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Cracked Rear View
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==Recording, release, and promotion== Hootie and the Blowfish were established in 1986 and while they had recorded some self-released promos, such as 1993's ''[[Kootchypop]]'' EP, this was their first full-length release.<ref>{{Cite magazine |magazine=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]] |page=59 |title=Hootie & the Blowfish Pop-ROck Soars to Crossver Success with Black Singer |department=Entertainment |language=en-US |volume=88 |issue=9 |issn=0021-5996}}</ref> Some of the songs on ''Cracked Rear View'' had been previously recorded on these [[demo (music)|demos]] and had been honed by the band in live performances for several years.<ref name="grammyint">{{Cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/hootie-blowfish-talk-cracked-rear-views-25th-anniversary-being-secretly-political-and |title=Hootie & The Blowfish Talk 'Cracked Rear View''s 25th Anniversary, Being Secretly Political And "Old Town Road" |language=en-US |accessdate=2024-06-29 |date=2019-07-31 |department=News |first=Dan |last=Weiss}}</ref> [[Don Gehman]] was chosen by [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] man [[Tim Sommer]] as a producer because of his previous work with [[John Mellencamp]] and [[R.E.M.]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://observer.com/2016/07/my-life-in-the-bush-of-hootie-how-i-signed-the-biggest-band-of-1995/ |title=My Life in the Bush of Hootie: How I Signed the Biggest Band of 1995 |last=Sommer |first=Tim |author-link=Tim Sommer |date=July 14, 2016 |work=[[The New York Observer]] |publisher=[[Jared Kushner]]}}</ref> Gehman's career had been in commercial decline for several years after having had successes in the 1980s, so he pivoted to accepting lower-profile artists, smaller budgets, and being more efficient in the studio to cut costs.<ref name="mix">{{Cite book |pages=174β182 |chapter=24: Don Gehman: Nice Guys Finish First |title=Music Producers: Conversations with Today's Top Hit Makers |isbn=9780872887305 |publisher=Mix Books |year=2000 |editor-first=Barbara |editor-last=Schultz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |pages=101β102 |first=Tim |last=Sommer |chapter=16: The Bones Were There |title=Only Wanna Be with You: The Inside Story of Hootie & the Blowfish |isbn=9781643362762 |date=2022-04-05 |publisher=[[University of South Carolina Press]]}}</ref> It cost US$200,000 to make<ref name="time">{{Cite magazine |last=Farley |first=Christopher John |date=1996-04-29 |title=Music: Can 13 Million Hootie Fans Really Be Wrong? |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,984475-2,00.html |access-date=2024-03-12 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> and the label invested a relatively moderate $75,000 to Gehman for producing ({{Inflation|US|200000|1994|fmt=eq}} and ${{Inflation|US|75000|1994|fmt=c}}, respectively).<ref name="bb19950715">{{Cite magazine |title=Gehman's New Budget Multiplatinums |page=76 |first=Rick |last=Clark |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |department=Pro Audio |volume=107 |issue=28 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The recording and mixing process took 28 days, made up of 20 days of recording and 8 mixing; he kept costs down by [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]] the album himself and providing his own equipment for the band to use.<ref name="bb19950715" /><ref name="mix" /> In 1996, Gehman reflected on the expectations of the release, stating that no one at [[Atlantic Records]] expected it to be a blockbuster, but possibly selling a few hundred thousand copies to establish the band an audience building on their existing South Carolina fan base; as sales took off, the label became more invested and the promotion caused sales to continue to grow.<ref name="mix" /> Gehman later produced and mixed ''[[Fairweather Johnson]]'' (1996), ''[[Musical Chairs (Hootie & the Blowfish album)|Musical Chairs]]'' (1998), and ''[[Looking for Lucky]]'' (2005) by the band. The album was promoted by a string of music videos, singles, and promotional tour appearances. Hootie & the Blowfish had been performing approximately 300 shows a year at this point<ref name="mix" /> and continued touring throughout the mid-1990s to support ''Cracked Rear View'', including high-profile television appearances,<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=''Billboard'' Awards Yield Sales Rewards |page=10 |first=Carrie |last=Borzillo |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |volume=107 |issue=51 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Between the Bullets |page=153 |first=Geoff |last=Mayfield |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |volume=107 |issue=8 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> including three episodes of ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'',<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=WEA'S Greatest Hits |page=36 |first=Fred |last=Bronson |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |volume=108 |issue=35 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> and [[benefit concert]]s such as [[FarmAid]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Seventh FarmAid Benefit in Kentucky Oct. 1 |page=14 |first=Chet |last=Flippo |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |department=Artists & Music |volume=107 |issue=39 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> Atlantic successfully piloted a promotional strategy using [[Low-power broadcasting|low-power radio stations]] that targeted specific regional markets to promote ''Cracked Rear View'' and they expanded this project based on the strong sales of this album.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Atlantic Aims Low-Power Signal at Page/Plant Fans |page=90 |department=Radio |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |volume=107 |issue=17 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> Regular airplay on [[VH-1]] also helped to grow the audience for this album.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=One Year into VH1 Makeover, Change Evident, Image Slick |page=103 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US |first=Brett |last=Atwood |volume=107 |issue=48 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref>
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