Sometimes artists come along that are so original we don’t know what to do with them.  Today, we look at The Tractors.  This very talented group enjoyed limited chart success but had a great fan base.

People get off the bus everyday in Nashville and have big dreams of stardom, but the reality is, only a tiny handful get to live out the dreams they have.  There is so much talent and so little room, it’s a tough biz.  But they were so original, they temporarily found a space, even it it wasn’t next to many of the other stars of the day on the charts.

The Tractors

These guys were extremely seasoned musicians and all of them had a long history of playing with really big stars.  In fact, all members were backup players for stars like Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton and Bob Seger and that list goes on.  They came together to form this band, and for a very short time made an impact in country. They were certainly original, there is no argue in that.

In 1994, Country was on a huge roll and the Tractors released their debut album and single, Baby Likes To Rock It.   This song went to #10 on the charts, but that doesn’t tell any of the story.  With the dance hall craze in high gear with line dancing raging across the country, the Tractors became a huge favorite in the clubs.  This was a song that had an appeal similar to Achy, Breaky Heart, as it was a song that seemingly everyone loved, from toddlers to Nana.   The phones rang off the hook for this song.

Their BIG Song

Their single was insanely popular and so different and original it was infectious.  It was on the radio, in the bars and clubs.  Baby Likes To Rock It was 2 times Grammy nominated and the video WON the CMA Video of The Year and nominated for CMA Single Of The Year.  It’s one of the biggest #10 hits of all time. Their debut album sold almost 3 million copies and it seemed this bunch was on their way.  But that was not the case.

Christmas Version

That was their only real charted song of their run, but it was played for years as its originality was loved.  Later they re-mixed it to be a Christmas song, Santa Clause Is Coming In A Choo Choo Train and it had another life.  In time the Tractors disbanded and many of the members have since passed away.

But for a brief and highly original run, The Tractors were just  – fun.

LAST WEEK – THE ORIGINALS  – JUNIOR BROWN