SONG OF THE DAY
“If I Had A Boat” by Lyle Lovett (Pontiac, Curb Records, 1987). Written by Lyle Lovett.
AS HEARD ON
As seen on NBC’s Parenthood.
INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)
– Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) is an American singer-songwriter and actor.
– Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the #10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, “Cowboy Man”.
– Lovett has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Album.
– It is a common misconception that Lyle and Robert Earl Keen were roommates at A&M. They were not. However, they lived across from each other on Church St. in College Station, became good friends, and wrote “The Front Porch Song” together, which both went on to record.
– Lovett’s music career began as a songwriter, but he soon signed with MCA Records in 1986 and released his eponymous debut album.
– While typically associated with the country genre, Lovett’s compositions often incorporate folk, swing, blues, jazz and gospel music as well as more traditional country & Western styling.
– Lovett has acted in a number of films, including Robert Altman’s films: The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), Prêt-à -Porter (1994), Cookie’s Fortune (1999), and composed for Dr. T & the Women (2000). More recently, he has acted in The New Guy (2002) and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007). His television acting forays include Mad About You, Brothers & Sisters and Dharma & Greg.
– Lovett primarily plays Collings acoustic guitars.
– In 2010 Lovett appeared on an episode of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… which also featured John Prine and Ray LaMontagne.
– Lovett’s personal life was brought to the fore in 1993 when he married actress Julia Roberts. The couple had met on the set of The Player in 1992. After a three-week romance, they eloped and married in June 1993 in Marion, Indiana. The couple divorced less than two years later, in March 1995. They would, though, remain friends, and Roberts would even sing one of Townes Van Zandt’s songs (recorded by Lovett on Step Inside This House) in her 1998 movie Stepmom.
– Pontiac is the title of Lyle Lovett’s second album, released in 1987.
– Pontiac reached #12 on Billboard’s chart for Top Country Albums, and #117 in the Billboard Hot 200.
– Pontiac was ranked as #201 in the list of the “500 Best Albums of All-Time” by the German edition of Rolling Stone.
– The album was also cited as one of the top 100 albums of the 1980s by the Italian magazines Il Mucchio Selvaggio and Velvet.
– The album is also one of 300 listed in the book, 50 Years of Great Recordings and appeared at #33 the Village Voice’s list of top albums for 1988.
– The album features Vince Gill (Guitar, Vocals and Background Vocals), Emmylou Harris (Vocals, Background Vocals), and of course Lyle Lovett (on not only Acoustic Guitar and Vocals, but as Producer).