with just a touch of synth thrown in for good measure, in the verses invokes a montage of sepia infused memories of good times spent with old friends. ‘Here’s to Us’ does that thing that is often so hard to do in the context of rock and metal music; it acts as a friend in song form – when you’ve had a shit day, ‘Here’s to Us’ places its arm around your shoulder, hands you a drink, and tells you that tomorrow will be here soon.

8/10

Halestorm’s ‘The Strange Case of…’ is due for release in the UK  on April 9th and in the US on April 10th.