Rumor Has It (Clay Walker song)

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"Rumor Has It"
Single by Clay Walker
from the album Rumor Has It
ReleasedFebruary 3, 1997 (1997-02-03)
RecordedFall 1996
GenreCountry
Length3:10 (album version)
2:56 (single version)
LabelGiant
Songwriter(s)Clay Walker, M. Jason Greene
Producer(s)James Stroud and Clay Walker
Clay Walker singles chronology
"Bury the Shovel"
(1996) 		"Rumor Has It"
(1997) 		"One, Two, I Love You"
(1997)

"Rumor Has It" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was released in February 1997 as the first single and title track from his album of the same name. The song was written by Walker and M. Jason Greene.

Background[edit]

In an interview with Billboard, Walker said, "The lyric and content have become a lot more positive. [Strait's] 'Check Yes or No'--very positive; my song 'Rumor Has It'--very positive. When I do a concert, I can sing for 3- and 4- and 5-year-old kids and not have a guilty conscience about it. I don't want to go out there and depress people. I want them to smile and feel good and feel the way I feel. We don't live that long, and that's one thing that having MS made me realize. My God, you need to love your family, you need to love your friends, and you don't need to carry bitterness in your heart because you don't live that doggone long. That's about as simple as I can say it."[1]

Rumor Has It premiered on Walker's website on January 8, 1997. Danny O'Brian, Walker's manager said, "We thought it would be a great idea to let Clay's fans all over the world get a sneak peek at Clay's new material, and what better way than the internet."[2]

Critical reception[edit]

Larry Flick of Billboard gave the song a mixed review by writing "The steel guitar based production by the singer with James Stroud has bounce. Also, Walker turns in a solid vocal performance, but the song is nothing memorable".[3]

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe listed "Rumor Has It" as the 219th best country single of the 1990s and wrote, "I find myself wanting to use the word “charming” every time I write about Walker, but that’s just what this is: a charming little record that he sings with sincerity."[4]

Music video[edit]

The music video premiered in January 1997[5] and was directed by Bill Young. It features Walker singing on a stage, and a couple talking to each other through a computer.

Walker mentioned that he thought that Country Music Television helped his career by saying, "I have been blessed by many things in my career, including the fact that my music videos can be seen by millions of people around the world because of CMT." Chris Parr, Director, Programming of CMT said, "Ten of Clay’s 11 videos have charted on CMT, which is an outstanding track record. These accomplishments speak well of the quality of Clay’s videos, his vocal performance and song selection, as well as favorable response from CMT viewers."[6]

Live performances[edit]

Walker performed "Rumor Has It" on TNN's "Prime Time Country" on September 3, 1997.[7]

Charts[edit]

The song debuted at number 48 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart dated February 1, 1997 (1997-02-01). It climbed to Number One in April, where it held for two weeks. This song was Walker's sixth and final Number One single to date. "Rumor Has It" was also the 48th most played song of 1997.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Flippo, Chet. "Low-key angle pays off for Walker; Gibson comes to downtown Nashville." Billboard 109.14 (1997): 33. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 18 May 2011.
  2. ^ Farbstein, Sid. Clay Walker's New Single "Rumor Has It" Released To The Public On The Internet Before Radio Stations (January 8, 1997)
  3. ^ Larry Flick, Billboard Magazine, February 1, 1997, Billboard Magazine
  4. ^ Coyne, Kevin John Country Universe 400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #225-#201 August 5, 2010
  5. ^ "Site Maintenance".
  6. ^ Bowen, Jama. CMT Showcase" To Be Recorded At Walker’s Texas Ranch (July 11, 1997)
  7. ^ Daily News JUST A FEW DAYS TILL OPRAH HAS TO DECIDE HER TV FUTURE (September 03, 1997)
  8. ^ Billboard Most Played Artists And Songs Of 1997 (December 27, 1997)
  9. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3200." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. May 5, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  10. ^ "Clay Walker Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1997". RPM. December 15, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  12. ^ "Best of 1997: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
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