Hello, I'm Dolly | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 18, 1967 | |||
Recorded | 1964–1966 | |||
Studio | Fred Foster Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 28:55 | |||
Label | Monument | |||
Producer | Fred Foster | |||
Dolly Parton chronology | ||||
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Singles from Hello, I'm Dolly | ||||
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Hello, I'm Dolly is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 18, 1967, [1] [2] by Monument Records. The album was produced by Fred Foster. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album spawned two top 40 hits, "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy", which peaked at numbers 24 and 17, respectively.
Parton began performing as a child, [3] singing on local radio and television programs in the East Tennessee area. [4] By ten, she was appearing on The Cas Walker Show on both WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. Parton made her first professional recording at age 13 when she recorded "Puppy Love" for Goldband Records. [5] Released in April 1959, the single did not chart. After making musical connections while performing on The Cas Walker Show, Parton and her uncle, Bill Owens, managed to get a guest spot on the Grand Ole Opry on July 25, 1959. [6] Jimmy C. Newman agreed to give up one of his regular Saturday night spots to allow Parton to perform. [6] Parton was introduced by Johnny Cash before she performed a cover of George Jones' "You Gotta Be My Baby" and received three encores. [6] Parton and Owens were signed to Tree Publishing on June 26, 1962, and released one single on Circle B Records [7] prior to Parton releasing "It's Sure Gonna Hurt" in August on Mercury Records. [8] When the single failed to chart, Parton was dropped by the label and Tree Publishing. [9] Parton recorded six songs in 1963 for the Somerset Records budget compilation album Hits Made Famous by Country Queens . [10] Three selections were songs made famous by Kitty Wells, and the others were traditional ballads.
After graduating high school in May 1964, Parton moved to Nashville the next day. [11] Her initial success came as a songwriter, when Fred Foster, owner of Combine Music and Monument Records, signed Parton to a publishing and recording deal. [12] During this early period at Monument, Parton wrote songs recorded by a variety of artists, including Bill Phillips, Skeeter Davis, Hank Williams Jr., and Kitty Wells. Foster originally felt that Parton's voice was not suited for country and tried to market her as a pop singer with the release of her first five singles for the label: "What Do You Think About Lovin'" (1964), "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" (1965), "Busy Signal" (1966), "Don't Drop Out" (1966), and "The Little Things" (1966). The most successful of these releases was "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby", which managed to peak at number 108 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart.
Following the success of Bill Phillips' recording of Parton's composition "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" (featuring uncredited harmony by Parton) in 1966, Foster was finally persuaded to allow Parton to record country material.
The album's release was likely pushed back several times. In Parton's 1994 autobiography, My Life and Other Unfinished Business, the release date is given as February 1967, [11] but this date is contradicted by an interview Parton gave in June 1967, where she states that the album "should be out by the end of this month." [13] The album's release was announced for September 1967 by Cashbox , [1] and Record World , [2] following Parton's debut as a regular on The Porter Wagoner Show on September 5. It was finally released September 18, 1967, on LP.
The album's first single, "The Little Things", was the final of Parton's pop leaning singles for Monument. It was released in June 1966 [14] and failed to chart.
"Dumb Blonde" was released as a single in November 1966 [15] and debuted at number 64 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated January 21, 1967. It peaked at number 24 on the chart dated March 18, its ninth week on the chart. It charted for a total of 14 weeks.
The album's third single, "Something Fishy", was released in May [16] and debuted at number 61 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated June 10. It peaked at number 17 on the chart dated August 5, its ninth week on the chart, becoming Parton's first top 20 hit. It charted for 12 weeks.
Three of the album's 12 tracks are solo Parton compositions and seven of them were co-written with her uncle, Bill Owens. The two remaining tracks, "Dumb Blonde" and "I've Lived My Life", were written by Curly Putman and Lola Jean Dillon, respectively.
The album contains Parton's version of three songs she had written that had already been hits for other artists. "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" had been recorded by Bill Phillips (with uncredited harmony vocals by Parton) and released as a single in January 1966. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Skeeter Davis recorded "Fuel to the Flame"; released as a single in January 1967, it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Hank Williams Jr. recorded "I'm in No Condition"; released it as a single in April 1967. It peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Billboard published a review of the album in the issue dated October 28, 1967, saying, "Dolly Parton has a little girl voice but it's Lolita in style on the honky-tonking, carousing "Dumb Blonde". She also does extremely well on "I Wasted My Tears", "I Don't Want to Throw Rice", "Something Fishy" and "Fuel to the Flame"." [19]
Cashbox published a review which said, "Dolly Parton could have a big winner in her possession with this striking album. Singing at the top of her form throughout the entire set, the lark offers "Dumb Blonde", "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", "Fuel to the Flame", "The Giving and the Taking", and eight others. Give this one a careful listen. It should pull in a healthy amount of chart action." [20]
Eugene Chadbourne of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, saying that "at least half the songs are among her classics, while the rest of the material is hardly weak." He said that Parton's personality was in "full force" on the album. He described "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy" as showing the "wisecracking, smart-cookie side of Parton" and "The Company You Keep" and "I've Lived My Life" as "moralizing while providing the listener with plenty of enjoyment." [17]
The album debuted at number 43 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated November 11, 1967. It peaked at number 11 on January 13, 1968, its tenth week on the chart. The album charted for a total of 14 weeks.
The album was reissued by Monument in 1972 as a two LP set with 1970's As Long as I Love under the title The World of Dolly Parton. It was reissued on CD in 1988 as The World of Dolly Parton, Volume One. The album was released as a digital download on December 4, 2015.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Dumb Blonde" | Curly Putman | 2:27 |
2. | "Your Ole Handy Man" | Dolly Parton | 2:12 |
3. | "I Don't Want to Throw Rice" |
| 2:25 |
4. | "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" |
| 2:22 |
5. | "I Wasted My Tears" |
| 2:19 |
6. | "Something Fishy" | Parton | 2:07 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Fuel to the Flame" |
| 2:39 |
2. | "The Giving and the Taking" |
| 2:25 |
3. | "I'm in No Condition" | Parton | 2:13 |
4. | "The Company You Keep" |
| 2:33 |
5. | "I've Lived My Life" | Lola Jean Dillon | 2:28 |
6. | "The Little Things" |
| 2:29 |
Adapted from the album liner notes.
Chart (1967) | Peak position |
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US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [21] | 11 |
Region | Date | Format | Title | Label | Ref. |
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Various | September 18, 1967 [2] [1] | LP | Hello, I'm Dolly | Monument | [22] |
1972 | 2xLP | The World of Dolly Parton | Monument | [23] | |
United States | 1988 | CD | The World of Dolly Parton, Volume One |
| [24] |
Various | December 4, 2015 | Digital download | Hello, I'm Dolly |
| [25] |
Heartbreaker is the twentieth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on July 17, 1978, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Gary Klein and Parton with Charles Koppelman serving as executive producer, and was an even more direct aim at the pop charts, with several of its songs verging on disco. The album topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for nine consecutive weeks and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200. The album produced two number one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Heartbreaker" and "I Really Got the Feeling", while "Baby I'm Burnin'" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album has been certified Gold in the United States and Canada.
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.
All I Can Do is the seventeenth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on August 16, 1976, by RCA Victor. The album was co-produced by Parton and Porter Wagoner and would be the last of Parton's solo albums to have any involvement from Wagoner. It was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards. The album spawned three singles: "Hey, Lucky Lady", "All I Can Do", and "Shattered Image".
The Best of Dolly Parton is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on November 9, 1970, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It includes some of Parton's early hits, a few non-single album tracks, and two previously unreleased tracks. The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The single, "Mule Skinner Blues " peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and earned Parton a nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on June 12, 1978, for sales of 500,000 copies.
Joshua is the seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on April 12, 1971, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 198 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's single, "Joshua", was nominated for a Grammy and was Parton's first song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Just Between You and Me is the first collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on January 15, 1968, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned one single, "The Last Thing on My Mind", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Just the Two of Us is the second collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on September 9, 1968, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 184 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album spawned three singles. "Holding on to Nothin'" and "We'll Get Ahead Someday" were top ten hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at numbers seven and five, respectively. The third single, "Jeannie's Afraid of the Dark", peaked at number 51.
Just Because I'm a Woman is the second solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on April 15, 1968, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's title track was the only single released and it peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad) is the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on February 3, 1969, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's title track was the only single released and it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
The Fairest of Them All is the fifth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on February 2, 1970, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It was the first of Parton's albums on which she wrote the majority of the songs. The Fairest of Them All peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's only single, "Daddy Come and Get Me", peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Once More is the fifth collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on August 3, 1970, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 191 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's single, "Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man", peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was nominated for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards.
Two of a Kind is the sixth collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on February 8, 1971, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 142 on the Billboard 200 chart. No singles were released from the album, but "Oh, the Pain of Loving You" was included as the B-side of the 1971 single "The Right Combination".
"Baby I'm Burnin'" is a song by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was written by Parton who also produced the track with Gary Klein and Charles Koppelman who served as executive producer. The song was first released on Parton's twentieth solo studio album Heartbreaker in July 1978. It was released as a double A-side single with "I Really Got the Feeling" on November 6, 1978 by RCA Victor. "Baby I'm Burnin'" was aimed at pop radio, while "I Really Got the Feeling" was aimed at country radio. In addition to the standard 7-inch single, an extended 12-inch single titled Dance with Dolly was released, which included an extended dance remix of "Baby I'm Burnin'" backed with an extended dance remix of "I Wanna Fall in Love". Parton frequently performs "Baby I'm Burnin'" in concert, often using it as her opening number. She also used the song as the theme to her 1987–1988 television series Dolly.
"I Really Got the Feeling" is a song by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was written by Billy Vera and produced by Gary Klein and Parton with Charles Koppelman serving as executive producer. The song was first released on Parton's twentieth solo studio album Heartbreaker in July 1978. It was released as a double A-side single with "Baby I'm Burnin'" on November 6, 1978 by RCA Records. "I Really Got the Feeling" was aimed at country radio while "Baby I'm Burnin'" was aimed at pop radio. "I Really Got the Feeling" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, Parton's tenth song to top the chart.
As Long as I Love is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on June 8, 1970, by Monument Records. The album is made up of songs Parton had recorded while signed to Monument Records. She left the label in 1967 to sign with RCA Victor after having released only one album. Three of the songs had previously been issued on singles, the remaining nine songs were previously unreleased.
The singles discography of American country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton includes over 200 singles and touches on eight decades. Parton has released 198 singles as a lead artist, 49 as a featured artist, six promotional single and 68 music videos. Parton also released 21 singles with Porter Wagoner from 1968 to 1980, bringing her total number of singles to 243.
Dumplin' is the soundtrack album by American country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton for the 2018 film of the same name. It was released on November 30, 2018, by Dolly Records and RCA Nashville. The album features guest performances by Elle King, Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Sia, Mavis Staples and Rhonda Vincent, among others.
"Dumb Blonde" is a song written by Curly Putman and recorded by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released as a single on November 7, 1966, by Monument Records. It would be included on Parton's 1967 debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly. The song is notable for being Parton's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, peaking at number 24. Parton re-recorded the song with Miranda Lambert in 2018 for the Dumplin' soundtrack album.
"Something Fishy" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released as a single on May 8, 1967, by Monument Records. It would be included on Parton's 1967 debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly. The song peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, becoming Parton's first top 20 hit.
"Put It Off Until Tomorrow" is a song written by Dolly Parton and Bill Owens, and first recorded by American country music artist Bill Phillips. It was released in January 1966, and Phillips released an album of the same name later that year. The song became his biggest hit, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Parton provided uncredited harmony vocals on the single. The song has been covered by numerous artists, and became a top ten hit for The Kendalls in 1980.