My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy

1969 studio album by Dolly Parton

My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy

Studio album by

Dolly Parton

Released| September 8, 1969
Recorded| September 9, 1968–June 2, 1969
Studio| RCA Studio B (Nashville)
Genre| Country
Length| 32:25
Label| RCA Victor
Producer| Bob Ferguson
Dolly Parton chronology
| Always, Always
(1969)  | My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy
(1969)  | The Fairest of Them All
(1970)

|
|

Singles from  My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy

1. "Daddy"
Released: March 10, 1969
2. "In the Ghetto"
Released: June 23, 1969
3. "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy"
Released: September 8, 1969

My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy is the fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 8, 1969, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, Parton's first solo top ten, and number 194 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album spawned three singles: "Daddy", "In the Ghetto", and the title track. "Daddy" was the most successful, peaking at number 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

## Recording[edit]

Recording sessions for the album began at RCA Studio B 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).

## Content[edit]

The title song tells the story of a small town girl whose aspirations take her to New Orleans, where she becomes a prostitute, 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-penned Elvis Presley hit "In the Ghetto" and Joe South's "Games People Play". She also covered current country hits by Porter Wagoner ("Big Wind") and Jan Howard ("We Had All the Good Things Going").

In a CMT interview with Patty Loveless, 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.

## Release and promotion[edit]

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

### Singles[edit]

The first single from the album, "Daddy", was released in March 1969[1] and debuted at number 97 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs 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[2] 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 Country Singles chart. "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" was released as the third single in September 1969[3] 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[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [4]

The review in the September 20, 1969 issue of Billboard 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."[5]

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."[6]

AllMusic gave the album 3 out of 5 stars.[4]

On a list of the top 50 Dolly Parton songs, Rolling Stone magazine listed the title track at number 31, and "Evening Shade" at number 23.[7]

## Commercial performance[edit]

The album debuted at number 43 on the Billboard Top Country Albums 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[edit]

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

## Track listing[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Recording date| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "In the Ghetto"| Mac Davis| June 2, 1969| 2:50
2.| "Games People Play"| Joe South| June 2, 1969| 2:26
3.| "'Til Death Do Us Part"| Dolly Parton| May 14, 1969| 3:09
4.| "Big Wind"|

* Wayne P. Walker
* Alex Zanetis
* George McCormick

| June 2, 1969| 2:18
5.| "Evening Shade"| Parton| May 21, 1969| 3:22
6.| "I'm Fed Up With You"| Bill Owens| June 2, 1969| 2:00

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Recording date| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy"| Parton| May 20, 1969| 3:32
2.| "Daddy"| Parton| September 9, 1968| 2:50
3.| "We Had All the Good Things Going"|

* Merv Shiner
* Jerry Monday

| May 14, 1969| 2:45
4.| "The Monkey's Tale"| Leona Ross| May 14, 1969| 1:51
5.| "Gypsy, Joe and Me"| Parton| May 21, 1969| 3:13
6.| "Home for Pete's Sake"| Rudy Preston| May 14, 1969| 1:59

## Personnel[edit]

Adapted from the album liner notes and RCA recording session records.

* Joseph Babcock – background vocals
* Jerry Carrigan – drums
* Fred Carter Jr. – guitar
* Pete Drake – pedal steel
* Dolores Edgin – background vocals
* Bob Ferguson – producer
* Lloyd Green – pedal steel
* Milt Henderson – technician
* Junior Huskey – bass
* James Isbell – drums
* Mack Magaha – fiddle
* George McCormick – rhythm guitar
* Wayne Moss – 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 – electric banjo

## Charts[edit]

### Weekly charts[edit]

Chart performance for My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy Chart (1969)  | Peak
position

|

US Billboard 200[8] | 194
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] | 6

### Year-end charts[edit]

Year-end chart performance for My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy Chart (1969)  | Peak
position

|

US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[10] | 48

## Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy Region  | Date  | Format  | Label  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

Various  | September 8, 1969  |

* LP
* 8-track

| RCA Victor | [11]
October 22, 2013  | Digital download |

* Sony
* Legacy

| [12]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). World Radio History. Billboard. March 22, 1969. p. 71. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
2. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). World Radio History. Billboard. July 5, 1969. p. 80. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
3. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). World Radio History. Billboard. September 20, 1969. p. 76. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
4. ^ a b My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy at AllMusic
5. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). World Radio History. Billboard. September 20, 1969. p. 66. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
6. ^ "Country LP Reviews" (PDF). World Radio History. Billboard. September 13, 1969. p. 47. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
7. ^ Betts, Stephen (April 5, 2023). ""The 50 Best Dolly Parton Songs"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
8. ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
9. ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
10. ^ "Top Country Albums - Year-End Charts (1969)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
11. ^ "Dolly Parton - My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy". Discogs. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
12. ^ "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy by Dolly Parton on Amazon Music - Amazon.com". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 25 May 2019.

* v
* t
* e

Dolly Parton

* Albums
* Singles
* Songs
* Filmography
* Awards and nominations

Studio albums|

| 1960s|

* Hello, I'm Dolly
* Just Because I'm a Woman
* In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)
* My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy

|

1970s|

* The Fairest of Them All
* The Golden Streets of Glory
* Joshua
* Coat of Many Colors
* Touch Your Woman
* My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner
* My Tennessee Mountain Home
* Bubbling Over
* Jolene
* Love Is Like a Butterfly
* The Bargain Store
* Dolly
* All I Can Do
* New Harvest...First Gathering
* Here You Come Again
* Heartbreaker
* Great Balls of Fire

|

1980s|

* Dolly, Dolly, Dolly
* 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
* Heartbreak Express
* Burlap & Satin
* The Great Pretender
* Once Upon a Christmas
* Real Love
* Trio
* Rainbow
* White Limozeen

|

1990s|

* Home for Christmas
* Eagle When She Flies
* Slow Dancing with the Moon
* Honky Tonk Angels
* Something Special
* Treasures
* Hungry Again
* Trio II
* Precious Memories
* The Grass Is Blue

|

2000s|

* Little Sparrow
* Halos & Horns
* For God and Country
* Those Were the Days
* Backwoods Barbie

|

2010s|

* Better Day
* Blue Smoke
* Pure & Simple
* I Believe in You

|

2020s|

* A Holly Dolly Christmas
* Run, Rose, Run
* Rockstar

|

Live albums|

* A Real Live Dolly
* Heartsongs: Live from Home
* Live and Well

Soundtrack albums|

* 9 to 5
* The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
* Rhinestone
* Straight Talk
* Joyful Noise
* Dumplin'

Compilation albums|

* Hits Made Famous by Country Queens
* As Long as I Love
* The Best of Dolly Parton
* Just the Way I Am
* Mine
* Best of Dolly Parton
* Greatest Hits
* The Winning Hand
* Collector's Series
* Think About Love
* The Best There Is
* Best of Dolly Parton, Vol. 3
* I Will Always Love You and Other Greatest Hits
* Ultimate Dolly Parton
* The Very Best of Dolly Parton
* Playlist: The Very Best of Dolly Parton
* Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection

Singles|

* "Mule Skinner Blues"
* "Joshua"
* "Coat of Many Colors"
* "Touch Your Woman"
* "My Tennessee Mountain Home"
* "Jolene"
* "I Will Always Love You"
* "Love is Like a Butterfly
* "The Bargain Store"
* "The Seeker"
* "We Used To"
* "All I Can Do"
* "Light of a Clear Blue Morning"
* "Here You Come Again"
* "Two Doors Down"
* "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right"
* "Heartbreaker"
* "Baby I'm Burnin'"
* "You're the Only One"
* "Sweet Summer Lovin'"
* "Starting Over Again"
* "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You"
* "9 to 5"
* "But You Know I Love You"
* "The House of the Rising Sun"
* "Single Women"
* "Heartbreak Express"
* "Hard Candy Christmas"
* "Potential New Boyfriend"
* "Islands in the Stream"
* "Save the Last Dance for Me"
* "Tennessee Homesick Blues"
* "Don't Call It Love"
* "Real Love"
* "Think About Love"
* "Tie Our Love (In a Double Knot)"
* "We Had It All"
* "To Know Him Is to Love Him"
* "Telling Me Lies"
* "Those Memories of You"
* "Wildflowers"
* "The River Unbroken"
* "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That"
* "Yellow Roses"
* "White Limozeen"
* "Love Is Strange"
* "Rockin' Years"
* "Silver and Gold"
* "Eagle When She Flies"
* "Romeo"
* "Little Sparrow"
* "When I Get Where I'm Going"
* "Better Get to Livin'"
* "Together You and I"
* "The Story"
* "Here I Am"
* "Girl in the Movies"
* "Faith"
* "When Life Is Good Again"
* "Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas"
* "Words"
* "Does He Love You (Revisited)"

Film and TV|

* Dolly (1976)
* Dolly (1987)
* Dolly & Carol in Nashville
* Hollywood to Dollywood
* The Book Lady
* For the Love of Dolly
* Coat of Many Colors
* Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love
* Dolly Parton's Heartstrings
* Christmas on the Square

Tours|

* Halos & Horns Tour
* Hello, I'm Dolly Tour
* The Vintage Tour
* An Evening with Dolly Parton
* Backwoods Barbie Tour
* Better Day World Tour
* Blue Smoke World Tour
* Pure & Simple Tour

Theme parks
and attractions|

* Dollywood
* Dollywood's Splash Country

Related articles|

* Stella Parton
* Rachel Dennison
* Dollywood Foundation
* Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton discography
* Dolly Parton's America
* "Forever Country"

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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