Album cover. Dolly / Sony Masterworks (88843 03269 2) (2014)
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Blue Smoke is the forty-fourth solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released by Dolly Records and Sony Masterworks on January 31, 2014, in Australia and New Zealand; May 13, 2024, in North America; and June 9, 2014, in Europe. The release was staggered to coincide with each leg of the Blue Smoke Tour, which ran from January to July 2014, grossing over $20 million. The album was produced by Kent Wells with Dolly serving as executive producer. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number six on the all-genre Billboard 200. Four singles were released from the album: "Blue Smoke", "Home", "Try", and "Unlikely Angel". At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, "You Can't Make Old Friends" was nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
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Track listing
- Blue Smoke (Dolly Parton) 3:34
- Unlikely Angel (Dolly Parton) 3:23
- Don't Think Twice (Bob Dylan) 3:21
- You Can't Make Old Friends* (duet with Kenny Rogers) (Ryan Hanna King, Don Schlitz, Caitlyn Smith) 3:58
- Home (Dolly Parton, Kent Wells) 3:23
- Banks of the Ohio (Traditional, add. lyrics by Dolly Parton) 3:49
- Lay Your Hands on Me (Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora) 4:14
- Miss You–Miss Me (Dolly Parton) 4:00
- If I Had Wings (Dolly Parton) 4:07
- Lover du Jour (Dolly Parton) 4:11
- From Here to the Moon and Back** (duet with Willie Nelson) (Dolly Parton) 4:03
- Try (Dolly Parton) 4:48
* Previously released on Kenny Rogers' 2013 album. You Can't Make Old Friends.
** Previously released on Willie Nelson's 2013 album, To All the Girls...
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Walmart edition bonus tracks
13. Get Up, Get Out, Get On* (Dolly Parton) 2:55 14. Olive Branch (Dolly Parton) 3:09 15. Early Morning Breeze (Dolly Parton) 2:56 16. Angels in the Midst (Dolly Parton) 3:11 * A shorter alternate version of "Get Up, Get Out, Get On" was released in 2024 as a bonus track on a digital reissue of Dolly's 2011 album Better Day which mistakenly includes the bonus tracks from the Walmart edition of Blue Smoke. QVC bonus disc: Dolly Parton Live*
* All tracks on this bonus disc are taken from the 2009 album, Live from London. |
UK edition bonus disc: Blue Smoke: The Best of Dolly Parton
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Background
Dolly mentioned working on a new album in July 2013. In December 2013, she announced that the album would be released through a partnership between Dolly Records and Sony Masterworks.
The title Blue Smoke was inspired by the mist that covers the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. The title song was previously performed by Dolly on The Vintage Tour in 2005 and was originally to appear on what became the Those Were the Days album. When the direction of this album changed to be a covers album, the song was shelved for almost a decade.
The title Blue Smoke was inspired by the mist that covers the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. The title song was previously performed by Dolly on The Vintage Tour in 2005 and was originally to appear on what became the Those Were the Days album. When the direction of this album changed to be a covers album, the song was shelved for almost a decade.
Recording
The majority of the album was recorded at Kent Wells Productions in Franklin, Tennessee. Additional recording took place at Starstruck Studios in Nashville, Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Digital Audio Post in Nashville, Ben's Studio in Nashville, Sound Emporium Recording Studios in Nashville, the Sound Kitchen in Franklin, and Doppler Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
Content
Blue Smoke features a duet with Kenny Rogers on "You Can't Make Old Friends", which was originally released on his 2013 album of the same name. The album also includes a new recording of "From Here to the Moon and Back" with Willie Nelson, which was also on Nelson's 2013 album To All the Girls.... Blue Smoke also includes covers of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands on Me".
Three songs featured on the album had previously been recorded by Dolly. "Unlikely Angel" was originally written and recorded for the 1996 film of the same name. The version featured in the film was never commercially released. "From Here to the Moon and Back" was previously recorded by Dolly with Jeremy Jordan and Kris Kristofferson for the 2012 film, Joyful Noise, and was released on the film's soundtrack album. The bonus track "Early Morning Breeze" was originally recorded by Dolly for her 1971 album, Coat of Many Colors, and again for her 1974 album, Jolene.
Three songs featured on the album had previously been recorded by Dolly. "Unlikely Angel" was originally written and recorded for the 1996 film of the same name. The version featured in the film was never commercially released. "From Here to the Moon and Back" was previously recorded by Dolly with Jeremy Jordan and Kris Kristofferson for the 2012 film, Joyful Noise, and was released on the film's soundtrack album. The bonus track "Early Morning Breeze" was originally recorded by Dolly for her 1971 album, Coat of Many Colors, and again for her 1974 album, Jolene.
Release and promotion
The album was first released on CD, digital download, and streaming on January 31, 2014, in Australia and New Zealand to coincide with Dolly's tour in those countries. The album was released on CD, LP, digital download, and streaming on May 13, 2014, in the North America. Walmart stores offered a deluxe edition featuring four bonus tracks. A bonus CD containing five tracks from Dolly's Live from London album was offered through the QVC shopping network. A special edition of the album titled Blue Smoke: The Best of Dolly Parton was released in Europe to coincide with the European leg of the tour on June 9, 2014, with a bonus disc featuring 20 of Dolly's biggest hits.
Singles
The album's title track, "Blue Smoke", was released as the first single on December 20, 2013, in Australia and New Zealand. It would be released March 18, 2014, in North America and Europe.
"Home" was released as the second single on April 19, 2014, on a 45 single exclusively available at record stores for Record Store Day. It was released as a digital download on April 22 and a music video directed by Justine Feldt was released on May 28. The song was sent to country radio in the United States on June 16.
Following Dolly's performance at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival, "Try" was released as a single in the United Kingdom on July 4.
"Unlikely Angel" was released as the album's fourth on February 16, 2015, exclusively in the United Kingdom.
"Home" was released as the second single on April 19, 2014, on a 45 single exclusively available at record stores for Record Store Day. It was released as a digital download on April 22 and a music video directed by Justine Feldt was released on May 28. The song was sent to country radio in the United States on June 16.
Following Dolly's performance at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival, "Try" was released as a single in the United Kingdom on July 4.
"Unlikely Angel" was released as the album's fourth on February 16, 2015, exclusively in the United Kingdom.
Television appearances
Dolly appeared on The Queen Latifah Show on October 21, 2013 where she performed "Miss You, Miss Me" and announced the Blue Smoke Would Tour. In December 2013, Dolly discussed the album and tour on Access Hollywood. On April 14, 2014, Dolly appeared on AXS TV's The Big Interview to discuss the album, tour, and other aspects of her career with Dan Rather. On April 27, 2014, Dolly appeared on QVC's Q Sessions Live, where she performed "Blue Smoke", "Don't Think Twice", "If I Had Wings", "Jolene", "Banks of the Ohio", "Home", and "I Will Always Love You". Dolly appeared on Today on May 13 and performed "Blue Smoke", "Home", and "9 to 5".
Tour
Dolly embarked on the Blue Smoke Would Tour to promote the album in January 2014. The tour spanned 47 shows across North America, Australia, and Europe. Dolly performed during the Glastonbury Festival on June 29, 2014; reportedly drawing the largest crowd of the festival. The tour concluded in July 2014, grossing over $20 million.
Critical reception
Blue Smoke received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, they assign a rating out of 100 to selected reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 81, based on 8 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". At Country Weekly, Jon Freeman graded the album an A-, stating that "On Blue Smoke, the country legend travels many different paths and sounds only like herself." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing that "Perhaps there are no permanent additions to her canon here, but the remarkable thing is how satisfying an album this is: it sounds good and the songs are sturdy, proof that Parton is far from resting on her laurels." At Paste, Holly Gleason rated the album an 8.3 out of 10, saying that "Finding a strong balance between art and slick, Parton continues walking a line of what people expect and her heart. She just gets better with age." Marah Eakin of The A.V. Club graded the album a B+, stating that the release shows how Dolly "handily harnesses those charms...coupled with that stellar musicality, of course...to produce an absolutely lovely LP."
At The Boston Globe, James Reed gave a positive review of the album, writing that "even when Parton goes camp and piles on the gloss, there's still a big heart beating beneath the album's surface, much like the artist herself." At American Songwriter, Eric Allen rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "Blue Smoke easily hits its mark of making us look within ourselves while laughing through our tears." Joe Sweeney of Slant Magazine rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying that in "the vividness and genuine conviction in that timeless, still-powerful voice finds the humanity in all of it", and in so doing "the country legend mainlines one greeting-card sentiment after another, singing about angels, rainbows, moons, and fishing holes with reckless abandon." At Exclaim!, Thierry Côté rated the album a 7 out of 10, writing that "It is an album of small pleasures, an eclectic collection of songs that showcases many of the qualities that have made the Tennessee singer such a vital force in country music for five decades." Andy Argyrakis of CCM Magazinerated the album 4 out of 5 stars, commenting how "Parton's cheer, humor and candor continue on this stripped-down, catchy collection" that "continues her popularity resurgence with another rootsy record consisting of many personally penned tunes."
At The Boston Globe, James Reed gave a positive review of the album, writing that "even when Parton goes camp and piles on the gloss, there's still a big heart beating beneath the album's surface, much like the artist herself." At American Songwriter, Eric Allen rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "Blue Smoke easily hits its mark of making us look within ourselves while laughing through our tears." Joe Sweeney of Slant Magazine rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying that in "the vividness and genuine conviction in that timeless, still-powerful voice finds the humanity in all of it", and in so doing "the country legend mainlines one greeting-card sentiment after another, singing about angels, rainbows, moons, and fishing holes with reckless abandon." At Exclaim!, Thierry Côté rated the album a 7 out of 10, writing that "It is an album of small pleasures, an eclectic collection of songs that showcases many of the qualities that have made the Tennessee singer such a vital force in country music for five decades." Andy Argyrakis of CCM Magazinerated the album 4 out of 5 stars, commenting how "Parton's cheer, humor and candor continue on this stripped-down, catchy collection" that "continues her popularity resurgence with another rootsy record consisting of many personally penned tunes."
Commercial performance
The album debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with first-week sales of 37,000 copies. At the time it was her highest peak position on the chart in 23 years. It also peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. The album peaked at number four on the UK Country Albums chart, number two on the UK Albums charts, and number one on the UK Country Compilations chart (due to the inclusion of the bonus disc contains Dolly's greatest hits). In Australia, the album peaked at number one on the ARIA Australian Country Albums chart and number seven on the ARIA Australian Albums chart. It peaked at number 13 on the Danish Albums chart, number 21 on the Irish Albums chart, number one in New Zealand Albums, number two on the Scottish Albums chart, and number 43 on the Swedish Albums chart. The album has sold 88,000 copies in the United States as of July 2016 and 401,584 copies in the United Kingdom as of August 2016.
The album charted at number 60 on the Billboard Top Country Albums year-end chart for 2014 and number 60 on the UK Albums year-end chart,
The album charted at number 60 on the Billboard Top Country Albums year-end chart for 2014 and number 60 on the UK Albums year-end chart,
Accolades
"You Can't Make Old Friends" was Musical Event of the Year at the 48th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2014. It was also nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014.
The album was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry on July 4, 2014, for sales of 60,000, Gold on July 18 for sales of 100,000 copies, and Platinum on December 12 for sales of 300,000 copies. It also received a Platinum certification in Russia from the National Federation of Phonographic Producers for sales of 20,000 copies.
The album was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry on July 4, 2014, for sales of 60,000, Gold on July 18 for sales of 100,000 copies, and Platinum on December 12 for sales of 300,000 copies. It also received a Platinum certification in Russia from the National Federation of Phonographic Producers for sales of 20,000 copies.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album liner notes.
Original album
Performance
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Production
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Other personnel
- Allister Ann – photo
- Kii Arens – design
- Kirt Webster and Associates – publicity
- Cheryl Riddle – hair
- Steve Summers– stylist
- Mac Whiting – cover painting