over 15 radio stations play Garth here in Canad!!
PLEASE READ!! IT'S POSITIVE ONE!!<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial">quote:</font><HR><BR>~~~<B>Cowboy hat's outta here</B>~~~<P><I>This is the fictional pop performer known as Chris Gaines - look familiar?</I><BR>By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun<P>Meet the new Garth. He's sure not same as the old Garth. In fact, he's not even Garth. <P>Under the radically different persona of a fictional pop performer named Chris Gaines, country music king Garth Brooks has just released a new single, Lost In You, on Canadian radio. The song is an adult-contemporary, soft rock ballad that is reminiscent of the work of such '70s stars as Don McLean and Kenny Loggins. The song was written by the same team responsible for Eric Clapton's Grammy-winning mega hit, Change The World, and was produced by Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John). <P><B>Are you lost yet?</B><P>"This is taking Ziggy Stardust one step further," said Andrew Forsyth of Toronto's Bohn and Associates, a consulting firm for radio stations in Canada. "This is definitely not country music and if there's a risk, it's what will country think of him now that he's done this." <P>As Gaines, Brooks is featured on the cover of the single looking thinner, and with a goatee and long hair. Never one to back down from a marketing challenge, he adopted the new sound and risk-taking persona after becoming involved in a future feature film, The Lamb, in which he will also appear as Gaines. The movie, described as a thriller, isn't expected to start shooting until later this year or in 2000. <P><B>'RADICALLY DIFFERENT'</B> <P>"It is a different marketing opportunity -- I'd agree with that," said Peter Diemer, president of national promotions for Brooks' Canadian label, EMI. "However, when I think you've accomplished as much as he's accomplished, you do something radically different. It's probably the most obvious next step for him. I think it may be just part of the bigger picture, sort of delving beyond music and into movies." <P>Diemer said he doesn't know yet whether Brooks will be in the Gaines persona in the upcoming video for Lost In You, which he has yet to see, and so far there are no tour plans. <P>In the meantime, Lost In You will be released commercially as a single on Aug. 24 -- with liner notes that detail a fictional discography of five previous Gaines releases, plus some background on his life. The album, Garth Brooks ... In The Life Of Chris Gaines, is due Sept. 28. Another major departure on the album is a track called Right Now, in which Brooks raps off the top and lifts the chorus from The Youngbloods' 1969 rock anthem Get Together. <P>"None of this stuff sounds like Garth Brooks doing Garth Brooks," said Forsyth. "This sure isn't Long Neck Bottle. The interesting thing is you can hear that this is done in different styles -- it's not just that he's gone pop. He's a chameleon." <P>Forsyth was among a couple hundred people invited down to New York earlier this month to hear Brooks perform some of his new material. <P><B>'VERY DANGEROUS MOVE' </B><P>"I think he was really trying to get rid of the cowboy hat image, of being a country performer, just being a performer. And no matter what he does -- I don't know -- Garth Brooks might give Yo-Yo Ma a run for his money, if he sat down and decided to learn how to play the cello. You sort of get that feeling. He's walked on the other side now and this is a very dangerous move, and it's a challenge and he seems to accept the challenge well. Whether radio's going to accept him or not, I can't tell you. I don't know." <P>Diemer says so far the response to Lost In You has been "very positive" with between 15 to 20 radio stations -- both adult contemporary and contemporary hit radio formats -- across Canada adding Lost In You to their playlist. <P><B>In fact, Toronto's largest radio station, CHFI -- with over one million listeners -- is among them.</B> <P>"It's a great sound, I think," said CHFI's music director Drew Keith. "I think the verdict is out on the image. But the sound works. Good music should get airplay. I think he's trying obviously to cross all boundaries. Being the superstar that he is, he's trying to become more mainstream in the pop world. This song, I think, will do it for him." :D ((YES))<P><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Hey PGers, looks like Chris Gaines' got a shot here in Canada!! I hope his single can reach No.1.<P>TommyN
"Life is like a piano--play to its fullest"
"A good start is half the job!"
"When we free do love anyone we choose... WE SHALL BE FREE" by Mr. Brooks
To the special man in my life: Shnuggie.
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