Barbara Mandrell was a pioneer in the music industry. She had a distinctive sound that made her stand apart, and it definitely helped she was a female singer at a time when men dominated the airwaves. Joseph Stephens went on to speak of her influence, “She was one of the first country artists, female country artists, to sing about cheating on a man. You know, during a time when, when male artists were always singing about, you know, other women, so he was, she was, she kind of broke a lot of ground and that and that, that world.”
And even though “The Righteous Gemstones” is a comedy, they didn’t want a song that was utterly devoid of any gravitas. There was a delicate balance at play, with Stephens mentioning, “We wanted the song to feel like it’s akin to that, like it was it’s definitely an homage. We wanted to feel kind of jokey, but also very authentic and, and well-loved.” But bringing the songs together was truly a collaborative effort between Stephens and Jennifer Nettles. One would come up with an idea, and the other would roll with it. And to bring everything together for “Sassy on Sunday,” they brought in a live band to the recording studio so that it would have an authentic 1970s and ’80s vibe.
With “The Righteous Gemstones” Season 3 in the cards, there’ll inevitably be even more tunes to get viewers tapping their toes.
