As the legendary Reba McEntire makes the rounds to promote the release of her three-disc collection of music, Revived Remixed Revisited (out Oct. 8), American Songwriter caught up with the famous redhead to ask a couple of questions about her iconic career.
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American Songwriter: When did you first find music as a young person?
Reba McEntire: Wow! Many, many moons ago. I was a little bitty girl. Mama would teach us kids to sing and taught us three-part harmony in the back of a car while we were going from rodeo to rodeo watching daddy steer-rope. And then when I got to first grade, I was thrilled to pieces. The teacher asked, “Would anybody like to sing a song at the Christmas program?” And I raised my hand and I sang, “Away in A Manger,” and that was the first time I was behind a microphone in front of an audience.
AS: Do you have a favorite memory maybe strumming a guitar with someone backstage, in a recording studio, in a hotel room somewhere where you were just talking about music or writing or the industry, itself?
RM: When we were shooting the Christmas In Tune movie, John Schneider and I were talking about when we were at the ACMs years ago co-hosting with Mac Davis. And after rehearsals on stage, we were all over, and I’m not sure and John wasn’t sure either, it was a backroom, maybe there at the amphitheater where the show was taking place. And I remember Tammy Wynette had a handkerchief over her hair and we were all sitting there at the piano: Tammy Wynette, John Schneider, and myself and a lot of other people in the picture. But things like that are memories you never forget. After the CMA Awards, Tony Brown and Anastasia used to have a CMA part at their house and all the entertainers would gather and Alabama, George Strait, myself would get around the piano and take turns singing. So, that camaraderie is stuff that you never forget when people get together like that.
McEntire’s new 30-song three-disc box set, out today, features many of the performer’s classic songs, including a number of her hits, viewed through three different lenses.
Revived showcases her biggest hits live with new arrangements; Remixed includes songs transformed into dance-club anthems and Revisited features McEntire stripping away much on the tracks and offering them in their most bare-bones form to date.
“Getting to go back to these songs has been such a special experience,” McEntire said in a release. “Each collection shows a different side of my personality, and I can’t wait to hear what the fans think of the new takes on some of the songs. Of course, getting to work with Dolly was just a dream come true, and bringing this new version of ‘Does He Love You’ to life with the music video was an experience I will never forget.”
The famed “I’m a Survivor” singer premiered the video for the revisited version of “Does He Love You” exclusively on her Facebook page. Reba enlisted the help of the iconic Dolly Parton to sing the part originated by Linda Davis for their first-ever collaboration.
The video is set to premiere on Youtube on Saturday, October 9 at 11 am. (But it’s on Reba’s Facebook page here now.)
McEntire also tweeted about the collaboration, saying, “Jolene and Fancy don’t have the best taste in men. Right @DollyParton?!?!”
In addition, Reba gave fans a taste of what is to come from the new box set when she performed “Take It Back/ Why Haven’t I Heard From You (revived)” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Thursday night (Oc. 7).
Fans can purchase the album here.
REVIVED REMIXED REVISITED TRACK LIST:
DISC 1 – REVIVED
1. Can’t Even Get The Blues
2. Is There Life Out There
3. The Greatest Man I Never Knew
4. Walk On
5. Whoever’s In New England
6. The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
7. For My Broken Heart
8. Take It Back / Why Haven’t I Heard From You
9. You Lie
10. Fancy
DISC 2 – REMIXED
1. Turn On The Radio – Tracy Young Remix
2. I’m Gonna Take That Mountain – Dave Aude remix
3. Little Rock – Stonebridge Mix
4. I’m A Survivor – Lafemmebear remix
5. Does He Love You – Eric Kupper Remix
6. Keep Me Hangin’ On – Love To Infinity Remix
7. The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia – Eric Kupper Remix
8. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter – Ralphi Rosario Remix
9. Why Haven’t I Heard From You – Dave Aude remix
10. Fancy – Dave Aude remix
DISC 3 – REVISITED
1. The Fear Of Being Alone
2. Consider Me Gone
3. Somebody Should Leave
4. How Blue
5. Does He Love You (with Dolly Parton)
6. One Promise Too Late
7. The Last One To Know
8. New Fool At An Old Game
9. I’m A Survivor
10. Fancy
