Album cover. Columbia / Blue Eye (CK 67140) (1995)
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Something Special is the thirty-third solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on August 22, 1995, by Columbia Records and Blue Eye Records. It was produced by Steve Buckingham and Dolly. It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 54 on the all-genre Billboard 200. The album's only single, a re-recording of "I Will Always Love You" with Vince Gill, peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The single was nominated for Best Country Vocal Collaboration at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards.
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Track listing
- Crippled Bird (Dolly Parton) 3:44
- Something Special (Dolly Parton) 3:06
- Change (Dolly Parton) 3:40
- I Will Always Love You (with special guest Vince Gill) (Dolly Parton) 3:17
- Green-Eyed Boy (Dolly Parton) 3:53
- Speakin' of the Devil (Dolly Parton) 3:15
- Jolene (Dolly Parton) 3:42
- No Good Way of Saying Good-Bye (Dolly Parton) 2:57
- The Seeker (Dolly Parton) 3:03
- Teach Me to Trust (Dolly Parton, Gene Golden) 3:27
Recording
The album was recorded in spring 1995 in Nashville at Nightingale Studio, Sound Emporium Studio, Soundshop Recording Studios, The Doghouse, Sound Stage Studios, Woodland Digital, Emerald Sound Studios, and Masterfonics. Additional recording took place at O'Henry Sound Studios in Burbank, California.
Content
In addition to seven new Parton compositions, the album includes updated versions of three classics from Dolly's repertoire: "Jolene", "The Seeker", and "I Will Always Love You", the latter of which was recorded as a duet with Vince Gill.
Dolly has recorded "Jolene" several times. She originally recorded the song for her 1974 album, Jolene. Dolly provided harmony vocals on Mindy Smith's 2004 version for her album, One Moment More. She recorded it as a duet for Mary Sarah's 2014 album, Bridges. Straight No Chaser featured Dolly on their 2014 acapella version on their Under the Influence album. Pentatonix also recorded an acapella version featuring Dolly for their 2017 extended play, PTX, Vol. IV: Classics. Dolly recorded a "New String Version" for the 2018 soundtrack album, Dumplin'. In 2023 Dolly joined Olivia Newton-John on a cover of "Jolene" for her Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection, Volume One album. Dolly recorded a rock version of "Jolene" with Måneskin for her 2023 album, Rockstar.
"The Seeker" was first recorded for Dolly's 1975 album, Dolly.
Dolly has also recorded "I Will Always Love You" numerous times over the years. The first was for her 1974 album, Jolene. She recorded the song again for the 1982 soundtrack of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She was a featured vocalist on Jerry D's saxophone cover of the song for his 2005 album, Sax in the Country. She recorded a new solo version for inclusion on the 2007 UK compilation, Singer, Songwriter & Legendary Performer. Stephanie J. Block recorded a cover of the song featuring Dolly for her 2009 album, This Place I Know. Erinn Abu (formerly known as Jerry D) released two slightly different instrumental versions featuring Dolly on his 2011 albums, Forever in Love and A New Creation (both feature the same vocal take from Dolly that was recorded for his 2005 album). Dolly joined Lulu Roman on the song for her 2013 album, At Last. Dolly recorded the song with her family and the cast of the Dollywood My Peopleproduction for its soundtrack album. Michael Bolton recorded the song for his 2017 album, Songs of Cinema and featured Dolly on his version. Kristen Chenoweth recorded a duet of the song with Dolly for her 2017 album, For the Girls. Dolly was featured on Alex-Zsolt's piano cover of the song for his 2024 album, Alex-Zsolt at the Ivories.
Dolly has recorded "Jolene" several times. She originally recorded the song for her 1974 album, Jolene. Dolly provided harmony vocals on Mindy Smith's 2004 version for her album, One Moment More. She recorded it as a duet for Mary Sarah's 2014 album, Bridges. Straight No Chaser featured Dolly on their 2014 acapella version on their Under the Influence album. Pentatonix also recorded an acapella version featuring Dolly for their 2017 extended play, PTX, Vol. IV: Classics. Dolly recorded a "New String Version" for the 2018 soundtrack album, Dumplin'. In 2023 Dolly joined Olivia Newton-John on a cover of "Jolene" for her Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection, Volume One album. Dolly recorded a rock version of "Jolene" with Måneskin for her 2023 album, Rockstar.
"The Seeker" was first recorded for Dolly's 1975 album, Dolly.
Dolly has also recorded "I Will Always Love You" numerous times over the years. The first was for her 1974 album, Jolene. She recorded the song again for the 1982 soundtrack of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She was a featured vocalist on Jerry D's saxophone cover of the song for his 2005 album, Sax in the Country. She recorded a new solo version for inclusion on the 2007 UK compilation, Singer, Songwriter & Legendary Performer. Stephanie J. Block recorded a cover of the song featuring Dolly for her 2009 album, This Place I Know. Erinn Abu (formerly known as Jerry D) released two slightly different instrumental versions featuring Dolly on his 2011 albums, Forever in Love and A New Creation (both feature the same vocal take from Dolly that was recorded for his 2005 album). Dolly joined Lulu Roman on the song for her 2013 album, At Last. Dolly recorded the song with her family and the cast of the Dollywood My Peopleproduction for its soundtrack album. Michael Bolton recorded the song for his 2017 album, Songs of Cinema and featured Dolly on his version. Kristen Chenoweth recorded a duet of the song with Dolly for her 2017 album, For the Girls. Dolly was featured on Alex-Zsolt's piano cover of the song for his 2024 album, Alex-Zsolt at the Ivories.
Release and promotion
The album was released August 22, 1995, on CD and cassette.
Singles
Following Dolly's performance of "I Will Always Love You" with Vince Gill on the Grand Ole Opry in August 1995, radio stations began giving the duet unsolicited airplay, causing it to debut at number 53 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated September 16. The duo performed the song again at the Country Music Association Awards in October before it was officially issued as a single in November. The single peaked at number 15 on the chart dated November 25, its eleventh week on the chart. It charted for a total of 20 weeks. The single also peaked at number 12 on the Cashbox Country Singles chart and number 80 on the Cashbox Top Singles chart.
Television appearances
To promote the album Dolly made several television appearances. She appeared on the Grand Ole Opry on August 26 and performed "Something Special", "Jolene", and "I Will Always Love You" with Vince Gill. Dolly appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on August 31 and performed "Something Special". She and Vince Gill performed "I Will Always Love You" on the 29th Annual Country Music Association Awards on October 4.
Critical reception
Upon its release, the album was met with mixed reviews from critics. A review from Billboard said that "it's a bit distressing when the highlights of a new Dolly Parton album are new recordings of old material." The review went on to praise the re-recording of "I Will Always Love You" with Vince Gill, but felt that the "recent material pales here when contrasted with that duet and...older Parton compositions." The review concluded by saying, "The new stuff is good. The old stuff is great."
Alanna Nash rated the album a B- in a review for Entertainment Weekly. She felt that "much of the...material is slight (and over-orchestrated), but ”Teach Me to Trust” is as vulnerable as MOR ever gets."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, describing the album as "something of a mixed bag." Like the review from Billboard, Erlewine also felt that "the newer songs are fine, [but] they pale in comparison with [Parton's] classics." He went on to say that "if the new songs had been included on an album that only featured new material, they would have formed a strong record, but they take a back seat to Parton's older songs, which are more inspired and better-written." He concluded his review by saying that "the album provides several fine moments, even if it doesn't rank among her best works."
Alanna Nash rated the album a B- in a review for Entertainment Weekly. She felt that "much of the...material is slight (and over-orchestrated), but ”Teach Me to Trust” is as vulnerable as MOR ever gets."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, describing the album as "something of a mixed bag." Like the review from Billboard, Erlewine also felt that "the newer songs are fine, [but] they pale in comparison with [Parton's] classics." He went on to say that "if the new songs had been included on an album that only featured new material, they would have formed a strong record, but they take a back seat to Parton's older songs, which are more inspired and better-written." He concluded his review by saying that "the album provides several fine moments, even if it doesn't rank among her best works."
Billboard review, September 23, 1995.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number number 42 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated September 9, 1995. It peaked at number 10 on the chart dated October 21. The album spent a total of 21 weeks on the chart. The album also peaked at number 54 on the Billboard 200 chart. It peaked at number 7 in Canada on the RPM Country Albums chart.
Accolades
The album's single, "I Will Always Love You" with Vince Gill, was named Vocal Event of the Year at the 30th Annual County Music Association Awards in 1996. It was also nominated for Best Country Vocal Collaboration at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards in 1996. It was nominated for Single of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year at the 1996 CMT Music Awards (known at the TNN/Music City News Awards at the time). It was nominated for Vocal Collaboration of the Year again at the 1997 ceremony. "I Will Always Love You" received a Songwriter Achievement Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International in 1995.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album liner notes.
Performance
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Production
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Other personnel
- David Blair – makeup
- Gallin-Morey and Associates – management
- Bill Johnson – art direction
- Jodi Lynn Miller – art direction
- Cheryl Riddle – hair
- Trashy Lingerie – wardrobe