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Album cover. RCA Victor (APL1-1221) (1975)
Dolly Parton
Dolly
RCA Victor (APL1-1221)
September 15, 1975

Side A
  1. We Used To (Dolly Parton) 3:10
  2. The Love I Used to Call Mine (Dolly Parton) 2:45
  3. My Heart Started Breaking (Dolly Parton) 3:18
  4. Most of All Why (Dolly Parton) 2:59
  5. Bobby's Arms (Dolly Parton) 2:36
Side B
  1. The Seeker (Dolly Parton) 3:00
  2. Hold Me (Dolly Parton) 2:30
  3. Because I Love You (Dolly Parton) 2:11
  4. Only the Memory Remains (Dolly Parton) 2:45
  5. I'll Remember You as Mine (Dolly Parton) 2:46

Recording

This album, like Bubbling Over, appears to be made up of leftover tracks from previous sessions paired with a couple of new recordings. Sessions for the album took place from 1972 to 1974 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. "I'll Remember You as Mine" was recorded during an August 22, 1972 session. "Hold Me" was recorded on February 1, 1973. "Bobby's Arms" and "The Love I Used to Call Mine" were recorded at sessions for the 1974 album Jolene on December 3 and 26, 1973, respectively. "Most of All Why" was recorded at the end of a session for Porter and Dolly's 1975 album Porter 'n' Dolly. The only two tracks recorded specifically for the album were "The Seeker" and "We Used To" on December 8, 1974. Three of the tracks on the album were recorded on unknown dates: "My Heart Started Breaking", "Because I Love You", and "Only the Memory Remains".

Dolly had previously recorded "My Heart Started Breaking" in 1971, but this recording remained unreleased until it was included on the 2007 CD reissue of Coat of Many Colors.

Dolly re-recorded "The Seeker" with Julie & Dan on their 2022 album Hymns: Some of Old, Some of New.
August 22, 1972
  • I'll Remember You as Mine
​February 1, 1973
  • Hold Me
December 3, 1973
  • Bobby's Arms
December 26, 1973
  • The Love I Used to Call Mine
May 24, 1974
  • Most of All Why
December 9, 1974
  • The Seeker
  • We Used To
Unknown dates
  • My Heart Started Breaking
  • Because I Love You
  • Only the Memory Remains

Release and promotion

​The album was released September 15, 1975, on LP, cassette, and 8-track.

Singles

"The Seeker" was released as the album's first single on May 19, 1975. It debuted at number 75 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated June 7. It peaked at number two on the chart dated August 2, its tenth week on the chart. The single charted for 16 weeks. It also peaked at number one on the Cashbox Country Singles chart. The single peaked at number one in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

The second single, "We Used To", was released on September 8, 1975. It debuted at number 84 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated September 27. It peaked at number nine on the chart dated December 6, its eleventh week on the chart. The single charted for 14 weeks. It also peaked at number four on the Cashbox Country Singles chart. The single peaked at number four in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

Critical reception

Billboard published a review of the album in the issue dated September 27, 1975, calling the album "a collection of Dolly's favorite love songs." The review noted that Dolly wrote all the songs, calling her "one of the better writers around" and praising the songs as "beautifully done." Billboard also named "Most of All Why", "Because I Love You", and "Only the Memory Remains" as the best cuts on the album.

In the October 4, 1975 issue, the Cashbox review described the album as "a collection of love songs written by Dolly" and noted that "most of them [are] sad songs — songs of remembering lost love."

AllMusic gave the album 2.5 out of 5 stars.
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Billboard review, September 27, 1975.
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Cashbox review, October 4, 1975.

Commercial performance

​The album debuted at number 36 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated October 11, 1975. It peaked at number 14 on the chart dated November 22, its seventh week on the chart. The album charted for 16 weeks.

Accolades

"The Seeker" received the Country Award from BMI in 1976 and a Million-Air Award in 2020 for reaching over one million broadcast performances. It also received a Songwriter Achievement Award from Nashville Songwriters Association International in 1976.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the original album liner notes and the 2009 box set, Dolly ("We Used To" and "The Seeker"), and may not represent the personnel for all tracks.
  • Herb Burnette – art director
  • Dennis Carney – photography
  • Jimmy Colvard – guitar
  • Bobby Dyson – bass
  • D.J. Fontana – drums
  • John Hughey – steel guitar
  • Dave Kirby – guitar
  • The Lea Jane Singers – background vocals
  • Mack Magaha – fiddle
  • Bill McElhiney – orchestrations
  • The Nashville Edition – background vocals
  • Bruce Osbon – guitar
  • Dolly Parton – lead vocals, liner notes
  • Tom Pick – recording engineer
  • Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano
  • Roy Shockley – recording technician
  • Bobby Thompson – guitar
  • Porter Wagoner – producer, arrangements

Releases

​​FORMAT / TITLE / LABEL & CATALOG # / REGION / RELEASE DATE (MM-DD-YYYY)​​
  • LP / Dolly / RCA Victor APL1-1221 / US & Canada / 09-15-1975 (black labels)
  • LP / Dolly / RCA Victor APL1-1221 / US & Canada / 09-15-1975 (brown labels)
  • LP / Dolly / RCA Victor APL1-1221 / US & Canada / 09-15-1975 (orange labels)
  • 8-track / Dolly / RCA Victor APS1-1221 / US & Canada / 09-15-1975
  • Cassette / Dolly / RCA Victor APK1-1221 / US & Canada / 09-15-1975
  • LP / Dolly / RCA Victor APL1-1221 / Spain / 1975
  • LP / Dolly / RCA Victor APL-1-1221 / South Africa / 1975
  • LP / Dolly / RCA Victor LSA 3260 / UK / 1975
  • LP / Dolly / RCA Victor AHL1-1221 / US / 1979
  • Digital download / Dolly / Sony Music Entertainment / Various / 11-23-2018
  • Streaming / Dolly / Sony Music Entertainment / Various / 11-23-2018
  • Cassette / Dolly / RCA MPK250 / UK / Unknown