My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy
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''My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy'' is the fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
. It was released on September 8, 1969, by
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number six on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales a ...
chart and number 194 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. The album spawned three singles: "Daddy", "
In the Ghetto "In the Ghetto" (originally titled "The Vicious Circle") is a 1969 song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Mac Davis. It was a major hit released in 1969 as a part of Presley's comeback album, and also on the single release of " Any Day No ...
", and the title track. "Daddy" was the most successful, peaking at number 40 on the ''Billboard''
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
chart.


Recording

Recording sessions for the album began at
RCA Studio B RCA Studio B was a music recording studio built in 1956 in Nashville, Tennessee by RCA Victor. Originally known simply as "RCA Studios," Studio B, along with the larger and later RCA Studio A became known in the 1960s for being an essential fac ...
in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 14, 1969. Three additional sessions followed on May 20, 21 and June 2. "Daddy" was recorded on September 9, 1968, during a session for 1969's ''
In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad) ''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 '' ...
''.


Content

The title song tells the story of a small town girl whose aspirations take her to
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, where she becomes a
prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
, dreaming of the boy she'd left behind. "Gypsy, Joe and Me" details the story of a woman, her love and their small dog, who all eventually perish. "Evening Shade" tells the story of an orphanage run by an evil headmistress, Mrs. Bailey. The orphans eventually burn the home down, with Mrs. Bailey sleeping inside. "Daddy", a Parton composition, tells the story of a daughter pleading with her father to reconsider leaving her mother for a woman much younger. Also included are Parton's covers of the
Mac Davis Morris Mac Davis (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. A native of Lubbock, Texas, he enjoyed success as a crossover artist, and during his early career he wrote for Elvis Presley, ...
-penned
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
hit "
In the Ghetto "In the Ghetto" (originally titled "The Vicious Circle") is a 1969 song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Mac Davis. It was a major hit released in 1969 as a part of Presley's comeback album, and also on the single release of " Any Day No ...
" and
Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1970 for " Ga ...
's " Games People Play". She also covered current country hits by
Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was an American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. In 1967, he introduced singer Dolly Parton on his television show, ''The Po ...
("Big Wind") and
Jan Howard Jan Howard (born Lula Grace Johnson; March 13, 1929 – March 28, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. As a singer, she placed 30 singles on the ''Billboard'' country songs chart, was a Grand Ole Opry member and was nomin ...
(" We Had All the Good Things Going"). In a CMT interview with
Patty Loveless Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey, January 4, 1957) is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first ...
, Parton confirmed that the man on the album cover is her reclusive husband, Carl Dean. Parton re-recorded the title song for her 1982 album ''
Heartbreak Express ''Heartbreak Express'' in the twenty-fourth solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on March 29, 1982, by RCA Records. The album returned Parton to a more fully realized country sound (a process she had begun on the previous year's ''9 ...
''.


Release and promotion

The album was released September 8, 1969, on LP and 8-track.


Singles

The first single from the album, "Daddy", was released in March 1969 and debuted at number 97 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
chart dated April 12. It peaked at number 40 on the chart dated May 31, its eight week on the chart. The single spent ten weeks on the chart. The second single from the album, "In the Ghetto", was released in June 1969 and debuted at number 73 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart dated July 26. It peaked at number 50 on the chart dated September 6, its seventh chart week. The single charted for eight weeks. It also peaked at number 12 in Canada on the ''
RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
'' Country Singles chart. "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" was released as the third single in September 1969 and debuted at number 61 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart dated October 18. The single peaked at number 45 on the chart dated November 15, its fifth week on the chart. It spent a total eight weeks on the chart. The single also peaked at number 22 in Canada on the ''RPM'' Country Singles chart.


Critical reception

The review in the September 20, 1969 issue of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' said, "Undoubtedly, this is the best composite album that Miss Dolly Parton has created. Her country version of "In the Ghetto" is now on the country singles chart and should provide plenty of LP sales impetus. While her "Daddy", "Gypsy, Joe and Me", and "Home for Pete's Sake" are tearjerkers in the traditional vein. "Games People Play" is also a strong contender for honors." '' Cashbox'' also published a review of the album, saying, "Dolly Parton effectively changes moods and tempos as she sings her way through this set containing her latest singles in addition to other noteworthy offerings. The set includes, besides title track, "In the Ghetto", "Games People Play", "Big Wind", "Daddy", and "We Had All the Good Things Going." Rapid chart action can be expected on this one."
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
gave the album 3 out of 5 stars.


Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 43 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales a ...
chart dated October 11, 1969. It peaked at number 6 on the chart dated December 27, its twelfth week on the chart. It charted for 28 weeks. It also peaked at number 194 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.


Reissues

The album was released as a digital download on October 22, 2013.


Track listing


Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes and RCA recording session records. *Joseph Babcock – background vocals *
Jerry Carrigan Jerry Kirby Carrigan (September 13, 1943 – June 22, 2019) was an American drummer and record producer. Early in his career he was a member of the original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and later worked as a session musician in Nashville for over ...
– drums * Fred Carter Jr. – guitar *
Pete Drake Roddis Franklin "Pete" Drake (October 8, 1932 – July 29, 1988), was a Nashville-based American record producer and pedal steel guitar player. One of the most sought-after backup musicians of the 1960s, Drake played on such hits as Lynn Anderson' ...
– pedal steel *Dolores Edgin – background vocals *Bob Ferguson – producer *
Lloyd Green Lloyd Lamar Green (born October 4, 1937) is an American steel guitarist noted for his extensive country music recording session career in Nashville performing on 116 Chart Hit, No.1 Country music, country hits including Tammy Wynette's “D-I-V-O- ...
– pedal steel *Milt Henderson – technician * Junior Huskey – bass *James Isbell – drums *
Mack Magaha Mack Magaha (August 1, 1929 – August 15, 2003) was an American bluegrass fiddler best known as a member of Porter Wagoner's band, and a long-time backup player in the pioneering bluegrass band, Reno and Smiley. Music career In 1955, Magaha ...
– fiddle *George McCormick – rhythm guitar *
Wayne Moss Wayne Moss (born February 9, 1938 in Charleston, West Virginia, United States) is an American guitar player, bassist, record producer and songwriter best known for his session work in Nashville. Moss was one of the founders of Area Code 615 and Bar ...
– guitar *Bill Owens – liner notes *Al Pachucki – recording engineer *June Page – background vocals *Dolly Parton – lead vocals * Hargus Robbins – piano *Roy Shockley – technician *Jerry Stembridge – guitar *
Buck Trent Charles Wilburn "Buck" Trent (born February 17, 1938) is an American country music instrumentalist currently performing in Branson, Missouri. He invented the electric banjo and also plays the five-string banjo, dobro, steel guitar, mandolin, e ...
– electric banjo


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Release history


References

{{Authority control Dolly Parton albums 1969 albums Albums produced by Bob Ferguson (music) RCA Records albums