The Golden Streets of Glory

The Golden Streets of Glory is the sixth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on February 15, 1971, by RCA Victor.[1] The album's liner notes were written by Parton's maternal grandfather, Rev. Jake Owens.

The Golden Streets of Glory
Studio album by Dolly Parton
Released	February 15, 1971
Recorded	May 11–13, 1970
Studio	RCA Studio B (Nashville)
Genre	Gospel country
Length	24:49
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Bob Ferguson
Dolly Parton chronology
Two of a Kind (1971) The Golden Streets of Glory (1971) Joshua (1971)

The album was reissued on CD for the first time in 1993 as Golden Streets of Glory, with the track listing arranged in a different order,[2] and again in 1997 under the title I Believe, using the 1993 track order.[3] It was reissued again in 2010 as Letter to Heaven: Songs of Faith and Inspiration, with seven bonus tracks, including the 1971 single "Comin' for to Carry Me Home," which did not make the original album track listing, and an unreleased song from the original album sessions, "Would You Know Him (If You Saw Him)".[4] The album was made available as a digital download on August 19, 2016.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]

The review published in the February 27, 1971 issue of Billboard said, "Sacred music is an essential part of the country field, and with this album Dolly Parton shows her knowledge of this material. Her vocals are full of sincerity and include such standards as "How Great Thou Art", "Wings of a Dove", and "I Believe"."[7]

Cashbox published a review in the issue dated February 13, which said, "There has always been a tremendous similarity between country music and gospel music, and with this album, Dolly Parton closes the gap. Already one of the top female vocalists in her field, this new LP will practically immortalize her. It is honest, sincere, direct, and religious–all in one. "I Believe", "Yes, I See God", "Heaven's Just a Prayer Away", "Book of Life", "Lord, Hold My Hand", and "Wings of a Dove", are only a sampling of the selections that will make this new Dolly Parton album one of the all time best sellers."[8]

Commercial performance

The album peaked at No. 22 on the US Billboard Hot Country LP's chart.

Accolades

The album was nominated for Best Sacred Performance at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards.[9]

Recording

Recording sessions for the album took place at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 11, 12 and 13, 1970.

Track listing

Side 1

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"I Believe"	Ervin Drake Jimmy Shirl Irvin Graham Al Stillman	May 13, 1970	2:17
2.	"Yes, I See God"	Dorothy Jo Hope	May 13, 1970	2:15
3.	"The Master's Hand"	Dolly Parton	May 12, 1970	2:41
4.	"Heaven's Just a Prayer Away"	Tommy Tomlinson	May 12, 1970	2:45
5.	"The Golden Streets of Glory"	Parton	May 11, 1970	2:54

Side 2

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
6.	"How Great Thou Art"	Stuart K. Hine	May 12, 1970	3:34
7.	"I'll Keep Climbing"	Dorothy Jo Hope	May 12, 1970	2:41
8.	"Book of Life"	Jake Robert Owens	May 13, 1970	1:44
9.	"Wings of a Dove"	Bob Ferguson	May 11, 1970	2:35
10.	"Lord, Hold My Hand"	Parton Ginny Dean	May 13, 1970	2:03

Letter to Heaven: Songs of Faith & Inspiration bonus tracks (2010)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
11.	"Would You Know Him (If You Saw Him)"	Parton Hope	May 11, 1970	2:53
12.	"Comin' for to Carry Me Home"	Traditional Parton	January 25, 1971	3:02
13.	"Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man" (with Porter Wagoner)	Parton Hope	April 21, 1970	3:03
14.	"God's Coloring Book"	Parton	April 16, 1971	2:17
15.	"Letter to Heaven"	Parton	January 26, 1971	2:26
16.	"Sacred Memories"	Parton	September 1, 1972	2:43
17.	"The Seeker"	Parton	December 9, 1974	3:14

1993 CD reissue, I Believe (1997)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"I Believe"	Ervin Drake Jimmy Shirl Irvin Graham Al Stillman	May 13, 1970	2:17
2.	"Heaven's Just a Prayer Away"	Tommy Tomlinson	May 12, 1970	2:45
3.	"The Golden Streets of Glory"	Dolly Parton	May 11, 1970	2:54
4.	"Wings of a Dove"	Bob Ferguson	May 11, 1970	2:35
5.	"How Great Thou Art"	Stuart K. Hine	May 12, 1970	3:34
6.	"Yes, I See God"	Dorothy Jo Hope	May 13, 1970	2:15
7.	"The Master's Hand"	Parton	May 12, 1970	2:41
8.	"Lord, Hold My Hand"	Parton Ginny Dean	May 13, 1970	2:03
9.	"I'll Keep Climbing"	Hope	May 12, 1970	2:41
10.	"Book of Life"	Jake Robert Owens	May 13, 1970	1:44

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.[1]

• Bob Ferguson – producer
• Les Leverett – cover photo
• Rev. Jake Owens – liner notes
• Al Pachucki – recording engineer
• Dolly Parton – lead vocals
• Roy Shockley – recording technician

Charts

Chart (1971)	Peak position
US Hot Country LP's (Billboard)[10]	22

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Title	Label	Ref.
Various	February 15, 1971	LP 8-track	The Golden Streets of Glory	RCA Victor	[1]
United States	April 27, 1993	CD cassette	Golden Streets of Glory	RCA BMG Music	[2]
	September 16, 1997	CD cassette	I Believe	BMG Special Products	[3]
	May 4, 2010	CD	Letter to Heaven: Songs of Faith and Inspiration	RCA Nashville Legacy	[4]
Various	August 19, 2016	Digital download	The Golden Streets of Glory	RCA Nashville	[5]

References

1. "Dolly Parton - The Golden Streets Of Glory". Discogs. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
2. "Dolly Parton - Golden Streets Of Glory". Discogs. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
3. "Dolly Parton - I Believe". Discogs. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
4. "Dolly Parton - Letter To Heaven: Songs Of Faith And Inspiration". Discogs. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
5. "Golden Streets Of Glory by Dolly Parton on Amazon Music - Amazon.com". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
6. The Golden Streets of Glory at AllMusic
7. "Billboard - February 27, 1971" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. p. 36. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
8. "Cashbox - February 13, 1971" (PDF). American Radio History. Cashbox. p. 40. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
9. "Dolly Parton". GRAMMY.com. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
10. "Dolly Parton Chart History - Top Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 8 July 2018.