Trick Pony

Trick Pony

Trick Pony in concert (L-R: Keith Burns, Heidi Newfield, Ira Dean)
Background information
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres Country
Years active 1996 – 2008; 2013 – present
Labels Warner Bros. Nashville, Asylum-Curb
Associated acts Burns & Poe, Chuck Howard
Members Keith Burns
Heidi Newfield
Past members Aubrey Collins
Ira Dean

Trick Pony is an American country music group. It was formed in 1996 by Keith Burns (lead guitar, vocals), Ira Dean (bass guitar, upright bass, vocals), and Heidi Newfield (lead vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar). The group recorded three studio albums: Trick Pony, On a Mission and R.I.D.E., released in 2001, 2002 and 2005, respectively. These albums produced eight charted singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four Top 20 hits: "Pour Me," "On a Night like This," "Just What I Do" and "On a Mission."

In 2006, Newfield departed for a solo career, and Aubrey Collins stepped in on lead vocals for roughly six months. The group disbanded after Collins and Dean left in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Newfield released a solo debut album, What Am I Waiting For, in 2008 on Curb Records, while Burns joined singer Michelle Poe to form a duo called Burns & Poe. Burns, Dean, and Newfield reformed the group in late 2013, although Dean left again in 2014.

History

Trick Pony was formed in 1996 by guitarist Keith Burns and bass guitarist Ira Dean. Both musicians had experience as backing musicians for other country music acts; Burns had previously worked with Joe Diffie, and Dean with Tanya Tucker.[1] Keith and Ira decided to form a group composed of two men and a woman. Completing the lineup was lead singer Heidi Newfield, a friend of Burns' then-wife.[1] The trio began touring throughout the Southern United States and performed regularly at 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis, Indiana.[1]

Musical career

Ira Dean, Heidi Newfield and Keith Burns signing autographs at the CMA Music Festival in 2006

By 2000, Trick Pony was signed to a record deal with Warner Bros. Records. The trio released its self-titled debut album that year. Serving as its lead-off single was "Pour Me" which reached a peak of number 12 on the Billboard country music charts.[2] The album's next two singles were "On a Night like This" and "Just What I Do," which respectively reached numbers 4 and 13 on the country singles charts.[2][3] In 2001, the trio also received the Artist of the Year award from the Country Music Association.[4]

On a Mission was the title of Trick Pony's second album. Although its David Lee Murphy-penned title track reached Top 20 on the country charts, the second single (2003's "A Boy Like You") failed to enter Top 40,[2] and the group was dropped from Warner Bros.' roster shortly afterward.

In 2004, Trick Pony was signed to its second record deal, this time with Asylum-Curb Records.[4] The group's sixth single overall, entitled "The Bride", was issued that year, serving as the lead-off to their third studio album, R.I.D.E., whose title is an abbreviation for "Rebellious Individuals Delivering Entertainment."[5] The second single from R.I.D.E. was a cover of Bonnie Tyler's "It's a Heartache". Trick Pony's version of the song peaked at number 22 on the country music charts. The third single from R.I.D.E., "Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You", featured guest vocals from Tracy Byrd, Joe Diffie, Mel Tillis, Tanya Tucker and Darryl Worley.

Departure of Heidi Newfield and subsequent disbanding

In October 2006, lead singer Heidi Newfield announced that she would be leaving Trick Pony in pursuit of a solo career. She made her official departure at the end of the group's December 2006 tour.[6] The same month, Gary Allan charted with "A Feelin' Like That", which Dean wrote with David Lee Murphy.[7] Newfield began recording her first solo album for Asylum-Curb in June 2007.[8] She made her solo debut on Cledus T. Judd's 2007 album Boogity, Boogity - A Tribute to the Comedic Genius of Ray Stevens, on which she, Judd, and Keith Urban performed a cover of Ray Stevens' 1969 single "Gitarzan."

Aubrey Collins, a singer-songwriter from Littleton, Colorado who had previously been eliminated from ABC's television program The One: Making a Music Star, was chosen as Newfield's replacement in 2007.[9] Collins made her official debut as lead singer in April of that year at the Country Thunder festival in Arizona.[10] Collins left the group in October, saying that although she enjoyed working with the group's other two members, she and they "had different creative and musical visions."[11] Dean announced his departure in February 2008, and Trick Pony subsequently disbanded.[12] In April 2009, Warner Bros. released The Best of Trick Pony, a compilation composed of songs from the trio's first two albums.

Status of former members; reunion

Newfield released her solo debut album, What Am I Waiting For, via Curb Records in 2008. Burns, meanwhile, founded the duo Burns & Poe with former DreamWorks Records Nashville artist Michelle Poe.[13] Dean has begun writing songs for other artists, including Montgomery Gentry's 2009 single "One in Every Crowd". In July 2011, he signed to a recording contract with Average Joes Entertainment.[14]

In 2013, Trick Pony's original lineup reunited for a performance at a benefit concert in Boston, Massachusetts.[15] In February 2014, the group announced plans to tour and release new music.[15] The trio had finished several tracks for a new album before Dean left only two month later. In March 2015, he released a solo single, "Nothin' to Do Round Here", which he wrote with Jeffrey Steele and Shane Minor. The song features guest vocals from Steele, Ronnie Milsap, Lee Roy Parnell, Montgomery Gentry, and Colt Ford.[16]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart
positions		 Certifications
(sales thresholds)
US Country
[17]		 US
[17]
Trick Pony 12 91
On a Mission
  • Release date: November 5, 2002
  • Label: Warner Bros. Nashville
 13 61
R.I.D.E. 4 20

Extended plays

Title Album details
Pony Up
  • Release date: February 26, 2016
  • Label: Permian Records

Compilation albums

Title Album details Peak positions
US Country
[17]
The Best of Trick Pony
  • Release date: April 14, 2009
  • Label: Warner Bros. Nashville
 58

Singles

Year Single Peak chart
positions		 Album
US Country
[19]		 US
[19][2]
2000 "Pour Me" 12 71 Trick Pony
2001 "On a Night Like This" 4 47
2002 "Just What I Do" 13 103
"On a Mission" 19 110 On a Mission
2003 "A Boy Like You" 47 —
2004 "The Bride" 27 — R.I.D.E.
2005 "It's a Heartache" 22 —
"Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You" 42 —
2016 "Everybody Wanna Be Us" — — Pony Up
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video Director
2000 "Pour Me" Peter Zavadil
2001 "On a Night Like This"
2002 "Just What I Do"
"On a Mission" Gerry Wenner
2004 "The Bride" Peter Zavadil
2005 "It's a Heartache" Jeffrey Phillips

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trick Pony.
  1. 1 2 3 Huey, Steve. "Trick Pony biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 427. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
  3. ↑ Downs, Jolene. "CD review: Trick Pony - Trick Pony". About.com. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  4. 1 2 "Trick Pony biography". Great American Country. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  5. ↑ Caviness, Crystal. "Trick Pony Rides A Bumpy Road To Maturity". About.com. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  6. ↑ "Heidi Newfield leaves Trick Pony". Country Standard Time. 1 November 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
  7. ↑ Gilbert, Calvin (28 October 2006). "Dierks Bentley hits chart milestone". CMT. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  8. ↑ "Heidi Newfield Hits the Studio". Great American Country. 25 June 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
  9. ↑ "Trick Pony Shows Off New Lineup". Broadcast Music Incorporated. 2007-05-31. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  10. ↑ "Trick Pony debuts new line-up". Country Standard Time. 2007-04-18. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  11. ↑ "Trick Pony Looks for a New Lead Singer". Great American Country. 6 October 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
  12. ↑ "Ira Dean Ends Ride With Trick Pony". Great American Country. 15 February 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  13. ↑ Richardson, Gayle (2008-03-16). "Keith Burns and Michelle Poe Form New Duo". The Boot. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  14. ↑ Stromblad, Cory (July 26, 2011). "Trick Pony's Ira Dean Inks Solo Deal". The Boot. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  15. 1 2 "Trick Pony Reunites". MusicRow. February 11, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  16. ↑ Conaway, Alanna (23 March 2015). "The boys round here: Former Trick Pony bassist Ira Dean liberates himself from his old group with a collaborative new single.". Country Weekly 22 (12): 62–63. ISSN 1074-3235.
  17. 1 2 3 "allmusic ((( Trick Pony > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  18. ↑ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - August 11, 2010: Trick Pony certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  19. 1 2 "allmusic ((( Trick Pony > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
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