Here for the Party
From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
| Here for the Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard edition cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 11, 2004 | |||
| Studio | Sony/Tree Studios, Blackbird Studios and Sixteenth Avenue Sound (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 37:36 | |||
| Label | Epic Nashville | |||
| Producer | Joe Scaife Mark Wright John Rich (associate producer) | |||
| Gretchen Wilson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Here for the Party | ||||
| ||||
Here for the Party is the debut studio album by American country music singer Gretchen Wilson. It was released on May 11, 2004 through Epic Records Nashville. After singing in a bar, she met John Rich of Big & Rich, who invited her to work with him. She would later join the MuzikMafia, a collection of Nashville singers and songwriters that gathered weekly to play songs. Wilson recorded the album in Nashville, Tennessee. The album was produced by Joe Scaife, Mark Wright, and John Rich.
Upon its release, Here for the Party received positive reviews from music critics with Wilson being compared to country artist Loretta Lynn. The album itself became a massive success, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 227,000 copies, breaking the record for the highest first sales week from a debut album by a country artist. On the Top Country Albums chart, the album broke records and became the third most successful album of 2004 on the latter chart. Internationally the album became a surprise moderate success, peaking within the top ten in Sweden while entering the album charts in Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Four single were released in total from the album. The lead and Wilson's debut single "Redneck Woman" became a massive success, spending five weeks atop the US Hot Country Songs chart. The follow-up singles "Here for the Party", "When I Think About Cheatin'", and "Homewrecker" were also successful, all peaking within the top five of the country charts as well.
At the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005, Wilson received four nominations: Best New Artist, Best Country Album, Best Country Song for "Redneck Woman" and Best Female Country Vocal Performance also for "Redneck Woman", with Wilson winning the latter award. As of 2023, Here for the Party is certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA for sales of five million copies sold in the United States alone.
Making of the album[edit]
Gretchen Wilson was singing in a bar when she met John Rich of Big & Rich, who invited her to work with him. After some persistence, she agreed and joined the MuzikMafia, an informal group of Nashville singers and songwriters that gathered weekly to play songs.
Wilson signed with Epic Records in 2003 and went in the studio with producers Mark Wright and Joe Scaife and Rich as co-producer. The first single, "Redneck Woman," was written as a tribute to women from small-town America.
Reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [1] |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
| Q | [4] |
| Robert Christgau |  [5] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
| Stylus Magazine | B[7] |
| USA Today | [8] |
"Redneck Woman" was released as a single in early 2004 and reached the top of the Billboard country singles charts and number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was released in the U.S. on May 11, 2004. It debuted at the top of the country album charts and at number two on the Billboard 200 with 227,000 copies sold.[9] Here for the Party was the fifth best selling album of 2004, with about 2.9 million copies sold.[10]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Here for the Party" | John Rich, Big Kenny, Gretchen Wilson | 3:18 |
| 2. | "Redneck Woman" | Wilson, Rich | 3:42 |
| 3. | "When I Think About Cheatin'" | Rich, Wilson, Vicky McGehee | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Homewrecker" | George Teren, Rivers Rutherford, Wilson | 3:26 |
| 5. | "Holdin' You" | Thom McHugh, Wade Kirby | 3:34 |
| 6. | "Chariot" | John Caldwell, Leslie Satcher | 4:26 |
| 7. | "What Happened" | Al Anderson, Bob DiPiero, Bekka Bramlett, Tim Nichols | 3:51 |
| 8. | "When It Rains" | Rich, McGehee, Wilson | 3:03 |
| 9. | "The Bed" (featuring Big & Rich) | Keith Anderson, Rich, McGehee | 2:53 |
| 10. | "Pocahontas Proud" | Rich, McGehee, Wilson | 5:15 |
Credits[edit]
Compiled from liner notes.[11] Musicians and Vocals
- Gretchen Wilson – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Steve Nathan – pianos, Hammond B3 organ
- Reese Wynans – pianos, Hammond B3 organ
- Tom Bukovac – electric guitars
- Kenny Greenberg – electric guitars
- John Rich – acoustic guitars, backing vocals
- John Willis – acoustic guitars
- Al Anderson – gut-string guitar
- Mike Brignardello – baritone guitar, bass guitar
- Michael Rhodes –baritone guitar, bass guitar
- Russ Pahl – banjo, lap steel guitar, steel guitar
- Larry Franklin – mandolin, fiddle
- Greg Morrow – drums, percussion
- Eric Darken – percussion
- Wes Hightower – backing vocals
- Big Kenny – backing vocals
- Angela Primm – backing vocals
- Joe Scaife – backing vocals
- Trez – backing vocals
- Gale West – backing vocals
Production
- Clay Bradley – A&R direction
- Joe Scaife – producer
- Mark Wright – producer
- John Rich – co-producer
- Greg Droman – tracking
- Bart Pursley – overdub recording, vocal recording, mixing
- Todd Gunnerson – tracking assistant, additional overdub recording
- Steve Marcantonio – additional overdub recording
- Paul Hart – mix assistant
- Lowell Reynolds – mix assistant
- Hank Williams – at MasterMix (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Tonya Derry – A&R coordinator
- Kay Smith – A&R coordinator
- Carie Higdon – project coordinator
- Sylvia Meiler – creative producer
- Tracy Baskette-Fleaner – art direction, design
- Deb Haus – art direction, artist development
- Glen Rose – photography
- Mike Penner – additional photography
- Morris Management Group – management
Chart performances[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications[edit]
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[25] | Gold |
| Canada (Music Canada)[26] | Platinum |
| United States (RIAA)[27] | 5× Platinum |
References[edit]
- ^ Bjorke, Matt. "Here for the Party – Gretchen Wilson". About.com.
- ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Here for the Party – Gretchen Wilson". AllMusic.
- ^ Havighhurst, Craig (May 21, 2004). "Here for the Party Review". Entertainment Weekly. p. 81. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
- ^ "Gretchen Wilson – Here for the Party CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Gretchen Wilson". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (June 24, 2004). "Gretchen Wilson: Here for the Party : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
- ^ Love, Josh (June 21, 2004). "Gretchen Wilson – Here for the Party – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010. Retrieved September 26, 2007.
- ^ Mansfield, Brian (May 13, 2004). "Party with Gretchen Wilson, Los Lobos (Gretchen Wilson, Here for the Party)". USA Today. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Gretchen Wilson By Susan Moyer, p. 35, at Google Books
- ^ "Usher No. 1 in 2004? Yeah! - Jan 05, 2005 - E! Online News". Archived from the original on March 21, 2006. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
- ^ Here for the Party (CD booklet). Gretchen Wilson. Epic Records. 2004. 93533.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Australiancharts.com – Gretchen Wilson – Here For The Party". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Gretchen Wilson – Here For The Party". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Gretchen Wilson – Here For The Party". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Gretchen Wilson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Gretchen Wilson Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2004" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2005 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Gretchen Wilson – Here for the Party". Music Canada.
- ^ "American album certifications – Gretchen Wilson – Here for the Party". Recording Industry Association of America.
