A few country mysteries

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Here are a few country music questions that I thought I'd bundle into one to see if anyone can answer:

1. In the 1990s, there was a singer on BNA named Ray Vega who charted with a song called "Remember When". Was it the same as this guy, or someone else? And if it was a different guy, who was he?

2. iTunes has an unusual mix of Doug Stone's "Addicted to a Dollar" that's way different than the album version. The electric guitar is louder, the vocals are different, and the fiddle and steel have been removed. Where on Earth did this mix come from? It's clearly not the single edit, so could it be that the song was remixed for Gordy, and iTunes has the version from the film?

3. I have heard that some stations refused to play Ronnie Milsap's "Stranger in My House". What was so controversial about this song?

4. Shooter Jennings' "4th of July" had a very spastic chart run that sent it all over the place: big gain, small drop, small gain, big drop, etc. etc. What was the cause of this? Backward bulleting? Confused PDs? Soft chart weeks? Ripple effect from the recurrent rule changing in August?

5. On what chart weeks did the former recurrent rules change (i.e., the change to #25, the change to #20, then the change to #15)? I know the "#15 in audience OR spins" was the week of 8/6/05, and the change to #10 was the week of 12/2/06.

[Uncle Lumpy]

Ok, no facts here but.... my interpitations.

(1.)Id say thats NOT the same Ray Vega. I never heard anything from him that I remember....but I do remember an album cover where he looked like a feminine k.d. lang. Well unless his lived on a steady diet of pizza for the last 20 years.

(3.) I think the Milsap tune was controversial, simply because it was SO pop/rockish for its time. You have to understand the time when that record came out....it was pretty radical.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Oct 5, 2008 20:10:07 GMT -5 Uncle Lumpy said:

he looked like a feminine k.d. lang.

I lol'd.

[Uncle Lumpy]

Actually with a SOBER mind this morning..... I think he may have cut a record with a brother too (maybe a twin?). The Vega Brothers sound familiar to anyone?

[flattlinesnoodle]

That's not the same Ray Vega-- but I think he switched genres for a single or two. I remember hearing him on AC, I think. I really liked "Remember When" although I thought the video was too much...

I can't say for sure-- but I think the Vega Brothers is Ray and his brother. I was on a yahoogroup for him -- but I didn't pay as much attention as I probably should have.

[edwin1961]

#3

To understand the Ronnie Milsap question, you 've had to live through that time.

The early 1980's was known as "The Urban Cowboy" era. Traditional country got a shot-in-the-arm in popularity. Radio stations were switching to country at an amazing rate. The song, I was Country When Country Wasn't Cool (1981) is somewhat an editorial of the time.

Then around 1983, the Urban Cowboy ear began to fade. Artists were coming up that were a bit morecontemporary: i.e. Lee Greenwood, Gary Morris, Earl Thomas Conley and others. Country was beginning to try to 'find it's identity again with a wider radio audience. (Much like what is happening today).
Ronnie MIlsap started to switch somewhat to this era of less steel guitars and fiddles. Now also remember, MTV was not just had an impact on pop/rock music. Country music started to see a new way to promote itself by producing videos. Ronnie Milsap's I Love My Car, also from 1983 hit the lower end of the pop chart all becaus ethe video of THIS song appeared on MTV. I also remember WTBS superstation started to show country videos on their Friday night video show. The former Mashville Network also began a show called Country Clips.

Country music didn't begin to revert back to a neo-traditional style until 1986 with the emergence of Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam and the growing popularity of The Judds.

I hope this paints a picture to understand why in fact the Ronnie Milsap song Stanger In My House wasn't higher on the T10.