Authors: Reba McEntire,Tom Carter
Tags: #Biography & Autobiography, #Entertainment & Performing Arts
Also, there were several very generous helpers at the office that I couldn’t do without. Thanks, Chris, Cliff, Richard, Clay, Sam, and Regina for all your help in finding these songs.
Now, you think it would be easy to find ten of your favorite songs from the past. But believe me, it wasn’t. I did find out something about myself though. I found that I tend to lean more toward the contemporary sounds than the more traditional. And that surprised me. Yes, I do pick a lot of contemporary songs today, but I’ve always loved singing a good ole western swing, shuffle, or a waltz. Then, when I listened to the new CD, I realized that basically I go for the heart of the song, which is the lyric.
Another thing I remembered is I really like the rock ’n’ roll songs of the sixties and seventies. It was fun to sing the Ronstadt songs. When I was looking through the number-one records book, I found the old Supremes song from 1966 called “You Keep Me Hanging On.” Those kinds of songs have the power to take you back to the first time you heard them, who you were with, and maybe even the time of day. Dave Loggins’s “Please Come to Boston”
hit me the same way. What a song! About a decade later, I went to MCA Music to listen to songs for one of my albums, I don’t recall which one, and I wound up listening to Dave Loggins’s songs. I heard eleven and I put ten of them on hold. (That means they’ll keep them for me and hopefully not play them for anyone else until I decide to either record them or take them off hold.) Dave is a very talented songwriter and singer.
The other day when we were talking about “Please Come to Boston,” Narvel said he went to see Dave in concert at Six Flags over Texas back in the seventies. He said the place was packed and Dave was into playing some of his new material, but the crowd wanted to hear his big hit, “Please Come to Boston.” Finally Dave stopped the show and said, “I know what you want, but I know that if I sing it, you’ll leave. If you promise to stay and listen to my new stuff, I’ll do it.” He did it, and they all left. I guess they didn’t cross their hearts.
“Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” was a huge hit for Crystal Gayle, but my favorite of hers was “Talking in Your Sleep.” Can you imagine waking up to that situation?!? I hope Crystal likes the way we did it.
As you know from the book, the first time I won CMA Female Vocalist of the Year was 1984. That same year, Lee Greenwood won CMA Male Vocalist of the Year. Lee and I toured together a little, and I always loved to hear him sing “Ring on Her Finger.” Changing the lyrics to first person instead of third made it the perfect song for this CD. Unfortunately, too many people can relate to the subject matter of the song.
During my concert this year, we do a Patti Labelle/Michael McDonald song called “On My Own.” When the fans found out about this project, they wanted to know if that song would be included on the CD. So we went back into the studio and recorded three new songs: “On My Own,” “Please Come to Boston,” and “Keep Me Hanging On.” I already had ten songs recorded, but I wasn’t crazy
about two of them. So now I have to pick just the right ten. It will be hard because all of them are classics—proven songs that all of us have listened to and loved over the years. Of course, to anyone born after 1980, these will be brand-new songs! Sort of like the fifteen-year-old who didn’t know Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings!
Everyone in my family is doing fine. Mama and Daddy, along with Narvel’s mom and dad, Brandon, Chassidy, Shelby, Pake’s oldest daughter, Autumn, and Narvel and I all went on a cruise this summer to the Mediterranean. We had a great time and got to see some beautiful places like France, England, Italy, Sicily, and Greece. But the best part was that we got to spend ten days together, and I wouldn’t take anything for that.
Alice, Pake, Susie, and all their families are working hard and playing hard, as usual. I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like to, but I guess everyone is like that, especially when it comes to family.
Shelby is starting kindergarten this fall. He’s really looking forward to it. And Narvel is still the same … looking for that next big adventure.
Well, that pretty much catches you up with my life. My never-ending thanks to Jenny Bohler for helping me write this. Jenny has been my publicist for the past eleven years. We’ve been through a lot together.
Everyone is doing well and I’m looking forward to the next twenty years. Maybe I’ll write the sequel to my story at that time! If the next twenty years are anything like the past twenty, it should be pretty interesting.
R
EBA
M
C
E
NTIRE
1978
Mercury 836 330-4
Glad I Waited Just for You
One to One
Angel in Your Arms
I Don’t Want to Be a One Night Stand
I’ve Waited All My Life for You
I Was Glad to Give My Everything to You
Take Your Love Away
There’s Nothing Like the Love Between a Woman and a Man
Why Can’t He Be You
Invitation to the Blues
Right Time of the Night
O
UT OF A
D
REAM
1979
Mercury 836 331 4
(I Still Long to Hold You) Now & Then
Daddy
Last Night, Ev’ry Night
Make Me Feel Like a Woman Wants to Feel
That Makes Two of Us
Sweet Dreams
I’m a Woman
Rain Failin’
Runaway Heart
It’s Gotta Be Love
F
EEL THE
F
IRE
1980
SRM-1-5029
(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven
Tears on My Pillow
I Don’t Think Love Ought to Be That Way
Long Distance Lover
If I Had It My Way
I Can See Forever in Your Eyes
A Poor Man’s Roses (Or a Rich Man’s Gold)
My Turn
Look at the One (Who’s Been Lookin’ at You)
Suddenly There’s a Valley
H
EART TO
H
EART
1981
Mercury MCR 4-1-6003
Indelibly Blue
Ease the Fever
There Ain’t No Love
How Does It Feel to Be Free
Only You (And You Alone)
Today All Over Again
Gonna Love Ya (Till the Cows Come Home)
Who?
Small Two Bedroom Starter
Love by Love
U
NLIMITED
1982
Mercury 822-882-1-M-1
I’d Say You
Everything I’ll Ever Own
What Do You Know About Heartache
Out of the Blue
Over, Under and Around
I’m Not That Lonely Yet
Whoever’s Watchin’
Old Man River (I’ve Come to Talk Again)
You’re the First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving
Can’t Even Get the Blues No More
B
EHIND THE
S
CENE
1983
Mercury 812-781-4
Love Isn’t Love (’Til You Give It Away)
Is It Really Love
Reasons
Nickel Dreams
One Good Reason
You Really Better Love Me After This
There Ain’t No Future in This
Why Do We Want (What We Know We Can’t Have)
Pins & Needles
I Sacrificed More Than You’ll Ever Lose
J
UST A
L
ITTLE
L
OVE
1984
MCA 5475
Just a Little Love
Poison Sugar
I’m Gettin’ Over You
Every Second Someone Breaks a Heart
Tell Me What’s So Good About Goodbye
He Broke Your Memory Last Night
If Only
Congratulations
Silver Eagle
You Are Always There for Me
M
Y
K
IND OF
C
OUNTRY
1984
MCA 5516
How Blue
That’s What He Said
I Want to Hear It from You
It’s Not Over (If I’m Not Over You)
Somebody Should Leave
Everything but My Heart
Don’t You Believe Him
Before I Met You
He’s Only Everything
You’ve Got Me (Right Where You Want Me)
H
AVE
I G
OT A
D
EAL FOR
Y
OU
1985
MCA 5585
I’m in Love All Over
She’s Single Again
The Great Divide
Have I Got a Deal for You
Red Roses (Won’t Work Now)
Only in My Mind
She’s the One Loving You Now
Whose Heartache Is This Anyway
I Don’t Need Nothin’ You Ain’t Got
Don’t Forget Your Way Home
T
HE
B
EST OF
R
EBA
M
C
E
NTIRE
1985
Mercury 824-342-1-M-1
(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven
There Ain’t No Future in This
I Don’t Think Love Ought to Be That Way
Only You (And You Alone)
I’m Not That Lonely Yet
Can’t Even Get the Blues
Today All Over Again
Why Do We Want (What We Know We Can’t Have)
My Turn
You’re the First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving
W
HOEVER
’
S
IN
N
EW
E
NGLAND
*
1986
MCA 5691
Can’t Stop Now
You Can Take the Wings Off Me
Whoever’s in New England
I’ll Believe It When I Feel It
I’ve Seen Better Days
Little Rock
If You Only Knew
One Thin Dime
Don’t Touch Me There
To Make That Same Mistake Again
W
HAT
A
M
I G
ONNA
D
O
A
BOUT
Y
OU
*
1986
MCA 5807
Why Not Tonight
What Am I Gonna Do About You
Lookin’ for a New Love Story
Take Me Back
My Mind Is on You
Let the Music Lift You Up
I Heard Her Cryin’
No Such Thing
One Promise Too Late
Till It Snows in Mexico
T
HE
L
AST
O
NE TO
K
NOW
*
1987
MCA 42030
The Last One to Know
The Girl Who Has Everything
Just Across the Rio Grande
I Don’t Want to Mention Any Names
What You Gonna Do About Me
I Don’t Want to Be Alone
The Stairs
Love Will Find Its Way to You
I’ve Still Got the Love We Made
Someone Else
G
REATEST
H
ITS
V
OL
. I
†
1987
MCA 5979
Just a Little Love
He Broke Your Memory Last Night
How Blue
Somebody Should Leave
Have I Got a Deal for You
Only in My Mind
Whoever’s in New England
Little Rock
What Am I Gonna Do About You
One Promise Too Late
M
ERRY
C
HRISTMAS TO
Y
OU
1987
MCA 42031
Away in the Manger
On This Day
O Holy Night
The Christmas Guest
Silent Night
Happy Birthday, Jesus
White Christmas
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
A Christmas Letter
The Christmas Song
R
EBA
*
1988
MCA 42134
So, So, So Long
Sunday Kind of Love
New Fool at an Old Game
You’re the One I Dream About
Silly Me
Respect
Do Right by Me
I Know How He Feels
Wish I Were Only Lonely
Everytime You Touch Her (Think of Me)
S
WEET
S
IXTEEN
*
1989
MCA 6294
Cathy’s Clown
’Til Love Comes Again
It Always Rains on Saturday
Am I the Only One Who Cares
Somebody Up There Likes Me
You Must Really Love Me
Say the Word
Little Girl
Walk On
A New Love
L
IVE
†
1989
MCA 8034
So, So, So Long
One Promise Too Late
Let the Music Lift You Up
Little Rock
New Fool at an Old Game
Little Girl
Can’t Stop Now
Sunday Kind of Love
I Know How He Feels
Whoever’s in New England
Cathy’s Clown
You Must Really Love Me
Somebody Up There Likes Me
San Antonio Rose
Mama Tried
Night Life
Jolene
Sweet Dreams
Respect
R
UMOR
H
AS
I
T
††
1990
MCA 10016
Climb That Mountain High
Rumor Has It
Waitin’ for the Deal to Go Down
You Lie
Now You Tell Me
Fancy
Failin’ Out of Love
This Picture
You Remember Me
That’s All She Wrote
F
OR
M
Y
B
ROKEN
H
EART
††
1991
MCA 10400
For My Broken Heart
Is There Life Out There
Bobby
He’s in Dallas
All Dressed Up (With Nowhere to Go)
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Buying Her Roses
The Greatest Man I Never Knew
I Wouldn’t Go That Far
If I Had Only Known