She Won't Be Lonely Long
Encyclopedia
She Won't Be Lonely Long is the ninth studio album
by American country music
artist Clay Walker
, and was released on June 8, 2010, via Curb Records
. It is Walker's first studio album since 2007's Fall.
that featured the title track as well as "Jesse James" and his three previous singles from his last album. Walker revealed to The Plain Dealer that the album was originally scheduled to be released in April, he said, "It was going to come in April and we asked the label to move it back to June because we wanted to wait until we felt like the song was going to be in that No. 1 slot."
In an interview with The Daily Times, Walker commented on the new release, calling it his best work to date, “You're not going to be able to get 10 or 11 songs on an album that are all going to be classics, That's pretty much impossible, so you have to take from the plants that are available. This record is full of great songs. Usually, when I look at an album and weigh it out and pick out what could be the career records, I could look at them and know there was a least one on there. Sometimes two. This time, there's four — double the amount. I'm not really a big statistics guy, but this could be the biggest record of my career.” Walker told Country Weekly
, "This is our ninth studio album, so I think the bar is higher. You have to put out songs that are going to be better than previous songs that you've recoded because people already have some favorite Clay Walker songs. You've got to make songs that are going to fit in the stack of great ones."
In another interview, Walker stated "I definitely don’t feel like a rookie, but at the same time, I think the best years of my recording career are ahead of me. I believe if the good Lord wants it, who’s going to stop it?” In an interview with CMT
Walker said, "Whenever you've had hits like we have, fans expect something extraordinary from you. They already have songs [from you] that they love and have memories with and that are very dear to them. They want to hear something as good as -- or better than -- the hits. That is a pretty difficult task and [it's] what took the time. We just couldn't go out there with something less than spectacular."
During a performance on Fox News, Walker said, "The goal on this record was to make every song have one or two lines in it that people could hang their hat on. Walker told The Boot, "She Won't Be Lonely Long' is the best album I think I've ever recorded, from start to finish. We've had some big hits, and I've enjoyed all of them, but as far as complete albums go, my first album is the only one where I've ever looked back and said from start to finish that's a completely, absolutely, no-regret album. Now I'm saying the same thing with this one. And that's the first time I've done that in a long time." Walker told Nashville Music Guide, "I’ve been doing this a good long while, and I’ve never once seen the caliber of songs that I have on this record. I was so blown away by the songs Curb played me. I walked into an A&R meeting, one of the last ones before I went in to record. They played me four songs, and I recorded all four songs. All four were smashes."
Walker told the Albuquerque Journal
, that he can sense what songs will be hits on his albums and he said, "I think by now I should be able to recognize one, but you know I have always felt like I knew the country music audience well. I think that's my strength, recognizing songs that people really do like. Most of the time, it is the kind of song I personally gravitate to and genuinely like. Looking back, it's rare that I think a certain cut is a charter and it's not in reality." Walker also discussed recording "Feels so Right" by saying, "I've loved that song for most of my life. When I was 12, my mom and I went and saw Alabama play, and when they did that song, I saw how happy it made her and all the different emotions on her face. It moved me on a deep level and I never forgot that. I have always wanted to track that song and jumped at the opportunity to go in the studio with Randy Owen and record it. And now that I have, it's not only nostalgic when I was a child, but it is as relevant today, as an adult that can share that with his mother. ... I'll never forget the day I called her and told her I was going to cover it. She was so excited."
Walker told Desert Life Style about the process of selecting songs for the album by saying, "It takes awhile to find great songs. Sometimes they’ll fall in your lap but it’s a process that’s not easy. It can be grueling; you may look for a year to find eight or 10 songs that would actually make a complete album. In the 90s we recorded albums a lot quicker. You had about three months to get everything together and the process was a lot faster. There were some great songs that came out but there were fewer great “albums.” Now, I like the process more because every song needs to be chosen as if it were going to be a single. To me there is no such thing as filler material anymore, which was a term used in the 90s. There isn’t filler anymore because of the digital age. It’s really making people be more on their game because there is so much to choose from."
The Governor of Texas
, Rick Perry
, will be using Walker's song "All American” as his campaign song
for the 2012 Presidential election
. Walker told Fox and Friends, "He said he wanted to use the song, what do you think, and I said I'm flattered, I'm honored, and the song just talks about good hometown values and that is what Rick is about, he's a blue collar guy."
The album also features a duet with Randy Owen
, formerly the lead singer of Alabama
, on a rendition of Alabama's "Feels So Right
."
reviewer Jessica Phillips rated the album three stars out of five, calling it "another solid release" from the singer. Her review praises the ballads, as well as "Jesse James" and the "Feels So Right" cover, but refers to "All American" and "Summertime Song" as "clunkers." Also giving it three stars out of five, Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek praised the album for its "straight-up, mainstream contemporary country" sound but said that it did not reflect a change in sound from Fall.
The Associated Press
wrote "Walker keeps coming back, thanks to savvy song selection and a friendly, romantic style that fits well with country radio. His latest album shows why Walker continues to deserve his place in modern country music. Bobby Peacock of Roughstock gave the album four stars writing, "At the very least, the album proves that Walker's already impressive career is far from over, and may even be at the opening of a new chapter." The website, the That Nashville Sound gave the album a rating of three and a half stars writing, "Overall, the album has no tricks, isn’t revolutionary and has no novelties. It’s just good consistent country music- just like Walker’s career."
Don Chance of Times Record News
gave the album an A rating and wrote "Kicking comfortably mid-tempo with the title track, Walker somehow manages to make brand new music seem as familiar as his string of hits, and I wasn't sure that was even possible. I'm pretty sure this one will be among my Top 10 albums for the year. Chance also listed the album as the sixth best of 2010 and said, "he really impressed me with his dedication to solid country music." Bruce Leperre of the Winnipeg Free Press
gave the album a positive review by writing "The white hat wearin', big ol' buckle sportin' Texan's 11th album may not offer any surprises but it's his strongest offering in quite some time." Karlie Justus of The 9513 gave the album three stars and wrote, "She Won’t Be Lonely Long won’t disappoint longtime fans looking for a fix and boasts plenty of worthwhile, radio-ready singles that sound at once deliciously vintage and effortlessly modern. Unfortunately, Walker also seems intent on upping his 2010 street cred with stereotypical, dime-a-dozen album filler in line with some of today’s most popular country stars."
Ben Walker of The Oklahoman
gave the album a mixed review and wrote, "Walker has an easy and pleasurable voice, and his singing sounds so effortless that he can make a mediocre tune into a good one." He also stated, "She Won't Be Lonely Long" has enough good songs like "People in Planes" (destined to be a No. 1 hit) and a few others to make the album worthwhile. But this won't get Walker back to selling out arenas and hanging platinum records on the wall." Nikita Palmer of Citadel Digital gave the album a positive review and praised the title track as well as the selection of material. Palmer also wrote, "It’s on the mid-tempos where Clay really shines, particularly on “Where Do I Go From You” and “Keep Me From Loving You.” Country Music Capital News in Australia gave the album a positive review and said, "She Won't Be Lonely Long won't disappoint long time fans looking for a fix, and boasts plenty of songs that sound at once deliciously vintage and effortlessly modern."
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Clay Walker
Clay Walker
Ernest Clayton "Clay" Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You," which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die." Both singles were included on...
, and was released on June 8, 2010, via Curb Records
Curb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
. It is Walker's first studio album since 2007's Fall.
Background
On February 2, 2010, Curb released an extended playExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
that featured the title track as well as "Jesse James" and his three previous singles from his last album. Walker revealed to The Plain Dealer that the album was originally scheduled to be released in April, he said, "It was going to come in April and we asked the label to move it back to June because we wanted to wait until we felt like the song was going to be in that No. 1 slot."
In an interview with The Daily Times, Walker commented on the new release, calling it his best work to date, “You're not going to be able to get 10 or 11 songs on an album that are all going to be classics, That's pretty much impossible, so you have to take from the plants that are available. This record is full of great songs. Usually, when I look at an album and weigh it out and pick out what could be the career records, I could look at them and know there was a least one on there. Sometimes two. This time, there's four — double the amount. I'm not really a big statistics guy, but this could be the biggest record of my career.” Walker told Country Weekly
Country Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
, "This is our ninth studio album, so I think the bar is higher. You have to put out songs that are going to be better than previous songs that you've recoded because people already have some favorite Clay Walker songs. You've got to make songs that are going to fit in the stack of great ones."
In another interview, Walker stated "I definitely don’t feel like a rookie, but at the same time, I think the best years of my recording career are ahead of me. I believe if the good Lord wants it, who’s going to stop it?” In an interview with CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
Walker said, "Whenever you've had hits like we have, fans expect something extraordinary from you. They already have songs [from you] that they love and have memories with and that are very dear to them. They want to hear something as good as -- or better than -- the hits. That is a pretty difficult task and [it's] what took the time. We just couldn't go out there with something less than spectacular."
During a performance on Fox News, Walker said, "The goal on this record was to make every song have one or two lines in it that people could hang their hat on. Walker told The Boot, "She Won't Be Lonely Long' is the best album I think I've ever recorded, from start to finish. We've had some big hits, and I've enjoyed all of them, but as far as complete albums go, my first album is the only one where I've ever looked back and said from start to finish that's a completely, absolutely, no-regret album. Now I'm saying the same thing with this one. And that's the first time I've done that in a long time." Walker told Nashville Music Guide, "I’ve been doing this a good long while, and I’ve never once seen the caliber of songs that I have on this record. I was so blown away by the songs Curb played me. I walked into an A&R meeting, one of the last ones before I went in to record. They played me four songs, and I recorded all four songs. All four were smashes."
Walker told the Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque Journal
-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...
, that he can sense what songs will be hits on his albums and he said, "I think by now I should be able to recognize one, but you know I have always felt like I knew the country music audience well. I think that's my strength, recognizing songs that people really do like. Most of the time, it is the kind of song I personally gravitate to and genuinely like. Looking back, it's rare that I think a certain cut is a charter and it's not in reality." Walker also discussed recording "Feels so Right" by saying, "I've loved that song for most of my life. When I was 12, my mom and I went and saw Alabama play, and when they did that song, I saw how happy it made her and all the different emotions on her face. It moved me on a deep level and I never forgot that. I have always wanted to track that song and jumped at the opportunity to go in the studio with Randy Owen and record it. And now that I have, it's not only nostalgic when I was a child, but it is as relevant today, as an adult that can share that with his mother. ... I'll never forget the day I called her and told her I was going to cover it. She was so excited."
Walker told Desert Life Style about the process of selecting songs for the album by saying, "It takes awhile to find great songs. Sometimes they’ll fall in your lap but it’s a process that’s not easy. It can be grueling; you may look for a year to find eight or 10 songs that would actually make a complete album. In the 90s we recorded albums a lot quicker. You had about three months to get everything together and the process was a lot faster. There were some great songs that came out but there were fewer great “albums.” Now, I like the process more because every song needs to be chosen as if it were going to be a single. To me there is no such thing as filler material anymore, which was a term used in the 90s. There isn’t filler anymore because of the digital age. It’s really making people be more on their game because there is so much to choose from."
The Governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
, Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
, will be using Walker's song "All American” as his campaign song
Campaign song
Campaign songs are partisan ditties used in American political canvasses and more especially in presidential contests. The words were commonly set to established melodies like "Yankee Doodle," "Hail, Columbia," "Rosin the Bow," "Hail to the Chief" "John Brown's Body," "Dixie" and "O Tannenbaum" ;...
for the 2012 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
. Walker told Fox and Friends, "He said he wanted to use the song, what do you think, and I said I'm flattered, I'm honored, and the song just talks about good hometown values and that is what Rick is about, he's a blue collar guy."
Content
The title track is the first single from She Won't Be Lonely Long, and was sent to radio stations on December 6, 2009. Walker commented on the song, saying “I wanted the first single off my forthcoming album to reflect the work I’ve been doing to become the artist I want to be. ‘She Won’t Be Lonely Long’ is an example of these steps and this work. Lyrically, it is a song that resonates with both women and men because we all want to look our best once we are unexpectedly ‘back on the market.’”The album also features a duet with Randy Owen
Randy Owen
Randy Owen is an American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of Alabama, a country rock band which saw considerable mainstream success throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Although Alabama only records new albums on occasion, Owen himself has maintained a career...
, formerly the lead singer of Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
, on a rendition of Alabama's "Feels So Right
Feels So Right (song)
"Feels So Right" is a song made famous by the country music band Alabama. Written by the group's lead singer, Randy Owen when he was only 18 years old, the song was released in 1981 as the title track to the band's second RCA Records album. It became the group's fourth straight No. 1 single "Feels...
."
Track listing
Critical reception
Country WeeklyCountry Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
reviewer Jessica Phillips rated the album three stars out of five, calling it "another solid release" from the singer. Her review praises the ballads, as well as "Jesse James" and the "Feels So Right" cover, but refers to "All American" and "Summertime Song" as "clunkers." Also giving it three stars out of five, Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek praised the album for its "straight-up, mainstream contemporary country" sound but said that it did not reflect a change in sound from Fall.
The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
wrote "Walker keeps coming back, thanks to savvy song selection and a friendly, romantic style that fits well with country radio. His latest album shows why Walker continues to deserve his place in modern country music. Bobby Peacock of Roughstock gave the album four stars writing, "At the very least, the album proves that Walker's already impressive career is far from over, and may even be at the opening of a new chapter." The website, the That Nashville Sound gave the album a rating of three and a half stars writing, "Overall, the album has no tricks, isn’t revolutionary and has no novelties. It’s just good consistent country music- just like Walker’s career."
Don Chance of Times Record News
Times Record News
Times Record News is a daily newspaper based in Wichita Falls, Texas, US since 1907. It is owned by the newspaper group, The E.W. Scripps Company.From 1976 the newspaper was part of Harte-Hanks Newspapers...
gave the album an A rating and wrote "Kicking comfortably mid-tempo with the title track, Walker somehow manages to make brand new music seem as familiar as his string of hits, and I wasn't sure that was even possible. I'm pretty sure this one will be among my Top 10 albums for the year. Chance also listed the album as the sixth best of 2010 and said, "he really impressed me with his dedication to solid country music." Bruce Leperre of the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
gave the album a positive review by writing "The white hat wearin', big ol' buckle sportin' Texan's 11th album may not offer any surprises but it's his strongest offering in quite some time." Karlie Justus of The 9513 gave the album three stars and wrote, "She Won’t Be Lonely Long won’t disappoint longtime fans looking for a fix and boasts plenty of worthwhile, radio-ready singles that sound at once deliciously vintage and effortlessly modern. Unfortunately, Walker also seems intent on upping his 2010 street cred with stereotypical, dime-a-dozen album filler in line with some of today’s most popular country stars."
Ben Walker of The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma and is the only daily newspaper that covers the entire Oklahoma City area.-Ownership:...
gave the album a mixed review and wrote, "Walker has an easy and pleasurable voice, and his singing sounds so effortless that he can make a mediocre tune into a good one." He also stated, "She Won't Be Lonely Long" has enough good songs like "People in Planes" (destined to be a No. 1 hit) and a few others to make the album worthwhile. But this won't get Walker back to selling out arenas and hanging platinum records on the wall." Nikita Palmer of Citadel Digital gave the album a positive review and praised the title track as well as the selection of material. Palmer also wrote, "It’s on the mid-tempos where Clay really shines, particularly on “Where Do I Go From You” and “Keep Me From Loving You.” Country Music Capital News in Australia gave the album a positive review and said, "She Won't Be Lonely Long won't disappoint long time fans looking for a fix, and boasts plenty of songs that sound at once deliciously vintage and effortlessly modern."
Chart performance
She Won't Be Lonely Long debuted at #5 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart and at #16 on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first week sales of 19,782. As of July 31, 2010, the album has sold 49,476 copies in the U.S.Weekly charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
16 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 5 |
End of year charts
| Chart (2010) | Year-end 2010 |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top Country Albums | 67 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|||
| 2009 | "She Won't Be Lonely Long She Won't Be Lonely Long (song) "She Won't Be Lonely Long" is the title of a country music song written by Galen Griffin, Doug Johnson, and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker. It is the first single from his ninth studio album, also titled She Won't Be Lonely Long... " |
4 | 53 | |
| 2010 | "Where Do I Go from You Where Do I Go from You "Where Do I Go from You" is a song written by Don Cook, Clint Daniels, and Ryan Tyndell and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in August 2010 as the second single to his album She Won't Be Lonely Long... " |
26 | ||
Personnel
- Eddie BayersEddie BayersEddie Bayers is an American session drummer who has played on 150 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for eight straight years, and has three times won the Nashville Music Awards 'Drummer of the Year'...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Jason Campbell - production coordination
- Lisa Cochran - background vocals
- Paul FranklinPaul Franklin (musician)Paul Franklin is an American multi-instrumentalist, known mainly for his work as a steel guitarist. He began his career in the 1970s as a member of Barbara Mandrell's road band; in addition he toured with Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed. He has since become a prolific session musician in Nashville,...
- DobroDobroDobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use... - Doug Johnson – producer (tracks 11 and 12)
- John Kelton - engineer, mixing
- Andy Leftwich - fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Tanja Lippert - photography, creative director, stylist
- Brent MasonBrent MasonBrent Mason is an American session guitarist and occasional songwriter. He is known primarily for his work in the field of country music. In addition to releasing two instrumental studio albums, he holds several credits as a songwriter...
-electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Gordon Mote - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Hammond B-3 organ - Tia Reagan - photography, creative director, stylist
- Matt Rovey - engineer
- John Wesley RylesJohn Wesley RylesJohn Wesley Ryles is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1968 with the single "Kay", a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, and the title track to his debut album for Columbia Records.Ryles later recorded one album, Reconsider Me, for the Plantation label,...
- background vocals - Jimmie Lee Sloas - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Keith StegallKeith StegallRobert Keith Stegall is an American country music recording artist and record producer. Active since 1980, Stegall has recorded two-major label studio albums: 1985's Keith Stegall and 1996's Passages...
- producer (tracks 1-10) - Bruce Watkins - acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- Hank Williams - mastering