|
| |
 |
|
Reviews
|
|
|
SALUTE TO LORETTA LYNN
|
|
CD Review - TRACEY K. HOUSTON
- Salute To Loretta Lynn
From
Country Music News - April
2007 (by Larry Delaney)
TRACEY K. HOUSTON
Salute To Loretta Lynn
Songbird – SBCD 07-01
Produced by: Jamie Haage
(10 Selections – Playing
Time 25:02)
I’m A Honky Tonk Girl /
Whispering Sea / Success /
Before I’m Over You / Our Hearts
Are Holding Hands / Dear Uncle
Sam / Talkin’ To The Wall / If
Loneliness Can Kill Me /
L-O-V-E, Love / Wings Upon Your
Horns.
Canadian-born singer Tracey K.
Houston has been making
Nashville her home base for the
past decade or so, and in recent
years has found a special niche
performing her Loretta Lynn
tribute show – “Hey Loretta,
The Girl From Butcher Holler”.
In support of the live stage
show, Tracey K. Houston now
follows-up with this ten-song
recording of early career
Loretta Lynn hits and album
cuts. Houston is especially
effective here, with an
authentic sound that has many
vocal inflections that come very
close to the ‘real’ Loretta
Lynn.
Tracey K. Houston pays careful
attention in covering the early
years (basically the 1960’s) of
Loretta Lynn’s music catalog –
opening this tribute with her
breakthrough debut I’m A
Honky Tonk Girl, which
peaked at #14 in 1960 for
Loretta Lynn. Other familiar
hits featured here include
Success (#6 / 1962);
Before I’m Over You (#4 /
1963); Dear Uncle Sam (#4
/ 1966), Wings Upon Your
Horns (#11 / 1969), etc.
A special feature on the
songlist is the tune Our
Hearts Are Holding Hands,
which was originally done as a
duet by Loretta Lynn with Ernest
Tubb (#24 / 1965); and Tracey K.
Houston calls upon rising star
Troy Cook Jr. as the male
counterpart on this stirring
rendition.
Salute To Loretta Lynn
was produced in Branson,
Missouri studios by Jamie Haage,
who incredibly is credited with
playing every instrument
featured in the session… busy
guy, this Jamie.
Although it has no bearing on
the ultimate song selection for
this tribute album, being
Canadian-born, it would have
been neat for Tracey K. Houston
to have included three songs
recorded by Loretta Lynn that
were written by Canadian
songwriters – Are You Mine,
the Lynn/Tubb duet was
co-written by Canadians Myrna
Lorrie and Don Grashey; the song
Happy Birthday (# 3 / 1964)
was written by Canuck DJ Ron
Kitson, while Loretta Lynn also
recorded a gutsy rendition of
the Ray Griff-penned classic,
The Morning After Baby Let Me
Down… all of which
hopefully, might be included on
a Vol. 2 Salute To
Loretta Lynn by Tracey K.
Houston.
For info / copies
visit:
www.tkhouston.com
|
|
|
|
|
Great tribute to a great singer!!!
Reviewer: Dan Szatkowski
Tracey is Loretta reincarnated. She steps in her shoes and does a
fantastic job. Hope you do a sequel.
(Mar 14, 2007)
GREAT VOICE!
Reviewer: Randall Watters
An excellent tribute to Loretta, one of the best country singers
ever! Love it Tracey!
(Feb 28, 2007)
 This
is far and away Tracey's best CD to date!
Reviewer: Ray Griff
Tracey has captured the very soul of Loretta Lynn in her
presentation of Loretta's recordings from the 60's. I can't
help but believe that Loretta will feel flattered and moved by the
sincerity of which Tracey presents the songs on this special CD.
Good work kiddo! Ray Griff
www.raygriff.com
(Feb 27, 2007)
Awesome
Tracey K. you rock!
Reviewer: MisSongwriter
Well there's not a better person to do it than you hun, you're
awesome at singing any Loretta tune and you master it! Loretta
should be very proud of this salute, you're the best! luv ya!
(Feb 27, 2007)
Reviewer: Kodiac
Tracey, Excellent job. It is truly amazing, how your voice flows
through me and touches my heart. This album will sell at least
a million copies, or it should! It is the best traditional
singing I've had the pleasure of hearing in years. This album
is what real country is all about. Thank you for restoring my
faith in the Traditional Country music. I was getting really
tired of this country pop they are pushing today.
(Feb 27, 2007)
A
beautiful tribute to Loretta!
Reviewer: Tore Brennodden, Norway
We haven't seen many tribute albums to Loretta Lynn in the last few
years. Thanks to Tracey K. Houston for this wonderful long overdue
salute to The Coal Miner's Daughter. The songs Loretta recorded in
the 60s are the main focus in this album and Tracey is doing an
excellent job. Tracey goes back and recreate the wonderful
traditional sound of the 60s with good help from
multi-instrumentalist Jamie Haage. If you like traditional country
music this is the album you should not be without. In the liner
notes Tracey is saying: "Maybe I'll do a second volume of songs from
the 1970s!" Tracey, I think you should!!!
(Feb 2007)
|
|
I'M NOT THE SAME GIRL
|
|
Studio A Presents:
Tracey K's Cafe - A one-hour PBS TV
Special
(click link to go to article)
|
Article appeared in German magazine "Country
Circle"
|
 |
Click on thumbnail to view larger
image. Article is written in German. |
|
|
Highly recommended!
Reviewer: Bryan Baker, Gajoob e-Zine
|
Tracey
K. Houston:
I'm
Not the Same Girl
MEDIA:
CD.
CONTACT:
TKH
Enterprises
PO
Box 121374
Nashville,
TN 37212, USA
EMAIL:
traceyk@tkhouston.com
URL:
http://www.tkhouston.com |
"I'm
Not the Same Girl" showcases a solid stable of songs with the spotlight
shining brightly on Tracey K. Houston's beautiful vocals. This album fits
perfectly in the tradition of Tammy Wynette, with Houston's strong, feminine
presence beaming out from track to track. The band is perfect too, able
to growl on occasion and always ease these real emotions into the classic
country charm that's ever-present here. Highly recommended..
Reviewed
by Bryan Baker 8/14/2000.
OTHER
COMMENTS
GAJOOB
PUBLISHES YOUR COMMENTS! |
©GAJOOB
|
|
North
Country
By
Bill Hudgins, Editor
Did you see Tracey K. Houston at this year's International Fan Fair
in Nashville? She was there, her fringed satin cowgirl dress
winking with sequins as she signed autographs. Smiling brightly each
time she dashed off her signature across another glossy picture, she
looked every bit the aspiring country music star. Little did the
fans know that after the last autograph hound straggled home,
Houston would drive herself away... in a Werner Enterprises truck.
Born in British Columbia, Canada, Houston started singing at age 3.
"Mom was big into Merle [Haggard] and Waylon [Jennings] and I just
fell in love with classic country," she says. You can hear a bit of
Canada when she speaks; when she sings, the accent disappears and
her songs are full-bore twangy, catch-in-the-throat country.
As she grew up, she sang with a number of bands in the Calgary area.
In 1991 she recorded a self-titled mini-album; one of those early
songs, "He's Not for Real," did well in Europe.
Hoping to turn music into a full-time career, she moved to Nashville
and worked as a legal secretary while trying to break into show
business. A friend had asked her to do some research on trucking as
a job, and she became interested. When the secretarial job ended,
she enrolled in a driving school ¬ "I was one of the top students,"
she says proudly ¬ and was hired by Werner.
 |
Many singers and songwriters get
their first foothold on the steep slope to success
in the music industry by signing with small independent
labels. It's a way to learn your trade, make contacts
and, perhaps, get airplay you can leverage into a shot
at a major label. That's been her road. The title
track off her first full album, "Falling for You," hit
Number One on the Top 30 Independent Charts in 1997 and
also did well in abroad. This year, she released a
second CD, "I'm Not the Same Girl" (Songbird
Productions). |
At first,
Houston drove the Lower 48 states for Werner, but early in 1999 she
shifted over to a zone pattern that lets her get home more often to
pursue singing.
Driving cuts into performing, but lets her sift through demo tapes
from songwriters. She's thinking about a collection of trucking
songs. "Who better to sing them than a real trucker?" she asks.
Meanwhile, she'll keep promoting her work (she has a website at
www.tkhouston.com), and driving. You'll probably know her when
you hear her come over the CB... her handle is Songbird.
|
 |
Reprinted with permission. Appeared in the September 1999
Road King Magazine
Want to advertise on Road King On Ramp? Click
here for details.
Contents Copyright, 1999 Road King On Ramp |
|
|
Here’s what others are saying
about her......
 |
“Sounds
like a young Tammy Wynette.”
Fate Vanderpool,
Producer/Songwriter |
|
“This
is one of the best Country Albums I have heard this year! Most
of the tracks are "My Music", traditional country music,
and we plug one or two tracks every day.”Hank
Svensson, MD/PD, CMR 105,5 ‑ Sweden |
|
“It reminds me of when the
music was more pure and in the traditional vein. At times there
are wisps of Loretta or Tammy or Crystal Gayle. Tracey K’s
music is a fresh approach that takes you back to the old days.”
Jim Cartwright,
Producer/Artist
|
|
“She’s a truck driver and she’s
a mighty fine country singer. I featured her on my program as
my ‘Dynamic Discovery’ one week. She’s good....
good enough to make it.”
Bill Mack (“The Midnight
Cowboy”), DJ/Songwriter, 820 AM WBAP, Ft. Worth, TX
|
|
“If there was a second coming
of Loretta Lynn, Tracey K. would be it. She reminds me of
Loretta in her mannerisms... the way she feels the emotion in a
song.”
T.W. Barber, Executive Director, Blackbird Star Music
|
|
Reviewer: Peter Finn, London,
England
This is country music at its best. An excellent set of
country songs from an Artist who deserves every success.
Now
this CD is Country - Enjoy
Reviewer: Steve L. Butts, Country Roads (click
for website)
Seldom does one find a CD that touches your heart and soul.
"I'm Not the Same Girl" reflects a traditional touch which
few Artists are able to achieve. Tracey's vocals are
reflective of one who is committed to ensuring that
traditional country music continues for each of us to enjoy.
Here is an Artist with loads of class and integrity.
Regards; Steve at Country Roads
Pure
Country, my favorite is The Girl From Oklahoma,
Reviewer: Barbara Wells-Taylor
Tracey, keep up the good work. There's a lot of fuss
over many other Canadian artists but in my opinion none are
as clear or as pure country as Tracey is. Hoping that
some major record company finally realizes the talent this
girl has and promotes her.
I'm Not The Same Girl...Superb, Talented, Great Voice, good
job
Reviewer: Lou Nelson Promotions & Mgmt
...This is one that all should listen to.. the music
is great the voice is untouchable... and this album
will put you into a toe-tappin' spirit... Good Job
Tracey K.
|
|
FALLING FOR YOU
|
|
From the liner notes of the CD, released
August 16, 1997
Reviewer: Ray Griff, Nashville, Tennessee
“COMPLEX, Emotional, Sincere, Intelligent – these are but a few of
the qualities that make up the person of Tracey K. Houston. Her
dream of coming to Nashville and being a country singer have finally
been realized. Tracey K. Houston cannot be stereotyped! She is
real country, and what she manages to capture on her first CD is a
page from yesterday, when country music was true and honest. I’ve
always admired people with a dream, who set a path they were bound
and determined to follow to the end. Tracey K. is one of those rare
and unique kinds of people. I should know – I’ve known this lady
since she was a little girl! I ask you to pay special attending to
the warm and tender way she presents the ballads. This lady has
lived it! You can feel the hurt! Thank you for recording two of my
songs in this, your first of many CDs, and for inviting me to
produce your recording of “You Keep On Trying”! My Best Tracey, Your
Pal – RAY GRIFF”
|
I
don't care, you do them all great!
Reviewer: Kenny B!
I have never heard this Artist do a bad job on any song.
She puts her heart and soul into all she does. May she go a
long, long way in this business..... with great success!!!
Reviewer: PETER FINN, LONDON, ENGLAND
A very enjoyable set of fine country songs from Tracey. A
Welcome addition to those who like true country music.
|
|
