THE BANJO IS BACK It’S a Clanky Little Five-String Instrument with a Bluegrass History That Thompson Square Joins Was All but Extinct in Mainstream Country Music
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BILLBOARD.BIZ/NEWSLETTER/EDITED BY TOM ROLAND, [email protected] APRIL 16, 2012 | PAGE 1 OF 17 INSIDE THE BANJO IS BACK It’s a clanky little five-string instrument with a bluegrass history that Thompson Square Joins was all but extinct in mainstream country music. But as Rascal Billboard Summit Flatts’ “Banjo” enters the top five on Hot Country Songs, it’s clear >page 4 that the banjo is once again relevant to contemporary country sound. Ilya Toshinsky has the distinct privilege of playing banjo on “Banjo,” though he’s hardly the only guy working it in Nashville studios. Producer Nathan Chapman plucked one on Taylor Keith Urban, Swift’s Jonathan Yudkin Vince Gill “Hall” Grammy Award-winning “Mean,” In $465k handles it on Big & Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” and >page 6 Keith Urban plays the banjo — or, to be precise, a six-string Deer- ing ganjo—on a bundle of songs that get heavy recurrent attention on country radio. In fact, Urban’s “Somebody Like You,” which cel- Blake Shelton ebrates its 10th anniversary this summer, was a significant factor Has Cause For in the banjo’s return to prominence. Celebration >page 6 “He has an extremely unique take on it,” says Urban’s co-producer Dann Huff, who is also one of Nashville’s most accomplished gui- Rascal Flatts performs “Banjo” with Steve Martin at tarists. “He has a way of attacking it. His is a real reckless banjo the ACM Awards. From left are group member Joe Don playing, and it stems from his style as a guitar player. When I play Rooney, Martin, Flatts banjo player Travis Toy and band Who The Heck a ganjo, I just do it as a utility—there’s nobody there, and I need thatmember Jay DeMarcus. Is “Mindy”? A sound. He makes it an extension of the guitar.” New Voice From The ascent of Rascal Flatts’ “Banjo”—also co-produced by Huff— Music Row >page 6 was uniquely timed. The song was in country’s top 10 when banjo legend Earl Scruggs died March 28, and Steve Martin—an INTRODUCING “MINDY” affirmed Scruggs devotee—was already booked to play banjo with You’ve gone through her to talk with her boss. You’ve Flatts when the band performed the song on the Academy of Coun- chatted with her about the weather. You’ve likely gotten Jason Aldean try Music Awards on April 1, the same day as Scruggs’ funeral in free CDs or backstage credentials from her. Finds Something Nashville. And yet, you’ve never stopped to ask her what she New To “Dew” >page 7 It was Scruggs, in fact, who inspired Toshinsky’s dogged pur- knows about the music business that you don’t. suit of the banjo. A veteran Music Row receptionist begins to give you “His touch, the sound, the feel, his rhythm, his overall musi- the perspective you never realized you needed with the cality is I think what really attracted me,” Toshinsky says. “I was introduction of “Ask ‘Mindy’” on page 6. 10 years old. I was growing up in Russia. I didn’t know anything You might have a question mark about her today. But about banjo or bluegrass, but what I heard was so compelling. He someday, you might well think of her as the 37203 ver- was like a little revolution inside my head that’s really kind of de- sion of “Dear Abby” or “Hints From Heloise.” Or just fined my life in a way.” that crazy woman with an opinion . Scruggs had that effect on people, even in locations where the BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 16, 2012 | PAGE 2 OF 17 banjo’s Appalachian associations were a bit out of place: on Toshinsky in the So- THIS WEEK AT CALLOUT AMERICA viet Union; on Béla Fleck in Queens, New York; and on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s John McEuen in Southern California. CASEY JAMES HAS TRACTION Scruggs employed a three-finger roll to build a wall of sound that compensated for the instrument’s unique sound. A banjo note makes an intense initial impact, FOR ‘CALL IT’ AT CALLOUT but has little “sustain” (as it’s called) and quickly trails off. Scruggs’ powerful use of that choppy characteristic was the final piece in building Bill Monroe’s vision “Let’s Don’t Call It a Night” from Casey James has consistently pro- for bluegrass. duced strong favorite scoring, and this week it stands as the No. 16 favor- The instrument became so identified with that genre, however, that it fell out ite. Younger 18- 34-year-olds spot it at No. 14 favorite, and core 35-44s are of favor in mainstream country, particularly as the Nashville Sound of the 1960s at No. 16 favorite. Young females respond at No. 11 favorite. Core males ushered in decades of Music Row bending the music to make it the No. 14 favorite. appeal to the general audience. The banjo’s rural connota- tion—the same trait that feeds the lyrics in “Banjo”—was Alan Jackson moves back into used in conjunction with extreme media portrayals. It was the No. 1 positive spot this week central to the musical themes of “The Beverly Hillbillies” with “So You Don’t Have to Love and “Hee Haw,” which lampooned country life, and to the Me Anymore” and also goes No. 1 soundtracks of “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Deliverance,” favorite with listeners 18+. Adults both remembered for dark, violent scenes. 25-44 concur with those No. 1 pos- TOM ROLAND Editor Scruggs, Roy Clark, John Hartford and session itive and favorite marks. Females [email protected] player Bobby Thompson (Jerry Reed’s “East Bound are at No. 1 favorite. Men 18+ grade and Down”) may have been astute musicians in that era, Jackson at No. 2. but their vehicle of choice was increasingly shunted into the bluegrass ghetto, a fact that astonished Toshinsky when he arrived in the United Thompson Square continues States in the 1990s with the now-defunct Bering Strait. to raise the “Glass” ceiling as the “It kind of freaked me out,” Toshinsky says. “I had to reshape my focus, and I song moves up to No. 4 song with JAMES picked up the electric guitar and really started working on that.” listeners 18-54. Core 35-44s are at In fact, Toshinsky estimates that 80% of his session work is still on guitar, though No. 1, while adults 25-44 are at No. he’s watched the banjo regain favor. Emily Robison gave it a bit of cool when the 3 and younger adults 18-34 are at Dixie Chicks took off in the late ’90s, andMark Casstevens’ 1997 banjo work No. 6. The 18-34s list it as their No. 16 favorite. “Glass” is strong on Tim McGraw’s “Just to See You Smile” brought additional traction. across a broad demo range with both male and female listeners. Fe - Urban’s “Somebody Like You” took it even farther, playing fewer notes than heard males are the strongest gender at No. 2, and male strength lies with in its traditional format and emphasizing the space between those notes when the 35-44s at No. 6. sound quickly decayed. “It’s hit pretty hard nowadays,” McGraw’s co-producer Byron Gallimore ob- Rascal Flatts stays strong as “Banjo” ranks No. 7, up from No. 10 two serves. “There are songs that the banjo kind of works in, and it makes it kind of perk weeks ago. It also plucks a No. 6 favorite score. Younger 18- to 34-year- and makes the track feel good.” olds register a No. 8 mark. Men are the strength at No. 4. Core females Huff views it as country’s version of the sequencer, a device that creates and loops 35-44 rank “Banjo” as their No. 1 favorite. exacting electronic rhythms in pop music. “The banjo is the perfect instrument for that,” he explains. “It really drives a lot The Lost Trailers’ “Underdog” is resonating well with country radio of country music because it’s so percussive and it speaks better than a guitar or listeners as they rank it their No. 13 song overall and No. 17 favorite. Core mandolin as far as that percussive element.” 35-44 listeners give it a No. 15 grade, and younger 18- to 34-year-olds are Still, Huff ironically resisted a banjo solo on “Banjo,” and he only turned Toshin- at No. 16. Females are the key gender at No. 11. Men 18+ are at No. 17 sky loose on it after Big Machine Label Group president/CEO Scott Borchetta positive and No. 18 favorite. insisted it would be a glaring omission. Toshinsky combined Fleck’s progressive —John Hart, Bullseye Marketing Research influence with Scruggs’ traditional bluegrass approach in fitting the clunky five- email: [email protected] string alongside the song’s arena-rock guitars. The result is a happy, energetic, BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 16, 2012 | PAGE 4 OF 17 radio-friendly hit, and Huff predicts it will open the door to a rash of banjo solos MOVERS & SHAKERS in the not-too-distant future before the instrument starts to lose favor again. For After 10 years as a part-timer with KAJA San Antonio, Bree Wagner has taken now, it’s oddly hip to play it. the station’s midday shift and will double as music director. Reach herhere . Pre- “It makes you feel an urgency,” Huff assesses. “There’s something about the miere Networks has begun airing “Big D and Bub- sound of it that [you associate with] the hills or the mountains.