Jolene (album)

Jolene is the thirteenth solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on February 4, 1974, by RCA Victor. The title track, "Jolene", tells the tale of a housewife confronting a beautiful seductress who she believes is having an affair with her husband. It became Parton's second solo number-one country single; it also was a moderate pop hit for her, and also did well in the United Kingdom. Since the introduction of downloads to the Official Chart in 2005, it has amassed 255,300 downloads and 6.68 million streams.[5] It has been covered by numerous performers.

Jolene
Studio album by
Dolly Parton
ReleasedFebruary 4, 1974
RecordedJanuary 12, 1972–December 26, 1973
StudioRCA Studio B (Nashville)
GenreCountry
Length25:08
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerBob Ferguson
Dolly Parton chronology
Mine
(1973)		 Jolene
(1974)		 Porter 'n' Dolly
(1974)
Singles from Jolene
  1. "Jolene"
    Released: October 15, 1973
  2. "I Will Always Love You"
    Released: March 11, 1974
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB–[2]
Music Box[3]
Uncut[4]

The album was released around the time Parton was embarking on a solo career, after having spent seven years as part of Porter Wagoner's weekly TV series and road show, and one of the album's songs, "I Will Always Love You", was reportedly written to express the remorse Parton felt over the professional breakup. Released as the album's second single, it also became a number-one country single.

"Early Morning Breeze" is a re-recording of a song which previously appeared on 1971's Coat of Many Colors. "Lonely Coming Down" had first appeared on Parton's Wagoner tribute album, My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner, from 1972.

Another re-issue was released in conjunction with Dolly's 2007 European Tour along with two other older out-of-print albums. This re-issue included additional previously unreleased songs.

In 2010, Sony Music reissued the 2007 CD Jolene in a triple-feature CD set with Coat of Many Colors and My Tennessee Mountain Home and they have never been out of print.

Critical reception

A positive review of the album by Billboard said, "With the title taken from her latest hit single, Dolly goes about recording a whole bunch of others—hits, that is. There are perhaps fire or six here which could stand on their own, including the exceptional ballad, "Lonely Coming Down". Most of the writing is her own, as usual, and that's always a plus."[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Dolly Parton except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleRecording dateLength
1."Jolene"May 22, 19732:43
2."When Someone Wants to Leave"December 26, 19732:06
3."River of Happiness"December 26, 19732:19
4."Early Morning Breeze"December 26, 19732:45
5."Highlight of My Life"December 3, 19732:18
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
6."I Will Always Love You" June 12, 19732:56
7."Randy" December 26, 19731:53
8."Living on Memories of You" December 26, 19732:47
9."Lonely Comin' Down"Porter WagonerMay 3, 19723:13
10."It Must Be You"Blaise TostiJanuary 12, 19721:52
2007 CD Reissue
No.TitleRecording dateLength
11."Cracker Jack"June 12, 19733:17
12."Another Woman's Man"May 22, 19733:01
13."Barbara on Your Mind"June 12, 19733:14
14."Last Night's Lovin'"June 12, 19732:28

Personnel

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1974) Peak
Position
US Hot Country Albums (Billboard)[7] 6

Album (Year-End)

Chart (1974) Peak
Position
US Hot Country Albums (Billboard)[8] 35

References
  1. Jolene at AllMusic
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. John Metzger (2007-07-08). "Dolly Parton – Jolene (Album Review)". Musicbox-online.com. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
  4. Alastair McKay Uncut, May 2007, Issue 120
  5. Copsey, Rob (January 19, 2017). "Happy Birthday Dolly Parton! Her most downloaded songs in the UK revealed". officialcharts.com. Since downloads were introduced to the Official Chart in 2005, it’s amassed 255,300 downloads – and 6.68 million streams.
  6. "Top Album Picks" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. February 16, 1974. p. 50. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  7. "Dolly Parton Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  8. "Billboard Top Country Albums - Year-End Charts (1974)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
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