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SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER 2009 VOL. 27 NO. 3 George Strait Releases "TWANG" Debuts at #1 on Billboard Charts On the cover of George Strait’s new album, can be found in the songwriting credits. Strait He likes to try new things, but he always stays TWANG, which debuted at #1 on the Bill- co-wrote three songs for his new album includ- within what he can do best, too.” board Country Music charts, he sits in the ing the debut single, “Living for the Night,” “Living for the Night” exemplifies Strait’s driver’s seat of a classic American Cadillac, which shot up the radio charts so quickly that forward-looking attitude. A moody, thoroughly strumming a toy guitar and mugging for the MCA Nashville had to move the street date of modern arrangement, Strait brings a subtly camera. It’s an unexpectedly playful photo for the album. Strait’s first songwriting contribu- nuanced vocal performance to the song that the Texas superstar, yet it perfectly captures tions since his debut album were a direct result both grounds it in Texas country yet embraces the animated energy he’s recently infused into of writing with his son Bubba Strait. fresh, contemporary sounds. his never-out-of-style brand of country music. “My son’s desire to write really inspired me,” “I actually think his voice keeps getting “When I got into that old Caddy, there was a Strait says. “After writing a few songs with better,” Brown says. “George is so subtle, and little guitar lying in the front seat,” Strait says Bubba, I had the idea to call and see if Dean so focused on expressing a song, that people of the photo shoot. “I picked it up and started Dillon wanted to come to my ranch and write don’t always realize just what an incredible clowning around with it, and the photographer with us. He did, we had a great time, and we singer he really is because he’s not showy. The kept shooting. It’s not a staged shot, by any were able to come up with a few songs.” tone he has, the way he phrases lines, the emo- means. When I started going through the pic- "It makes a papa proud to have my son con- tion he puts into them—there’s really no one tures, I saw this shot and thought it fit the feel tributing to the creation of this record,” Strait as good as he is at all that. He doesn’t think of of TWANG I was looking for.” admits. “We had a great time writing with each himself as a celebrity. He thinks of himself as In other words, Strait remains in the driver other and then Dean adding his magic made it an artist and a vocalist. He pays attention to seat—not just on the album cover, but as the even more special. I hope the people who buy every note.” person gunning the engine behind his on-the- this record have as much fun listening to it as I Strait and Brown credit the ocean air, with its move career. With a fresh string of No. 1 hits, had making it." cool breezes and lack of allergens, for bring- his first Grammy Award for Best Country Strait always knew TWANG would be ing out the best in Strait’s vocal tone, purity Album and two consecutive CMA Awards for something different—and special. “When I and power. “I feel like my voice is as good as Album of the Year plus honors for Song and was putting this album together I knew that I it's ever been, and the air in Key West suits it,” Single of the Year, Strait is as hot as ever— wanted to put some original material on it,” the singer says. “It also suits the players. It's and, as always, he seems to know just what Strait says. “That’s something I hadn't done in a laid-back atmosphere, as anyone who's ever will work best for him and for his time. a good while.” been to Key West knows, and that definitely On TWANG, he slips off into rocking coun- Producer Tony Brown sensed this spark, too. filters right into the studio.” try, Cajun and even a mariachi tune sung in Coming off of back-to-back award-winning As for stepping out, Strait takes on Texas Spanish, mixing it up with the wise ballads albums, Strait returned to Shrimpboat Sound bluesman Delbert McClinton’s “Same Kind of and dance-floor boot scooters that are as much Studio in Key West, Florida—owned by Crazy,” which McClinton co-wrote with Gary a part of him as his comes-to-it-naturally West- Strait’s friend Jimmy Buffett—determined to Nicholson. Brown credits the idea to record ern look. As always, Strait epitomizes what take chances and stretch himself. “The thing I the song to Strait. “It was a fun song to do and makes modern country music so relevant and love about George is he never gets stagnant,” we did it in one take,” Strait says, citing how so entertaining. And, as always, he makes it says Brown, one of country music’s most great the studio band sounds on the cut. “That look so easy. legendary producers. “He knows just how far says a lot for just how much everybody was The most important development on TWANG he can push the envelope without breaking it. (Continued of next page) STRAIT TALK March 12th & 13th Of 2010 For The 28th Annual GSTRC George Strait has selected the dates of for Monday, September 28th. Fan club mem- first-come basis and may be ordered at the March 12th and 13th of 2010 for his 28th bers can only purchase their tickets through following address: Annual George Strait Team Roping Classic to the George Strait website at www.georgestrait. be held at his San Antonio Rose Palace in San com and clicking on the Team Roping link at George Strait Team Roping Classic Antonio, Texas. The GSTRC is the largest the top of the page. Members will have to log PMB #452 open Team Roping competition in the country in their username and password, when prompt- 24165 IH-10 West with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash ed, in order to purchase a maximum of four Suite 217 and prizes awarded every year. tickets for each day. Only one purchase per San Antonio, Tx 78257-1159 483 teams competed for the title in 2009 member will be allowed. Tickets for the 2010 with Chad Masters and Jade Corkill leaving GSTRC will be $20 each and pre-sales will Any remaining tickets may be ordered by town with $88,995 each plus brand new begin at 9am Central Time and close at 8pm phone after October 5th by calling 210-698- Chevy Silverado Dually pick-ups from Central time. 0791. All tickets are non-refundable and can- Cavender Chevrolet of Boerne, TX and Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the not be exchanged for another day. All ticket Bruton Easy Pull Strait Extreme 3-horse slant general public at the George Strait website at sales are final. Additional postage will be trailers. www.georgestrait.com on Monday, October charged for ticket orders sent outside the For the first time ever, George Strait Fan 5th at 9am until sold out. Tickets to the gener- United States. All tickets are mailed through Club Members will get any early chance to al public will also be $20 per ticket per day. the U.S. Postal service as regular mail and purchase tickets with a one-day pre-sale set Tickets may also be purchased by mail on a will be mailed out in February of 2010. George Strait Releases "TWANG" (Continued from previous page) TWANG includes plenty of songs that hard- for Troubadour, and in April, he became only into it. I'm a Delbert fan, and I hope he likes it. core Strait fans expect, too. “Out of Sight Out the fifth artist ever named Artist of the Decade He's one of our Texas treasures.” of Mind”—another song written by the father by the Academy of Country Music. He also Then there’s the album’s biggest surprise: and son team—is a steel-guitar Texas country headlined the kick-off event at the Dallas Strait singing the Spanish lyrics of “El Rey,” a ballad that ranks with Strait’s most moving Cowboys new stadium, selling out the venue mariachi standard heard nightly across Mexico old-school performances, as is the beautiful is less than an hour. The concert was hailed and in Border States. “I've loved mariachi “Easy As You Go.” The sage wisdom in “The by the Dallas Morning News as “an extrava- music for years, and although I’m not fluent in Breath You Take” offers a mature take on life ganza” that “showcased Strait at the pinnacle Spanish, I’ve been trying to get better,” Strait that Strait has served up regularly and with of his musical game.” says. “‘El Rey’ has been a favorite song of great impact. Overall, Strait has sold more than 67 million mine for years, and I request it every chance I The romantic “I Gotta Get to You” is a mid- albums and has achieved 57 No. 1 singles, the get. So I decided to give it a shot. What a blast tempo tune that would have fit, and stood out, record for the most chart-topping hits by any that was.

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