Album cover. RCA Victor (AHL1-4691) (1983)
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Dolly Parton
Burlap & Satin RCA Victor (AHL1-4691) May 2, 1983 Side A
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Recording
The album was recorded at Soundshop Recording Studio and The Castle in Nashville, Tennessee, and Record Planet in Los Angeles, California.
Content
Straddling the line between pop and country sounds, the album consists mostly of Dolly's own compositions. Two tracks are Parton-composed outtakes from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas film in which Dolly starred: "A Cowboy's Ways" is a reworked version of "Where Stallions Run", a song intended for co-star Burt Reynolds to perform in the film that was ultimately cut, and "A Gamble Either Way", a song which details Miss Mona's backstory before she became the whorehouse madam. Willie Nelson joined Dolly for a cover of the Eddy Arnold hit "I Really Don't Want to Know".
Release and promotion
The album was released May 2, 1983, on LP, cassette, and 8-track.
Singles
"Potential New Boyfriend" was released as the album's only single on April 11, 1983. It debuted at number 89 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated April 30. The single peaked at number 20 on the chart dated July 2, its tenth week on the chart. It charted for 16 weeks. The single also peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. It peaked at number 13 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart and number 53 in Australia. A music video directed by Steve Barron was released to accompany the single.
Critical reception
Billboard gave a positive review of the album, calling it "Parton's most satisfying album in a long time." The review said the album was "well-titled...because [Parton] glides silkily between pop (which she handles like a trouper) and the kind of country on which her superstar career was formulated." They praised the inclusion of six Parton originals because "no one sings Parton better than Parton." The review also praised Perry's arrangements, calling them "beautiful and classy, contemporary but soulful, exactly right for Parton's shivering vibrato." The review concluded by saying that the album "will rank among Dolly's best yet."
Cashbox also gave a positive review, praising Parton's ability of "moving freely between folksy country, gospel, and danceable pop." The review said that the six Parton-penned songs are "clearly the strongest pieces in the collection, while the other four cuts provide the most interesting production elements." The review also interpreted the album title, artwork, and material selection as Parton "attempting to lump both her small-town country girl sensibilities and bigger-than-life celebrity status together...denoting her ability to reach a wide and varied audience."
Mark Deming reviewed the album for AllMusic and gave the album 2.5 out of 5 stars. He gave a negative review of the album, calling it "something more like hackwork." He felt Gregg Perry's production was a "real failing," describing it as "slick and empty-sounding." He felt that Dolly "lack[ed] the enthusiasm to sing her way through the mediocre backing tracks." He concluded by saying, "Dolly Parton has made worse albums that Burlap & Satin, but few sound as lifeless."
Cashbox also gave a positive review, praising Parton's ability of "moving freely between folksy country, gospel, and danceable pop." The review said that the six Parton-penned songs are "clearly the strongest pieces in the collection, while the other four cuts provide the most interesting production elements." The review also interpreted the album title, artwork, and material selection as Parton "attempting to lump both her small-town country girl sensibilities and bigger-than-life celebrity status together...denoting her ability to reach a wide and varied audience."
Mark Deming reviewed the album for AllMusic and gave the album 2.5 out of 5 stars. He gave a negative review of the album, calling it "something more like hackwork." He felt Gregg Perry's production was a "real failing," describing it as "slick and empty-sounding." He felt that Dolly "lack[ed] the enthusiasm to sing her way through the mediocre backing tracks." He concluded by saying, "Dolly Parton has made worse albums that Burlap & Satin, but few sound as lifeless."
Billboard review, May 14, 1983.
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Cashbox review, May 21, 1983.
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Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 53 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated June 18, 1983. It peaked at number five on the chart dated August 27, its eleventh week on the chart. It charted for 24 weeks. The album also peaked at number 127 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album charted at number 43 on the Billboard Top Country Albums year-end chart for 1983.
Accolades
Burlap & Satin was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards. The "Potential New Boyfriend" music video was nominated for Favorite Country Video at the American Music Awards of 1984.
Personnel
Adapted from the album liner notes.
Performance
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Production
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Other personnel
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Reissues
The album was reissued for the first time in 2007 when it was released on CD with the 1985 album Real Love. It was released as a digital download the same year.