The Story Behind The Song…………………”When I Call Your Name” – Vince Gill (#2, 1990) There are many country artists who have embraced golf as a hobby. It is often said that more deals have been made on the golf course than on Music Row. Yet, only one country music star has ever been forced to choose between a career on the links and one in the recording studio. It was a talented Oklahoman who had earned a powerful reputation in the bluegrass field. Very early in his performing career, Vince Gill had worked with a young Ricky Skaggs, but interest in bluegrass music was at a low point in the late seventies, so Vince left Nashville and headed to Los Angeles where he joined the country-rock band The Pure Prairie League. As he worked with this group, Gill’s talents as both a lead vocalist and songwriter grew within the music community in Southern California. The Pure Prairie League’s top ten hit “Let Me Love You Tonight” came from Vince’s pen, but the band gave no real signs of really taking off, despite the long tours and months on the road. Sensing he needed a new direction to reach his potential, Gill left the group and joined Rodney Crowell’s band. At about the same time, his wife Janis was beginning to find some success as a member of the Sweethearts of the Rodeo. While he was with Crowell, Nashville began to take notice of Vince’s work. In 1984 RCA called and offered him a record deal. The label announced that it had great plans for three of its new signees: Louise Mandrell (Barbara’s younger sister, who was trying to get her own recording career going), The Judds and Gill. RCA predicted that all three acts would quickly become major stars, but as it turned out, the only one to find huge success with the label was The Judds. Though they tried for four years, RCA and Vince couldn’t come up with a major record. Most of his singles managed modest chart success, but none made much money for either him or the label. By 1988, RCA dropped Gill to concentrate on finding other new acts. Vince would probably have drifted along for years had it not been for Tim DuBois and MCA. DuBois had long recognized Gill’s talent and charm. He thought that Vince was one of the best vocalists in music, but for reasons that escaped DuBois, RCA had not chosen material that made this fact known. The label had attempted to transform Gill into a rocker (his former association with Los Angeles rock groups was probably what made RCA go in that unsuccessful direction), but Dubois knew that Vince’s voice was made-to-order for ballads. Tim had followed Gill’s four-year career at RCA very closely, and was frustrated that Vince wasn’t offered a ballad that would give him a chance to break through. Now that Dubois had Gill signed to MCA, they went to work selecting material for Vince’s debut project on his new label, looking at different types of songs that had been submitted by the various publishing companies. They had been working for quite a while when Gill shared the idea of “When I Call Your Name” to Dubois. He told Tim that he and Janis were spending so much time apart because of their careers, and more often than not, when Vince managed to take a break from touring and go home, he would be alone. The personal loneliness that Gill felt when he called his wife’s name and no one answered just ate at his soul. He told Dubois that he wanted to find a way to wrap those emotions in a song. By the time Vince and Tim finished writing “When I Call Your Name,” they knew it would be their crowning achievement, and both felt confident that it would be a big hit. However, for a while it seemed that MCA was going to relegate the Gill/DuBois song to the back burner and just use it as an album filler. The label picked “Never Alone” as the first release from the session. In spite of having the then-hot Rosanne Cash provide harmony vocals, the single failed to break into the top twenty. Next, the label shipped “Oklahoma Swing.” The fast-paced dance duet featured country’s most popular female star Reba McEntire. While the single did enjoy a lengthy chart run, it too failed to make the top ten, peaking at #13. Finally, MCA gave Vince a shot to score on his own and tried “When I Call Your Name.” The Gill/DuBois composition reached Billboard’s country singles chart on May 26, 1990, eventually climbing to #2 on the playlist. With Patty Loveless adding harmonies, the single was the year’s most-requested love song. It probably saved Gill’s recording contract, while also making him a major star. Suddenly the world was ready for his sincere vocal style, his tight guitar work and his bashful good looks. After ten years of trying, Vince Gill was finally being recognized. “When I Call Your Name” would win a Grammy, and be named the Country Music Association’s “Single of the Year.” Within two years, Vince would become the hottest act in country music, winning so many awards that the CMA annual awards fest would jokingly become known as the “Vince Gill Show.” He had suddenly been thrust into the spotlight, and was making millions of new fans in both country and pop circles. He finally knew that he had made the right decision by choosing music over golf. – JH youtu.be/uwmGWCJOxnw
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 12:15:57 +0000
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