Picture (song) explained

Picture
Cover:KidRockPictureSingle.jpg
Caption:Remix cover
Type:single
Artist:Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow or Allison Moorer
Album:Cocky
Released:November 12, 2002
Recorded:March 2001
Genre:Country rock[1]
Length:4:58 (Sheryl Crow album version)
5:07 (Allison Moorer album version)
Label:Atlantic
Producer:Kid Rock
Chronology:Kid Rock
Prev Title:You Never Met a Motherfucker Quite Like Me
Prev Year:2002
Next Title:Feel Like Makin' Love
Next Year:2003

"Picture" is a duet written by American music artists Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow, released on November 12, 2002, as the fourth single and ninth track from Kid Rock's 2001 album Cocky. The original recording on the album is performed by the song's writers. Rock re-recorded the song for radio with alternative country singer Allison Moorer because Atlantic was initially unable to get the rights from Crow's label to release the album version as a single. When the Moorer version was released, some radio stations began playing the Crow version instead, leading Billboard to credit the song variously to Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow or Allison Moorer. The song was a commercial and critical success and was nominated for Vocal Event of The Year at the 2003 Country Music Association awards.

Background

Kid Rock's label, Atlantic Records, was unable to obtain permission from Crow's label, A&M Records, to release the original version as a single. Therefore, Atlantic Records decided to rework the song with country singer Allison Moorer (coincidentally signed to A&M's sister label Universal South Records) instead. Moorer re-recorded Crow’s vocals for the radio release.[2]

Even though Atlantic Records was unable to obtain rights to release Crow's version as a single, mainstream, rock/alternative, and some country radio stations disregarded this and played the original version featuring Crow, while other country music radio stations played the radio edit featuring Allison Moorer instead. Because of this, Billboard credited the song on the charts as Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow or Allison Moorer.[3] Each version of the song features a different guitar solo.

Composition

The song is performed in the key of G major in common time with a tempo of 98 beats per minute.[4] The verses of the song follow a chord progression of G–C–D–C–G, and the chorus follows an Em–G–D–C–G progression. The vocals span from G2 to D5.[5]

Chart performance

Being the third Kid Rock single that entered Billboards Hot 100 chart, "Picture" remains his highest-charting single in the United States, peaking at 4 in April 2003. The song also charted on the Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at No. 21. Until 2008's "All Summer Long", it also marked his only Top 40 country hit. The song is also Sheryl Crow's second-most successful single in the United States, after her 1994 hit "All I Wanna Do" which reached No. 2.

On the Hot Country Songs chart, the song was credited only to Kid Rock and Crow for 22 weeks. By then, the single had reached No. 33 on the charts.[6] The following week, however, the song began to be credited to Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow or Allison Moorer.[7] The song spent a total of 33 weeks on the country chart, reaching No. 21 in 2003.[8]

As of September 2017, "Picture" sold 836,300 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.[9]

Music video

Even though Crow's label did not release licensing permissions for the original version, Crow was featured in the music video singing instead of Moorer. The video takes place in a studio showing Rock and Crow recording the song, accompanied by clips of the duo hanging out in the winter time. During the guitar solo, Rock is seen wearing a cowboy hat and winter jacket while walking alone in a field covered in snow. The video also features a few uses of the monochrome effect, while most of the video is in color. It was directed by JB Carlin.

Notable live and recorded performances

Kid Rock performed "Picture" with LeAnn Rimes on his 2003 Christmas TV special, A Kid Rock Christmas.

A live performance he had of the song with Gretchen Wilson was released as a track on his 2006 album Live Trucker.

He performed the song at a concert with Martina McBride for the 2009 TV special CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night To Rock.[10]

Kid Rock has also sung the song live with female country singers Kellie Pickler, Miranda Lambert and Jessie James.

When the song is performed live, the music pauses while Rock holds out the lyric “I was off to drink you away”, following the lyric “I was headed to church”.

Covers

Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold covered the song with Joanna Newsom in 2010 when the former opened for the latter.

Rascal Flatts covered the song with Sheryl Crow on their joint 2014 tour.

Track listings

US CD single with Allison Moorer[11]

  1. "Picture" (radio edit) – 4:13
  2. "Picture" (long version edit) – 4:59
  3. "Picture" (long version) – 4:59

US CD single with Sheryl Crow

  1. "Picture" (radio edit 1) – 4:14
  2. "Picture" (radio edit 2) – 4:09
  3. "Picture" (album edit) – 4:14
  4. "Picture" (album version) – 4:58

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Picture"!Chart (2002–2003)!Peak
position
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[12] 2
US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)[13] 4

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Picture"!Chart (2003)!Position
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 9
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] 31
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[16] 11
US Hot Country Singles & Tracks (Billboard)[17] 76
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)14

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nu Metal Meltdown (Page 3) . https://web.archive.org/web/20030201100950/http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/index3.jhtml . February 1, 2003 . . D'Angelo . Joe . February 4, 2018.
  2. News: Kaufman. Gil. Kid Rock's Dead-In-The-Water Cocky Comes Back To Life. https://web.archive.org/web/20030201094103/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1459755/20030129/kid_rock.jhtml. dead. February 1, 2003. MTV News. September 9, 2017. January 29, 2003.
  3. News: Masley. Ed. 15 Best Kid Rock Singles, from 'Bawitdaba' to 'First Kiss'. September 9, 2017. Arizona Republic. azcentral.com. August 21, 2015.
  4. Web site: Picture (feat. Sheryl Crow) - Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock - Spot On Track. www.spotontrack.com. en. August 27, 2017.
  5. Web site: Kid Rock "Picture" Sheet Music in G Major (transposable) - Download & Print. Rock. Kid. Musicnotes.com. March 31, 2003 . August 27, 2017.
  6. http://www.billboard.com/charts/2003-03-08/country-songs
  7. http://www.billboard.com/charts/2003-03-15/country-songs
  8. http://www.billboard.com/charts/2003-05-24/country-songs
  9. News: Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 09/14/2017. Nielsen SoundScan. September 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170919211714/http://www.defjampromo.com/files/2009/10/BB-Digital-Songs-Chart-Wk.-Ending-9-14-17.pdf. September 19, 2017.
  10. Web site: ABC rocks country fans with CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock . August 13, 2009 . Lori . Acken . Channel Guide Magazine.
  11. Web site: Picture: Kid Rock, Allison Moorer: Music . Amazon . July 24, 2011.
  12. Sheryl Crow Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs). Billboard. December 2, 2018. February 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200202043826/https://www.billboard.com/music/Sheryl-Crow/chart-history/CNS. live.
  13. Web site: Kid Rock Awards. AllMusic. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160709111556/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kid-rock-mn0000088180/awards. July 9, 2016. April 2, 2021.
  14. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 2003. Billboardtop100of.com. April 2, 2021.
  15. The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played AC Songs. Airplay Monitor. 11. 51. 25. December 19, 2003.
  16. Year in Music. Billboard. 115. 52. YE-80. December 27, 2003. November 28, 2023.
  17. The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Country Songs. Airplay Monitor. 11. 51. 38. December 19, 2003.