Who's on first?
Tracy Lawrence recorded his version of "Paint Me a Birmingham" first, over two years ago as part of a planned album for Warner Brothers. The album never happened, and the single has been collecting dust since then. More recently, the song was pitched to Ken Mellons, who had previously passed on it, and regretted it, so this time he jumped at the opportunity to cut it for his new album Sweet, scheduled for release on Home Records in late October.
Ken's version was released to radio first, and immediately started generating positive reviews and raves from some of Nashville's biggest critics:
"Simply terrific. The song tugs at your hillbilly heart. Ken sings with extraordinary emotion and depth. The production is beautifully understated. And Vince Gill provides the tenor harmony. This minor masterpiece made my day. It's a week for surprises from veterans we thought we knew. Both Jimmy Fortune and Ken Mellons have turned in new singles that are nothing like their previous musical images. Mellons, in particular, stands out as a powerfully compelling ballad singer. "Paint Me A Birmingham" is so strong it could be another of these indie breakout chart successes we've been seeing lately (Craig Morgan, David Ball, Mark McGuinn). At least I hope so". -- Robert K. Oermann
