It’s hard to believe Reba has been making music for over 40 years, but she has never released a gospel album until now. This Friday, Reba will release Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope. “The neat thing about this album it’s a two CD package,” explains Reba. “It’s got the 10 songs on one CD that’s got all of the older hymns, songs of inspiration, songs that we grew up listening to singing. And on the other CD it’s brand new songs or songs that have been recorded before but are more current. And so it’s a mixture of 20 songs that have inspiration, faith based songs of hope, encouragement songs of healing and songs that are just praise and worship and make you feel good. So there’s a song on this album that will I think touch every part of your being.”
Reba spent quite a bit of time recording this album because she wanted to make sure it was right. And while the process of selecting songs and recording was similar to how she approached making her country albums, Reba says, “I think more than anything the difference in this album is my singing. You know when you sing a country song it’s a country song and it’s relatable. But these songs touch my soul and when I’m saying it just came out different, Doug Sizemore, my musical director said that. He said, ‘You sounded different. I don’t know if it was the not sounding like the demo. Not trying too hard or pushin’ or it was just from the heart and soul.’”
Making this project was also a very healing experience for Reba. She was going through her divorce while recording the album, which in turn was bringing about a lot of changes in her career, since her ex-husband was her manager, so she says, “It was very healing for me. When I would sing one song it would be like, ooooh that touched that part that needed attention. It hit me differently every time I would sing the songs, whether it was glad, joyful, or the healing that goes on so far deep in the core of your soul. So it was very healing for me to do this album.”
Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope will be available this Friday, February 3rd, featuring Reba’s stirring new single, “Back to God,” which was written by Randy Houser and Dallas Davidson.
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Reba – variety of songs on album :36
“The neat thing about this album it’s a two CD package. It’s got the 10 songs on one CD that’s got all of the older hymns, songs of inspiration, songs that we grew up listening to singing. And on the other CD it’s brand new songs or songs that have been recorded before but are more current. And so it’s a mixture of 20 songs that have inspiration, faith based songs of hope, encouragement songs of healing and songs that are just praise and worship and make you feel good. So there’s a song on this album that will I think touch every part of your being.”
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Reba – album was healing :21
“It was very healing for me. When I would sing one song it would be like ooooh that touched that part that needed attention. It hit me differently every time I would sing the songs, whether it was glad, joyful, or the healing that goes on so far deep in the core of your soul. So it was very healing for me to do this album.”
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Reba – how became two disc project :13
“It wasn’t meant for it to be at two-CD package at all. What happened was we over-recorded and then we all listened to ‘em and there wasn’t a song we could take out. So we just recorded more songs and made it a two CD package.”
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Reba – song had to record :36
“Well of course, ‘I’ll Fly Away’ is one song that I had to have on there because I can still hear and see and smell the one room church in Chockie, Oklahoma, with Grandma and Grandpa Smith standing in front of the podium, and with Miss Stella McGee givin’ the chord on the piano because nobody in the church could play the piano but she did know the chords. And we’d go, ‘Hmmmm … When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound in time she’ll be no more.” And I can just see grandpa doing his hand like that and singing the song in front of probably 25 people. Those are the songs that you said they’ve got to be on there.”
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Reba – difference in this album :47
“I think the biggest difference in this album is The two CD package. And then also as long as it took it’s been a year in the making. Well at least eight months in the making we took a long time with it because I wanted to make sure everything was right. I wanted Mama Alice and Susie to be singing on it. I wish Pate could have been there also to sing on it. But I think more than anything the difference in this album is my singing. You know when you say a country song it’s a country song and it’s relatable. But these songs touch my soul and when I’m saying it just came out different. Doug Sizemore my musical director said that he said you sounded different. I don’t know if it was the not sounding like the demo. Not trying too hard or pushin or it was just from the heart and soul.”