The "Ultimate Grammy® Collection" Spotlight
In conjunction with the upcoming 50th Annual Grammy® Awards, Shout! Factory and Grammy Recordings have released seven genre-specific ULTIMATE GRAMMY® COLLECTION CD's – two within the country music genre. The Classic Country compilation from the Ultimate Grammy Collection features a wide variety of your classic favorites – including Roger Miller, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. The Classic Country collection starts off with Roger Miller’s “King Of The Road” – a song which won an incredible 6 GRAMMY Awards back in 1965. This project goes on to cover additional highlights between the years of 1965 and 1982. “A Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash won two Grammy’s in 1969, and Crystal Gayle’s “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” also walked away with two awards in 1977. A few of the other “two award” winners were Kenny Rogers with “The Gambler” and Dolly Parton with “9 To 5” in 1981. Willie Nelson rounds out the project with “Always On My Mind” which won 3 GRAMMY Awards in 1982.
The Contemporary Country collection showcases GRAMMY favorites from 1990 until 2006 – including Vince Gill, The Judds, LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, Trisha Yearwood, Tim McGraw and most recently, Carrie Underwood. The Judds sing their powerful hit from 1991 – “Love Can Build A Bridge”. LeAnn Rimes won 3 GRAMMY Awards in 1996, mostly in part from her single, “Blue.” In 2003, June Carter Cash received the GRAMMY awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “Keep On The Sunny Side” and also Best Traditional Folk Album for Wildwood Flower. Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying” was one of the top releases from 2004 – and at the GRAMMY’s he took home the awards for Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance. The Contemporary Country album ends with “Jesus, Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. “Jesus, Take The Wheel” was Carrie’s debut single reaching the top of the country charts. The song's success also lead to Carrie’s 3 GRAMMY wins in 2006 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Best New Artist, and Best Country Song.
The country albums from the Ultimate GRAMMY® Collection are unique and offer a variety of favorites throughout the years. There’s definitely a song for everyone on the albums – whether you like the classics or whether you prefer the contemporary hits… Another notable aspect of this collection is the fact that a portion of the proceeds from the Ultimate Grammy® Collection series will be donated to the MusiCares Foundation ® and The GRAMMY Foundation ®. You can enjoy two incredible albums, all the while helping raise money for the MusiCares and The GRAMMY Foundations. The Ultimate Grammy® Collection would make a great collector’s item for any country music fan. For more information on the Ultimate GRAMMY® Collection – or the other genres released, visit their official website at: www.ultimategrammycollection.com
Track Listings:
Ultimate GRAMMY® Collection: Classic Country (January 8)
1. Roger Miller “King Of The Road”
2. Jeannie C. Riley “Harper Valley P.T.A.”
3. Tammy Wynette “Stand By Your Man”
4. Johnny Cash “A Boy Named Sue”
5. Lynn Anderson “Rose Garden”
6. Ray Price “For The Good Times”
7. Johnny Cash & June Carter “If I Were A Carpenter”
8. Jerry Reed “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot”
9. Donna Fargo “Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A.”
10. Crystal Gayle “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”
11. Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys”
12. Kenny Rogers “The Gambler”
13. The Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”
14. George Jones “He Stopped Loving Her Today”
15. Dolly Parton “9 To 5”
16. Willie Nelson “Always On My Mind”
Ultimate GRAMMY® Collection: Contemporary Country (January 8)
1. Vince Gill “When I Call Your Name”
2. Mary Chapin Carpenter “Down At The Twist And Shout”
3. The Judds “Love Can Build A Bridge”
4. Brooks & Dunn “Hard Workin’ Man”
5. Dwight Yoakam “Ain’t That Lonely Yet”
6. Asleep At The Wheel and Lyle Lovett “Blues For Dixie”
7. The Mavericks “Here Comes The Rain”
8. LeAnn Rimes “Blue”
9. Alison Krauss and Union Station “Looking In The Eyes Of Love”
10. Trisha Yearwood “How Do I Live”
11. George Jones “Choices”
12. June Carter Cash “Keep On The Sunny Side”
13. Tim McGraw “Live Like You Were Dying”
14. Gretchen Wilson “Redneck Woman”
15. Emmylou Harris “The Connection”
16. Carrie Underwood “Jesus, Take The Wheel”
A preview of Sunday’s big show (February 10, 2008 at 7 p.m. ct on CBS)
The Country music genre is again representing at this years 50th Annual Grammy® Awards, coming up on Sunday, February 10, 2008. Vince Gill is nominated for Album Of The Year for his 4-CD set “These Days”. Taylor Swift, who helped announced the nominees, was shocked and excited to hear that she was nominated in the multi-genre category, Best New Artist. Swift’s self-titled debut album has sold over 2 million copies since its release and it is now in its 13th week at the top of the Billboard’s Country Album Sales chart. Country music songwriters Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins are nominated in the Song Of The Year category for their song “Before He Cheats” – which Carrie Underwood took to the top of the country charts for an astonishing 5 weeks.
Though Bon Jovi is still considered to be Pop or Rock… their latest release, “Lost Highway” was influenced heavily by the Nashville music scene. “Lost Highway” is nominated for the Best Pop Vocal Album. Alison Krauss is known for her country and bluegrass roots, but after collaborating with Robert Plant on “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” she finds herself with a nomination for the Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
The actual country field nominations include everything from Best Country Collaboration With Vocals, and Best Country Song to Best Country Album and Best Male (and Female) Country Vocal Performance. Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson are up in the collaboration category with their recent hit, "Because Of You" along with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill for “I Need You.” Other collaborations included Steve Earle & Allison Moorer, Willie Nelson & Ray Price and Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood.
Tim McGraw is also nominated for Best Country Album for Let It Go, in addition to George Strait, (It Just Comes Natural) Brad Paisley, (5th Gear) Vince Gill (These Days) and Dierks Bentley (Long Trip Alone). Two of McGraw's songs are also nominated in the Best Country Song category where the award goes to the songwriters. Songwriters Tony Lane and David Lee are nominated for McGraw and Faith Hill's hit, "I Need You". And, McGraw along with Brad Warren and Brett Warren are the writer’s behind the touching song, “If You’re Reading This”. They are up against the songwriters for “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood (written by Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins), “Give It Away” by George Strait (written by Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon & Jamey Johnson) and “Long Trip Alone” by Dierks Bentley (written by Dierks Bentley, Brett Beavers & Steve Bogard.)
The 50th Annual GRAMMY® Awards will be broadcast live February 10, 2008 at 7 p.m. ct on CBS. Performers will include Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley… and others. For more information on The Recording Academy or to see all nominations, please visit their official site at: www.grammy.com
Country music nominee list: http://www.countrymusiconline.net/grammyawards50.html
Full nominee list: http://www.grammy.com/Grammy_Awards/50th_show/list.aspx
