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Album cover. RCA Victor (APL1-2188) (1977)
Dolly Parton
New Harvest...First Gathering
RCA Victor (APL1-2188)
February 14, 1977

Side A
  1. Light of a Clear Blue Morning (Dolly Parton) 4:53
  2. Applejack (Dolly Parton) 3:20
  3. My Girl (My Love) (William Robinson, Ronald White) 3:44
  4. Holdin' on to You (Dolly Parton) 2:46
  5. You Are (Dolly Parton) 5:14
Side B
  1. How Does It Feel (Dolly Parton) 3:13
  2. Where Beauty Lives in Memory (Dolly Parton)  3:50
  3. (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher (Gary Jackson, Carl Smith) 2:52
  4. Getting in My Way (Dolly Parton) 2:40
  5. There (Dolly Parton) 5:32

Recording

Recording sessions for the album began on August 19, 1976, at Soundshop Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Four additional sessions followed on August 20, 21, 22, and November 21. The remainder of the album was recorded at Creative Workshop in Nashville on December 3, 10, 16, and 17.
August 19, 1976
  • Light of a Clear Blue Morning
August 20, 1976
  • You Are
August 21, 1976
  • Getting in My Way
August 22, 1976
  • Holdin' on to You
November 21, 1976
  • How Does It Feel
December 3, 1976
  • My Girl (My Love)
December 10, 1976
  • Applejack
  • Where Beauty Lives in Memory
December 16, 1976
  • (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher
December 17, 1976
  • ​There

Content

In addition to her own compositions, Dolly included The Temptations classic "My Girl" (sung as the gender-neutral "My Love"), and the Jackie Wilson hit "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher". "Applejack" features an all-star lineup of country legends singing background vocals, including Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, Johnny Wright, Chet Atkins, and Minnie Pearl.

Dolly re-recorded "Light of a Clear Blue Blue Morning" for the 1992 soundtrack album Straight Talk and her 2004 album For God and Country. She re-recorded "Holdin' on to You" as a duet with Elle King for the 2018 soundtrack album Dumplin'.

Release and promotion

​The album was released February 4, 1977, on LP, cassette, and 8-track.

Singles

"Light of a Clear Blue Morning" was released as the first single on March 21, 1977. It debuted at number 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated April 9. It peaked at number 11 on the chart dated June 11, its tenth week on the chart. The single charted for 13 weeks. It also peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, The single peaked at number four in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

"You Are" was released as the first single in Europe on March 25, 1977, and did not chart. A promotional video featuring footage of Dolly on tour was produced to accompany the 1983 re-release of the single in the Netherlands to promote the compilation The Love Album.

"Applejack" was released as the second European single on August 27, 1977, and also failed to chart. It had previously been released as the B-side of "You Are".

"(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" was released as single exclusively in Germany in late 1977 and did not chart.

Critical reception

In the issue dated February 26, 1977, Billboard published a review calling the album "Parton's most progressive and individualistic LP ever." The review notes that the changes "in producer, studio, publisher and mental outlook are bound to have a significant effect on the ultimate product." The review called the changes "dramatic," resulting in "some of the most memorable work yet – in writing and singing – by Parton." The review concluded by saying that "this could be the album that shoves Parton from a country-only base to the category of across-the-board talents like Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt who emulate and admire her."

Cashbox published a review in the February 26, 1977 issue, which said, "Breaking from her country roots, Dolly has put together this package of tailor-mades for the progressive rock listener. Her versatility and natural talents combined with her excellent production as well as arrangement comes crystal clear here."

Mark Deming of AllMusic rated the album 4 out of 5 stars. He felt that "in retrospect, New Harvest...First Gathering sounds like a dry run for Dolly's later crossover career, but it's also full of fine songs and produced with intelligence and restraint, and it has stood the test of time far better than much of her work of the 1980s."
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Billboard review, February 26, 1977.
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Cashbox review, February 26, 1977.

Commercial performance

​The album debuted at number 28 on the Billboard Hot Country Albums chart dated March 12, 1977. The album peaked at number one on the chart dated May 14, its tenth week on the chart, The album charted for 29 weeks. It also peaked at number 71 on the Billboard200, Dolly's first album to appear on that chart since Joshua in 1971.

Accolades

The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the CMT Awards in 1977 (known as the Music City News Awards at the time) and Favorite Country Album at the American Music Awards of 1978.

"Light of a Clear Blue Morning" received the Country Award from BMI in 1978.

"(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards in 1978.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album liner notes.
Performance
  • Anita Ball – background vocals
  • Stu Basore – steel
  • Lea Jane Berinati – background vocals
  • Clyde Brooks – drums, percussion, tambourine, background vocals
  • Mark Casstevens - banjo
  • Charlie Chappelear – bass, background vocals
  • Ralph Childs – tuba
  • ​Jimmy Colvard – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Jimmy Crawford – steel, background vocals
  • Richard Dennison – background vocals
  • Bobby Dyson – bass
  • Bob Ferguson – Applejack's voice
  • Mary Fielder – background vocals
  • Janie Fricke – background vocals
  • Shane Keister – organ synthesizer, organ
  • Dave Kirby – acoustic guitar
  • Jerry Kroon – drums, percussion
  • Larrie Londin – drums
  • ​Joe McGuffee – dobro, steel
  • Terry McMillan – harmonica
  • Farrell Morris – percussion
  • The Nashville Horns featuring Billy Puett – horns
  • Jamie Nichol – conga
  • Dolly Parton – lead vocals, background vocals, banjo
  • Randy Parton – background vocals​
  • John Pell – acoustic guitar, classical guitar, background vocals
  • Gregg Perry – piano, tambourine, keyboards, tack piano, background vocals
  • Debbie Jo Puckett – background vocals
  • Dwight Puckett – background vocals
  • Billy Puett – flute, piccolo
  • ​Jimmy Riddle – Jew's (juice) harp
  • Don Roth – electric guitar
  • ​Tom Rutledge – acoustic guitar
  • Shelly Kurland Strings – strings
  • Rod Smarr – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, background vocals
  • Buddy Spicher – fiddle
  • Bobby Thompson – banjo, acoustic guitar
  • Ray Walker – background vocals
  • Casey Worden – background vocals
  • Kelly Worden – background vocals
  • Mickie Worden – background vocals

Background vocals on "Applejack"
  • Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, Chet Atkins, Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubb, Grandpa Jones, Ramona Jones, Carl and Pearl Butler, William Lee and Stoney Cooper, The Willis Brothers, Bashful Brother Oswald, Joe and Rose Lee Maphis, Kirk McGee, Hubert Gregory and the Fruit Jar Drinkers, Johnny Wright, Don Warden, Lee and Avie Lee Parton
Production
  • Rich Adler – engineer, assistant mixing engineer
  • ​Brent Maher – engineer
  • Dolly Parton – producer, arrangements
  • Gregg Perry – co-producer, string arrangements, string conductor
  • Armin Steiner – mixing engineer
Other personnel
  • David Gahr – photographer
  • Any Lehman – art director
  • ​Nick Smangiamo – photographer
  • Richard Sparks – innerspread art

Releases

FORMAT / TITLE / LABEL & CATALOG # / REGION / RELEASE DATE (MM-DD-YYYY)
  • LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor APL1-2188 / US / 02-14-1977
  • ​LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor CPL-2188 / Canada / 02-14-1977
  • 8-track / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA APS1-2188 / US & Canada / 02-14-1977
  • Cassette / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA APK1-2188 / US & Canada / 02-14-1977
  • LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor APL1 2188 / Australia & New Zealand / 1977
  • ​LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor PL 12188 / Europe / 1977 (black label)
  • ​LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor PL 12188 / Europe / 1977 (orange label)
  • 8-track / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA PS 12188 / Europe / 1977
  • Cassette / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA PK12188 / Europe / 1977
  • LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor PL 12188 / Germany / 1977 (Club Sonderauflage)
  • LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA RVP-6184 / Japan / 1977
  • Cassette / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor Z1-2188 / South Africa / 1977
  • Cassette / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor 33275-9 / Germany / 1978
  • LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA AYL1-3960 (Best Buy Series) / Various / 1980s
  • Cassette / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA AYK1-3960 (Best Buy Series) / Various / 1980s
  • LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA Victor MMT 1167 (Magic of Music) / Germany / 1982
  • CD / All I Can Do and New Harvest...First Gathering / RCA; Sony BMG Music Entertainment / Europe / 03-05-2007
  • ​Digital download / New Harvest...First Gathering / BMG Music / Various / 03-06-2007
  • Streaming / New Harvest...First Gathering / BMG Music / Various / 03-06-2007
  • LP / New Harvest...First Gathering / Vinyl Me, Please VMP – LTDP012 / US / 03-2024