Jolene is Dolly Parton’s thirteenth studio album, released on 4 February 1974 on RCA Victor. Produced by Bob Ferguson and recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, it delivered two consecutive number-one country singles, the title track and “I Will Always Love You”, cementing Parton’s standing as one of Nashville’s most accomplished songwriters. This 2019 pressing is a ‘We Are Vinyl’ reissue issued through Legacy Recordings on 23 August 2019, pressed on 140-gram black vinyl.
About the Album
Recording sessions took place at RCA Studio B in Nashville between January 1972 and December 1973. Bob Ferguson shaped the album’s warm, spare production, allowing Parton’s voice to carry the emotional weight of each song. The title track was inspired by a flame-haired bank teller Parton believed was flirting with her husband; its narrator’s unguarded appeal to a romantic rival became one of the most recognisable openings in country music. “I Will Always Love You” would later become globally recognised through Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording, though Parton’s original country reading remains the definitive version. Both singles reached number one on the US Hot Country Singles chart.
This Pressing
The 2019 ‘We Are Vinyl’ reissue was released through Legacy Recordings (Sony Music) on 23 August 2019. Pressed on 140-gram black vinyl and presented in a faithful reproduction of the original sleeve artwork, it is an authorised reissue intended to bring this landmark album back to the record shelf in a quality format suitable for regular play.
Track Listing
Side One
- Jolene
- When Someone Wants to Leave
- River of Happiness
- Early Morning Breeze
- Highlight of My Life
Side Two
- I Will Always Love You
- Randy
- Living on Memories of You
- Lonely Comin’ Down
- It Must Be You