Loving the thread so far. I grew up hearing Dolly on the radio all the time. I was recently playing around with one of those AI things that generate images based on text input. On a whim, I put in the lyrics to "Jolene," which include a description of Jolene. My current avatar picture was the result!
Great Balls of Fire Studio album by Dolly Parton Released May 28, 1979 Recorded c. December 1978 Studio Sound Lab, Los Angeles A&M, Los Angeles Salty Dog, Los Angeles Genre Country pop Length 34:34 Label RCA Victor Producer Dean Parks Gregg Perry Dolly Parton (exec.) Charles Koppelman (exec.) Great Balls of Fire is the twenty-first solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on May 28, 1979, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Dean Parks and Gregg Perry with Parton and Charles Koppelman serving as executive producers. The album peaked at number four on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 40 on the Billboard 200. Two of the album's four singles charted in the top ten of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "You're the Only One" topped the chart, while "Sweet Summer Lovin'" peaked at number seven. The album has been certified Gold in the United States. Great Balls of Fire (Dolly Parton album) - Wikipedia ~~~~~ Rocks, no, at least not at first. Star of the Show is an opener that's pretty darn disco. Sounds great, actually, and it's a great energetic start to the record. Down is also by Dolly, and it sounds more than not like The Staples Sisters' I'll Take You There, in a good way. Lyrically it's a great uplifting song about what happens after heartbreak. You're the Only One has a twin guitar theme that appears several times across this otherwise sappy love song that could have come from the Porter Wagoner years, spoken word section and all. Help! is of course a Beatles cover, and a couple things stand out. First, it's the first pretty explicitly country thing we've heard from Dolly in a while. Ricky Skaggs guests on backing vocals, and there's one direct Beatles connection (two if you count drummer Jim Keltner, but he's everywhere; does that really count? ) On this song and the entire album, Abraham Laboriel is the bassist, father of future McCartney drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. David Grisman is also featured on Mandolin, which is fun. * Do You Think That Time Stands Still closes the side with one more written by Dolly, and it's another sad love song. Some pedal steel also marks this as country, or whatever passed for countrypolitan in 1979. Sweet Summer Lovin' ups the energy to start off the second side. Some rolling banjo throughout and great synth work on a breathy "flute" solo are nice touches as well. Great Balls of Fire is of course the Jerry Les Lewis song, and yes, a couple decades before Rockstar, this, well, it rocks. It's not a barnburner like the original, being mostly guitar led, but it's a wonderful tribute to the Killer; Dolly even keeps some of ol' Jerry Lee's vocal swoops. Almost in Love is a slow love ballad, this one co-written by co-producer Dean Parks. It's so sweet it hurts, but builds to a big chorus with some interesting chord choices. A mysterious ending keeps this from being a total snooze. It's Not My Affair Anymore is also a love ballad, with a little more energy. Great little pop record here, with some great bass and a nice buildup on the breakdown. Sandy's Song finishes things off with another Parton original, and it's a spin on Greensleeves. The mood is dramatic, with big strings, a few woodwinds, a harp, and a weepy vocal that complements both the melody and arrangement. A fascinating ending to another record with a lot of variety, but in a good way. Two covers here, one is fitting to the original, and the other takes a big swing and, unsurprisingly, succeeds. Next: Dolly does the songs of others.
Heatbreaker - this is a little more poppy an album than the previous one but has more songs written by Dolly which is odd. The title track is fantastic but I can't say i'm a big fan of the other singles from this album. Great balls of fire-Back to fewer tunes written by Dolly. The song though"you're the only one" is actually my favorite Dolly tune EVER. The hit songwriters knocked it out of the park here. "Sweet summer lovin" is also enjoyable but overall not a great album.
I discovered this little gem of an album way into my history with Dolly. (I wish... Would be nice to know such a positive person.) I tend to like so much that was released in 1979, for nostalgic reasons. A lot happened that year. "Star Of The Show" is widescreen Dolly. Epic, and very well arranged and performed. The melody is also full of twists and turns. Very hard to dislike, and I won't even try. "Down" is another winner, vaguely hinting at the blues and reggae, but never quite going there. Lovely. Her bluegrass cover of "Help!" is just a delight, IMO. I have never been a fan of the ballads on here. Apart from one. "Sweet Summer Lovin'" has some of that effortless joy found in "Love Is Like A Butterfly" - a very summery vibe. I play this album a lot, and this song is one of my favourites. Another cover, the title track, is a bit unexpected from an artist like Dolly, but she seems to love covering this catchy old rocker. And she succeeds in spreading the joy. The last song, "Sandy's Song" is my favourite on the album - perhaps my favourite Dolly. Ever. It's about her manager, Sandy Gatlin. A lot have come out about him later, but he had a close personal relationship with Dolly, and this song is a tribute to him. (It also shows that Dolly has no hang-ups about gay people, which I for one treasure.) I had never thought of this sounding anything at all like "Greensleeves", but, of course, when you mention it... I love this album. The major snag...? Well, I think the ballads tend to be just a tad too polished and saccharine for my taste. (And I do like a lot of polished and saccharine music!) Matthew mentioned "You're The Only One" - it's a nice song, but I don't have that much of a relationship with it. Glad you love it, though. (And it's A LOT better than a similar-titled song on her next album. More on that later...)
While both Here You Come Again and Heartbreaker are ingrained into my being from countless playings during my childhood I can't say the same for Great Balls of Fire (or the upcoming album Dolly, Dolly, Dolly) None of the singles from this album made it onto her Greatest Hits collection or any of the other compilations I had growing up until the 1995 set, I Will Always Love You: The Essential Dolly Parton Vol. 1 where I heard "You're The Only One" and "Sweet Summer Lovin'" for the first times. During my high school days, I loved going to flea markets and searching through old LPs hoping to find something to add to my collection and that's when I picked this album up. In a way, I consider this to be the third installment of Dolly's "Pop Crossover Trilogy." "Star of the Show" is a great opener for the album. The intro hits and it's like that photo of Dolly on the cover almost comes to life! I think this one shows off Dolly's skill as a lyricist beautifully. You can certainly listen to it as a woman telling off her cheating lover, but I also hear Dolly herself proclaiming her arrival into her own superstardom. I'm sure a lot of the establishment in Nashville still regarded her as "Porter's girl singer" and in this song Dolly declared unapologetically that she "don't play second fiddle in nobody's band." She is the star of her own show now! I freaking love "Down." It's probably my favorite song on the whole album because, damn, if I haven't LIVED those lyrics more than once in my life! "Spent all my money on everyone else / but they jut walked off after using me up." But it's not a "feel sorry for me" song. It's message is "yeah, I let some crappy people crap on me, but I'll get up and be okay." I truly think this is one of her best songs and I hate that it's not more well-known. Should have been a single, not a B-side! Speaking of singles, "You're The Only One" went to #1 on the country charts (her 5th consecutive #1 country single), #14 on the adult contemporary charts and #54 on the pop charts. "Sweet Summer Lovin'" went to #7 on the country charts, #41 on the adult contemporary chart and got to #77 on the pop charts. In my opinion, the B-sides of those singles ("Down" and "Great Balls of Fire") might have fared better but then again, I'm not an RCA record executive. The album went to #4 on the country albums chart and #48 on the pop albums chart. A quick search on YouTube will uncover some music videos for "Star of the Show", "Down", "Help", "You're The Only One", "Sweet Summer Lovin" and "Great Balls of Fire". I assume these would have been inserted into various music shows of the day like "Pop Goes The Country" and maybe "Top of the Pops" over in the UK. Just interesting to see Dolly at the forefront of the music video format before it became the standard in a few years!
Around this same time (1978/79) after spending the last couple of years covering each other's songs and singing back-up on songs for each other's albums, Dolly and Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt began recording songs for an album that ultimately never came to pass. The logistics of three artists all with their own busy touring schedules as well as being on three different record labels and different management teams clogged up the progress of getting an entire album recorded. But those songs eventually made it onto a couple of Emmylou's album beginning with this one from 1979, "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues." The LP version on Emmylou's Blue Kentucky Girl album relegated Dolly and Linda to just singing background on the chorus but the original version was released on the complete Trio collection in 2016.
I thought I might take a look at some of the other pre-Trio tracks when I get to this, if that fails to include anything that might count.
Dolly, Dolly, Dolly Studio album by Dolly Parton Released April 14, 1980 Recorded December 1979 Studio Sound Labs (Hollywood) Genre Country Length 34:33 Label RCA Victor Producer Gary Klein Dolly, Dolly, Dolly is a studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on April 14, 1980, by RCA Victor. The album's two singles, "Starting Over Again" and "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You" both topped the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The album peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Country LPs chart. The album is generally regarded by critics, as well as Parton's fans, as one of the least satisfying albums of her career, partially due to the fact that it does not include any of her own compositions. Dolly, Dolly, Dolly - Wikipedia ~~~~~ For an album that bears her name three times, it's surprising she didn't write a single thing here. As guest writers go, Donna Summer isn't bad; Starting Over Again is a sad song of a divorce, and the arrangement builds as it goes. Donna herself and Reba McEntire would go on to perform the song as well. Country songwriter Glenn Sutton was among the names on Same Old Fool. Great 80s pop sound here; having Toto's Jeff Porcaro as the album's drummer (per Discogs, not Wikipedia) certainly contributes to that feel. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter also appears on guitar throughout most of the album. Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You wasn't written for Dolly, but her single release wiped the other versions off the map, topping the charts in the USA. Bizarre pop music connection of the day: co-writer Pebe Sebert is the mother of 2010s pop star Kesha, who even covered this particular selection twice, in 2013 on her own, and again with Dolly in 2017. You're the Only One I Ever Needed is another uptempo bop with a perky vocal and a strident chorus. A great guitar solo bundles this one up nicely; there's just enough melancholy from the strings to keep things interesting. Say Goodnight is a ballad with a touch of blues, co-written by Cheers theme songwriter Gary Portnoy, and is a lot cheerier than the lyrics would suggest. Fool For Your Love is another song from one of the album's musicians, this time keyboardist Michael Omartian, along with 70s hitmaker Leo Sayer. The pedigree shows itself in the song, a happy and energetic ballad with that same melancholy throughout, bringing the album's tempo back up. Even a Fool Would Let Go was co-written by former Gary Puckett band member Kerry Chater, and also received a cover version from Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, also in 1980. It's a ballad with a weepy yet dramatic feel, and that's about it; even a fascinating guitar sound on the solo can't save this one from being a bit of a drag. Sweet Agony brings the funk(?); Jimmy Buffett would be proud. A sweet sax arrangement pops in, and a great arrangement makes for a great reversal from the previous selection. I Knew You When is a contribution from The Pina Colada Song writer Rupert Holmes, though without any of that hit's energy. There's definitely enough storytelling to see why Dolly might have considered this one. Packin' It Up ups the tempo for a big finish; Skunk Baxter is the only guitarist credited here, and brings the classic rock to the album, great solo and all; that makes two for two albums with a cut where Dolly decides to rock, just a bit. Not having any Dolly-penned songs on this record is definitely a big negative, but outside of that it stands up against what's come so far. Dolly's sound is changing but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Next: A reunion.
Dolly's first album of '80s and she doesn't contribute a single song to it. This is the one album in Dolly's catalog that I've always been curious about in terms of how (and why) it came together like it did. Who chose the material? The producer? The RCA executives? Dolly's manager? Aside from the two singles, none of these songs are really all that great with maybe the exception of "Even A Fool Would Let Go" but that one had been covered by countless other artists including Kenny Rogers a couple of years before this album came out. I'm glad we got a Dolly version of it, but did we need one? The fact there are no Dolly-written songs on it has to be intentional. Whose idea was that and why did Dolly agree to it? Was she too busy filming "9 To 5" and just didn't have time to write any new songs? I'm sure there were dozens of songs in her "vault" that she could have pulled out for this album. That's what leads me to believe someone high up said, "No Dolly originals on this one." I haven't had time to really research the songs to see but were they all covers? Before Dolly recorded "You're The Only One I Ever Needed", Kris Munroe... I mean, Cheryl Ladd recorded it on her album a year before. The arrangement is very similar to the one Dolly's producers used, so, Dolly covers one of Charlie's Angels! LOL The album peaked at #7 on the Billboard country albums chart and #71 on the pop albums chart. I don't hate the album! It's a fun listen but until this week I couldn't tell you the last time I listened to the entire thing from beginning to end.
"Dolly! Dolly" Dolly!" Which prompts me to reply with a Dolly song from 1967: "Why, Why, Why?" I think this is one of her most disappointing albums. Not bad, but too many songs that has as the only thrill the addition of Dolly's voice. You can never go wrong with that. But the songs are so bland that you almost forget you're listening to Dolly. OK. It's not really that bad. I only dislike one of the songs, but going from the modern, but still charming sounds of "Great Balls Of Fire" to these mostly dull songs is not a great experience. (I have these two albums on one CD, a twofer, and I can feel my enthusiasm fading once we get beyond the first few tracks of this album.) BUT - and it's a big but. (Not the Sir Mix-A-Lot kind!) There are five songs on here that I really love. "Starting Over" sports a great lyric, and Dolly seems to feel it. It's one of her best songs of the 80s. "Old Flames" is a great single, though perhaps less special to my mind. The rest of my love is spared for the last three songs on the album. The songs are excellent, but the sequencing makes them work even better: "Sweet Agony" is almost reggae, and I love how fresh this sound on this album. "I Knew You When" sounds like an evergreen. So sad, so lovely. This is then followed by the pop/rock of "Packin' It In", which was a single, though it didn't chart anywhere. The rest of the songs sound bland to me. The worst offender of them all is "You're The Only One I Ever Needed". It's embarrassing to hear a vocalist of Dolly's calibre struggle to keep up with the chorus. It's not her fault - there are just too many syllables to scan properly. A truly awful song - at least the chorus. And I don't say that about many Dolly songs. And yes, the elephant in the room is the absence of any Dolly-composed songs. It does the album no favours, IMO. Dolly is a great vocalist, but I think her songwriting is just as important. Just like John Denver's "Some Days Are Diamonds" a year later, which had only two John-written songs, I miss what made the singers famous. They both wrote great songs - here Dolly 'just' sings other people's songs. Some of them are good, but most Dolly albums are better because Dolly did write many of the songs.
"Bland" is the word I was searching for but couldn't quite come up with, thanks! Yes, the album is very bland. It doesn't have the anything like "Baby I'm Burnin" or "Star of the Show" to anchor it - both Dolly originals. Starting the album off with a ballad like "Starting Over Again" is certainly a strange choice. For me, my experience with an album begins with the cover. This is a fun shot of Dolly riding a carousel with her arm out almost inviting you to join her. You take the album out of the sleeve (pop in the CD or whatever you do to listen) and the first song out of the gate is... a sad divorce ballad. Granted, nobody can sing songs about "mama and daddy" as well as Dolly does, but right out of the gate? Seeing Donna Summer's name on the sleeve as the writer of this track probably had some people thinking Dolly was making another go at disco. Surprise! It's a good song, one of Dolly's best singles, but as an album opener? I dunno.
I kinda look at it as an album by "Dolly" the personality, as opposed to Dolly the musician and writer. I like the cover. Saw it often in the cut out bins.
There may have been a reason for that... Yes - good point. But that personality is rather shallow, whereas Dolly certainly isn't. The cover is not a problem, though - I like it, too.
I actually like it as an opening track. A slow number can be highlighted by being the intro to the album. Personally, I think it works here. It's a pity the rest of the album does not live up to that standard, apart from a few very good songs. "Great Balls Of Fire" had energy, fun and enthusiasm, whereas this album is polite and quiet... And bland. The good songs are very good, but also very few on this album, IMO.
Porter & Dolly Studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton Released August 4, 1980 Recorded May 22, 1968–December 14, 1979 Studio RCA Studio B (Nashville) Fireside Studio (Nashville) Genre Country Length 26:30 Label RCA Victor Producer Porter Wagoner Porter & Dolly is the thirteenth and final collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on August 4, 1980, by RCA Victor. The album is made up of previously unreleased material recorded during Wagoner and Parton's duet years (1967–76), with new studio overdubs. It was released as part of a settlement from legal action Wagoner took against Parton following her departure from his band and syndicated television series. Two singles were released from the album. "Making Plans" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and "If You Go, I'll Follow You" peaked at number 12. Porter & Dolly - Wikipedia ~~~~~ I was able to find both the overdubbed album in questionable quality on Youtube, and the "RCA Sessions (1968-1975)" digital release. Mostly the overdubs seem to be a little extra electric guitar, ideally to bring it slightly closer to more recent Dolly records, and some additional strings that weren't on the originals. For this, I'm going to be nice to my ears and take a listen to this tracklisting based on both the Essential and RCA Sessions playlists. If I'm missing any major alterations, please let me know. Making Plans is the oldest and first selection on the set, dating back to 1968's sessions for the duo's second album. I'm sure any sad love songs like this will take on a particular extra resonance, but it's a solid start. If You Go, I’ll Follow You seems to be from the Right Combination/Midnight Oil sessions in 1971. Great harmonies here, with a big swoop from Dolly in one of her lines, and another one that feels like it's over before it began. Hide Me Away seems to be from 1974, but may have some of the 1980 overdubs, as the guitars sound just a little too modern. Lots of extra singers on this one gives it a strong gospel feel; this one's a happy love song too, for a change. Someone Just Like You gets back to basics with another song of unrequited love, with loping country guitars, and more beautiful voices throughout. Little David's Harp tells you immediately from the title and the solo Dolly credit that this will add to the Dolly Deathcount. At least the harp and the heavenly vocals here soften the blow. We even get a spoken word section from Porter for good measure. Beneath the Sweet Magnolia Tree is another Dolly original, this one with a much happier theme and a feel to match. It's a joy to hear. Touching Memories slows things down and changes the mood. It also appears to be from 1976 sessions for an album that never materialized, so nice that it made it out here, years before the full box set. Daddy Did His Best is a nostalgic song, a couple of years before Dolly would make My Tennessee Mountain Home completely from these kind of selections. This one also adds to the Dolly Deathcount, in a sad yet far less tragic kind of way. If You Say I Can is the B-side to 1976's Is Forever Longer Than Always and might have appeared on the first Porter 'n' Dolly record if it had come out not long after recording. (There's) Singing On The Mountain is the most obviously changed between the original version and the 1980 overdubbed version, with the aforementioned added guitar replacing the old-timey vocal chorus version, for instance. Unsurprisingly, these songs in their original(?) versions work together just fine; everything here was cut with the full force of a Nashville studio band behind it, and it shows. For all the things that could have come out of rather nasty legal wrangling, one more by-the-book Porter and Dolly record would seem to be a fairly decent choice. Still, even with some of the overdubs, it's clear this was almost a completely different era of Dolly. Next: Workin' with Dolly.
I'll never understand why "Making Plans" was left in the vault back in 1969. It's one of their best duets! Again, it just makes me curious as to what the thinking process was that went into deciding which songs got included on an album and which ones got left out. I don't think these songs are any worse than what we did end up with on their albums, so maybe it was just as simple as there not being any room for them. Who knows? Yeah, from the opening of "Little David's Harp" you know Little David is not making it out of this song alive, especially when Porter starts reciting! LOL! This song and "Daddy Did His Best" bring our Dolly Death Count to 32. The overdubs don't really add anything other than trying to make them sound a little more 1980 than 1970. However, I think I prefer the arrangement of "Singing On The Mountain" that's on this album to the original recording. It's interesting to note that during the late '70s when Porter was still bitter about Dolly leaving him and was saying unkind things about her in the press every chance he could, he was still recording her songs! This was a non-album single he put out in 1978 and it's pretty good but only got to #64 on the country charts at the time.
Here's an updated chart listing with Dolly's pop crossover albums before we head into the '80s! *Yes, I know that technically we're already in the '80s but in my brain the '80s don't really begin for Dolly until "9 To 5!" LOL #1 - New Harvest - First Gathering (1977) #1 - Here You Come Again (1977) #1 - Heartbreaker (1978) #3 - Together Always (w/ Porter) (1972) #3 - All I Can Do (1976) #4 - Porter Wayne and Dolly Rebecca (w/ Porter) (1970) #4 - Great Balls of Fire (1979) #5 - Just The Two of Us (w/ Porter) (1968) #5 - Always, Always (w/ Porter) (1969) #5 - The Best of Dolly Parton (1975) (GOLD!) #6 - My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy (1969) #6 - The Right Combination (w/ Porter) (1972) #6 - Jolene (1974) #6 - Say Forever You'll Be Mine (w/ Porter) (1975) #7 - Once More (w/ Porter) (1970) #7 - The Best of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton (w/ Porter) (1971) #7 - Coat of Many Colors (1971) #7 - Love is Like A Butterfly (1974) #7 - Dolly, Dolly, Dolly (1980) #8 - Just Between You and Me (w/ Porter) (1968) #8 - Love and Music (w/ Porter) (1973) #8 - Porter 'n' Dolly (w/ Porter) (1974) #9 - The Bargain Store (1975) #9 - Porter & Dolly (1980) #11 - Hello, I'm Dolly (1967) #12 - The Best of Dolly Parton (1970) #13 - The Fairest of Them All (1970) #13 - Two of a Kind (w/ Porter) (1971) #14 - Bubbling Over (1973) #14 - Dolly (1975) #15 - In The Good Old Days (1969) #16 - Joshua (1971) #19 - Touch Your Woman (1972) #19 - My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973) #20 - We Found It (w/ Porter) (1973) #22 - Just Because I'm A Woman (1968) #22 - Golden Streets of Glory (1971) #33 - My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner (1972) In Order of Highest Position on the Pop Chart #20 - Here You Come Again (1977) #27 - Heartbreaker (1978) #40 - Great Balls of Fire (1979) #71 - Dolly, Dolly, Dolly (1980) #87 - New Harvest - First Gathering (1977) #137 - Porter Wayne and Dolly Rebecca (w/ Porter) (1970) #142 - Two of a Kind (w/ Porter) (1971) #162 - Always, Always (w/ Porter) (1969) #184 - Just The Two of Us (w/ Porter) (1968) #190 - Once More (w /Porter) (1970) #194 - My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy (1969) #198 - Joshua (1971)
I've been thoroughly enjoying this thread, especially reading about Dolly's albums from New Harvest, First Gathering onward. I have many thoughts about this period thru her 80s output, too many to express here. Primarily, though, is that each of these albums contains killer tracks that could've been big singles had they been released or promoted with better faith/enthusiasm from RCA. I truly feel like Dolly could have had a more robust & consistent pop crossover than she did, instead of the fluke pop hit here & there. "How Does It Feel?" should have preceded "Here You Come Again" as Dolly's first pop Top 40 hit, superb pop song. I mean, is there any reason why "Star Of The Show" should not have been pop top tenner in '79, only to be followed by another with "Down"? The charisma of either one of those songs outshines any of the charted singles from GBOF. And how does a song as exciting as "Packin' It Up" fail as a hit record? (BTW, I 100% agree that Dolly Dolly Dolly has a smashing cover, one of her best.) And, although it hasn't been featured yet, I've always thought that RCA wasn't even in the game--let alone dropped the ball--to have not followed "9 To 5" up with "Working Girl". To me, it was a logical single release & an obvious big hit. After that RCA seemed rather uninspired with promoting Dolly's material, which, minus Heartbreak Express, all contained worthy pop hit material. "Islands In The Stream" was basically a Kenny Rogers project with the BeeGees instinctive to get it where RCA got it to go. A terrific record that deserved all the success it received, of course. But Dolly was the cherry on top & I do believe that RCA would have gotten behind the record with as much budget no matter who the female lead was. Anyway, I'm looking very forward to the rest of Dolly catalog appearing on these pages. Thank for all your fantastic effort!
Feel free to express away, a lot of this material is new to me and I'm thoroughly enjoying the new information here as well as in the listening. Thanks for enjoying! I'll be dropping the entry for 9 to 5 a little later.
Well, entries 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs Studio album by Dolly Parton Released November 17, 1980 Recorded April–c. September 1980 Studio Sound Labs, Hollywood; Audio Media, Nashville, Tennessee; Western Recorders, Los Angeles Genre Country Length 35:42 Label RCA Victor Producer Mike Post, Gregg Perry 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs is a solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on November 17, 1980, by RCA Records. A concept album about working, the album was centered on Parton's hit "9 to 5", which served as the theme song to the film of the same name (co-starring Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin), and topped both the U.S. country and pop charts. The album's two additional singles—a cover of Mike Settle's "But You Know I Love You" and a reading of "The House of the Rising Sun" – provided further country hits, with "But You Know I Love You" also reaching No. 1. The understated pop-country arrangement of most of the songs was seen as a welcome return to form for Parton by critics, after the overly polished pop sound of Parton's previous albums. In addition to five Parton compositions, the album contained a number of folk and country classics, including work by Woody Guthrie, Mel Tillis and Merle Travis. The album was produced by Mike Post (with the exception of "9 to 5", which was produced by Parton's bandleader Gregg Perry). 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs - Wikipedia ~~~~~ We got a banger, folks. The title track here, famous for its appearance in a 2019 episode of the Seth McFarlane TV series The Orville*, just so happens to have been a number one hit and Grammy winner, and deservedly so. This thing is dripping with Dolly's usual enthusiasm. 10/10, no notes. Hush-a-bye Hard Times keeps the tempo up for this country pop bop, apparently featuring the Osborne Brothers (of Rocky Top fame) on backing vocals. Never a bad time to highlight some of the great players on this record; first are Reggie Young and Larry Knechtel, both of whom backed Elvis on separate projects. Bass duties are credited to Abraham Laboriel on the title track, and to bass legend Leland Sclar on the rest of the album. Television composer and Kenny Rogers collaborator Mike Post co-produces the record, as well as contributing synth flute to a later selection. Speaking of synths, Zappa collaborator Ian Underwood is credited for synthesizer. Two well known guitarists also appear here, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter returning from previous Dolly records, as well as Larry Carlton, playing on the next selection. The House of the Rising Sun gets a just-this-side-of-funky arrangement with Carlton's guitar adding some blues-rock to the proceedings. Deportee is a Woody Guthrie cover, given an appropriately solemn treatment. This was also tackled by The Highwaymen a couple years later on their eponymous record. Sing for the Common Man closes the side. Dolly's sister Freida Parton is credited as co-writer and reflects the apparent Parton family sentiments, as this sounds for all the world like something Dolly might write. Working Girl starts side two with another upbeat Dolly song, again featuring Larry Carlton on guitar. This is definitely a song only Dolly could write, a song for all women in the workforce. I guess that technically makes this a concept album? Detroit City is a country classic, co-written by Mel Tillis and made famous by Bobby Bare, as well as Tom Jones. The guitar hook from Bare's version even appears here, surprisingly. Some great soaring chorus vocals from Dolly here make this is a standout track. But You Know I Love You is a cover of a Kenny Rogers and The First Edition hit, and itself made the charts, particular the Hot Country Songs list, going straight to the top. Dark as a Dungeon is a Merle Travis cover, made famous by Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. This could also count as a point towards the album's theme, a rather traditional country concept made interesting when combined with the smooth pop country sounds found here. Poor Folks' Town closes the album with another of Dolly's songs. This also appeared on Porter and Dolly's 1972 album Together Always but this slick synth-led pop version lands extremely well. A hint of a gospel sound and even a trucker's gear shift key change make it an effective closer. A 2009 CD version does include a Sly and the Family Stone cover, with Dolly and band covering Everyday People. At 35 minutes, the album might have been too long to include it in the vinyl era, but it fits in nicely both with the sound and the theme presented here. As a sort of return to form after the previous album, this nicely blends pop sensibilities with country sounds and songs and it's easy to see why it was a big hit, single and all. * here (and here for context) Next: Dolly on film.
9 to 5 (soundtrack) Soundtrack album by Charles Fox Released December 8, 1980 Recorded 1980 Genre Soundtrack Label 20th Century Fox Producer Charles Fox Gregg Perry 9 to 5 is the soundtrack album to the 1980 film of the same name. It was released on December 8, 1980, by 20th Century Fox Records. The album features selections from the score by Charles Fox and the theme song, "9 to 5", written and recorded by Dolly Parton. It became one of her biggest hits of the decade and was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Song. 9 to 5 (soundtrack) - Wikipedia ~~~~~ This soundtrack album to the film of the same name is not available (officially) on Youtube, but based on clips from the film, appears to include the original version at the beginning and a remixed and edited version at the end complete with Dixieland brass band arrangement. Would be fun to have a full version of the record like this but that does not appear to be an official option in the digital realm. Next: Back to the country.
The success of this album was the break that Dolly's career as a pop recording artist needed. How very fortunate for her, but also how very unfortunate that the song's & album's successes had very little, if actually nothing at all, to do with RCA's promotion. Being the title song of a hit film that was on it's way to becoming a cultural phenomenon was the reason that "9 To 5" and its parent album had both become career triumphs. I really do think RCA either wasn't interested in furthering Dolly's pop longevity or was simply ignorant how to achieve it--evidenced by what had come before this album & what was to come afterwards. As I said up thread, "Working Girl" should have been the obvious follow-up single, especially while the label had the eager ears of working women from coast to coast. Plus, it's just a terrific song! Poppy, rocky & just enough country for those who still needed to hear country in a Dolly record. Perhaps after two consecutive smashes "But You Know That I Love You" & "House Of The Rising Sun" might have been accepted by pop radio/record buyers with more enthusiasm. Following up 9 To 5 & Odd Jobs with an album like Heartbreak Express just made it clear just how aimless the label was handling Dolly's pop success. One great album deserved another & HE simply was not that album, solely because it was an album so few of her newly found fans would be willing to embrace the way they did its predecessor. After this Dolly's pop career as a solo artist seemed fasttracked into oblivion, and what a shame that the trajectory that "9 To 5" provided had been squandered. The pop records she recorded for RCA are my faves of Dolly's catalog. The potential that RCA wasted with this period of her tenure with the label is incredible to me.
Between Dolly, Willie, and Elvis, it's a wonder RCA ever made it as a label past the 1960s. All three artists were hilariously mismanaged at least on RCA's part, with seemingly no faith in their artists' ability to break and remake molds.
