The River Unbroken

Last updated
"The River Unbroken"
Dolly Parton The River Unbroken 1987 Single Cover.jpg
Single by Dolly Parton
from the album Rainbow
B-side "More Than I Can Say"
ReleasedNovember 23, 1987
Genre Country, pop
Length3:56
Label Columbia Nashville
Songwriter(s) Darrell Brown, David Batteau
Producer(s) Steve "Golde" Goldstein
Dolly Parton singles chronology
"Those Memories of You"
(1987)		"The River Unbroken"
(1987)		"I Know You By Heart"
(1988)

"The River Unbroken" is a song by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, which was released in 1987 as the lead single from her twenty-eighth studio album Rainbow . [1] It was written by Darrell Brown and David Batteau, and produced by Steve "Golde" Goldstein.

Contents

"The River Unbroken" was Parton's first single for Columbia, following her move to the label from RCA. The song reached No. 63 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. [2] In Canada, it peaked at No. 51 on the RPM Country Singles chart, [3] and No. 23 on the Adult Contemporary chart. [4]

Critical reception

On its release, Billboard described the song as a "rootsy, rock-flavored ballad" that should "regain her pop stature". [5] Cash Box considered the song "enjoyable" and Parton's voice "as distinctive as ever", but felt "hard country" fans would be "disappointed" with the song's direction ("The lyrics could be country, but the arrangement surely is not"). [6]

In a review of Rainbow, Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer described the song as having "the firm assurance of a potential hit". [7] [8] In a retrospective review, Barry Weber of AllMusic felt both "The River Unbroken" and "Could I Have Your Autograph" are "somewhat intriguing, but they're certainly not strong enough to survive the glossy, overtly polished production". [9]

Cover versions

Track listing

7", CD and cassette single
  1. "The River Unbroken" - 3:56
  2. "More Than I Can Say" - 4:06
7" single (promo)
  1. "The River Unbroken" - 3:56
  2. "The River Unbroken" - 3:56

Personnel

The River Unbroken

Production

Other

Charts

Chart (1987)Peak
position
Canadian RPM Country Tracks51
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks [4] [13] 23
US Billboard Hot Country Singles [2] 63
US Billboard Adult Contemporary43

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Will Always Love You</span> 1974 single by Dolly Parton

"I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career, the country single was released in 1974. The song was a commercial success for Parton, twice reaching the top spot of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart: first in June 1974, then again in October 1982, with a re-recording for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack.

<i>Trio</i> (1987 album) 1987 studio album by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris

Trio is a collaborative album by American singers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris. It was released on March 2, 1987, by Warner Bros. Records. The album has platinum certification in the U.S. for sales of one million copies, and has total worldwide sales of approximately four million. A second collaborative album, Trio II, was released in 1999.

<i>Coat of Many Colors</i> 1971 studio album by Dolly Parton

Coat of Many Colors is the eighth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on October 4, 1971, by RCA Victor. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 1972 CMA Awards. It also appeared on Time magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time and at No. 257 on Rolling Stone's 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Parton has cited the title track on numerous occasions as her personal favorite of all the songs she has written. The release of the album alongside The Golden Streets of Glory and Joshua marks the highest number of albums Parton released in a single year.

<i>Trio II</i> 1999 studio album by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt

Trio II is the second collaborative studio album by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. It was released on February 9, 1999, by Asylum Records.

<i>All I Can Do</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Dolly Parton

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".

<i>Bubbling Over</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Dolly Parton

Bubbling Over is the twelfth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 10, 1973, by RCA Victor. The album cover photo was shot by Nashville photographer Les Leverett near the fountain at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

<i>Touch Your Woman</i> 1972 studio album by Dolly Parton

Touch Your Woman is the ninth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on March 6, 1972, by RCA Victor. The album's title song and single, "Touch Your Woman", was nominated for a Grammy.

<i>Rainbow</i> (Dolly Parton album) 1987 studio album by Dolly Parton

Rainbow is the twenty-eighth solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on November 25, 1987, by Columbia Records. The original plan, when Parton signed with CBS, was for her to alternate between releasing pop and country albums, but due to Rainbow's poor sales and tepid critical reception, the plan was quickly abandoned, and Parton more or less focused on recording country material for the remainder of her association with the label.

<i>Joshua</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Dolly Parton

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. The two-month gap from The Golden Streets of Glory marks the shortest between two of Parton's albums to date.

<i>The Best of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton</i> 1971 compilation album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton

The Best of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton is a compilation album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on July 19, 1971, by RCA Victor. The album contains tracks from each of their collaboration albums released up to that point, with the exception of 1969's Always, Always. The album included one previously unreleased track, the Grammy-nominated single, "Better Move It on Home".

<i>The Right Combination • Burning the Midnight Oil</i> 1972 studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton

The Right Combination • Burning the Midnight Oil is the seventh collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on January 3, 1972, by RCA Victor.

<i>Treasures</i> (Dolly Parton album) 1996 studio album by Dolly Parton

Treasures is the thirty-fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 24, 1996, by Rising Tide Records and Blue Eye Records. The Steve Buckingham-produced album is made up of covers of rock and country hits from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned three singles: "Just When I Needed You Most", which peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart; a dance remix of "Peace Train", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Dance Music chart; and a dance remix of "Walking on Sunshine". The album's release was accompanied by a CBS television special, Dolly Parton: Treasures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jolene (song)</span> 1973 single by Dolly Parton

"Jolene" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Dolly Parton. It was produced by Bob Ferguson and recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee on May 22, 1973, then released on October 15, 1973, by RCA Victor as the first single and title track from her album of the same name.

<i>Honky Tonk Angels</i> 1993 studio album by Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette

Honky Tonk Angels is a collaborative studio album by Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. It was released on November 2, 1993, by Columbia Records. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 5, 1994, for sales of 500,000 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Just Disagree</span> 1977 single by Dave Mason

"We Just Disagree" is a song recorded by English singer-guitarist Dave Mason and written by guitarist Jim Krueger, a member of Mason's band.

"The Last Thing on My Mind" is a song written by American musician and singer-songwriter Tom Paxton in the early 1960s and recorded first by Paxton in 1964. It is based on the traditional lament song "The Leaving of Liverpool". The song was released on Paxton's 1964 album Ramblin' Boy, which was his first album released on Elektra Records.

For the similarly-titled Dolly Parton song, see All I Can Do

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolly Parton albums discography</span>

The albums discography of American country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton includes 49 studio albums, four collaborative albums, nine live albums, six soundtrack albums, one extended play and approximately 222 compilation albums globally. Popularly referred as the "Queen of Country" by the media, she is also widely recognized as the most honored woman in country music history. She has charted 25 Number One songs, 41 Top 10 country albums and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best selling female country artists in history. As of January 2022, Parton's catalog has amassed more than 3 billion global streams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do I Love You (Yes in Every Way)</span> 1971 single by Paul Anka

"Do I Love You" is a song co-written and recorded by Paul Anka, from his 1972 eponymous LP. Released as an advance single in late 1971, "Do I Love You" reached number 14 on the Easy Listening Singles charts of both the U.S. and Canada, number 16 on the Canadian Pop chart, and was a modest hit on the U.S. Hot 100 as well. As with the earlier "My Way", it was adapted from a French-language song popularized by Claude François, and Anka composed the English lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travelin' Prayer</span> 1974 single by Billy Joel

"Travelin' Prayer" is a song written and performed by singer Billy Joel, and released as the third US single from his 1973 album Piano Man as its opening track. The song is "urgent" and "banjo-fueled". It reached number No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 34 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1974. It was a slightly bigger hit in Canada, where it reached No. 61.

References

  1. ↑ "Dolly Parton - Rainbow at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1987. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  2. 1 2 "Rainbow - Dolly Parton : Awards". AllMusic. 1987-12-19. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  3. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  4. 1 2 "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  5. ↑ "Single Reviews". Billboard. December 5, 1987. p. 67.
  6. ↑ "Country: Feature Picks". Cash Box. December 12, 1987. p. 28.
  7. ↑ "Non-country Album From Dolly Parton - Philly.com". Articles.philly.com. 1987-12-06. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  8. ↑ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB29DCD3325F988&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM [ bare URL ]
  9. ↑ Weber, Barry (1987-12-19). "Rainbow - Dolly Parton : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  10. ↑ "Russ Taff - The Way Home (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1989. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  11. ↑ "The Way Home - Russ Taff : Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  12. ↑ "The Way Home - Russ Taff : Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  13. ↑ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.