The Tractors

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The Tractors is an American country rock band composed of a loosely associated group of musicians, headed by guitarist Steve Ripley. Under the band's original lineup, The Tractors was signed to Arista Records in 1994, releasing their self-titled debut album that year; the album went on to become the top-selling album of 1994, even though it only produced one Top 40 hit on the Billboard country charts. To date, the band has followed up with five more albums.

Since their foundation, most of the band's original members have moved on to separate projects, although they often collaborate with frontman Ripley on The Tractors' more recent recordings. Ripley is the only official member of the group; he has stated that The Tractors is more of a "state of mind",^[1] and the band contains a largely undefined cast of unofficial contributors.

Biography

The Tractors were formed in 1988^[2], with the original lineup comprising Ron Getman (electric guitar, slide guitar), Jamie Oldaker (drums), Walt Richmond (bass vocals, keyboards), Steve Ripley (guitar, lead vocals), and Casey van Beek (bass guitar, baritone vocals).^[3] All five members had previously been backing musicians for other notable artists, including Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, and Leonard Cohen.^[2] Oldaker had also worked with Bob Seger and Eric Clapton.^[4]

By 1990, the group were signed to Arista Records, a newly-formed record label based in Nashville, Tennessee.^[2] In 1994, the group released its self-titled debut album. The album, which produced the single "Baby Likes to Rock It", soon became the fastest-selling debut album from a country group to go platinum; it also became the top-selling country music album of 1994.^[5][1] That album was soon followed by a Christmas album called Have Yourself a Tractors Christmas.^[3]

The group's true follow-up, Farmers in a Changing World, was released in 1998; however, that album proved to be unsuccessful, in part due to country music's shift towards country pop.^[6] The band's members, except for Ripley, soon departed for other projects, although they and Ripley remained close friends, and made cameo appearances on subsequent albums.^[7] Ripley, along with several other musicians, released the next Tractors album, Fast Girl, on Audium Entertainment in 1998. After Fast Girl, the Tractors left Audium as well, and soon formed its own label, Boy Rocking Records.

Sound

The Tractors achieved their distinctive sound in several ways, most notably from the use of only one microphone, or recording a song in only one take.^[5] Ripley, who is a luthier, often constructs guitars and cords for use in the band.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Other charted songs

References

External links

• Official website of The Tractors and Boy Rocking Records
• The Tractors at MySpace