Exclusive: Ira Dean, Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, John Osborne, and Brent Mason Team for “Adderall Picking Song”: “Tele-Man”

What happens when you put Nashville’s guitar greats Vince Gill, John Osborne, and Brent Mason on the same song with Brooks & Dunn’s Ronnie Dunn?

Ira Dean’s dream of forming a country version of the Traveling Wilburys come true — a song called “Tele-Man.”

Dean, a singer, songwriter, and former member of Trick Pony, has been in Nashville long enough to make a few famous friends. He wanted the best chicken pickers in Music City on the song, so he asked them to do it.

“It’s just up-tempo honky-tonking rock-a-billiyish,” Dean said. “I just wanted to cut a song with all the guys I respect and love in this business I never got to work with. It’s a great up-tempo upright bass thing paying homage to the Telecaster players who don’t get any attention.

“There’s a law in the music business that you can only use so many notes in a song,” Dunn added. “Well, this broke that law and words, too.”

While chicken picking was the goal, Dunn said “Tele-Man” exceeds chicken picking and moves into speed picking.

Ira Dean: “I’m In Heaven”

“This is Adderall picking,” Dean added.

Dean described the song, written by Jeffrey Steele and Tony Mullins, as a “throwback to ’90s country.” When he heard it, he thought, “I got to cut that thing.”

Then Dean started assembling his all-star band.

Dunn has hosted songwriting seminars at his farm for the last couple of years that Dean and their friends, including David Lee Murphy, frequently attend. Dean brought the song to a seminar, played it for Dunn, and asked him if he would sing on it.

“It’s like, ‘Well, yeah, it had to be a fun song, and it is,” Dunn said. “I’d probably find some excuse to be uptown or watering the flowers that day. But no, I love it. It’s just unique, and I’m a frustrated guitar player. When I’ve heard those guys playing it like they do, it just kills me. That’s just the premise of it. We’re all buddies.”

Dean knew early in the process that he wanted Vince Gill, John Osborne, and Brent Mason on the song. Dunn was a bonus.

“Thank God Ronnie jumped in,” Dean said. “I’m in heaven. I’ll hang my hat on this one if it doesn’t work. It all came together. It’s one of those things. It was a God thing.”

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.