My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy

My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy is the fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 8, 1969, by RCA Victor.[1]

My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy
Studio album by Dolly Parton
Released	September 8, 1969
Recorded	September 9, 1968–June 2, 1969
Studio	RCA Studio B (Nashville)
Genre	Country
Length	32:25
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Bob Ferguson
Dolly Parton chronology
Always, Always (1969) My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy (1969) The Fairest of Them All (1970)
Singles from My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy
"Daddy" Released: March 10, 1969 "In the Ghetto" Released: June 23, 1969 "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" Released: September 8, 1969

The album was released as a digital download on October 22, 2013.[2]

Content

The title song tells the story of a small town girl whose aspirations take her to New Orleans, where she becomes a prostitute, dreaming of the boy she'd left behind. "Gypsy, Joe and Me" details the story of a woman, her love and their small dog, who all eventually perish. "Evening Shade" tells the story of an orphanage run by an evil headmistress, Mrs. Bailey. The orphans eventually burn the home down, with Mrs. Bailey sleeping inside. "Daddy", a Parton composition, tells the story of a daughter pleading with her father to reconsider leaving her mother for a woman much younger.

Also included are Parton's covers of the Mac Davis-penned Elvis Presley hit "In the Ghetto" and Joe South's "Games People Play". She also covered current country hits by Porter Wagoner ("Big Wind") and Jan Howard ("We Had All the Good Things Going").

Parton would later re-record the title song for inclusion in her 1982 album, Heartbreak Express.

In a CMT interview with Patty Loveless, Parton confirmed that the man in the corner of the album cover is her reclusive longtime husband, Carl Dean.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]

The review in the September 20, 1969 issue of Billboard said, "Undoubtedly, this is the best composite album that Miss Dolly Parton has created. Her country version of "In the Ghetto" is now on the country singles chart and should provide plenty of LP sales impetus. While her "Daddy", "Gypsy, Joe and Me", and "Home for Pete's Sake" are tearjerkers in the traditional vein. "Games People Play" is also a strong contender for honors."[4]

Cashbox also published a review of the album, saying, "Dolly Parton effectively changes moods and tempos as she sings her way through this set containing her latest singles in addition to other noteworthy offerings. The set includes, besides title track, "In the Ghetto", "Games People Play", "Big Wind", "Daddy", and "We Had All the Good Things Going." Rapid chart action can be expected on this one."[5]

Commercial performance

The album peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot Country LPs chart, and No. 194 on the US Billboard Top LPs chart.

The first single from the album, "Daddy", was released in March 1969[6][7] and peaked at No. 40 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The second single from the album, "In the Ghetto", was released in June 1969[8][9] and peaked at No. 50 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 12 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart. "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" was released as the third single in September 1969[10][11] and peaked at No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 22 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

Recording

Recording sessions for the album began at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 14, 1969. Three additional sessions followed on May 20, 21 and June 2. "Daddy" was recorded on September 9, 1968, during a session for 1969's In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad).

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"In the Ghetto"	Mac Davis	June 2, 1969	2:50
2.	"Games People Play"	Joe South	June 2, 1969	2:26
3.	"'Til Death Do Us Part"	Dolly Parton	May 14, 1969	3:09
4.	"Big Wind"	Wayne P. Walker Alex Zanetis George McCormick	June 2, 1969	2:18
5.	"Evening Shade"	Parton	May 21, 1969	3:22
6.	"I'm Fed Up with You"	Bill Owens	June 2, 1969	2:00

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy"	Parton	May 20, 1969
2.	"Daddy"	Parton	September 9, 1968	2:50
3.	"We Had All the Good Things Going"	Merv Shiner Jerry Monday	May 14, 1969	2:45
4.	"The Monkey's Tale"	Leona Ross	May 14, 1969	1:51
5.	"Gypsy, Joe and Me"	Parton	May 21, 1969	3:13
6.	"Home for Pete's Sake"	Rudy Preston	May 14, 1969	1:59

Personnel

Adapted from the album line notes and RCA recording session records.[1]

• Joseph Babcock – background vocals
• Jerry Carrigan – drums
• Fred Carter Jr. – guitar
• Pete Drake – steel
• Dolores Edgin – background vocals
• Bob Ferguson – producer
• Lloyd Green – steel
• Milt Henderson – technician
• Junior Huskey – bass
• James Isbell – drums
• Mack Magaha – fiddle
• George McCormick – rhythm guitar
• Wayne Moss – guitar
• Bill Owens – liner notes
• Al Pachucki – recording engineer
• June Page – background vocals
• Dolly Parton – lead vocals
• Hargus Robbins – piano
• Roy Shockley – technician
• Jerry Stembridge – guitar
• Buck Trent – electric banjo

Charts

Album

Chart (1968)	Peak position
US Hot Country LPs (Billboard)[12]	6
US Top LPs (Billboard)[13]	194

Singles

Title	Year	Peak position
		US Country [14]	CAN Country [15]
"Daddy"	1969	40	—
"In the Ghetto"		50	12
"My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy"		45	22

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
Various	September 8, 1969	LP 8-track	RCA Victor	[1]
	October 22, 2013	Digital download	Sony Legacy	[2]

References

1. "Dolly Parton - My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy". Discogs. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
2. "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy by Dolly Parton on Amazon Music - Amazon.com". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
3. My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy at AllMusic
4. "Billboard - September 20, 1969" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
5. "Cashbox - September 13, 1969" (PDF). American Radio History. Cashbox. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
6. "Billboard - March 22, 1969" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. p. 71. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
7. "Dolly Parton - Daddy". Retrieved 23 October 2018.
8. "Billboard - July 5, 1969" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
9. "Dolly Parton - In The Ghetto". Retrieved 23 October 2018.
10. "Billboard - September 20, 1969" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
11. "Dolly Parton - My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy". Retrieved 23 October 2018.
12. "Dolly Parton Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
13. "Dolly Parton Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
14. "Dolly Parton Chart History - Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
15. Canada, Library and Archives (17 July 2013). "Results: RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 20 April 2019.