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45 single, Side A. RCA Victor (74-0132) (1969)
Image credit: lorangrecords at 45cat.com
"Daddy" is a single by Dolly Parton. It was released on March 10, 1969, by RCA Victor as the first single from her fourth solo studio album, My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy. It was written by Dolly and produced by Bob Ferguson. The single peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Track listing

Side A
  • Daddy (Dolly Parton) 2:44
Side B
  • He's a Go-Getter (Dolly Parton) 2:02

Background

"Daddy" is a song Dolly wrote about men leaving their wives for younger women. The song is written from a child's viewpoint and is based on things Dolly witnessed in the lives of her family and friends. She said in Songteller: My Life in Lyrics that she chose to write it from a child's point of view "because everybody suffers when there is an affair or divorce."

Recording

Both sides of the single were recorded on September 9, 1968, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, during a session for Dolly's 1969 album, In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad). "He's a Go-Getter" was included on that album, while "Daddy" was held back for this single release and was included on the My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy album in September 1969.

Audio

Critical reception

Billboard reviewed the single in the March 22, 1969 issue, describing it as "excellent" and "a poignant and original weeper," with praise for Dolly's performance and writing, as well as Bob Ferguson's production.

The review in Cashbox said, "Dolly Parton offers the touching ballad "Daddy". The Powerful lyrics of this self-penned tune makes for a disk filled with instant appeal."
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Billboard review, March 22, 1969.
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Cashbox review, March 22, 1969.

Commercial performance

"Daddy" debuted at number 97 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated April 12, 1969. It peaked at number 40 on the chart dated May 31, its eighth week on the chart. The single spent 10 weeks on the chart. It also peaked at number 36 on the Cashbox Country Singles chart.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the 2009 box set, Dolly ("Daddy").
  • Joseph Babcock – background vocals
  • Larry Butler – piano
  • Pete Drake – steel guitar
  • Bobby Dyson – bass
  • Dolores Edgin – background vocals
  • Bob Ferguson – producer
  • James Isbell – drums
  • Mack Magaha – fiddle
  • George McCormick – guitar
  • ​June Page – background vocals
  • Dolly Parton – lead vocals
  • Jerry Stembridge (Chip Young) – guitar
  • Buck Trent – banjo