Trio | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 2, 1987 | |||
Recorded | January–November 1986 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 38:24 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. Nashville | |||
Producer | George Massenburg | |||
Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris chronology | ||||
| ||||
Dolly Parton chronology | ||||
| ||||
Linda Ronstadt chronology | ||||
| ||||
Emmylou Harris chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Trio | ||||
|
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.
Longtime friends and admirers of one another,Parton,Harris,and Ronstadt first attempted to record an album together in the mid-1970s,but scheduling conflicts and other difficulties (including the fact that the three women all recorded for different record labels) prevented its release. [1]
Some of the fruits of those aborted 1970s recording sessions did make it onto the women's respective solo albums. [1] "Mr. Sandman" and "Evangeline" appeared on Harris' album Evangeline and Parton's "My Blue Tears" was included on Ronstadt's 1982 album Get Closer . Rodney Crowell's "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" was on Harris' Blue Kentucky Girl album. "Palms of Victory",another track from the aborted 1970s sessions,was included on the Harris' 2007 box set Songbird:Rare Tracks and Forgotten Gems .
Parton and Ronstadt also recorded a version of the traditional ballad "I Never Will Marry",which appeared on Ronstadt's 1977 Simple Dreams album,though that was recorded separately from these sessions,as was Ronstadt's cover of Hank Williams' "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)",from Heart Like a Wheel, on which she was joined by Harris. During this time,Ronstadt and Harris also covered a number of Parton's compositions —Harris covered "Coat of Many Colors" and "To Daddy",and Ronstadt recorded "I Will Always Love You"—for inclusion on their various solo albums during the mid- to late-1970s. Parton,in turn,covered Harris' "Boulder to Birmingham",including it on her 1976 album, All I Can Do .
Finally,a collaboration effort came to fruition,being produced by George Massenburg. When Trio was released in March 1987,it spawned four hit singles–including a remake of Phil Spector's 1958 hit by the Teddy Bears,"To Know Him Is to Love Him".
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
Pitchfork | 7.8/10 [4] |
Billboard published a review in the issue dated March 14,1987,which said,"If the 'new traditionalists' in country music still have a body of work to draw from,it's largely because these three celestial songbirds kept it alive and vibrant throughout the adulterated '70s. But the members of the trio are not resting on their reputations here;their album is stunningly beautiful on every cut. Crossover is certain and will most likely be instantaneous,fueled by Ronstadt's current ride atop the Hot 100—in a duet with James Ingram—with 'Somewhere Out There'." [5]
A review in the March 14,1987,issue of Cashbox said,"The long-awaited collaboration of three of country/pop’s greatest voices is an unqualified success. The near-perfect song selection gives the three ample room to develop subtleties and nuance that in places is heart rending (listen to "Telling Me Lies"). These three singular voices blend together in seamless harmony,floating over the sweetest country melodies and poignant understated lyrics. Augmented by an assemblage of some of the best sidemen available,including Albert Lee and Mark O'Connor among them." [6]
The album peaked at No. 6 on the main U.S. Billboard 200 Album chart. It peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart for five weeks. In Canada,the album peaked at No. 4 on the RPM Top Albums chart. In Sweden,it peaked at No. 29 on the Sverigetopplistan Albums Top 60 chart,and in the U.K. it peaked at No. 60 on the Official Charts Company UK Albums Chart.
The album's first single,"To Know Him Is to Love Him",was released in January 1987 [7] [8] and peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The single also peaked at No. 1 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart. The second single,"Telling Me Lies",was released in May 1987 [9] and peaked at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart,No. 35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and No. 6 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart. "Those Memories of You" was released as the third single in August 1987 [10] and it peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 1 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart. The album's fourth and final single,"Wildflowers",was released in March 1988 [11] and peaked at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 8 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.
The album won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. [12] It was also nominated for Album of the Year [13] alongside Michael Jackson,U2,Prince,and Whitney Houston. "Telling Me Lies" was also nominated for Best Country Song. [14] The album won the 1987 Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year [15] and won Vocal Event of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards at the 1988 ceremony. [16] In December 2020,Trio was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [17]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Trio | Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Won |
Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
"Telling Me Lies" | Best Country Song | Nominated |
22nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Trio | Album of the Year | Won |
22nd Country Music Association Awards
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Trio | Vocal Event of the Year | Won |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Pain of Loving You" | 2:32 | |
2. | "Making Plans" |
| 3:36 |
3. | "To Know Him Is to Love Him" | Phil Spector | 3:48 |
4. | "Hobo's Meditation" | Jimmie Rodgers | 3:17 |
5. | "Wildflowers" | Parton | 3:33 |
6. | "Telling Me Lies" | 4:26 | |
7. | "My Dear Companion" | Jean Ritchie | 2:55 |
8. | "Those Memories of You" | Alan O'Bryant | 3:58 |
9. | "I've Had Enough" | Kate McGarrigle | 3:30 |
10. | "Rosewood Casket" |
| 2:59 |
11. | "Farther Along" |
| 4:10 |
Total length: | 38:24 |
Adapted from the album liner notes.
Musicians
Production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [32] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
North America | March 2, 1987 |
| Warner Bros. Records | [33] |
"Mr. Sandman" is a popular song written by Pat Ballard and published in 1954. It was first recorded in May of that year by Vaughn Monroe & his orchestra and later that year by The Chordettes and the Four Aces. The song's lyrics convey a request to "Mr. Sandman" to "bring me a dream" – the traditional association of the folkloric figure. The pronoun used to refer to the desired dream is often changed depending on the sex of the singer or group performing the song, as the original sheet music publication, which includes male and female versions of the lyrics, intended.
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.
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.
Blue Kentucky Girl is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Emmylou Harris, released in 1979. The album features Harris delving into more traditional country than the country-rock sound of her previous releases. Songs include work by Willie Nelson and Gram Parsons. Rodney Crowell's "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" featured harmonies by Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, and came out of the women's ill-fated 1978 recording sessions, where they first attempted to record a "trio" album.
Evangeline is the eighth studio album by Emmylou Harris. It was composed mostly of leftover material from past recording sessions and which did not fit into any of her other albums. Songs included a remake of "Mister Sandman", "Evangeline", which she had previously performed with The Band, Rodney Crowell's "Ashes By Now", and a cover of John Fogerty's "Bad Moon Rising". Though it received mixed reviews upon its release, the album was yet another commercial success for Harris. It was certified Gold in less than a year after its release. A single release of "Mister Sandman" did well on the charts, though neither Ronstadt's nor Parton's record companies would allow their artists' vocals to be used on the single, so Harris rerecorded the song, singing all three parts for the single release. Rodney Crowell's "I Don't Have to Crawl" was released as the album's second single.
The Ballad of Sally Rose is the eleventh studio album by American singer Emmylou Harris released in February 1985. It marked a significant departure for Harris for two reasons. First, all the songs were written by her and her then-husband Paul Kennerley, while her previous albums had consisted mostly of others' material. Secondly, it is a concept album, loosely based on Harris' relationship with Gram Parsons. The album tells the story of a character named Sally Rose, a singer whose lover and mentor, a hard-living, hard-drinking musician, is killed while on the road. Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Gail Davies sing harmony on several of the songs. Many of the songs flow into one another to create a continuous momentum.
Pieces of the Sky is the second studio album and major-label debut by American country music artist Emmylou Harris, released on February 7, 1975, through Reprise Records.
New Harvest...First Gathering is the eighteenth solo studio album by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released on February 14, 1977, by RCA Victor. It is significant for being Parton's first self-produced album, as well as her first effort aimed specifically at the pop charts.
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".
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.
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".
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.
Prisoner In Disguise (1975) is Linda Ronstadt's sixth solo LP release and her second for the label Asylum Records. It followed Ronstadt's multi-platinum breakthrough album, Heart Like a Wheel, which became her first number one album on the US Billboard 200 album chart in early 1975.
"Wildflowers" is a song written by Dolly Parton, which was included on the Grammy-winning, multi-Platinum 1987 album Trio and recorded by Parton with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. The original recording featured an autoharp, acoustic guitar and fiddle, and was arranged to sound like an old fashioned Appalachian folk song. It was the fourth single released from the Trio album, and reached #6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in July 1988.
Get Closer is the eleventh studio album by singer Linda Ronstadt, released in 1982.
"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by the words on his father's gravestone, "To Know Him Was to Love Him". It was first recorded by the only vocal group of which he was a member, The Teddy Bears. The single spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, while reaching No. 2 on the UK's New Musical Express chart. Peter & Gordon and Bobby Vinton later each experienced chart success with the song, in 1965 and 1968, respectively.
Simple Dreams is the eighth studio album by the American singer Linda Ronstadt, released in 1977 by Asylum Records. It includes several of her best-known songs, including her cover of the Rolling Stones song "Tumbling Dice" and her version of the Roy Orbison song "Blue Bayou", which earned her a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. The album also contains covers of the Buddy Holly song "It's So Easy!" and the Warren Zevon songs "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" and "Carmelita".
"Silver Threads and Golden Needles" is a country song written by Dick Reynolds and Jack Rhodes. It was first recorded by Wanda Jackson in 1956. The original lyrics, as performed by Jackson, contain a verse not usually included in later versions, which also often differed in other minor details.
"Those Memories of You" is a song written by Alan O'Bryant. It was first recorded by Bill & James Monroe in 1950 and later released as a single by Pam Tillis in 1986, whose version peaked at #55 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
The Complete Trio Collection is compilation album by American singer-songwriters Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. It brings together newly remastered versions of their two award-winning albums, 1987's Trio and 1999's Trio II, with a third disc compiling 20 alternate takes and unreleased material. It was released worldwide on September 9, 2016, by Rhino Entertainment. A stand-alone version of the third disc, titled Farther Along, was released separately on vinyl.