It was five-string fever Monday afternoon (June 11) when Big Machine Records and the ASCAP and BMI performance rights organizationstook over Puckett's Grocery in downtown Nashville to celebrate Rascal Flatts'latest No. 1 single, "Banjo."
The song was co-written by BMImembers Tony Martin and Wendell Mobley and ASCAP affiliate Neil Thrasher, all of whom joined in the revels.
Partygoerswho packed the trendy restaurant and performance venue snacked on banjo-shaped iced cookies (with popsicle-stick necks) andmarveled at a gigantic banjo mockup that stood stage right, looming over the proceedings.
As the crowd gathered, RascalFlatts' Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney moved from one TV crew to the next, affirming to each interviewer thatthey never got tired of having No. 1's.
"Come forward!" Big Machine chief Scott Borchetta urged the onlookers as hetook the stage to start the ceremonies. "This is a celebration. Come up and rub shoulders because No. 1's are good."
Borchettapointed out that "Banjo" is Rascal Flatts' third No. 1 since the trio signed to his label in 2010.
As a side note,he informed the crowd that Big Machine has reached an agreement with Clear Channel for the radio network to pay fees to theartists whose records it plays. Formerly, only songwriters and publishers collected for airplay.
"Now our artists willget paid for No. 1 records," he said. "It's the evolution of the revolution."
Borchetta then relinquished the stageto ASCAP's Mark Driskill, who spoke in honor of Thrasher, observing that the songwriter has had two other hits within thepast year, Jason Aldean's "Tattooson This Town" and "Fly Over States."
Rascal Flatts'producer, Dann Huff, was called forward to be honored for the fact that "Banjo" is his 32nd No. 1 as a producer. Before hecould speak, however, he was interrupted by catcalls from the Flattsmen who sat side-by-side in chairs facing the stage.
"Excuseme," Huff said. "Can we have these guys muzzled?"
Once order was restored, Huff confessed, "I could not be more proudof this record."
BMI's Jody Williams reviewed the songwriting triumphs of Mobley and Martin, announcing that the formerhas had seven No. 1 singles and the latter 14.
He went on to praise Flatts for bringing a "freshness and progressivenessto county music" and hailed its members for their charity work on behalf of Nashville's Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospitalat Vanderbilt, the pediatric surgery unit of which now bears the group's name.
Returning to the microphone, Borchettanoted that Flatts has had at least one No. 1 every year since 2002, when it first topped the Billboard country songschart with "These Days."
By then it was time for the songwritersto have their say. Martin, who is the son of songwriter Glenn Martin, said he grew up around "half the members" of the NashvilleSongwriters Hall of Fame. He joked that the one consistent piece of advice he got from them was, "Can you bounce that balloutside?"
Mobley was equally cavalier in his remarks, telling the crowd, "Sorry to get all of you off work so early."
Thrasherthanked his parents who sat in the audience.
Rascal Flatts wrapped things up with a few good-natured jabs.
"Iwas really surprised," DeMarcus dead-panned, "when Dann came to us and said we'd only be cutting BMG songs," a reference toHuff's publishing affiliation.
"How in the world is this song a hit?" DeMarcus continued. "It's a tribute to our abilitythat we could take a mediocre song and make it a hit."
LeVox was a bit more temperate.
"We feel like we're justgetting started," he said. "We're too blessed to be stressed."
Turning to the song of the moment, he said, "It's oneof the most fun, up-tempo songs we've ever done."
Finally, he advised the crowd, "Order what you want and bill it toBig Machine."

http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1687226/rascal-flatts-revel-over-latest-no-1-single-banjo.jhtml

Rascal Flatts Celebrate 'Banjo,' Get 'Wake' Up Call
It's a pretty good time to be Rascal Flatts. Last Sunday (June 10) found the trio performing before 70,000 fans at Nashville's LP Field during CMA Music Fest. The following day, Joe Don Rooney, Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox joined the crowd gathered at Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant in downtown Music City to celebrate their latest No. 1 single, "Banjo," with songwriters Wendell Mobley, Tony Martin and Neil Thrasher.
"That song was a breath of fresh air for us," Jay says of "Banjo." "When we heard it, we immediately knew we wanted to cut it. We had no idea it would be the first single off the record. It is one of those tunes that is so infectious. When we do it live, it's an immediate crowd-pleaser. It's hard for us to find uptempo tunes that resonate with an audience and translate both on radio and live, and this one has done exactly that."
"You never know what the journey of a song will be or where it will end up," adds Gary. "For 'Banjo,' we thought it would be a great representation of our new album. For it to go to No. 1 so quick was great. It is sometimes hard to do that with uptempo songs. We were just thrilled to death because we love it. It's one of those that everyone requests all the time. A lot of times you get a No. 1 that no one wants to hear again but 'Banjo' isn't like that."
The main room at Puckett's was filled with friends and family of the singers and songwriters. Food tables were laden with country fare you might find if you drive 'til you hear a banjo, or if you go to Pucketts: fried catfish, pork barbecue, fried green beans and special cake pops in the shape of a banjo.
Awards and accolades were not in short supply as the various publishing companies and assorted trade magazines presented plaques and trophies to the singers and songwriters.
Earlier in the day, Jay remarked on what it takes in a song to get the group excited to record it. "We've been blessed to do so many albums with so many types of songs, and covered so much material, from R&B to hardcore country, and explored the rock edge a little bit ... for me, I look at something that jumps out at me as being unique, whether it's the lyric or melody.
"The bar has been set so high it's very hard to find something now that jumps out at you and is unique," he continues. "That's the wonderful thing about 'Banjo,' is that it had the rock elements but the lyric and everything else was centered around the banjo. For me, it was just the perfect marriage of both worlds, pushing the edge of contemporary country but also being very much at its core a country song. I think I can say for all of us, it's hard to find that song or a group of songs that's different enough that makes you want to go in the studio and put time into cutting them."
Asked if the group had any flashbacks to the movie "Deliverance" when they first heard the song, they had to admit that they did. "Deliverance" was the 1972 film starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty that featured the tune "Dueling Banjos" and a less-than flattering portrayal of folks who live off the beaten path in the rural south.
"When we were talking about the first single it was between 'She's Leaving' and 'Banjo,' and the only negative was that maybe some of the older people might associate it with 'Deliverance,' because they would have seen the movie. The young people wouldn't make that association at all."
Gary noted that it all boiled down to the fact that the song felt great and right for them to release.
Rascal Flatts' new single is "Come Wake Me Up." Gary says he recognized that its melody was "one that can live on forever. Once you hear it you can sing along with it. Plus, I think we've all been where the lyrics take you; this is a bad dream. It was one of my favorite songs on the album and a way to have more tempo and passion behind it. The response so far has been good."
Rascal Flatts will debut their Changed tour this weekend with special guests Little Big Town, Eli Young Band and Edens Edge. The trek begins Friday, June 15, in Hartford, Conn.

原来当初是从'She's Leaving' 跟 'Banjo'中选首单的

SHE'S LEAVING是首单的第二选择？ 他们脑子是被驴踢了吧

还好最后选了Banjo 脑子还没烂到无可救药

Banjo is not my favorite。。。my love is changed, come wake me up,..waz more?? i am into their love songs.