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A group of Nashville music industry professionals, calling themselves
the Honky Tonkers for Truth, decided it was time that a country song
take issue with Presidential policy, (much like Darryl Worley's, Have
You Forgotten and Toby Keith's, What they had in a matter of days was, Takin' My Country Back, penned by David Kent (Austin by Blake Shelton and other country hits), a stone-cold country song clearly criticizing the President's record. With just a "demo vocal" of the song, they went directly to the top: Tim Dubois (President, Universal South Records); Mike Dungan (President, Capitol Records); Don Cook (Producer, Brooks & Dunn); Garth Fundis (Producer, Trisha Yearwood) for starters. Without exception, these Music Row executives loved the song. What the Honky Tonkers for Truth had on their hands was a hit...almost. What they didn't have was a "brand name" singer willing to put his/her career on the line by singing a song with a critical message. The Honky Tonkers for Truth are comprised of successful songwriters, publishers, producers, musicians, and attorneys. Even with their combined contacts, the best they could get from the "star" country artists they queried (all self-proclaimed Democrats) was a "maybe" and then, when their managers caught wind of it, "Sorry...and good luck." Enter, Tony Stampley, one of Nashville's most respected session singers and son of country legend, Joe Stampley. Tony's stellar performance of Takin My Country Back and his willingness, rather, his passion and enthusiasm, to be a part of country music's "other voice" inspired the Honky Tonkers for Truth to take the song directly to the world via radio, the internet, and any other means possible. Examples: 1) The lyrics of 2) Acclaimed Nashville journalist/reviewer, Robert K. Oermann, wrote in Music Row Magazine (10/8/04), "The war, the economy, tax cuts for the rich, sending jobs overseas...it's all here in one cleverly written package. Yes, it's topical. But it's also a real good country record." 3) Journalist, Neil Haislop, who provides the Nashville Update for GAC (Great American Country) television network wrote, "The Honky Tonkers for Truth, a grassroots Nashville-based organization, who support the troops overseas and love this country, have released a country track that expresses their sentiments for a change in Washington." 4) At this writing, the website: www.TakinMyCountryBack.com has been up for ten days. (Alas, it seems to be down now.) It's had 90,000 hits to date. 5) 30 and 60 second radio spots featuring the song 6) The ASSOCIATED PRESS featured Takin' My Country Back in the 10/13/04 edition of The AP Morning Prep. They service SIX THOUSAND radio stations. The Honky Tonkers for Truth support our troops overseas, believe in family, faith and freedom, and deeply love this country. What we disagree with is, the image and the misconception that all people in the country music industry support the current administration. For those who differ with our opinion, we respect your right to speak freely, defend your position, and express yourself because, we believe in the rights provided to ALL of us by The First Amendment. So far, there has been nothing on country radio to reflect our sentiment and, there are millions of country music lovers who feel the same way we do. All we're asking for is EQUAL TIME on the airwaves. To hear this brave song free of charge, go to: www.TakinMyCountryBack.com The Honky Tonkers for Truth welcome inquiries and interviews by any and all members of the media. Contact: info@TakinMyCountryBack.com Nashville-based activist Kim Webber is a proud member of Music Row Democrats. From the Tennessee Socialist Party:
"Thursday, October 21, 2004 "They thought they had us ... "They took religion, sports and cars, and were heaven-bent on takin' our country music. For awhile they were shittin' out nationalist pop-hymns from Lee Greenwood to Toby Keith. "A coven of big-biz corporate suits down there on music row was workin' the formulas, churnin' out pre-fab songs for ruggedly okay white dudes in hats. Keepin' it simple, wavin' the flag, steering hard to the right. "But they'd left a huge chunk of their business, a whole buncha of us who like our rock shelves rounded out with everything from some classical, maybe some new-age internationale, but a big chunck of "country," folk-rock, shorn of that Nashvegas canned-pop wall o' sound. Those who write about Music Inc., do love their genre labels. Some spoke of "Americana," others, "roots-folk," and the downright terrrifying moniker of "cow-punk" -- think "rockabilly" and then some. "It's smacks of "hell with trends" approach to drawing from the breadth of American musical traditions. From the upbeat Gaelic sounds, with drone, that hails from Mountain and Bluegrass traditions to the old-west traditions -- the "swing" of Kansas, Oklahoma, even some o' Texas, with a Hank-cum-Merle "lonesome whipoorwhill" twang-vocal with simple rhythm throughout. The stuff Gram Parsons took to new heights while he took himself to new heights. Two verses, a chorus, maybe a bridge, with an obligatory fiddle or pedal-steel solo. "Yep. Thought they'd trademark deep-croonin', boot-scootin' twang-songs and leave it to the goat-ropers. Uh-uh. This here music sings the hopes n' dreams, bitches n' moans, and longings and cryings of white, wage-class Americans. And a whole lotta other'ns, too. "And they ain't all stupid, hell, not by far. Not stupid enough to goosestep to talk radio. Not stupid enough to fall for a fake good-ol'-boy, even if it wears a flight suit. And ain't nobody gonna piss on my Dixie-Chicks, Steve Earle, Drive-By-Truckers parade. "That's why some hard-workin' guys n' gals called the Honky Tonkers For Truth gave us a country anthem to leave Lee Greenwood in a forgotten spin zone:"
The LyricsTAKIN' MY COUNTRY BACK country music's got mamas and daddyswe got bar rooms and old heartbreak songs but i 'm here today to stand up and say how i feel about my home sweet home what's left, what's right and what's wrong... and
i’m takin’ my country back
we had a bundle in the treasury drawer
i’m takin’ my country back
now i can understand why you were hot
now you don’t know my name, but you know who i am
i’m takin’ my country back "Now -- all they need is some airplay. This is damn-good song with all the makins' of a hit. If "Takin' My Country Back" was conservatively correct, it'd be a hit for any number of hit acts. Randy Travis would salivate for a song this good. "Airplay, at least by old Nashvegas standards, might be hard to come by in a local music biz that often goes limp when the Right launches heat rounds. Anyone who felt threatened by the Dixie Chicks just might tremble at the sentiments of "Takin' My Country Back." A top-bucks label exec willing to go out on a limb would be wise to jump on this song." |
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