Picture
45 single, Side A. RCA Victor (47-9928) (1970)
Image credit: Rustical at 45cat.com
"Joshua" is a single by Dolly Parton. It was released on November 9, 1970, by RCA Victor as the only single from Dolly's album of the same name. It was written by Dolly and produced by Bob Ferguson. The single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Dolly's first chart topper. It was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards.

Track listing

Side A
  • Joshua (Dolly Parton) 2:59
Side B
  • I'm Doing This for Your Sake (Dolly Parton) 2:10

Background

Dolly recalled in her 2020 book, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, that she "based the character on two or three mountain men I knew as a kid, reclusive people who lived alone way back in the mountains. I just kind of built the story around them." She went not to say, "In my show, I don't include a lot of my old songs anymore. But this is one that people sometimes ask me to sing when I'm on tour. I think it's because it set a lot of things in motion for me. It's always been a real favorite with the fans."

Recording

"Joshua" was recorded on October 21, 1970, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. The B-side, "I'm Doing This for Your Sake", was recorded on September 10, 1968, and previously included on Dolly's third solo studio album, In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad).

Audio

Critical reception

The single was reviewed by Billboard in the November 21, 1970 issue. The review said, "Miss Parton rode way up the Country chart with her recent revival of "Mule Skinner Blues", and this infectious rhythm original should prove even bigger." The review praised Dolly's vocals and Bob Fergusons production.

Cashbox also reviewed the single in their November 21, 1970 issue. The review said, "Dolly comes on strong with an up-tempo tune reminiscent of [Johnny] Cash's "A Boy Named Sue". Record is bound to be a country giant."

Commercial performance

"Joshua" debuted at number 57 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated December 12, 1970. It would become Dolly's first song to top the chart when it peaked at number one on the chart dated February 6, 1971, its ninth week on the chart. The single charted for 15 weeks. It peaked at number 108 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. The single also peaked at number two on the Cashbox Country Singles chart. It peaked at number two in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

Accolades

"Joshua" was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards in 1972. It also received the Country Award at the 1971 BMI Awards. "The Last One to Touch Me" received the Country Award at the 1972 BMI Awards.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the single labels.
  • Bob Ferguson – producer
  • Dolly Parton – lead vocals