Kiss You There

Album: Peace, Love, and Country Music (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was Ronnie Dunn's first release on his own independent label, Little Will-E Records. Dunn debuted the single for fans attending Nashville CMA Music Festival when he ambushed Rippy's Bar and Grill on Lower Broadway for an impromptu performance. The song was released on July 29, 2013 with HitShop Records executing radio promotion while Dunn's label retained personal brand control. After an unsuccessful run the singer and HitShop Records parted ways making it exclusively a Little Will-E Record deal.
  • The song was written by Don Schlitz (Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler") and Josh Kear (Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now"). It was produced by Dunn with Jeff Balding, who is primarily known for his work with country music acts such as Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, and LeAnn Rimes, but has also worked with pop stars such as Amy Grant and Celine Dion.
  • The song's music video finds Dunn travelling all over the world. Amongst the famous places he visits are the White House, the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, Buckingham Palace and Nashville. The clip was directed by the late Sherman Halsey, an award-winning videographer who passed away in October 2013. Halsey is credited with filming many of country music's most memorable visuals, including Tim McGraw's "It's Your Love," as well as several of Brooks & Dunn's promos, such as "Hard Working Man" and "Little Miss Honky Tonk."
  • Dunn admitted to Billboard magazine that when he first heard the demo, it threw him for a loop. "Four or five publishers came over and pitched a total of about sixty songs one day," he recalled. "They were only able to play ten in the pitching session, so they each left a CD. After they left, I went through them, and I found it."

    "Once I found out Don Schlitz had written it, I was curious," Dunn continued. "It was totally different than anything I had heard of. It was processed with a different sound, and the guy was rapping the words. I assigned a melody to it, and looped the drum machine in, and that's what we got."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal Tap

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal TapSong Writing

Based on criteria like girlfriend tension, stage mishaps and drummer turnover, these are the 10 bands most like Spinal Tap.