Callin' Baton Rouge

Last updated

"Callin' Baton Rouge" is a country music song written by Dennis Linde. The song has been recorded by multiple artists since its composition. It was notably recorded by American country singer and songwriter Garth Brooks whose version was a chart-topping single in the 1990s.

Contents

Content and recorded versions

"Callin' Baton Rouge" is an up-tempo song with a bluegrass sound. In it, the male narrator, presumably a truck driver, is attempting to make contact with a female ("such a strange combination of a woman and a child") named Samantha, whom he met the night before in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

It was originally recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys on their 1978 album Room Service . [1] It was then recorded by Billie Jo Spears for her 1980 album Standing Tall . [2]

New Grass Revival version

New Grass Revival recorded the song on their 1989 album Friday Night in America , produced by Garth Fundis and Wendy Waldman for Capitol Records. [3] It was the first of two singles from that album. In addition, it was the band's only Top 40 hit on the Billboard country singles charts, where it peaked at number 37. "Let Me Be Your Man" was the b-side. [4]

Chart (1989)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [5] 33
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [6] 37

Personnel

Garth Brooks version

"Callin' Baton Rouge"
Callin Baton Rouge single.jpg
Single by Garth Brooks
from the album In Pieces
B-side "Same Old Story"
ReleasedAugust 1, 1994
Genre
Length2:38
Label Liberty 18136
Songwriter(s) Dennis Linde
Producer(s) Allen Reynolds
Garth Brooks singles chronology
"Hard Luck Woman"
(1994)		"Callin' Baton Rouge"
(1994)		"The Red Strokes"
(1994)

Garth Brooks recorded the song on his 1993 album In Pieces . The song was recorded at Jack's Track's Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, produced by Allen Reynolds, and backing Brooks were acoustic guitarists Mark Casstevens and Pat Flynn, electric guitarist Chris Leuzinger, keyboardist Bobby Wood, resonator guitarist Jerry Douglas, drummer Milton Sledge, mandolinist/fiddler/backing vocalist Sam Bush, bass guitarist Mike Chapman, banjo player Béla Fleck and backing vocalist John Cowan.

Background and recording

Brooks provided the following background information on the song in the CD booklet liner notes from The Hits :

"I have always been a fan of "Baton Rouge." I was, still am, and always will be a fan of the members of New Grass Revival, four guys well ahead of their time (even if they came out thirty years from now). "Baton Rouge" was a single for them about the time my first album was released. This song did not even break the top thirty, and I believe it did not get a fair shot. When we recorded it, it seemed only natural to bring in the guys from New Grass Revival – Pat Flynn, Bela Fleck, John Cowan, and Sam Bush, teamed with Jerry Douglas. This was the first time the New Grass Revival had been together since their breakup over a year prior to the recording of this song. It was a very good day and an extremely proud moment, and I think this is reflected in the cut itself." [8]

Chart performance

Brooks's version, the album's fifth single, peaked at number two on the U.S. country singles charts, and number one on the RPM country charts in Canada.

Chart (1994)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [9] 1
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [10] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1994)Position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [11] 50
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [12] 58

Appearances

Brooks's version is the pre-game song for the LSU football team and run out song for the LSU Tigers baseball team. It is also the version that is played at 2am when all of the college bars in Baton Rouge's “Tigerland” are closing down. Brooks’ version is also played during the nightly dances at 4-H University, the Louisiana State 4-H Convention, held at LSU. The song is usually the last to be played nightly at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center after LSU Tigers men's and women's basketball games and gymnastics meets.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Bush</span> American mandolinist

Charles Samuel Bush is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Grass Revival</span> American progressive bluegrass band

New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, releasing more than twenty albums as well as six singles. Their highest-charting single is "Callin' Baton Rouge", which peaked at No. 37 on the U.S. country charts in 1989 and was a Top 5 country hit for Garth Brooks five years later.

Pat Flynn is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, best known for his tenure with New Grass Revival from 1981–89.

<i>Double Live</i> (Garth Brooks album) 1998 live album by Garth Brooks

Double Live is the first live album by American country music singer Garth Brooks. It was released on November 17, 1998, and is a two-disc compilation of live songs, recorded during Brooks's 1996–98 world tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cowan</span> Musical artist

John Cowan is an American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival. Cowan became the band's bassist in 1972 after the departure of original bassist Ebo Walker and was noted as being the only member of New Grass Revival not to come from a bluegrass background.

<i>Hold to a Dream</i> 1987 studio album by New Grass Revival

Hold to a Dream is the eighth album by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1987. The lead-off single "Unconditional Love" reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. In 1988, "Can't Stop Now" reached number 45.

<i>Sevens</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Garth Brooks

Sevens is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 25, 1997, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and on the Top Country Albums chart. To date, it is Brooks' last studio album to be certified diamond by the RIAA. The album also topped the Country album charts in Britain for several months and crossed over into the mainstream pop charts. His duet with Trisha Yearwood, "In Another's Eyes", won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals at the Grammy Awards of 1998. Sevens was nominated for the Best Country Album Grammy the following year.

<i>In Pieces</i> (Garth Brooks album) 1993 studio album of country music by Garth Brooks

In Pieces is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 31, 1993, by Liberty Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Night a Day</span> 1994 single by Garth Brooks

"One Night a Day" is a song recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in May 1994 as the fourth single from his album In Pieces and also appears on The Limited Series. A live version of the song appears on The Road album in Brooks' 2016 box set, The Ultimate Collection. The song was written by Gary Burr and Pete Wasner. This song, predominantly featuring the piano and saxophone, is noted for its unique jazz stylings.

<i>Friday Night in America</i> Album by New Grass Revival

Friday Night in America is a studio album by progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1989. The album includes the single "Callin' Baton Rouge", the band's only Top 40 hit on Hot Country Songs. Both it and "Do What You Gotta Do" were later released as singles by Garth Brooks: the former in 1993 from his album In Pieces, and the latter in 2000 from his album Sevens. The band promoted the album by touring with Emmylou Harris.

<i>Live</i> (New Grass Revival album) 1984 live album by New Grass Revival

Live is a live album by New Grass Revival, recorded on June 3, 1983, during the first bluegrass festival in France, Toulouse Bluegrass Festival, and released in 1984. It was the first New Grass Revival album to include Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn.

<i>On the Boulevard</i> 1984 studio album by New Grass Revival

On the Boulevard is the sixth studio album by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1984. It is the first of four studio albums from the group's last lineup.

<i>Anthology</i> (New Grass Revival album) 1990 compilation album by New Grass Revival

Anthology is a 1990 compilation album by progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival.

<i>Grass Roots: The Best of the New Grass Revival</i> 2005 compilation album by New Grass Revival

Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival is a compilation album by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 2005.

<i>New Grass Revival</i> (1986 album) 1986 studio album by New Grass Revival

New Grass Revival is the seventh studio album by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1986.

<i>Best of New Grass Revival</i> 1994 greatest hits album by New Grass Revival

Best of New Grass Revival is a 1994 compilation album by progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival. The cuts feature the 1981–1989 lineup of the band. A second compilation was released in 2005 under the title Grass Roots: The Best of the New Grass Revival featuring this lineup as well as earlier band members.

<i>Deviation</i> (Béla Fleck album) 1984 studio album by Béla Fleck

Deviation is an album by American banjoist Béla Fleck, released in 1984. It was recorded with the second classic line-up of the New Grass Revival, consisting of Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, John Cowan and Pat Flynn. The album was dedicated to the memory of Steve Goodman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do What You Gotta Do</span> 2000 single by Garth Brooks

"Do What You Gotta Do" is a song written by guitarist Pat Flynn and recorded by New Grass Revival for their 1989 Capitol album Friday Night in America. The song was also recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in January 2000 as fifth and final single from the 1997 album Sevens. The song reached number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts and peaked at number 18 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

The Garth Brooks World Tour is a concert tour by American country music artist Garth Brooks from 1993–1994. Spanning ten countries in less than two years, it was Brooks' most travelled tour to date, and his third concert tour. It launched in support of his 1993 album, In Pieces, and visited many cities throughout North America, Europe, Oceania, and South America.

The Garth Brooks World Tour is a concert tour by American country music artist Garth Brooks. Launching in support of Brooks' albums, Fresh Horses (1995), and later Sevens (1997), the tour followed Brooks' 1993–94 tour and also featured appearances by Trisha Yearwood. The tour ran from March 12, 1996, to November 22, 1998 for a total of 220 concerts. Even though this was Brooks' final concert tour before his retirement in 2001, it drew record-breaking crowds in North America, two places in Ireland, and one place in South America, becoming the third-most attended concert tour of all time, as well as one of the decade's highest-grossing concert tours.

References

  1. ↑ "Room Service (Liner Notes)". MCA Records . May 1978. 31113.
  2. ↑ Spears, Billie Jo (February 1980). "Standing Tall (Disc Information)". United Artists Records . LT-1018 (LP); 4LT-1018 (Cassette).
  3. ↑ Johnson, Zac. "Friday Night in America review". Allmusic . Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 297. ISBN   978-0-89820-177-2.
  5. ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6423." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. July 24, 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  6. ↑ "New Grass Revival Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  7. ↑ Case, Wesley (January 30, 2016). "Armed with hits, Garth Brooks finds a home in Baltimore". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  8. ↑ Garth Brooks – The Hits: transcription from the CD booklet (bar code 7-2438-29689-2-4)
  9. ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2639." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. October 31, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Garth Brooks Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  11. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1994". RPM . December 12, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Best of 1994: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.