Sugarland sued by founder

[Barry Blackwood]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_ ... zsmR4DW7oF

[Stephen Gambrell]

Somehow, I'm not surprised...

[chris ivey]

they can't afford to give her a cut after financing those fine quality cowboy hats!!!

[Mark van Allen]

I'm beyond not surprised. Few people know that there were multi-million dollar lawsuits before their first record was even released, stemming from the three (in the current lawsuit) reforming the original 5 piece band who were all cowriters into a three-piece, with no notice to the other 2 members other than cutting their songwriting percentage to near zero.
There's some serious Karma around that bunch, for sure.

[Bill Hatcher]

The bass player that was with them Dave Webb...he has some stories about the money with that bunch. Does not sound right at all.

My friend Scott Patton plays with them..good guy..hope he is being treated right.

[Theresa Galbraith]

I turn the channel when hearing her them!

[Ron Whitfield]

If that's the broad I heard 'singing'(?) when trying not to listen to one of their CDs recently, then she doesn't deserve a dime, and should give away all she ever made, and hide!
The band and songs are OK, but whoever is the singer, she sucks!

[Leslie Ehrlich]

I thought the blonde one was the lead singer. At least that is what I can remember after stumbling across one of their videos.

[Bo Borland]

I'm not sure what kind of deal J. Nettles and the bad hat guy have, or how tight they are...but I hope he is the writer or co writer of their tunes. My prediction is that pretty soon it will be her as a solo act.
That said, I saw them open for George Strait a couple years ago, she can sing her butt off, is very good on stage... a real pro... It shows she paid some dues, way more than any idol or star show winner... but I am not a fan. It's the over done twang thang that makes me turn off the radio.

[Howard Tate]

You have good taste, Theresa. It was that long song without a band about trying to talk her boy friend out of going home to his wife that turned me off. 'Stay' I think it was, and it was some kind of song of the year. I thought her voice was pretty good, but loud and brassy.

[Wayne Carver]

Jennifer was in a band called "Soul Miner's Daughter" and the "Jennifer Nettles Band" before "Sugarland". They were popular throughout the southeast. They toured a lot of college towns. I think she sings good although "Sugarland's" music is too pop sounding to me.
Maybe you have to be to make it in today's market. As a comparision one of my favorite albums is Sarah Evans "Three Chords and the Truth". Her other albums are good, they just ain't country.
Here is a link to "Soul Miner's Daughter" on U-tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ACS0wtJnFk
Here's a great song from Jennifer Nettles Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGuENBgg2mU

[Billy Carr]

The blonde, I like better with longer hair. The plastic looking cowboy hat needs to go. The song, "Stay" sends a message to a lot of women about borrowing a husband. Ha! I never did care for the 3rd singer with the short dark hair. ??

[Bo Borland]

ok, so I followed the links thru utube and listened to a lot of Ms. Nettles stuff... & although I am still not a fan.. with all due respect, she sings her A$$ off..and from what I heard, she has not changed at all from her earlier days.
I've backed up a couple very talented singers, I wish she was one of them.

[Theresa Galbraith]

The way Jennifer sings her latest, "All I Want To Do" is sickening!

Jerry House our 98 FM DJ calls it the MONKEY Song! I call it the OFF Song..

Anyway, I agree she'll be a single act before long......alot of people like her.

[Wayne Carver]

The Monkey song reminds me of the old funk song
"Groove Me"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qsFpZ4b47A

[Dick Wood]

Bo, I couldn't agree more. I hate the over emphasized country twang but what outstanding vocal range,control,power and confidence she has.

I saw her on the Opry singing with just the goofy cowboy and she nailed every note to perfection.

[Dave Mudgett]

The pop music biz seems like a giant LA soap opera to me. I see this kind of stuff in bands routinely - what's new here?

I agree that the song structure to "All I Want To Do" is somewhat reminiscent of "Groove Me" by King Floyd, except without the chorus with the big hook.

I see Jennifer being much more soul/R&B/funk influenced than twang-country influenced, and so is the production of this tune with the funky feel, slide guitar, backup singers, and so on. She sounds more like female R&B singers I know or hear. She obviously has a good voice, but like many, if not most, commercially successful female singers these days, affects it too much for my tastes. I guess that's what a lot of people want to hear.

Why would a DJ call this "The Monkey Song"? It's one thing to not like it - I think it's pretty trite also - but that seems like a pretty offensive way to describe this, IMO.

[Theresa Galbraith]

That twang sounds phony, and I can stand to listen to that American Idol.

Jerry House gets away with alot of put downs. I guess because she singing oo oo oo oo oo oo...

[Brian Kurlychek]

Why would a DJ call this "The Monkey Song"? It's one thing to not like it - I think it's pretty trite also - but that seems like a pretty offensive way to describe this, IMO.

Because she says All I want to

Do ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

ooh ooh ooh is like a monkey sound

Thinking of eee eeee eeeee eeee ooh oooooh ooooh and a monkey jumping around with his hands in his armpits and holding a banana sort of thing. More like a chimp sound really.

[Dave Mudgett]

Doesn't sound like any monkey I ever heard. Toody in the old sitcom "Car 54, Where Are You" sounded like a monkey when he did his exaagerated "Ooh, ooh, ooh", but this doesn't, to me. Whatever.

[Theresa Galbraith]

Brian,
I like your name! Thanks, I didn't know how to spell it correctly.

I agree with Jerry on this one.

[David L. Donald]

Same old story.
Band slogs along, gets some regional recognition.

Eventually somebody moves on either bored or ego driven.

And at that point something clicks,
and they SUDDENLY get signed.
Getting RID of something was the magic,
not adding something new.

But the recent proximity to the money tree,
usually makes the departee wantee some moree...
It also gives them a bit of press.

If they can parlay that press into a contract
or at least much better gigs, then they shut up.

Of course also;
a slim sex symbol woman who can sing strongly,
will far out sell a chunky short haired older woman
who can ALSO sing her butt off. It's the way it is these days.

You have to TRULY admire a large woman who made it big,
on guts and talent and monumental perserverance.
because HER road was 10 times as long
and 20 times as steep.

[Mark van Allen]

Actually not exactly the same old story...

Sugarland was put together to get a record deal, by people with quite a bit of label experience.
I was bandleader at the time they got signed, and during that process the 3 involved in the current lawsuit cut out the other two original members from the band and deal, because they wanted a bigger slice, and full control. They also cut the other members agreed and contracted songwriting participation down to near zero.
There were lawsuits before the first record ever came out.

Kristen was really the boss in those days, and she was afraid Jennifer would use the band to garner a solo deal, hence the agreement they're battling over now.
Lots more similar stories behind their curtain, with enough backstabbing and parsimony to fill a book.
Some serious Karma there. I just wonder how guiltless sleeping gets accomplished.

[Ray Minich]

What's the comment about the music business that ends with "and then there's it's bad side..."?

[Theresa Galbraith]

I do hope Kristen gets her share, since she was the founder.
I did like the first single out of the box.

I don't like the way Jennifer comes across now adays.