Tracy Lawrence is revisiting and updating his catalog with the Hindsight 2020 trilogy of albums. Many of the songs are 20 or even 30 years old, which means enough time has passed for the singer to admit there were some he was strongly encouraged to record.
At least one of those songs worked out well for him on two different levels. Talking to Taste of Country Nights, Lawrence — who just dropped Vol. 2: Price of Fame in August — makes a strong case for compromise. Hits like “I See It Now” and “If the World Had a Front Porch” are mixed with new songs like the title track (an Eddie Montgomery collaboration) and “I’m a Man,” his wife’s favorite. These are all new recordings, which could be problematic.
“I wish I hadn’t of [sic] done such range-y songs,” he says, laughing as he thinks about that studio time. “Those really high notes are a challenge sometimes.”
“Somebody Paints the Wall” and “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” are two more old songs made new for this project. Each of his eight No. 1 singles seems likely to find a home somewhere on the three albums, but then again, maybe not.
“I did a song called ‘Renegades, Rebels and Rogues’ on the Maverick soundtrack,” Lawrence begins, referring to the 1994 Mel Gibson movie. “During that, I got the label to agree to let me co-produce the record at the time. First time I’d been able to do that.”
For the album that came after the movie soundtrack, Lawrence wanted the same deal. “(They) wanted me to do a Bobby Braddock song called ‘Texas Tornado’ and I really didn’t like it that much. And I said, ‘OK, if you’ll let me do a piece of the album and produce it, I’ll do your song.'”
“Texas Tornado” would become a No. 1 hit, and another he co-produced on the I See It Now album — called “Any Fool Can See” — would hit Top 5. From then on Lawrence has been a co-producer on his albums, including the first two Hindsight 2020 albums. Vol. 1: Stairway to Heaven, Highway to Hell was released in March.
The full interview with ToC Nights‘ Evan and Amber is available above. In addition to sharing secrets of his catalog, Lawrence also dishes on who some of his famous friends are, 15 years after taking “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” to No. 1.
Finally, the 53-year-old takes the 60-Second Song Challenge and reveals which contemporary pop superstar he’s a huge fan of.
The Best Tracy Lawrence Song? Here Are His Top 20 Hits and Deep Cuts
Tracy Lawrence has been a pure country hitmaker for 30 years. Here are his best songs, including many of his eight No. 1 hits, plus his CMA and ACM Award-winning collaborations and so many more from his deep catalog.