Newlyweds-To-Be Can Strut To ‘Country Wedding Album’

If you’re goin’ to the chapel and gonna get married, you can do it to a country beat, using “The Country Wedding Album,” a CD on the Scotti Bros. Records/All American Music label.

The 15-cut CD has a selection of wedding music for the couple who can’t afford to hire live musicians. For prelude or processional music, there’s the ever-popular Canon in D Major by Pachelbel. Then the bride can stroll down the aisle to the traditional Wedding March from “Lohengrin” by Wagner.

The bride and bridegroom can punctuate their vows with songs by such country biggies as Ricky Skaggs (“I Wouldn’t Change You If I Could”), the Oak Ridge Boys (“True Heart”), Don Williams (“‘Til the Rivers All Run Dry”), the Judds (“Love Can Build a Bridge”) and Marty Stuart (“‘Til I Found You.”)

Two recessional marches are offered: Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March From “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“The Wedding Album” isn’t a CD one would slip into a stack for a regular evening’s listening. But as a special package, it is fascinating.

I called Catherine Farley, Scotti Bros.’ director of special products, to ask her how she came to choose the songs she did.

“I called a lot of places,” Farley said. “I called wedding chapels in Las Vegas, I went on the Internet - there’s a wedding music site - I talked to DJs and band leaders and I went through fake books.” She said she spent six weeks on that process.

This is the fourth compilation of wedding music for the label, she said. Two others featured pop music, and a third was titled “Soap Operas’ Wedding Songs.”

Farley said she wasn’t familiar with some of the songs that turned up as favorites. And it didn’t help that titles can be duplicated and that several singers can be known for the same song.

Such was the case with “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You.” Farley knew that rockers Van Morrison and Rod Stewart had recorded Morrison’s song by that name, but she was sure that those weren’t the ones cited by country fans.

It turned out that Red Foley’s classic recording of “Have I Told You Lately,” from the ‘40s, is the one that newlyweds of the ‘90s are choosing for their first dance.

Farley had a similar story for “Always,” which is sung by Patsy Cline on the CD. Rosemary Clooney’s version was included on a pop compilation, and Harry Nilsson also recorded it.

Some popular songs couldn’t be included because record companies wouldn’t license their use for the compilation. Such was the case with George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart,” from the movie “Pure Country.” Farley said Strait doesn’t like to be included in compilations.

John Michael Montgomery’s “I Swear” and “I Love the Way You Love Me” also were not released for the project. Neither was Paul Brandt’s “I Do.”

“The labels won’t loan their most recent hits,” Farley said.

She said she couldn’t release sales figures, but the wedding CDs have sold well enough to inspire other versions. In-store promotions are planned for record stores, she said, especially for the two most popular wedding months, June and September.