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Strait: Here for a Good Time

countdown | September 1, 2011

During the course of his forty year career, George Strait has consistently released an album every year. But he took a break in 2010, so this latest album, “Here For a Good Time,” is his first in two years. It picks up where “Twang” left off, featuring several songs written by Strait with his son Bubba and legenday tunesmith Dean Dillon. George spoke with Country Countdown USA host Lon Helton about the new music.

George, you wrote 7 of the songs on this album, that’s more than you’ve ever written for an album. What happened? I didn’t write for the longest time. I wrote early in my career, then I quit, and Bubba got me fired up about writing when he wanted to write, so we got 7 cuts on this record.

How’d he talk you into it? He got started late in his college years, he wanted to learn to play the guitar, get involved in music, and it just progressed from there. He wrote a few on the last record, and it got me fired up about writing. So we wrote a little together, then I suggested we get Dean Dillon to help, and we’ve been doing it since.

Talk about the seven songs, starting with “Drinkin’ Man:” It is a tough tale, it’s just an idea I had, and drinkin’ gets a grip on some people, and they can’t let it go, they choose it over anything.

You threw me for a loop at the end: It shows the strength it has on you when you’re drinking that heavily.

Talk about “Shame On Me:” We wrote it several years ago, but I brought it out for this record. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

The single, Here For a Good Time: That came from an idea of Bubba’s. He came in with the line, “We’re not here for a long time, I’m just here for a good time.”

House Across the Bay: I’ve got a little place along the coast where we were staying at the time. Dean has the smokin’ habit, so he was outside having a cigarette, and he says, “It’s cold here in the winter,” and we took it from there.

Three Nails and a Cross: That was a song Dean and Bobby Boyd started in Nashville and brought it down here to finish. It’s a beautiful song, I really like it.

Blue Marlin Blues: That was an idea I got from fishing. I’ve had those days when you don’t see anything, and you get those blue marlin blues.

I Will Always Remember You: The last cut we wrote, and I wanted to say to the fans, I wanted them to know what they meant to me throughout my career.

You say it’s not a farewell song, but it sounds like it, so why on this album? Well we’re not here for a long time, so I wanted to say it while it was on my mind. It’s not a farewell song by any means, I say that in the song, but I’d been wanting to write it, and I loved the way it turned out, it says everything I wanted to say.

This song has some recitation. How did you feel about that? I did that in “You Look So Good In Love,” and I wasn’t comfortable then, but I thought this was the right way to do it.

You can hear more of Lon’s conversation with George Strait when he co-hosts Country Countdown USA October 1-2.

George Strait’s new album, “Here For a Good Time,” will be released on Tuesday September 6th.

Here For A Good Time includes the following tracks:

1. Love’s Gonna Make It Alright Al Anderson / Chris Stapleton

2. Drinkin’ Man ` George Strait/Bubba Strait/Dean Dillon

3. Shame On Me George Strait/Bubba Strait

4. Poison Chuck Cannon/Allen Shamblin

5. Here For A Good Time George Strait/Bubba Strait/Dean Dillon

6. House Across The Bay George Strait/Bubba Strait/Dean Dillon

7. Lone Star Blues Gary Nicholson/Delbert McClinton

8. A Showman’s Life Jesse Winchester

9. Three Nails And A Cross George Strait/Bubba Strait/Dean Dillon/Bobby Boyd