Reba is the fourteenth studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire. McEntire collaborated once again with former rockabilly artist and legendary music producer Jimmy Bowen, and the album was released on April 25, 1988. Gone were the honky tonk stable steel guitars and fiddles of My Kind of Country and Have I Got a Deal for You, to be replaced by a highly produced and orchestrated production. The album recalls to mind the music on the hit parade of the late 1940s and early 1950s. The Nashville and country-soul crossover sounds of the 1960s are also represented. Created before For My Broken Heart and It's Your Call, this was one of the first of McEntire's albums to have a conceptual feeling. This was created by song choice and the use of similar instrumentation and vocal arrangement throughout the album. Reba was a success.
The album was her third #1 country album, and two of its tracks, "I Know How He Feels" and "New Fool at an Old Game," reached No. 1 on the Billboard country singles charts.
A remake of an old jazz vocal standard made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, "Sunday Kind of Love" reached the #5 spot. Also covered was "Respect," a song made famous by Aretha Franklin.
The album debuted at #20 for the week of May 21, 1988, on the Country Albums chart, and peaked at #1 for the week of June 11, 1988. The album stayed at #1 for 6 consecutive weeks.
Three songs from the album, "Do Right By Me", "Wish I Were Only Lonely" and "New Fool At An Old Game", were previously recorded by Michelle Wright on her 1988 album, Do Right By Me.
Track listing
Personnel Reba McEntire – vocals John Barlow Jarvis – acoustic piano, Yamaha DX7 Mike Lawler – synthesizers Pat Flynn – acoustic guitar, mandolin, bouzouki Pam Rose – acoustic guitar, harmony vocals Dann Huff – electric guitars Wayne Nelson – bass Russ Kunkel – drums, percussion Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson – harmonica Yvonne Hodges – harmony vocals Suzy Hoskins – harmony vocals Mary Ann Kennedy – harmony vocals
Production Jimmy Bowen – producer Reba McEntire – producer, make-up Ron Treat – recording engineer Bob Bullock – overdub recording Tim Kish – overdub recording Willie Pevear – overdub recording John Guess – mixing Mark J. Coddington – second engineer Marty Williams – second engineer Milan Bogdan – digital editing Glenn Meadows – mastering Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee) – mixing and mastering location Jessie Noble – project coordinator Simon Levy – art direction Katherine DeVault – design Jim "Señior" McGuire – photography Linda McMith – hair Sheri McCoy – wardrobe Ann Payne-Rice – wardrobe
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1988) Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 13
Singles Year Song Chart positions US Country CAN Country 1988 "Sunday Kind of Love" 5 9 "I Know How He Feels" 1 1 "New Fool At An Old Game" 1 1
Certifications
References