Carl's Scrapbook: The 80s: Original Songs

 CLOSE ENOUGH TO PERFECT (1982)
(Carl Chambers) Universal-Songs of Polygram/Maypop Music , BMI

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"Close Enough To Perfect" was as big a hit as any wanna-be songwriter would ever have a right to hope for. There have been much bigger hits -- but having the song go number one for a group like Alabama is definately an asset that many other "bigger hits" have not enjoyed. These guys just keep on selling records -- even records they recorded twenty plus years ago. (NOTE: I still call 'em records - cause even tho' they aren't vinyl, they are still record-ings.)

The hook came one afternoon in 1979, while Nancy (my wife at the time) and I were covering the Formica walls of the Bellamy Brothers recently acquired bus with "cedar strips". She had pointed out several imperfections in my application and I made the remark that it was "close enough to perfect for me." I think we both realized it was a good hook 'cause we just kinda looked at each other and smiled. It was about a month later, while we (the band) were layed over at a motel in Evansville, Indiana, that I wrote the lyrics and melody. The melody was all written around a simple G progression -- but with a 4 minor -- and the lyrics expressed some of the frustration and anger I was feeling at that time about the treatment that Nancy was getting at home in my absence. Most of the time, those emotions were missed by casual listeners, who heard it simply as a love song.

I didn't get a demo recorded until early 1980 and it was one of the songs that caught Herb McCullough's ear and got me the offer to accompany him to Nashville.

After the fiasco of releasing "Take Me Home With You", we were for the most part starving. We were just starting to get some work with our new band, "Southern Honey", but we were just not yet making any financial progress. If it were not for the fact that we (myself, the woman and four kids) lived with my parents -- we would have been destitute. As it was, we were putting quite a strain on Daddy's income.

Somewhere during mid-1981, I called Chip Peay to see if he had any outlet for a starving songwriter's songs. Chip had been United Talent's agent in charge of the Bellamy Brother's account while I had been with them and had now signed on with the Ricky Skaggs organization as business manager. Chip told me that it was ironic that I had called, because he had just been considering starting a publishing company with the the Welk Publishing group as administrator (this was the same general setup that Ricky Skaggs Music had with Welk). In order to start a publishing company one must have songs to publish and I had songs. Even without hearing my catalog (except for a couple of tunes the Bellamys had played around with) Chip agreed to publish and pitch my material. The papers were signed and it was only a few days later that he called and asked if I would be interested in an Alabama cut -- in fact not only a cut but an all but guaranteed single. I think after I had caught my breath I said "...Well.... yes." Alabama was a young group that were currently enjoying their 5th or 6th #1 hit in a row.

Unfortunately, it was also at this time that we found out that "Close Enough" had already been pitched, accepted, and very likely already recorded by Alabama -- by another publisher in Nashville. I have in the past been accused of assigning songs that didn't belong to me to Chip Peay to publish. That whole scenario is ludicrous. I had no idea that anyone had any reason to think they owned the publishing on that song. I knew I had not assigned the publishing to anyone using the traditional (and what I thought was legal) paperwork . If I had known someone else was making claim to the publishing, I would have probably pitched a fit, but I would not have gone off and given the publishing to someone else and invited a lawsuit. That would make no sense at all. AND -- if I had been informed --BY ANYONE -- that my song had been pitched to -- AND had been accepted by -- OR had already been cut by a group like Alabama, I would have surely rejoiced and actually have signed the song over to that publisher. All of this was probably fact -- before I ever assigned the publishing to Chip. But such is life in the back alleys of Nashville. By the time the dust had settled several Nashville lawyers were buying new BMWs and the IRS had double billed me for money that I never received (I love this business).

"Close Enough To Perfect" was included on Alabama's "Mountain Music" album and was the second single released from that album. It went #1 on the Billboard Top 100 on October 30th, 1982. Even with all the trouble that had and would surround that song -- it was a thrill that has had no comparison. It was Alabama's eighth #1 in a row. I only wish I had ten more like it. The song was awarded two BMI Certificates of Achievment (1982 and '83), a BMI Million-Airs award for one million performances, a cherished Nashville Songwriters Association International award, and in January1984, I had the honor of receiving an award on the nationally televised, Fourth Annual Music City News Awards Show in Nashville. Tennessee.

Other original hits and misses from the 80s: