Liam Payne of One Direction, Cyndi Lauper Making Country Moves
Scrunch in and make some more room on the back of the country bus, because it looks like a few more folks are getting on, including 80’s star Cyndi Lauper, and One Direction heartthrob Liam Payne.
Cyndi Lauper told the London-based celebrity crotch-sniffing site Bang Showbiz, “I don’t know if you listen to country music but I want to work with Seymour Stein— he was the co-founder of Sire Records—and I’ve always wanted to work with him. So I figure while I’ve still got teeth in my mouth let me go work with him!”
Sire Records was launched in 1966 by Stein primarily to feature underground British bands to the American market, eventually becoming a big player in the punk rock and new wave scenes. The label was later purchased by Warner Bros. and is still around today.
Lauper continues, “I also want to work with Tony Brown down in Nashville and do a country record, finally! I want to record all those songs I used to sing my guts out in my apartment to! It’ll be out next year.”
Tony Brown is the famous country producer, best known for working with George Strait, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and being the President of MCA Nashville in the 90’s. If the new Lauper album includes songs she used to sing in her apartment, it sounds like there will be some covers involved.
Not to be outdone, the British boy band One Direction is about to go on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, and one of the band’s members, Liam Payne, is writing country songs, possibly for a run at country, or possibly not. Here’s the quote that has all the little girls in London agog, and thinking Liam may pull a Steven Tyler:
“I have written country songs. I started out doing rap songs. That’s where my mind is set.”
Okay, huh? So what exactly is your mind set on? Country songs? Rap songs? Or does it really matter what you call them these days, it’s all pretty much the same to a singer from a boy band.
Though much ink has been spilled about Liam Payne “going country,” it sounds to me like the future is still uncertain.
“A lot of people say to me, ‘Oh, you’ll go solo’, but I haven’t thought about that,” says Liam. “If the right song comes along and I think I should sing it, then I will release it as a solo artist. Otherwise, I’m happy being behind the scenes. When the other boys go solo I would love to write songs for them.”
Sorry folks, I’m out of zingers. At this point, it’s just sad.
September 20, 2015 @ 6:23 pm
Trigger do you think that there will EVER be a traditional revival of mainstream country? I mean, the genre has been through cycles before, and I always thought the pendulum would swing back, but its looking less and less likely every week. Thoughts?
Anyways, I still have old music, thank god for YouTube and Dixieland jazz as well as my other go to genre.
September 20, 2015 @ 6:54 pm
I think there’s some betting on it. Or at least they’re hedging their bets. I think that’s why we’re seeing so much support behind artists like Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Mo Pitney, and to an extent, Maddie & Tae. If the whole metro-bro thing blows up in people’s faces, at least they’ll have something to fall back on.
September 20, 2015 @ 7:14 pm
I’m not sure how it will become by the end of this decade. I don’t think that the newer stuff will go away. However, I feel that the traditional style will get around equal airplay, but not for a couple years. One small sign of it: Kacey Musgraves is getting actual radio airplay with “Family is Family.”
September 20, 2015 @ 6:32 pm
I caught Cyndi lauper on TV a few years back doing folky versions of her songs and it was actually pretty good. And if she’s singing songs she used to sing in her apartment that means her music memory goes back farther than “hey, Sam hunt is selling a lot of records…” Maybe her’s won’t be TOO bad…
September 20, 2015 @ 6:59 pm
The idea of Cyndi Lauper going country is quite intriguing. She had an amazing voice back in her heyday, and used it on some fantastic melodic songs that have withstood the test of time. Plus she knows how to make a video with a country setting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQY7BusJNU
September 20, 2015 @ 7:29 pm
i think it might have been Meltzer where i read that Cyndi Lauper has already tapped the Honkey Tonk Man to be her manager and play guitar on the new country record..
September 21, 2015 @ 7:35 am
Any time my wrestling geek sites and my country geek sites can cross over, I gotta give a high five.
September 20, 2015 @ 7:32 pm
Cyndi Lauper put out both a blues jazz album to critical acclaim. I have both and they are stellar but they are CYNDI LAUPER. So expect that she can’t be anyone else.
As for Liam… um… yeah songwriting you work on that buddy maybe take some college writing classes because if I have to hear anything akin to the dreck you peddled with one direction about sneaking out of the house with a complete stranger for a night… Nope.
September 20, 2015 @ 7:33 pm
Cindy’s voice was made for country music………..not
September 20, 2015 @ 8:18 pm
Who’s next…..Rod Stewart, Elton John, Barry Manilow, me?
September 20, 2015 @ 8:34 pm
I am STRONGLY against all this “gone country” schlock and the more crossovers there are the closer country gets to utter collapse. That said, Elton John’s album Tumbleweed Connection is one of my favorites and is a part of my country rotation (especially on roadtrips to New Mexico). It is not an effort to go country, but rather a concept album built on western themes. It is worth checking out. Tracks like My Father’s Gun and Amoreena are absolutely gorgeous.
September 21, 2015 @ 5:59 am
Roger that; Tumbleweed Connection is an excellent album.
September 21, 2015 @ 4:12 pm
what about when Michael Johnson (Mr. Bluer Than Blue) put out two country albums during the late ’80s? what did you think of those? I personally liked his country catalog despite him being for the most part a pop artist “That’s That” is honestly one of my favorite country songs of the late-’80s era
September 21, 2015 @ 8:20 am
Probably not too far down the pipe would be, Ozzy, Britney Spears, Joan Jett, 50 Cent, Ted Nugent and many many more. Expect these announcements in the not so far future! haha
September 20, 2015 @ 9:10 pm
George Strait, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, etc .
Do you think these folks are at home shaking their heads and having a good laugh over ” Everybody goin country ” ? I do .
September 20, 2015 @ 11:03 pm
I could see Reba and possibly Vince doing a duet with either of these singers.
September 21, 2015 @ 7:36 am
I’m eagerly awaiting for Alan Jackson, FGL, Steven Tyler and Jason Derulo to cut “Gone Country ’16”. Gonna be tight, yo.
September 20, 2015 @ 11:43 pm
Honestly, I’m somewhat intrigued by a Cyndi Lauper country effort.
She did specifically cite Tony Brown in the article. Brown has done a whole lot for breaking a scope of legitimate talent including Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, The Mavericks and Allison Moorer just to name a few off the top of my head. His ear can discern legitimate talent, and I think that could potentially produce a pleasant surprise.
*
Liam Payne, on the other hand……………………….
(crickets chirping)
…………………..what? You expect me to encourage him? 😉
September 21, 2015 @ 6:19 am
He produced or co-produced all three of Kelly Willis’s MCA albums, too.
I remember watching one of those VH1 countdown shows in the late ’90s. Patsy Cline made this particular list. In the segment about her, Cyndi Lauper was shown saying that she “loved Patsy.” I thought she was convincing, too. So, we’ll see.
September 21, 2015 @ 12:17 am
Bros just wanna have fun!
September 21, 2015 @ 5:03 am
Used to be a person stuck to the same career for much of their life, but the modern-day person changes careers like the weather, and so it goes for all these hacks jumping on the country music bandwagon. So disingenuous. Funny, but notice how you don’t see any of these people saying, “Hey, I’m going to become a blues artist!’ And why don’t you see that? Because they fucking aren’t black and because they have never lived the hard and nasty life these genuine blues artists lived that makes them NATURAL blues artists and musicians, and creating music that English musicians ripped off and became rich and famous on. And so it goes with these hacks–a genuine–at least at one time–music created by poor, white people of the south now being used as an opportunistic venture-project for idiots whose closest ties to living a life that would breed the authenticity of this music is watching “Coal Miner’s Daughter” on TV. It’s nauseating and insulting.
September 21, 2015 @ 6:19 am
You’ve GOT to be kidding me… You think English and white musicians ripped off blacks for the blues? I’m sorry, but you can play the blues and feel it without being dirt poor, or black (as I have done).
Limiting who’s ‘allowed’ to make a type of music is most definitely a small minded way of thinking. Of course, there are limits, but to say that people like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Paige, etc are not real bluesmen is ridiculous.
September 21, 2015 @ 7:17 am
Well, I love Led Zeppelin, but they DID try to take full songwriting credit for some established blues songs they covered. One example is Bring It On Home, where Robert Plant is even doing a Sonny Boy Williamson imitation.
September 21, 2015 @ 5:26 am
Eh. I got no problem with Cindi Lauper making a country album. She seems to be quite comfortable with her legacy, so if she’s doing it, it’s because it’s something that’s on her bucket list and she has the free time and freedom to do it.. It could turn out to be a nice little record, and it won’t have any impact on the industry.
September 21, 2015 @ 9:53 am
Exactly. I could her doing something on the order of Don Henley’s new album — going country because she actually likes the music, not as a desperate bid to get on the radio.
September 21, 2015 @ 6:46 am
I’m in favor of nearly anyone who isn’t a frat bro who wants to make a country album. Cyndi Lauper co-wrote “Time After Time”, which could have been countryfied. Hell, she sang “Money Changes Everything”, which is exactly where we are with country music today.
As long as she keeps it traditional and non-trendy, I bet it will be an excellent album.
And I have no idea who Liam Payne is.
September 21, 2015 @ 8:37 am
All we need is One Direction fans coming in if Liam Payne makes the kind of “country” album I think he’s going to make if that remark of his means anything. They’ll make sure above anyone else to undo any progress that’s being made in the genre, those fangirls are nuts, even worse than those of Justin Bieber, and that’s saying something. Forget Lukey, Jason, Sam…
September 21, 2015 @ 8:49 am
She just wants to have fu-un with this…
September 21, 2015 @ 10:34 am
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter. Neither will sniff mainstream country radio (well, maybe Liam could if he came out with stuff but a lot of the songs they’ve recorded [“Story Of My Life” and “Night Changes” to say nothing about songs like “Stockholm Syndrome”] are pretty strong lyrical songs so perhaps he does well with it. A lot of UK pop is very similar to country (more sincere lyrics and melodies that are based on more organic sounds).
September 21, 2015 @ 10:37 am
My expectations are modest as to her country efforts, but she is a remarkable talent.
My wife and I saw “Kinky Boots” a few months ago. She composed the music for it and did a great job.
September 21, 2015 @ 11:30 am
Cyndi Lauper country! that is great!!!!
September 21, 2015 @ 11:55 am
Although radio won’t embrace her because of age, I adore Cyndi and look forward to her country album.
She has done pop, blues, dance and wrote and won a Tony for “Kinky Boots” Having seen her live since the 80’s, she can do it all, and still has a great voice.
https://youtu.be/rbx7ss4F7JE
September 21, 2015 @ 2:08 pm
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Cyndi Lauper going country might actually be pretty good…”might actually” being the operative words here. She does know how to bring depth and emotion to songs, and if she’s singing stuff she used to sing in her apartment, it sounds like she might be talking about older, actual country songs. I would like to hear this. As for Liam Payne…no.
September 21, 2015 @ 2:56 pm
In addition to making a good blues album, Lauper also recorded excellent versions of “What’s Going On” and “Iko Iko.” Her appreciation of American music is wide-ranging. I’d rather hear a country album by her than the same old stuff by Reba McIntire.
September 23, 2015 @ 4:41 pm
Let me just say I don’t care what radio stations play anymore. One of the reasons I come to this website is I want to find out what albums I need to download to my phone and play on my commute. I’ve been done with radio for years and I don’t miss it. I’ll check out Lauper’s new record and if I like it, I’ll download it. If radio ignores it for some crappy guy singing pop lullabies to teen and pre-teen girls, I’ll never know.
September 26, 2015 @ 11:56 am
What are the odds of Liam Payne sampling “Different Days”, “Cover Me Up” or “Live Oak” on his “country” album? Is it no chance, no chance or Lloyd Christmas and Mary Swanson no chance?