Sam and Bob

Chicks come clean? cry on tv (continued)

Co-singer Martie Maguire added to the semantic disarray by claiming, we think, that radio play bans by stations with declared editorial positions that supported President Bush were similar to book burning. But it's not clear from her statement whether she is upset with the stations or the people who run the stations -- or just people who don't listen to country music and have a bad impression of it.

"Maybe take us off the air for a week, and give us a spanking . . . those radio stations, we have nothing against them. It's the people who have gone overboard and done such irrational things that take you back to the days of book-burning. That is a concern for me in our format, that this is how country music is being viewed now, by people who don't like country music, and I just don't like what that says," she told Sawyer.

Also revealed: the group have been receiving death threats and will use metal detectors to screen audiences as they start a national tour in America that kicks off next week in South Carolina.

The Rolling Stone used its editorial discretion to remove the ramble from the responses and gave a generally sympathetic hearing to the trio, but closed its story with an affirmation that will only further anger country music fans: "Maines remained firm that the group isn't seeking forgiveness from anyone. 'Accept the apology that was made,' Maines said. 'But don't forgive us for who we are.'"

According to the partial transcript made available ahead of the show by PrimeTime (and quoted verbatim by a sympathetic Country Music Times), what she actually said was a little more, well, off the cuff: “Accept us. Accept an apology that was made. Accept that ... what we're saying right now is heartfelt, full of compassion and honesty, but to forgive us ... don't forgive us for who we are.”

So what are the chaffed Chicks going to do to smooth over the rift with former fans?

In an apparent effort to restart fan demand, the trio has taken a very aggressive public relations tack that has not, so far, done any good for sales. But their latest move is certain to sell a few magazines, even if it doesn't generate radio play.

The trio are featured nude on a forthcoming cover (above) for Entertainment Weekly, among America's most-read entertainment titles.

Emily Robison, left, Natalie Maines, center, and Martie Maguire (Natalie's sister), are on the cover of the May 2, 2003, issue of Entertainment Weekly.

Will it ultimately work? Maybe if they stop talking.

The latest turn on their foot-in-mouth apology front: Natalie says she was opposed to the war, certainly, but still supported "the troops".

"We support the troops 100 per cent. We have said that from day one. There's no correlation in not wanting a war and not supporting the troops who are doing the job," she said.

ExtraTV quotes Diane Sawyer as observing, "I think it's fair to say they were stunned by the backlash."

According to Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, the Dixie Chicks returned to number one position after a week's decline in sales for their third major-label album, Home, but it was a week in which no new albums made the top ten.

The renegate austinmayor.com has posted the relevant transcript released by "PrimeTime".