Arts & Entertainment, Music

Case Study: "Fancy" Goes Acoustic

Lesson time 19:50 min

Learn the backstory of how Reba recorded one of her most infamous songs, "Fancy". Then, watch as Reba and the band break down the song to record a never-before-done acoustic version of the song.

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Topics include: The Origins of "Fancy" • Reba's Acoustic Version of "Fancy"

Preview

[MUSIC - REBA MCENTIRE, "FANCY"] I remember it all very well, looking back. It was the summer I turned 18. We lived in a one-room, run-down shack on the outskirts of New Orleans. We didn't have money for food-- REBA MCENTIRE: When I was recording with Jimmy Bowen on MCA records in the '80s, I had asked him if I could record a song that had been my favorite forever, called "Fancy." it's a Bobby Gentry song. And he said, oh, no, woman. That's not a song you need to be recording. It's about a prostitute. And I said, yeah, I know. It's a great song. No, no, no, no, no. So after I switched producers from Jimmy Bowen to Tony Brown, Tony Brown and I were in the studio one day, and he said, is there any old song that you'd like to redo? And I said, yeah. He said, well, what is it? And I said, "Fancy?" He said, oh my gosh! That's one of my favorite songs! I said, you mean, we can do that? He said, oh yeah! So I told what Bowen said. And so he said, OK, yeah, we can go ahead and do that. So I recorded "Fancy" at the Emerald Studios there in Nashville. And I just had a blast doing it. I absolutely love that song. When I find a song that I absolutely loved, and want to sing it, reasoning kind of goes out the window. I've had songs that I wanted to record, and people would say, well, that's not country. Well, I don't care. I like the song. Well, that's not a song you should be doing. Why? I like it. It's not country enough, it's not this enough. I never have understood why everybody had to have a category for songs. It's either good or bad. You either want it or you don't. And so when I find a song, whether it's "Respect," or "Fancy," or "That's the Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," Diana Ross's, "Set me free, why don't you, baby, get out my life, why don't you, baby," I recorded that one. I just love the song. And so when I recorded "Fancy," it's because I love the song. "Fancy" is timeless because of the lyric, the content. It's great, the melody is wonderful, the chords and the minors. I just love it. It just takes you on a visual trip. It's sad at the beginning, and then she overcomes all the bad stuff that happened to her, and she's successful. She's taken charge, and she's making good out of a bad situation. As for career songs in the Reba McEntire catalog, I would say "Fancy" would be right up there as number one. [MUSIC - REBA MCENTIRE, "FANCY"] We didn't have money for food or rent. To say the least, we were hard pressed. Then Mama spent every last penny we had to buy me a dancing dress. Well, Mama washed and combed and curled my hair, and she painted my eyes and lips. Then I stepped into a satin dancing dress. It had a split from the side clean up to my hips. And it was red velvet trimming, and it fit me good. Standing back from the looking glass, ...

About the Instructor

You know her songs. Her Oklahoma charm. Now learn directly from Reba in her first-ever online class. Join her as she records a never-before-heard song, creates a new acoustic version of Fancy, breaks down her hits, and delivers emotional performances on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. This is more than a music class. This is Reba's life, business, and country music MasterClass.

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