Wanda Jackson's first collection of new songs since her 2019 retirement from touring teams the Queen of Rockabilly with fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Joan Jett.
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Jett and her longtime collaborator Kenny Laguna co-produced Encore (out Aug. 20 via Big Machine/Blackheart), which Jackson has been teasing in interviews since at least 2017.
Beyond performing alongside Jett on three songs, Jackson recruited duet partners Elle King, Candi Carpenter and Pistol Annies member Angaleena Presley. The Carpenter and Presley collaboration "Good Girl Down" was first heard on the latter's 2017 album Wrangled.
There's an equally impressive list of songwriters involved in the project, from multi-time Grammy award-winner Lori McKenna to Americana wordsmith Will Hoge.
"Right around the time I retired from performing and what I thought was the end of my career, I found myself back to writing songs with some of the great writers in Nashville," Jackson shares (as quoted by Music Row). "The songs you hear are truly my life story. This is the first time I have ever inserted so much of my personal life into my music. You'll get a picture of my early life and have a peak into the closeness that my late husband Wendell and I had in our life together. I'm happy to share this with all of you. Your constant love and support has seen me through the ups and downs of my 64-year career. I love you all and God bless you."
Jackson's embrace of some of country music's most gifted singer-songwriters led to the first co-writes of her legendary career.
"It's [the] first time in a long time that I've written songs," the Oklahoma native says (as quoted by Ultimate Classic Rock). "I never have written with other people, so that was a new experience, but I really see the advantage of doing that. It turned out great."
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A cover of Johnny Tillotson's 1962 R&B hit "It Keeps Right On a Hurtin'" is the album's first single.
https://youtu.be/DilTt68v__o
Encore Track Listing
1. "Big Baby" - Christopher Casello, Robin Lynn Grant
2. "Two Shots" (featuring Elle King and Joan Jett) - David Ryan Harris, Tanner Elle Schneider
3. You Drive Me Wild" - Joan Jett
4. "Good Girl Down" (featuring Angaleena Presley and Candi Carpenter) - Wanda Jackson, Vanessa Olivarez, Angaleena Presley
5. "It Keeps Right On A Hurtin'" - Johnny Tillotson
6. "We Gotta Stop" - Wanda Jackson, Will Hoge, Vanessa Olivarez
7. "Treat Me Like A Lady" (featuring Joan Jett) - Wanda Jackson, Sonia Leigh, Vanessa Olivarez, Jordan Breanne Simpson
8. "That What Love Is" (featuring Joan Jett) - Wanda Jackson, Luke Laird, Lori McKenna, Jordan Breanne Simpson
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