Nashville Scene: One-off Project Earns Grammy Nod

As chairman/CEO of Universal Music Group, Doug Morris says he has a job in which it sometimes feels as if his primary function is "cost reductions."

It's no wonder, then, that he likes to get back into the studio every now and then to keep his hand in the creative end of the business by producing records.

It's a reminder of Morris' early music career, in which he began as a songwriter/producer. Among his credits as a writer is the Chiffons' 1966 top 10 hit "Sweet Talkin' Guy." As a producer, his best-known song is Brownsville Station's 1973 hit "Smokin' in the Boys Room."

Now primarily known for his skills as an executive, Morris nonetheless was part of the success of one of the tunes vying for best country song for this year's Grammy Awards. He produced the single version of Pat Green's top five country hit "Wave on Wave" with Universal South senior partner Tony Brown, himself a noted producer.

"Wave on Wave" is a dark horse in a category that includes songs by Shania Twain and Brad Paisley, a Toby Keith/Willie Nelson duet and an Alan Jackson/Jimmy Buffett pairing.

Morris heard the original version of "Wave on Wave" and says he "had an idea how to adapt the song differently," specifically by adding a guitar part not found on the album version.

"I called up [Pat] and said, 'Would you mind if I take a shot at this?' I think he was shocked," Morris recalls. But Green agreed and met Morris and Brown in a Nashville studio for an eight-hour session that Morris calls "the most fun I had [in 2003]."

Morris insists it wasn't like Green couldn't have shot him down. "I would have had no problem if he said no," he says. "I would never impose myself on anyone."

But Morris laughs when he thinks about what the casually cool Green's initial reaction must have been when the label chief showed up at the studio in "a blue blazer and a pair of slacks. He thought, 'What the f--- is this?' I think they were terrified."

In the end, though, Green was happy with the result, according to Morris, who says Green has already enlisted him and Brown to work on another project together next year.

Morris and Brown also produced Green's next single, "Guy Like Me," during that Nashville session.

To keep his production skills sharp, Morris says he gives himself one project per year. In 2002, he worked on a tribute to songwriter Bert Berns. The previous year, it was Latin pop artist Paulina Rubio.

While producing is its own reward for Morris, this year's Grammy nomination for Green was icing on the cake. He admits, "I got a thrill out of it."



ON THE ROW: Keith Greer joins Audium/Koch Records as Southwest regional promotion director. He previously held a similar position for Curb Records and, more recently, Asylum/Curb. Also, Audium/Koch has retained independent publicity firm Bozeman Media to handle publicity for the label.