Keith Urban a Go-Go
File this under bizarre-but-cool collaborations you never knew existed. Well, at least, I didn't know it existed. But you know Keith Urban's breakout hit, "But for the Grace of God," from 2001? Guess who he wrote it with? Jane Wiedlin. Yes, that Jane Wiedlin, famous for early ‘80s hits such as "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed." Apparently, playing guitar for the punky pop the Go-Go's isn't all she's good at. Urban must have a thing for ‘80s pop because a few of his other biggies were written with Richard Marx. I wonder who he'll sit down with next? Toni Basil? Adam Ant? Rick Springfield?
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RedMaZ says:
That makes sense. After all, a lot of todays Mainstream Country music is just reworked 80’s Pop Music anyway. I mean really, what’s next? A “country” version of Life In a Northern Town by The Dream Academy?
MiaT says:
” I Love the 80’s” !!! People should write with whom ever they wish. I think its cool.
Luv 80s says:
That would be so great if Keith collaborated with more 80s stars. Did Toni Basil sing that Mickey song? I will have to google her.
Ms. Feathers says:
This isn’t news to any KU fan who reads liner notes, or happens to listen to, watch or read any interviews. He didn’t choose to write with Jane and Charlotte Caffey (both Go-Gos), but showed up and worked with them for a few hours. Nothing was coming together until Jane said she had this phrase in her mind and thought it might make a good song. The song came together quite quickly and easily after that, and Keith thought, “okay, this is nice” and put it on the shelf. He was just a struggling songwriter then, and trying to make “the Ranch” work.
When he went into the studio to work on his first solo album, he remembered the song and it meant SO much more to him after all he’d been through in the years since it had been written. It was Keith’s first #1.
As for who people write with… why does it matter? A good song is a good song. And Keith’s “But for the Grace of God” is VERY much a country song, even tho it was written with a couple ladies from the Go-Gos. Just because a writer is from another genre doesn’t mean that the song ends up being only for that genre.
Today’s mainstream country resembles 70s folk rock and 80s pop rock because PEOPLE LIKE IT! Those of us in the middle age demographic that have a few $$ to spend on music, find these sounds comforting and familiar. If I could still find those sounds on the current top 40, I wouldn’t have to listen to country radio. And it’s why I NEVER would have listened to country radio in the 80s. Ugh!
Say whatever you want about “mainstream country”, I’m still gonna listen to it (most of it, anyway).
Krisann says:
Yeah, tell em Ms. Feathers, and anyone who has seen the adorable video of Keith talking about this song,’For the Grace of God’the one on CMT when he was blonde and younger knows that “he’s got the beat”!
RedMaZ says:
Well from someone who is also middle age with a few $$, I disagree. While you may find todays Mainstream Country comforting and familiar, I find it boring and repititious. Even in the 80’s (an era you said you would NEVER would’ve listened to) there were still some bright spots that still had me listening. Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle, Ricky Skaggs, Randy Travis, Patty Loveless to name a few. Even though by this time I was well on my way of venturing into the alternative, a lot of the 80’s Mainstream Country music was good. The 90’s however was a different story. If I want to listen to 80’s Pop Rock I will, but if I want to listen to Country Music, it won’t be todays Mainstream Country. I guess now is the part where…To each their own, comes into play.
Ms. Feathers says:
I was making some broad generalizations, Red. If all the songs on country radio that I didn’t like were to disappear, there’d only BE a top 10, instead of 60 or so songs on the chart! LOL I’m not saying I like ALL of it - much of it *IS* repetitious and insipid (a result of the radio conglomerates relying on focus groups and surveys instead of letting the stations and DJs play what the listeners request) - but a lot of it I DO like.
You’ve taken a different listening path than a lot of people, but that doesn’t make your choices any more authentic than anyone else’s. Simply because you listen to “red dirt” and “alt country” doesn’t mean your preferences are more worthy and that you have the right to go around these blogs bashing mainstream country whenever you can. Do you even have an inkling of how arrogant you sound? It’s like listening to a vegetarian bash meat and meat-eaters, and implying that their food choices are “better” for whatever reason. Anyway, back to the topic…
And because I didn’t listen to country music in the 80s and 90s (except when forced like when our Sr. Prom theme was “Islands in the Stream”… UGH! LOL), I don’t know about all the music of those artists you’ve mentioned, and heaven forbid they play any of it under the “cool classics” our “hot country” stations claims to play. No, they restrict their “cool classics” to a few worn-out titles that do nothing to interest me further (”Country boy can survive”, “Mountain Music”, etc). So I really can’t say that there were bright spots in the “rhinestone/urban cowboy” era. I wish I knew more, but I can’t rely on country radio to help me out.
I just know what I like to listen to, and I know it sounds like a lot of what I liked in the 70s and 80s. And I also can recognize the filler and garbage, too.
RedMaZ says:
Well by definition, the music I listen to is authentic in that it mainstains the tradition and respect of the genre in question. That’s what brought me to it, and that’s why I listen to it. It’s a fan/artists driven genre. Anything I request…they play. I didn’t make up Americana music. As far as being arrogant, maybe so to people who try to tell me about the music I listen to without listening to it themselves. Actually that makes them the arrogant ones so in effect, I’m just returning the favor. Arrogance abounds here, and I’d hate to be left out. As far as bashing mainstream country, I never comment on any music I haven’t taken the time to listen to.
ann says:
I think it is so cool that ku writes with all different singers albunm that is coming out
How about nelly fertado in Gods hands
I hope he puts the duet on next year
Ms. Feathers says:
You’re very fortunate to have your requests played, Red. You must have a very independent station in your area. Lucky you.
As for “authenticity”, I wasn’t talking about the music, I was talking about people’s CHOICES. If you make a choice to listen to one kind of music, and I another, who’s to say which choice is more “authentic” for that person? If I were to suddenly switch to hip-hop, that wouldn’t be authentic for me.
As for “maintaining traditions”, are you saying that playing the same type of music for decades without any variation or outside influences is musically authentic?? Even the Americana music that you prefer is drawn from more than once source and influenced by non-Americana music. Read this copy/paste from the “Americana Music.net” site…
When referring to it as a genre, “Americana” can be best explained as an amalgam of roots music fused by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that categorically make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, rhythm & blues, rock & roll and other external influential styles.
See, even your beloved Americana is a mixture of some VERY non-traditional-country styles. And it will continue to be influenced by non-country stuff. The artists listed on that website are not afraid to mix styles and try new things - and I recognize many of those names from non-traditional-country genres. Elvis Presley? Bob Dylan? Neil Young? Bruce Hornsby? Talk about mainstream and Pop influences!
Since music is so subjective, there’s no room for taking pot-shots at a particular style. Now if you find something is not well-crafted, that’s different. Laziness in music doesn’t become any artist. If you find “But for the Grace of God” by Keith Urban, Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffrey to be a poorly-crafted song, then say so. But stop looking down your nose at certain styles or songs just because they don’t fit into your favorite style or because maybe the songwriter isn’t an Americana artist.
RedMaZ says:
I’m not sure where you Thought I was suggesting Americana is only based on traditional country styles. I listen to many genres of music, but have always maintained that Americana is Roots music based on the traditions of, Country, Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, Folk. That’s why I’m a fan of it all, but I listen to much more than just that.
Ms. Feathers says:
Well, I apologize, Red. I’ve not read every single one of your blog comments, but the ones I do read make it sound like you only listen to the one thing and just don’t care for anything that isn’t that. You must admit, you can be pretty harsh toward certain styles and artists and influences, y’know… And that’s your prerogative. Just try to mix in something upbeat and friendly every now and then. I know it’s tough, but an intelligent individual like yourself is up to the challenge! ;-)
And while you’re thinking up some nice things to say, I’ll spend a little time investigating some of that Americana stuff. I feel sure that I’d like some of it.
Deal?
RedMaZ says:
That’s fair enough.