Loretta Lynn announces new release date for ‘Wouldn’t It Be Great’

The album was originally scheduled for August 2017

Last August, Loretta Lynn had planned to release Wouldn’t It Be Great via Sony Legacy Recordings. However, the singer/songwriter decided to postpone the project after after suffering from a stroke at her Hurricane Mills home mid-last year. Now, the 86 year old country legend has set a new release date of September 28th.

One of the most deeply personal albums of Loretta Lynn’s career, Wouldn’t It Be Great communicates in song the hard truths and spiritual insights Lynn has gathered throughout her life and reflects the resilience that sustains her still. Comprised entirely of songs written (or co-written) by Lynn, the album premieres new compositions alongside soulful reinterpretations of enduring classics from her catalog.

“This new record means so much to me, but this last year I had to focus on my health and I decided to hold up the release,” Lynn says in a press release. “I’m feelin’ good and look forward to it comin’ out. It was really important to me to be a part of it being released and I’m excited to celebrate with everybody!”

Wouldn’t It Be Great is available for pre-order on CD and vinyl. Exclusive Wouldn’t It Be Great album packages including limited edition, autographed, numbered photo prints and Loretta Lynn merchandise are also available (while supplies last) via Lynn’s webstore.

In advance of the album’s release, the title track premieres on digital service providers Wednesday (Aug 22nd).

“Wouldn’t It Be Great?” is the last song Lynn wrote for her late husband (Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn). “Well,” Lynn observes, “my husband liked to drink a lot and that’s where that song comes from… ‘Say you love me just one time, with a sober mind’… I always liked that song but I never liked to sing it around Doo.” “That song just always meant so much to me,” continues their daughter (and album co-producer) Patsy Lynn Russell, “because of the lyrics, you know, ‘when my fancy lace couldn’t turn your face,’ it was just so powerful and was a song that needed to be recorded for this album with Loretta. It shows just how masterful my mom is with writing down her feelings.”

Like its predecessor, the critically-acclaimed, Grammy-nominated Full Circle (released March 2016), Wouldn’t It Be Great was mainly recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with producers Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com