Those Were the Days (Dolly Parton album)
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''Those Were the Days'' is the forty-first 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 October 11, 2005, by
Sugar Hill Records Sugar Hill Records is an American bluegrass and Americana record label. It was founded in Durham, North Carolina in 1978 by Barry Poss and David Freeman, the owner of County Records and Rebel Records. Poss acquired full control of Sugar Hil ...
and Blue Eye Records. The album is a collection of covers of 1960s and 1970s folk and pop songs performed in a bluegrass style, some featuring the artists who originally recorded them. Parton supported the album with The Vintage Tour from August through December 2005.


Background

The album was original titled ''Blue Smoke'' and expected to be released in the first half of 2005. It was to feature a few original songs in addition to covers of 1960s and 1970s folk and pop songs. Parton had performed several tracks intended for the album on the
Hello, I'm Dolly Tour The Hello, I'm Dolly Tour in 2004 was Dolly Parton's first concert tour since 2002, her first major tour in a decade, and her largest tour in two decades. History After staging the very intimate, club-set Halos & Horns Tour in 2002, Parton ret ...
in 2004, including "Blue Smoke", "I Dreamed About Elvis", "Me and Bobby McGee", and "Imagine". Parton confirmed to the ''Knoxville News-Sentinel'' that guest performers on the album would include folk legends
Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...
and
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
.
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
was confirmed to have recorded a duet with Parton for the album in October 2004 by ''Country Now''. Sugar Hill Records confirmed in January 2005 that no release date had been set for the album, and the completed project had not yet been submitted to the label for release. In March 2005, Steve Buckingham, Parton's longtime producer, confirmed to Dollymania that she had completed several tracks for the album, but it was unfinished and had been put on hold while Parton began composing songs for '' 9 to 5: The Musical''.
Joe Nichols Joseph Edward Nichols (born November 26, 1976) is an American country music artist. Between 1996 and 2001, he held recording contracts with the Intersound and Giant labels. In 2002, he signed with Universal South Records, now known as Show Dog-U ...
told the ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' in May 2005 that he had recorded "If I Were a Carpenter" with Parton for her next album. While speaking at a CMA Music Festival press conference in June 2005, Parton announced that she had been in the studio finishing up her next album and expected it to be released in October. She also stated that its title had changed from ''Blue Smoke'' to ''Those Were the Days'' and that she was in the preliminary stages of planning a tour for the fall of 2005. Parton also confirmed that Keith Urban had recorded "Twelfth of Never" with her for the album and that
Tommy James Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947), also known as Tommy Tadger, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who were know ...
joined her for "Crimson and Clover". In a June 2005 article for the ''
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'', gossip columnist Liz Smith published a list of guest artists for the album including
Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...
,
Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan Order of Canada, OC Order of British Columbia, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing ( ...
, Keith Urban, Joni Mitchell,
Sean Lennon is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The G ...
, Yusef Islam,
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
and Joe Nichols. Following the articles publication, Steve Buckingham stated that Sean Lennon, Yusuf Islam and Sarah McLachlan had been approached about recording for the project, but none had confirmed their participation. He also noted that Joni Mitchell, who was originally to appear on the album, had to cancel her recording session due to an illness in her family. The month of July also saw the confirmation of
Nickel Creek Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
,
Rhonda Vincent Rhonda Lea Vincent (born July 13, 1962) is an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Vincent's music career began when she was a child in her family's band The Sally Mountain Show, and it has spanned more than four de ...
,
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...
,
Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...
,
Mary Hopkin Mary Hopkin (born 3 May 1950), credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti from her marriage to Tony Visconti, is a Welsh singer-songwriter best known for her 1968 UK number 1 single "Those Were the Days". She was one of the first artists ...
,
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...
, and Yusef Islam's participation on the album. Parton told
Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz; November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, political commentator, and television host. He hosted ''The Daily Show'', a satirical news program on Comedy Central, from 1999 to 2015 and now hosts ''Th ...
in an interview on ''Daily Show'' to promote the album that she had invited
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
to sing on "
Blowin' in the Wind "Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962. It was released as a single and included on his album ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'' in 1963. It has been described as a protest song and poses a series of rhetorical questions about ...
", but that he declined. She added that she was not sure whether Dylan himself declined or the refusal came from his management. The album's title track was recorded on July 1 with
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 ...
,
Jack Greene Jack Henry Greene (January 7, 1930 – March 14, 2013) was an American country musician. Nicknamed the "Jolly Greene Giant" due to his height and deep voice, Greene was a long time member of the Grand Ole Opry. A three-time Grammy Award nomine ...
,
George Hamilton IV George Hege Hamilton IV (July 19, 1937 – September 17, 2014) was an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, switching to country music in the early 1960s. Biography Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, ...
,
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 ...
,
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
,
Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...
,
Mel McDaniel Melvin Huston McDaniel (September 6, 1942 – March 31, 2011) was an American country music artist. Many of his top hits were released in the 1980s, including " Louisiana Saturday Night", "Big Ole Brew", "Stand Up", "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans ...
,
Jimmy C. Newman Jimmy Yves Newman (August 29, 1927 – June 21, 2014), better known as Jimmy C. Newman (the C stands for Cajun), was an American country music and cajun singer-songwriter and long-time star of the Grand Ole Opry. Early life Newman was born ...
,
Jeannie Seely Marilyn Jeanne Seely (born July 6, 1940) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She also has several acting credits and published a book. Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning hit "Don't Touch Me" (1966) ...
, and Billy Walker. The album's original title track, "Blue Smoke", would remain unreleased until Parton included it as the title track of her 2014 album.


Release and promotion

The album was formally announced by Sugar Hill Records on August 10, 2005.
Welk Music Group Welk Music Group is an American record company comprising Ranwood Records. It was founded by Lawrence Welk and is still owned by the Welk Family. The company evolved from when Welk's Teleklew Productions acquired Harry Von Tilzer Music in 1957. Wel ...
president Kevin Welk said that the focus of the album's promotional campaign was the 25–50 age group. To reach this audience, in addition to the tour, TV appearances and internet promotions, the label set up several promotional campaigns with retailers across the county. In early October,
Borders Books and Music A border is a geographical boundary. Border, borders, The Border or The Borders may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Border'' (1997 film), an Indian Hindi-language war film * ''Border'' (2018 Swedish film), ...
began selling an album sampler which included Parton’s duet with Joe Nichols on "If I Were a Carpenter" and snippets of three other album tracks. The sampler came with a $5 coupon toward the purchase of the album. The album was released on October 11, 2005.


Singles

Parton's cover of
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
's "
Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
" with
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
was released as an
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exclusive single on September 27 and serviced to country, bluegrass, and adult contemporary radio stations on November 7. The music video for "Imagine" was shot in New York City during the weekend of October 21–23 and features private home videos of
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...
. The video premiered on CMT's website on November 28 and made its television debut three days later on ''CMT Top 20 Countdown''. "
Both Sides Now "Both Sides, Now" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. First recorded by Judy Collins, it appeared on the US singles chart during the fall of 1968. The next year it was included on Mitchell's album ''Clouds'', and became one of ...
" with
Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...
and
Rhonda Vincent Rhonda Lea Vincent (born July 13, 1962) is an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Vincent's music career began when she was a child in her family's band The Sally Mountain Show, and it has spanned more than four de ...
began receiving unsolicited airplay in November and was subsequently released as the album's second single in December. It went on to peak at number one on the ''Indie World'' Country Singles Chart in March 2006. In January 2006, "
The Twelfth of Never "The Twelfth of Never" is a popular song written in 1956 and first recorded by Johnny Mathis the following year. The title is a popular expression, which is used as the date of a future occurrence that will never come to pass. In the case of t ...
" with
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
was released as a single exclusively in Urban's native Australia. The single peaked at number three on the Country Tracks Top 30 chart. "
Where Do the Children Play Where may refer to: * Where?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * where (command), a shell command * Where (SQL), a database language clause * Where.com, a provider of location-based applications via mobile phones * ''Where'' (magazine), a serie ...
" was released as a single in Europe on March 20, 2006, and did not chart.


Tour

In August 2005, Parton embarked on The Vintage Tour to promote the album's upcoming release. The tour consisted of 42 dates across North America and concluded in December 2005.


Television appearances

On September 30, 2005, Parton made an appearance on ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' and performed "
Me and Bobby McGee "Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson wrote the song based on a suggestion from Foster. A posth ...
". She appeared on ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'' on October 13 and performed the album's first single, "Imagine". Parton appeared on ''The Daily Show'' on October 17 and ''The View'' on October 19 where she performed "Me and Bobby McGee". Parton continued to promote the album in November with an appearance on ''
The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999 to January 7, 2012, and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the network since 1954. The program aired Monday through Friday from ...
'' where she performed "
9 to 5 Working(laboring) time is the period of time that a person spends at paid Wage labour, labor. Unpaid work, Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week. Many countries regula ...
" and "Imagine". She also made an appearance on ''The Tony Danza Show'' on November 24 and performed "Imagine".


Critical reception

The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Paul Flynn of ''
the Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' gave the album four out of five stars, calling the album "an anti-war karaoke party" that "wouldn't work if she didn't mean it." ''
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 ...
'' published a review of the album saying, "It is hard not to like a Dolly Parton record. The legend has such an appealing voice, full of warmth and tenderness (and fiery spunk when she wants), and it is put to great use on ''Those Were the Days''. This covers set highlights many poignant hits from the late '50s through the '70s, all produced with the same spirit heard on her recent bluegrass albums." The review praised Parton's duet with Joe Nichols on "If I Were a Carpenter", saying that it "could be a surprise country radio hit." Thomas Erlewine of
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 three out of five stars and said, "The arrangements are at once tasteful, imaginative, and relatively unsurprising. just vivid, successful, slight reworkings of familiar songs that make them sound fresh again." He went on to say that the album is "yet another very good album, one with no weak spots" and said that Parton has "turned into one of the more reliable country music veterans of the 2000s." Writing for '' Paste'', Dave Simms said, "Each song’s effectiveness increases in proportion to its bluegrass content, which seems to relax Dolly and bring out the subtler, more believable inflections in her considerable vocal arsenal. ''Days'' is a solid yet occasionally problematic effort." In a review for '' No Depression'', Peter Blackstock questioned Parton's authenticity saying that the album "seem in stark contrast not just politically, but religiously" from her previous album, '' For God and Country''. He goes on to say that it looks as if Parton may have been "latching onto the majority support for the Iraq war shortly after it began, then turn dagainst it in the wake of shifting public sentiment." He continues, "Yet one would think — indeed, expect — Parton is not only wiser than that, but more genuine as well. Perhaps when she affirms her devotion to both patriotism and peace, she's seeking to underscore that those notions are not mutually exclusive, despite the tendency to differentiate them in the current political climate. And maybe, when she sings John Lennon's words, she's acknowledging, in the face of her own devout faith, that it's vital to accept the differing beliefs of others." Parton issued a statement about these criticisms in a press release prior to the album's release. She said, "It’s like hese songswere written the day before yesterday. Whatever war it may be, someone is going off to die somewhere. I am not protesting anything. I am not political. But I am a patriot and peace-loving." Ben Ratliff of ''
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'' disagreed with Blackstock's review, saying that "this is by no means a political album. But it is, among other things, a simple nostalgia album, a wartime album, a heading-toward-catastrophe album and a recollection-of-innocence album." Writing for ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'', Roger Holland gave the album a mostly negative review, but scored the album seven out of ten stars. He called the title track "lettuce-limp" and said that it sounds "every bit as authentic as a three dollar bill and as much fun as a root canal in a back street dentist's office." The only songs receiving praise were "If I Were a Carpenter" which was deemed "impressive" and "Imagine", of which he said that "by the time she's finished with it, Parton has me entirely on her side. In a way, this is the story of the album as a whole." Vish Khanna of ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' gave a negative review of the album, calling Parton's take on the songs "far too Sesame Street to be taken seriously." He closed by saying that "virtually every song here would've fared better with minimal accompaniment and Parton’'s delicate voice."


Commercial performance

The album sold 21,500 copies in its first week of release, debuting and peaking at number 9 on the ''
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''
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 48 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album also peaked at number 2 on the ''Billboard''
Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...
chart. In the United Kingdom the album topped the UK Country Albums Chart and peaked at number 35 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. It also peaked at number 24 in Sweden. The album has sold 151,000 copies in the United States as of October 2006.


Track listing


Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes. *Dolly Parton – lead vocals, harmony vocals, producer Guest performers *
Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...
– special guest on "Both Sides Now" *
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
– special guest on "Imagine" *
Mary Hopkin Mary Hopkin (born 3 May 1950), credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti from her marriage to Tony Visconti, is a Welsh singer-songwriter best known for her 1968 UK number 1 single "Those Were the Days". She was one of the first artists ...
– special guest on "Those Were the Days" * Yusef Islam – special guest on "Where Do the Children Play" *
Tommy James Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947), also known as Tommy Tadger, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who were know ...
– special guest on "Crimson and Clover" *
Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...
– special guest on "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" *
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...
– special guest on "The Cruel War" *
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...
– special guest on "Me and Bobby McGee" *
Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...
– special guest on "Turn, Turn, Turn" *
Moscow Circus The title Moscow State Circus is used for a variety of circuses. Most commonly, it refers to one of the two circus buildings in Moscow, the " Circus Nikulin" (the old circus, featuring animal acts) and the "Bolshoi Circus" (the new circus, feat ...
– special guest "Those Were the Days" *
Joe Nichols Joseph Edward Nichols (born November 26, 1976) is an American country music artist. Between 1996 and 2001, he held recording contracts with the Intersound and Giant labels. In 2002, he signed with Universal South Records, now known as Show Dog-U ...
– special guest on "If I Were a Carpenter" *
Nickel Creek Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six alb ...
— special guest on "Blowin' in the Wind" *
Mindy Smith Melinda Leigh Smith (born June 1, 1972, Long Island, New York) is an American singer-songwriter. Her first record deal came after she sang a cover version of the song "Jolene (song), Jolene" by Dolly Parton. Music career Smith was adopted at bi ...
– special guest on "The Cruel War" *
Dan Tyminski Daniel John Tyminski (born June 20, 1967) is an American bluegrass composer, vocalist, and instrumentalist. He is a member of Alison Krauss's band Union Station, and has released three solo albums, ''Carry Me Across the Mountain'' (2000), on ...
– special guest on "The Cruel War" *
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
– special guest on "Twelfth of Never" *
Rhonda Vincent Rhonda Lea Vincent (born July 13, 1962) is an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Vincent's music career began when she was a child in her family's band The Sally Mountain Show, and it has spanned more than four de ...
– special guest on "Both Sides Now" *
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 ...
– guest vocals on "Those Were the Days" *
Lee Ann Womack Lee Ann Womack Liddell (; born August 19, 1966) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Her 2000 single, "I Hope You Dance" was a major crossover music hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and the Top 15 ...
– special guest on "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" Background vocals *Richard Dennison, Terry Eldredge, Andy Hall, Vicki Hampton, Jamie Johnson, Jennifer O'Brien, Danny Roberts, David Talbot, Chuck Tilley, Kent Wells *The Opry Gang (
Jack Greene Jack Henry Greene (January 7, 1930 – March 14, 2013) was an American country musician. Nicknamed the "Jolly Greene Giant" due to his height and deep voice, Greene was a long time member of the Grand Ole Opry. A three-time Grammy Award nomine ...
,
George Hamilton IV George Hege Hamilton IV (July 19, 1937 – September 17, 2014) was an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, switching to country music in the early 1960s. Biography Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, ...
,
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 ...
,
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
,
Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...
,
Mel McDaniel Melvin Huston McDaniel (September 6, 1942 – March 31, 2011) was an American country music artist. Many of his top hits were released in the 1980s, including " Louisiana Saturday Night", "Big Ole Brew", "Stand Up", "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans ...
,
Jimmy C. Newman Jimmy Yves Newman (August 29, 1927 – June 21, 2014), better known as Jimmy C. Newman (the C stands for Cajun), was an American country music and cajun singer-songwriter and long-time star of the Grand Ole Opry. Early life Newman was born ...
,
Jeannie Seely Marilyn Jeanne Seely (born July 6, 1940) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She also has several acting credits and published a book. Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning hit "Don't Touch Me" (1966) ...
,
Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis and ex-wife of songwriter Bob DiPiero. Tillis recorded unsuccessful p ...
, Billy Walker) *Choir (Robert Bailey, Lisa Bevill, Drew Cline, Lisa Cochran, Angela Cruz, Kim Fleming, Duane Hamilton, Vicki Hampton, John Mark Ivey) *Children's choir/Kid Connection, Inc. (Kristin Bauer, Callie Cryar, Phoebe Cryar, Katherine Stewart, Emily Webb, Anna Wilson) Musicians *David Angell – strings *Monisa Angell – strings *
Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. ...
– mandolin *David Davidson – strings *Richard Dennison – toy piano, Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer *
Stuart Duncan Stuart Duncan (born April 14, 1964) is an American bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo. Life Duncan was born in Quantico, Virginia, and raised in Santa Paula, California, where he played in the school band. He ...
– fiddle *Terry Eldridge – acoustic guitar *Conni Ellisor – strings *David Foster – piano *Dave Fowler – bass *Jim Grosjean – strings *Andy Hall – dobro, harp *Jim Hoke – harmonica *Paul Hollowell – piano *Tom Howard – strings *Yusef Islam – acoustic guitar *
Tommy James Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947), also known as Tommy Tadger, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who were know ...
– electric guitar *Jack Jezioro – strings *Viktor Krauss – bowed bass *Anthony LaMarchina – strings *Bob Mater – drums, percussion *Jimmy Mattingly – fiddle *
Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...
– electric guitar *Tony Rice – acoustic guitar *Danny Roberts – mandolin *Carole Robinowitz – strings *Pam Sixfin – strings *Terry Smith – bass *Tony Smith – percussion *
Bryan Sutton Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs. Biography Early career Sutton's grandfather and ...
– acoustic guitar *Joey Schmidt – accordion *David Talbot – banjo *Chris Thile – mandolin *
Ilya Toshinsky Bering Strait was a Russian country music band, whose style was sometimes called "redgrass". In 2003, the band was nominated for a Grammy Award and appeared on the TV show ''60 Minutes''. The group disbanded in 2006. The lineup on their first alb ...
– banjo, dulcimer, mandolika *Alan Umstead – strings *Catherine Umstead – strings *Gary Vonosdale – strings *Mary Kathryn Vonosdale - strings *Dr. Ming Wang – Er-hu *Jay Weaver – bass *Kent Wells – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string accent, 6-string bass Other personnel *Penny Aust – children's choir (Kid Connection, Inc.) contractor *Robert Behar – Dolly's wardrobe *Brandon Bell – assistant engineer *Courtney Blooding – assistant engineer *Matt Boynton – engineer *Steve Buckingham – artist coordinator *Dennis Carney – photography *Laurie Casteel – music copyist *Mike Casteel – music copyist *Valorie Cole – make-up *Steve Davis – engineer *Neil DeVor – engineer *Kyle Dickinson – assistant engineer *Adam Dye – assistant engineer * Carl Gorodetsky – strings contractor *Leslie Hollingstad – assistant *Tom Howard – choir and strings arrangements *
Tommy James Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947), also known as Tommy Tadger, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who were know ...
– producer *Scott Kidd – assistant engineer *Janet McMahan – children's choir (Kid Connection, Inc.) contractor *Greg Lawrence – assistant engineer *Patrick Murphy – engineer *
Gary Paczosa Gary Paczosa is an audio engineer, producer and A&R rep for Sugar Hill Records. He has been nominated 11 times for the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. He is best known for working with Alison Krauss and Dolly Parton numer ...
– engineer *Ira Parker – artist montage compiler *Kelly Pribble – engineer *Benny Quinn – mixing engineer *Leslie Richter – assistant engineer *Cheryl Riddle – hair *Rose Sanico – Dolly's wardrobe *Sarah Jane Schmeltzer – engineer *Alan Silverman – engineer *Tony Smith – string arrangement *Wendy Stamberger – album package design *Glenn M. Taylor – engineer *Reed Taylor – second engineer *Aya Takemura – assistant engineer *J. Carter Tutwiler – engineer *Sasha Vosk – director of the Moscow Circus * Kent Wells – music coordinator *Kristin Wilkinson – music copyist *Jimmy Wisner – producer


Charts


References

{{Authority control 2005 albums Dolly Parton albums Covers albums Sugar Hill Records albums Country folk albums