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Hag's Next Album

Posted: 21 Apr 2000 2:36 am
by P Gleespen
I just found a blurb about next Hag album on country.com. Here it is:

Haggard Discusses Next CD For Punk Label
Last month we reported Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard signed a one-album deal with punk label Epitaph Records. Hag talks about his decision to go with the California-based indie label in a recent press release issued by Epitaph. "I'm working with a rock and roll label on purpose," he says, "in hopes that they have the knowledge to sell records, because the people in the
circle I've been around don't seem to have the ability or the desire. I feel, in judging my own music, that I'd be much more comfortable performing on the same show with Eric Clapton or Bonnie Raitt than pretty much any of the artists being billed as country today."
Haggard is currently mixing the new record at his studio in Northern California. The self-produced album features his longtime band, The Strangers, and will be released this fall on Epitaph imprint Anti Inc. "This record is a continuation of my life story in music," the singer says. "Its songs are about real events, with real people playing the
music. I've made an effort on this album not to over-refine, but to give it to you as raw as possible, because that's the way I like it. I'm giving it a higher score than any album I've made to date -- but what the hell do I know?"

Primarily known for releasing punk albums by acts such as Rancid, Offspring, Bad Religion, Joe Strummer and the Descendents, Epitaph released Tom Waits' latest album, Mule Variations, on Anti Inc. The project won a Grammy this year for Best Contemporary Folk Album and, according to Epitaph, has sold a million copies worldwide. "Anti Inc.'s mission is to provide successful recording artists who are disillusioned with the corporate music establishment a new way of doing business that makes sense artistically and economically," says Epitaph Records owner Brett Gurewitz. "It's an honor to work with Merle Haggard, who is a true artist and a maverick. It's a real privilege to provide him with the type of working environment that he deserves."

Posted: 21 Apr 2000 3:50 am
by Joe Casey
All right Hag,we don't care if you record in Cuba we want more Hag country on the Market.Maybe 102ROCK will give you airplay,now wouldn't that be something?

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CJC



Posted: 21 Apr 2000 11:08 am
by Ron Page
Yeah baby! This is good news. Thanks for posting it.

Hag music is tops! Who cares what label it's on?

Live at Billy Bob's Texas is a GREAT album, but it leaves Hag fans starving for new releases.

Hag has over 130 unreleased recordings in his library (mostly from that home studio, I hear).

Maybe Norm Hamlet will post here to get the juices really flowing.

Even I wouldn't mind hearing Bonnie and Eric and my next Hag show.

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HagFan

Posted: 21 Apr 2000 4:09 pm
by Bobby Lee
Has anyone recorded on more different labels than Merle? To make things worse, each of them has put out a "Greatest Hits" CD or two. He goes through labels like my sister-in-law goes through husbands!

Posted: 21 Apr 2000 4:21 pm
by Robbie Bossert
Hey Bobby,
Traditional country artists like Hag have to take what they can get. The industry's not exactly beating down their door and begging them make country records. But yes, he has had his share. I say keep 'em comin'!
Robbie
SGWM

Posted: 21 Apr 2000 6:23 pm
by The Dobro Man
It is true that Stars of the Past have a hard time. They can't get their Records played on Radio at all, except for an occassional Oldies Country Show.

If Merle would put one or two of his songs on www.mp3.com and place a CD for sale there, he would make it to the Number One Position in the MP3 Com Country Charts, and get heard by thousands of people, but maybe it's beneath him, I don't know.

Waylong Jennings Music is on MP3 com Country, And so are some other big name Country Music Stars there. The songs that are put up by the Big Stars are usually songs no one knew they ever recorded. The Waylon song on MP3 Com is "Burning Memories" which was a big hit by Ray Price. I never heard the song by Waylon until it appeared on MP3 com country. His song made it to Number one on MP3 com country and has been on the MP3 com country Charts for a least 4 months.

Kenny Rodgers Recording of "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town" is in tne #12 position of MP3 Com Country. Kenny Rodgers presently has a hit CD on the Bill Board Charts, near the top, in Country. Not bad for a Singer who had his First real hit over 32 years ago as "Kenny Rodgers and The First Edition."

I bet if Merle Haggard would put any song up on MP3 com it would go to Number 1 on the MP3 com country Charts, and go up so fast it would make your head swim.

By the Way, the Eagles had one of their Recordings on MP3 com in the Rock Genere, which made it to number one in that Genre.


Not much Steel Guitar on MP3 com country, not solo Steel Guitar anyway. Of course a lot of Steel Guitar on the Singers Recordings. There are a couple of Steel Guitar Solo instrumentals that are on the Country, Western Swing Charts of MP3 Com.

I have two songs in the Western Swing Charts of MP3 com as "The Guitar Man" instead of "The Dobro Man"

I do have some Dobro Songs that have done well in downloads over a time time period in the Country Genre of MP3 com. In Fact my 10 minutes long Recording of "Resonator Blues" had more downloads than any song I have ever posted on MP3 com. I never thought anyone would ever download a Ten Minute Song. But Some people had told me my songs were too short, so I thought I'd show em with a Ten Minute Recording, and the Listens and and dowloads were big time for at least two months. What a surprise that was too me.

I certainly don't claim to be the best slide dobro player, but I get by and my slide Dobro songs have made me a lot of money on MP3 com, in Country. If I was a Josh Graves, Mike Auldridge, or Jerry Douglas, I could get rich from Slide Dobro Downloads on MP3 com.

If I could sing as well as Merle Haggard, I'd get rich from the listens and download royalties over in MP3 com Country. I Sure would love to see Merle put a song in the Country Genre of www.mp3.com

If Merle had one or two songs on MP3 com, it would get more Country Fans there that might download my Guitar Instrumentals. If he had songs there, he would be back at the top of the charts, in MP3 com country anyway, the way he was on the top of the Charts back in the 60s.


Lee The Dobro Man here

How I love Slide Dobro and Steel Guitar



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The Dobro Man

Posted: 21 Apr 2000 11:15 pm
by Jason Odd
Epitath came out in the late 1980's as faras I know. In 1989 they had an Lp by some 'Ska Punksters' known as the Offspring. They got really crap reviews and to this day remain a crap band. Oh yeah they sell truckloads of Cd's..hmm can little ol' Epitath be on to something?
Actually I have the Tom Waitts CD, it's the best thing he has done this decade and is easily one of his best releases ever.
Hopefully Hag and the Strangers can replicate this.
This will probably get him some rock airplay, pretty cool and like Joe Casey says
<SMALL>we don't care if you record in Cuba we want more Hag country on the Market</SMALL>
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Posted: 24 Apr 2000 2:06 am
by P Gleespen
Indeed, I think that Epitaph may be able to provide a new audience for Merle, much in the same way that Johnny Cash's recordings for the (Def) American label did for him (Cash).
I think that many of us here on the forum would be surprised at the high level of interest in traditional country that exists in the "alternative music" world. (One of the biggest Hank Williams fans I've ever met is the drummer in Unsane, a band surely that would NEVER be considered country!)
This could work out really well for Merle, I think.
But for sure, the best part of all of this is...there's a new Hag album coming out soon!