Barbara Mandrell is known as one of the most successful country music artists of all time. A member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, Mandrell is revered for her many, many country hits, including “Sleeping Single In A Double Bed”, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool”, “One Of A Kind Pair Of Fools”, and more.
While Mandrell never intended to become a pop star, she did have one massive crossover hit. In 1979, Mandrell released “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right”. The song, on her Moods album, became one of her many No. 1 country hits. But it also became a Top 10 on the pop charts as well, her biggest crossover hit.
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“(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right” was written by Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, and Raymond Jackson. Before Mandrell had a hit with the song, it was first written for the all-female group, The Emotions. They ultimately never released a version of the song. Luther Ingram had a Top 5 hit with “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right” in 1972.
The Story Behind “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right”
“(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right” is about infidelity. The song says, “My friends tell me there’s no future / In loving a married man / If I can’t see you when I want / I’ll see you when I can / If loving you is wrong / I don’t wanna be right.”
Some may not have liked Barbara Mandrell singing about having an affair. Still, she stands by her decision, saying she sings about “strong lyrics that deal with real life.”
“The simplicity of it is the beauty of it,” she adds.
Of course, Mandrell is no stranger to songs that don’t necessarily have a positive message. In 1973, Mandrell released “Midnight Oil”. The song says, “And tonight I’ll cheat again, and tomorrow I’ll be sorry / And I’ll feel kind of dirty ’cause I’ll have the midnight oil all over me.” And in 1977, she had a hit with “Married But Not To Each Other”.
Mandrell may have sung about infidelity. But she insists none of those songs are in any way an indication of her real-life marriage to her husband, Ken Dudley. The two have been married since 1967.
“Any performer who hasn’t the theatrical ability to put herself into the lyrics for a few minutes must have something missing – like talent,” Mandrell once said.
“(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right” is Mandrell’s only Top 10 pop hit. But she did have a few other Top 40 songs on the pop charts. Those songs include “Fooled By A Feeling”, “Sometime, Somewhere, Somehow”, and “Till You’re Gone”.
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