I was listening to an interview with either Stock, Aiken or Waterman not too long ago (wish I could remember the video so I could link it here) & whichever of the 3 it was told a story about a US program director's concern about "Never Gonna Give You Up" becoming a hit record simply because it was on RCA, which had limited skill for turning records into hits. RCA more/less passed on taking Deborah Allen's "Baby I Lied" into the pop Top 10 & even more boggling, even despite the label shake-up at the time, is the way her Prince produced "Telepathy" was released to flounder. Its parent album had plenty potential for follow-up singles, too. I guess the logic being that unless you were Hall & Oates there was minuscule budget or effort expended on material that was just as worthy or even perhaps more so. Dolly's "Save The Last Dance For Me" was on it's way to becoming a good sized pop hit, but stalled just outside Top 40 & I wholly believe it was the label's own neglect. Oddly, country radio picked up on it & I guess that was sufficient enough for RCA. But a synth based new wave single obviously crafted to capitalize on pop radio's return enthusiasm for Dolly should have gotten the label's dedication to let the record do what it was intended to do--become a hit follow-up to a massively popular hit record.
9 To 5 and Odd Jobs was one of the trifecta of Dolly albums I constantly checked out of our local library and listened to over and over again when I was a kid along with Here You Come Again and Heartbreaker. Listening to this album coming off of the previous one is like a breath of fresh air. This feels more like a Dolly Parton album than the last one did. And the public must have thought so as well since it went to #1 on the country albums charts and peaked at #11 on the pop album charts! I'm sure a lot of the sales were helped by her appearance in the "9 To 5" movie. Great choice of singles from this as well. Of course the title track became a #1 across the board (pop, country and adult contemporary) "But You Know I Love You" was another #1 country hit and reached #14 on the adult contemporary chart peaked just outside of the Top 40 on the pop charts (#41) Her arrangement of "House of the Rising Sun" topped out at #14 on the country chart and also hit #30 on the adult contemporary chart and #77 on the pop chart. This performance is from her 1976 TV show. A little more laid back than what she eventually recorded for this album, but you can hear some of the elements that made their way into the album version. There is a live performance of the album version on YouTube but the user has it set to where it can't be shared outside of YouTube. It's from her late '80s TV series and she performs in red sequined lingerie! Because, what else would you wear to sing a song about a whorehouse? LOL There's not really any filler on here for me. All of the songs work together as a concept piece about working people from all walks of life. While the production is still the glossy and pop arrangements we've had for the last few albums, we do get some more country elements on this record than we did on the last one. Plus, the theme here of working-class people is clearly one of the defining trope of the whole country genre. One of the highlights for me on this album is her cover of the folk ballad "Deportee." Very moving and reverent and she gives a great vocal performance on it. In fact, I would go so far as to say I prefer Dolly's recording over the one by Joan Baez.
"9 To 5 And Odd Jobs". This was the first of the 'new' Dolly albums I discovered. My sister had most of her country songs of the late 60s and early 70s. I loved the title track enough to watch the film on the big screen. (And I enjoyed it. It may not be a masterpiece, but it's an entertaining movie. You could feel that the actors were enjoying themselves.) "9 To 5" is a classic. I don't play it as much these days, but I always enjoy it. "Hush-a-Bye Hard Times" sounded familiar... It really is a version of the Stephen Foster song, with a few added twists. A great song, nonetheless. "House Of The Rising Sun" is often criticised for being... Whatever. I like the way Dolly is embracing disco in such a pure way, and it actually suits the narrative of the song quite well. Tres elegante. Dolly's "Deportee" was my first encounter with this song. It's very polished, but it certainly works. Dolly's heartfelt performance rams the tragedy through the overly polite backing - which makes it all work. Lovely. "Sing For The Common Man" stays on target, and adheres to the theme of this concept album. One of the less interesting songs, IMO, but still very good. "Working Girl"... Well, I have to disagree with some of the others who wrote here. I do not think it would make a good choice for a single. For me, it's one of the lesser tracks on the album. It does feature interesting lyrics, but the arrangement, though a bit rougher than the other songs, is a bit too staccato for me. There's little flow to the song, IMO. Feel free to disagree, of course. "Detroit City" is perhaps a bit too smooth for its own good, but I still like it. I grew up listening to Bobby Bare's hit version of the song, and prefer that one. But Dolly's version is good. (Charley Pride's version is hilarious. Instead of singing the line: "I'm gonna take my foolish pride Get it on a southbound freight and let it ride I'm gonna go back to the loved ones The ones I left waiting so far behind" Charley Pride changed it to: "I'm gonna take my Charley Pride Get it on a southbound freight and let it ride I'm gonna go back to the loved ones The ones I left waiting so far behind") (I first owned the LP of this album. The first CD version I bought was one of those RCA budget releases that removed a couple of tracks. "Detroit City" and "Dark As A Dungeon" were the ones removed from this album.) "But You Know I Love You" sounded a bit familiar to me. (I later found out that I had heard the Kenny Rogers version.) I didn't like it all that much to start with, but it grew on me. "Dark As A Dungeon" was too dark and boring for a 15 year-old like me, but it is now one of my favourite songs from this album. The album needs this kind of a dirge as a contrast to some of the others. "Poor Folks Town" is perfect as the album closer - it's a positive spin on a situation not without serious problems. Love this, too. One of Dolly's best album? I think so.
Just to point out that Deportees is a true story. (Woody Guthrie) wiki detailing the January 28, 1948 crash of a plane near Los Gatos Canyon, 20 miles (32 km) west of Coalinga in Fresno County, California, United States. The crash occurred in Los Gatos Canyon and not in the town of Los Gatos itself, which is in Santa Clara County, approximately 150 miles away. Guthrie was inspired to write the song by what he considered the racist mistreatment of the passengers before and after the accident. The crash resulted in the deaths of 32 people, 4 Americans and 28 migrant farm workers who were being deported from California back to Mexico. So do we bump the Dolly Death Count by 32?
It's a dangerous thing to be a character in a Dolly-written song! These, on the other hand, were real deaths, so... I don't know how to count all these terrible deaths. A beautiful rendition of the song.
I had the same question earlier in the thread; I think if she didn't write it, it doesn't count. @Jerms as the official records officer for Dolly Deathcount Inc, what say you?
That's an interesting question. But, yeah, the official Dolly Death Count is for those poor souls (and two dogs... so far) that didn't make it out of one of Dolly's (or Porter's) original songs. The story behind "Deportee" is tragic and it's a great song, but Dolly wasn't directly involved in their deaths, so I don't count the "dear friends all scattered like dry leaves" as part of the official count.
Three dogs! I forgot about Crackerjack... did we talk about Crackerjack? It never got officially released on an album but she performed it a few times on TV in the '70s. I guess the most well-known version is the one from the Captain Kangaroo show. It finally showed up as a bonus track on a reissue of Jolene a few years ago.
Heartbreak Express Studio album by Dolly Parton Released March 29, 1982 Recorded December 1981–January 1982 Genre Country Length 35:09 Label RCA Victor Producer Dolly Parton Heartbreak Express in the twenty-fourth solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on March 29, 1982, by RCA Records. The album returned Parton to a more fully realized country sound (a process she had begun on the previous year's 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs), after her late 1970s pop recordings. The album's first single, "Single Women", a slow-tempo honkytonk ballad about a singles bar, was written by Saturday Night Live writer Michael O'Donoghue, and had previously appeared in an SNL skit in late 1980. The single provided a top ten single for Parton. The title cut also was a top ten hit for her. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" (a song Parton had written in the early 1970s but had never officially recorded) appeared as a double-A-sided single (along with Parton's rerecording of "I Will Always Love You" from the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), and reached No. 1 on the country charts in August 1982. Heartbreak Express - Wikipedia ~~~~~ A little country harmonica over a vaguely rock'n'roll beat tells us we're just about back in countrytown. Heartbreak Express also has some steel guitar and some Jordanaires-styled backing vocals that seal the deal. Of note as well is that many great players from the previous album return here; expanding that list includes Steve Cropper, Albert Lee, and Nathan East among the talent on hand. Great upbeat track to kick things off. Single Women changes the tempo, and is apparently a song from an SNL sketch? Dolly gives it a super sincere reading, perhaps helped along by an apparently sanitized lyric compared to the original. My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy has a great contemporary country sound here, vastly different from the version on her 1969 album of the same name. It's a solid version, but one does ask...why? As Much As Always is a little more of a ballad, but has that classic Dolly sound; only some of the keyboard strings and *very* 80s electric piano sound give it away as something modern. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind has a bit of a history, originally released as a duet with Chet Atkins in 1976 (not sure how I missed this one but I'll have to go back and listen). Some great country pickin' does pay tribute to that version with Mr. Guitar but otherwise it's a solid country number, with those gospel-style vocals returning. Release Me is the only other cover on the album, a cover of the song made famous for allowing Engelbert Humperdinck to beat the Beatles that one time. Some chugging harmonica and a rolling guitar lick remind us that it is, in fact, a country standard. Great guitar solo on here, and it'd be nice to know who's playing what. Barbara on Your Mind is another version of a song from the Jolene sessions in 1972. As noted then, this is not a particularly traditional country rendition, but instead Dolly gives this the big ballad treatment. Two keyboards, some strings, and a dramatic vocal all give this that sound. It sounds at one point like Dolly is either yawning or crying when singing; oh, the drama! Act Like a Fool has an anthemic sound with horns, nearly funky bass, and a big choir and organ gospel flair. Great stuff and perfectly in Dolly's wheelhouse. Prime of Our Love has some great acoustic playing, 12-string and all. It's also classic Dolly and classic country; a song that's sad but doesn't sound sad. Producer Gregg Perry is credited for playing dulcimer, which is what I believe comes in on the second verse here. Nice change of texture; a very satisfying record, though I still strongly dislike that bell-like chorusy Fender Rhodes electric piano sound. That might just be me Hollywood Potters is, as Wikipedia describes, all about Dolly's experience being a movie star and seeing those around the edges. Fittingly, it also has a dramatic presentation, with a striking acapella intro. Some of the lyrics like "terrace of trauma" tell me that Dolly's pouring her heart out here, and it's most welcomed. Next: Makin' it in the movies.
"Heartbreak Express"... So many thoughts about this one. It has never been accepted as a worthy follow-up to the previous album, I think, but I like it almost as much as "9 To 5 And Odd Jobs". There aren't as many obvious singles, and some tracks reminds me of "Dolly! Dolly! Dolly!", but, on the whole, this is another quality album. The title track is an immediate hit. Blending country, pop and gospel music, this is one of her strongest songs of the decade. Lovely to sing along to, as well! "Single Women" is OK, but it does remind me of "Old Flames" quite a bit. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but... It's good. I agree with OP that "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" is something of a head-scratcher - it's a very good version of the song, but she had already recorded a good version with the original. I don't mind the new version - it just seems a bit random. "As Much As Always" is a classic Dolly love song, country style, and I love it. It flows so well. The same applies to "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?". Both songs are classic Dolly, and both are firm favourites of mine. A pity this album was never released on CD - I have a needledrop and what turned out to be an unofficial version of this on CD, but the sound on both leaves something to be desired. Especially on "As Much As Always" - which is sad, as it's one of my favourites. "Release Me", however, is not. A disco version of this song does not seem to fit with... Anything. It's a professionally well made version, but unlike "House Of The Rising Sun", this arrangement doesn't seem to work for this song. It's not terrible, but an ill-considered remake, IMO. I never skip it, but I never seek it out, either. I prefer Engelbert's version of this. "Barbara On Your Mind" is so OTT even Dolly can't save it. (And she wrote it!) It almost feels like a comedy version of a country ballad - just like "Single Women" started out! Not a classic, IMO. "Act Like A Fool" and "Prime Of Our Love" are two more Dolly classics, and "Hollywood Potters" is equally good, and the lyrics are just wonderful. So, this is anther classic from Dolly, and another album in the old-fashioned country way. Which I don't mind at all. And the LP of this sounds just great. I hope for a well-mastered CD or SACD of this one day. Chance would be a fine thing. It really is a memorable Dolly album. Though not a commercial peak for her.
agree with a lot of this. Dolly was selling albums and having hits despite RCA being a screw up of a label. MCA did the same thing around 1988-1991 with hard rock acts they signed
I remember Heartbreak Express seemingly appearing out of nowhere. I was in a Record Town during Summer '82 & came across it displayed at the end of row of record bins. I hadn't heard anything about its upcoming release nor anything from it on the radio. Of course, that could have had everything to do with me almost exclusively hearing of new releases at that point by stumbling across them in records shops--which I always in. I've always considered this album an odd one in Dolly's catalog. It was among my purchases that day I found it & it was also the first album I spun as soon as I got it home. It certainly was not the album I was expecting to hear, especially after 9 To 5 & Odd Jobs had left me anticipating so much possibility. Yes, that album had moved Dolly a bit toward her county roots, but it also leaned into her pop aspirations with winning results. "9 To 5" is typically considered a country song, but to me it's always been a classic example of the perfect pop song. 'Working Girl", "House Of The Rising Sun", "Sing For The Common Man" and "But You Know That I Love You" are all great representations of what what going on in Top 40 at the time the album was released. So for Heartbreak Express to lean completely dive into the country format was both confusing & disappointing. Nothing on this album could have been serviced to pop radio or catered to fans of Dolly's decidedly pop audience. After a few listens to give it a fair chance to grow on me, the album quickly found it's way to the back of my rack & was rarely pulled out for a listen for years. Upon the album getting its digital release I made the purchase & listened to it a few more times to see if me being decades older would find a new appreciation for it. Nope. Now, having said that, "Release Me", "Single Women" and the title track have always made it to my Dolly playlists over the years. But the rest of the album, still nope. I hear little inspiration in this album as a whole & for the most part less energy in Dolly's performances than is typical. My impression is that RCA wanted a safe album from her, one they could easily & minimally market to a loyal country fanbase & still receive some return from. Another stab at another big crossover success--perhaps an album that would go that extra notch into the Album Top 10 (9 To 5 made it 11) with another anthemic single--just may been too much effort to invest. This is point where Dolly's recording career as a solo artist loses its steam. Sure, she was looking to make more & bigger films at this point, plus she was experiencing physical & mental health issues in this frame of time. But I fault RCA for letting her rise to bigger markets in music to fizzle. No ridicule to fans who have affection for this album. (I unapologetically LOVE Rainbow & am well aware that there are few of us in this space!) But Heartbreak Express, to me, will always be an odd & perplexing footnote in the Dolly Parton catalog.
To me Dolly had a pretty overall killer run of albums in the 1970's up to and including the album Here You Come Again. After that she become more of a singles artist for me. You have to combine 2 albums to make 1 pretty good album. Heartbreak Express has 3 really great songs and 2 good songs. I'm not sure though combining this album and Burlap and Satin makes for a winner though. Lucky for us Dolly picks it back up soon but these last few albums are just ok other than the 9 to 5 soundtrack which is really good
9 to 5 & other odd jobs Dark As A Dungeon When I first started as a Respiratory Therapist I worked at WVU hospital. I remember a patients wife telling me all about her husband and what a good man and father he was. He was pretty much incapacitated at this point. It was so sad. She told stories about him working as a Coal Miner just like his Dad and Brothers and his Dad's Dad. He got trapped in one for days once. Anyway, her stories stuck with me and this song always came back to me.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Soundtrack album by Various artists Released July 12, 1982 Recorded 1981 Genre Soundtrack Length 36:44 Label MCA Producer Gregg Perry The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas original soundtrack was released along with the film in July 1982. The album was produced by Gregg Perry. In addition to the score of Carol Hall songs recorded for the stage soundtrack, the film soundtrack included two Dolly Parton compositions: "Sneakin' Around", which she performed as a duet with co-star Burt Reynolds and a reworking of her 1974 song "I Will Always Love You", the latter of which topped the U.S. country charts in September 1982. Unlike the original 1974 version, the 1982 release of "I Will Always Love You" crossed over to the pop charts (#53 Pop and #17 Adult Contemporary) as well. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (soundtrack) - Wikipedia ~~~~~ Playlist: Dolly Parton - The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas The Dolly Parton selections from this soundtrack are not available on Youtube Music, but seem to have shown up elsewhere. A Lil' Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place is available from Fandango's Youtube channel in a clip from the film. Hard to rate this one as it's very strictly not a Dolly song, but written by stage soundtrack composer Carol Hall. Dolly plays the madam perfectly and it's a solid comedy number. Sneakin Around is the only new Dolly song written for the film, and it's a duet with costar Burt Reynolds. Reynolds sings just fine for an actor, and it's reasonably cute; would have fit in just fine in an Elvis movie too, which may or may not be a compliment. Hard Candy Christmas is an ensemble number including Dolly in the film, but will appear as a solo recording on the available version of Once Upon A Christmas. I included it in the playlist but will revisit the song when we get to that Christmas album. I Will Always Love You is a re-recording for the film of Dolly's famous song, and the clip featured here doesn't start the singing until about 40 seconds in. This will also appear on 1982's Greatest Hits album in what appears to be a slightly different version, leaning closer to the original arrangement. It's still saccharine, still sad, and this version is just a little bit overstated, which I suppose is fitting for being adapted to fit a movie musical. Doesn't quite compare to the version from the previous decade, but in some ways nothing could. Next: Four of a kind.
Dolly wrote "A Cowboy's Way" that was sung by Burt Reynolds. It was cut from final cut. I have seen the scene in the TV adaptation or whatever.
Dolly re-recorded it for her 1983 "Burlap & Satin" album. There was one more song from this soundtrack that was reworked - was it "A Gamble Either Way"? My memory fails me. The only song I really know from this soundtrack is the re-recording of "I Will Always Love You". It's a sweet song, bordering on saccharine, as mentioned, but I think this version is as good as the original. Maybe because I heard this version first. And infinitely better than the 1992 cover by a certain diva. I don't mind Whitney Houston, but David Foster's arrangement and her singing on this classic is... Not to my liking. Strange to see how differently we view "Heartbreak Express". I think it continued her return to form. It may lack the oomph of some of her poppier offerings, but I like the return to story songs and her country roots. Although dressed up in slicker arrangements than her late 60s/early 70s songs. Perhaps I like the quiet songs on offer there? And "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" is pretty close to flawless. IMO, of course.
It's in the video description. It has a different title for when she wrote it for Burt to sing. She then recorded it for B&S and retitled it "A Cowboy's Way".
Heartbreak Express Growing up, the only songs from this album that I was familiar with were the title track, "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" and "Single Women." These three songs along with "Hollywood Potters" and the updated version of "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" are the only songs I revisit on occasion. I had not listened to the entire album until a few days ago. For me, it's not as strong of an album as 9 To 5 and Odd Jobs was. It does keep the country feel that the previous album started. I'm sure Dolly had gained a number of new fans with her crossover into the pop market and then more after becoming a movie star with "9 To 5" so she probably wanted to introduce them to some of her older songs like she did with "Poor Folks' Town" on her last album. As someone else pointed out "Barbara On Your Mind" was originally recorded during the sessions for the Jolene LP and did not make the final cut. I wonder if she chose this song as a nod to her friend, Barbara Mandrell, who around this time was right up there with Dolly in terms of popularity after starring in a hit television series with her sisters. I wonder if the arrangement of "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" is more of the producer's than Dolly's. The other recordings she's done of this with Chet Atkins, Randy Travis and the Trio is more up-tempo and... cheesy? I'm not a fan of the "bops" that they do between the verses. The version here on this album is more mature with an adult contemporary flavor. This album reached #5 on the Billboard album charts and peaked at #106 on the Pop album charts. Despite not being as strong of an album or as big of a seller as the last one was, it still managed to garner two top 10 country hits: "Single Women" reached #8 on the country charts and "Heartbreak Express" did one better peaking at #7 "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" Soundtrack I may be in the minority but I love this movie! Dolly only has four songs on the soundtrack and what's interesting is that the ones that weren't written by here sound as if they could have been! In fact, a lot of people think that Dolly DID write "Hard Candy Christmas." Now, I know I'm definitely in the minority in this, but I've never thought of "Hard Candy Christmas" as a Christmas song even though it ends up getting played on the radio every year during the holiday season. I don't know of any other actress or singer who could have played the role of Miss Mona any better than Dolly. I'm pretty sure there is a clause in her movie contracts that she either gets to write all or at least one song for each movie she does. That's why we get "Sneakin' Around" and an updated version of "I Will Always Love You" here. For a long time I always thought that this version was the one that Whitney and David Foster covered until I saw a documentary where David Foster said he had listened to Linda Ronstadt's version and didn't know there was a third verse until Dolly told him to make sure he included it in his arrangement with Whitney. The soundtrack album reached #5 on the country album charts and #63 on the Pop album charts. "I Will Always Love You" / "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" (Double A-side single?) was #1 on the country charts, #17 on the adult contemporary charts and #53 on the pop charts. "Hard Candy Christmas" went to #8 on the country chart although I think it was promoted as a single from the "Greatest Hits" LP since the soundtrack was released on MCA Greatest Hits This was the other album that I played a ton as a kid. A nice 12-song collection covering Dolly's pop crossover and further progression into Hollywood superstar. "Applejack" and "Me and Little Andy" weren't hit singles but were staples of Dolly's live shows at the time. In fact, around the time this album was released Dolly recorded a concert in London that would be shown on HBO in 1983. That concert special was the first time I saw and heard Dolly. HBO also aired a classic Olivia Newton-John concert in 1983 that I had seen before the Dolly one so when Dolly started to sing "Jolene" my mom said I asked her why Dolly was singing Olivia's song! LOL By the time I got around to building my own CD collection in the mid-'90s this album had been reduced from 12 tracks down to 9 and "Hard Candy Christmas" had been replaced by "Islands in the Stream!" Fortunately, the 12-track version is what is currently available digitally albeit the 1983 reissue with "Islands in the Stream" because "Hard Candy Christmas" has been relegated to the Christmas album she recorded with Kenny Rogers. This LP peaked at #7 on the country album charts and #77 on the pop album charts.
The Winning Hand Compilation album by Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Brenda Lee Released November 1, 1982 Recorded 1964–1982 Studio Sound Emporium (Nashville) Young'Un Sound (Nashville) Fred Foster Sound Studios (Nashville) Caribou Ranch (Nederland) Pedernales Recording Studio (Spicewood) Genre Country Length 59:55 Label Monument Producer Fred Foster The Winning Hand is a collaborative compilation album by Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Brenda Lee. It was released on November 1, 1982, by Monument Records. The album was produced by Fred Foster, founder and chairman of the board of Monument, and contains some newly-recorded material as well as catalog material with new instrumental tracks. The album spawned two singles, the Parton and Nelson duet "Everything's Beautiful (In Its Own Way)" and "You're Gonna Love Yourself in the Morning" by Lee and Nelson. The album also inspired a television special of the same name hosted by Johnny Cash, who had written the album's liner notes. The special featuring all four performers aired in over 150 markets in March and April 1985. The Winning Hand - Wikipedia ~~~~~ Full playlist: Dolly Parton - The Winning Hand (1982) Compared to the Willie Nelson selections from this album, as discussed here Mr. Record Man - the Willie Nelson Album-by-Album Thread , pulling together just Dolly's songs makes for a glorified EP, running for six songs and about 15 minutes per Youtube Music's calculator. The first is an energetic remake of an early Dolly B-side and it's only moderately less silly this time around. Some dual guitar action tries to save it, to no avail. "You're smashed again" is still funny, I suppose. Kris Kristofferson meanwhile is relegated to some half-hearted harmony vocals. Happy, Happy Birthday Baby is also an even earlier B-side from 1965. Willie and Dolly both sound great here, though Dolly sounds just not quite like herself enough to wonder if the old Monument tapes got dragged out and had Willie's voice laid on top. Everything's Beautiful (In Its Own Way) is a lovely song that first appeared on Dolly's solo record My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner but is ironically a Dolly composition. Again, Dolly sounds strange and subdued here, again suggesting this might be an older recording revamped, though that seems like a lot of effort. Put It Off Until Tomorrow is another revisit from the same batch of mid-60s singles as Happy Happy Birthday Baby. Even with these slightly strange Dolly vocals, Kris Kristofferson's unique voice just can't quite hang, but it comes out sounding good enough. The Little Things is another Dolly song, this one the closing track from her debut album Hello, I'm Dolly and is presented here as a Dolly solo performance. What Do You Think About Lovin was originally released on an even earlier single in 1964, this time as a duet with Brenda Lee. Dolly again sounds strange here, but Brenda Lee comes in swinging nicely, and despite any potential oddities, it's an energetic, fun performance with a gospel spin, a not bad choice for this full album's penultimate track. This being a Monument record strongly suggests some recording tomfoolery happened here, but aside from Dolly sounding half asleep due to some potential tape manipulation, it's a solid little set. Except for Ping Pong. Next: Back in the satin.
This is an album I have never listened to - or bought. I like all four artists a lot, so I really should get it.
