Joshua (album)

Joshua
Studio album by
Dolly Parton
ReleasedApril 12, 1971
RecordedOctober 31, 1969–February 11, 1971
StudioRCA Studio B, Nashville
GenreCountry
Length28:05
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerBob Ferguson
Dolly Parton chronology
The Golden Streets of Glory
(1971) 		Joshua
(1971) 		The Best of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton
(1971)
Singles from Joshua
  1. "Joshua"
    Released: November 9, 1970

Joshua is the seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on April 12, 1971, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 198 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's single, "Joshua", was nominated for a Grammy and was Parton's first song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The two-month gap from The Golden Streets of Glory marks the shortest between two of Parton's albums to date.

Release and promotion

The album was released April 12, 1971, on LP and 8-track.[1]

Singles

The album's single, "Joshua", was released in November 1970[2] and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number 108 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The single peaked at number two in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

The review published in the April 24, 1971 issue of Billboard said, "Dolly Parton took "Joshua" right to the top of the country singles chart, and she should now take him right to the top of the LP chart as well, with this exceptional album followup. Most of the tunes are originals, and there are many standouts, among them "You Can't Reach Me Anymore", "The Last One to Touch Me", and "Chicken Every Sunday"."[4]

The April 10, 1971 issue of Cashbox featured a review that said, "Dolly Parton's "Joshua" has to be one of the all-time best country records ever recorded. Now the title tune of her latest album, it enables those who missed it the first time around to hear it along with nine other fine selections. Always a best seller, this LP containing "The Last One to Touch Me", "Walls of My Mind", "Chicken Every Sunday", "Letter to Heaven", and "J.J. Sneed", which are outstanding tracks, is sure to top the charts shortly.[5]

AllMusic gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars.[3]

Commercial performance

The album peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 198 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album peaked at number 24 in Canada on the RPM Country Albums chart.

Accolades

The album's single, "Joshua", was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards.[6]

Awards and nominations received for Joshua
Award Year Category Nominee/work Result
Grammy Awards 1972 Best Country Vocal Performance, Female "Joshua" Nominated

Recording

Recording sessions for the album began at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 20, 1970. There additional sessions followed on October 21, 1970, January 26, and February 11, 1971. "Walls of My Mind", "You Can't Reach Me Anymore", and "The Fire's Still Burning" were recorded during the October 31, 1969 session for 1970's The Fairest of Them All.

Reissues

The album was reissued on CD in 2001 with Parton's 1971 album Coat of Many Colors.[7] It was released as a digital download on December 4, 2015.[8]

Track listing

All tracks written by Dolly Parton, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Joshua" October 21, 19703:05
2."The Last One to Touch Me" February 11, 19713:04
3."Walls of My Mind" October 31, 19692:35
4."It Ain't Fair That It Ain't Right"
  • Bob Eggers
  • Janice Eggers
April 20, 19702:20
5."J.J. Sneed"
  • Parton
  • Dorothy Jo Hope
January 26, 19712:55
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."You Can't Reach Me Anymore"
  • Parton
  • Hope
October 31, 19692:40
2."Daddy's Moonshine Still" January 26, 19713:30
3."Chicken Every Sunday"
  • Charlie Craig
  • Betty Craig
October 21, 19702:38
4."The Fire's Still Burning"
  • Parton
  • Hope
October 31, 19692:51
5."Letter to Heaven" January 26, 19712:27

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.[1]

  • Bobby Dyson – liner notes
  • Bob Ferguson – producer
  • Bill Meyers – cover art
  • Al Pachucki – recording engineer
  • Roy Shockley – recording technician

Charts

Chart performance for Joshua
Chart (1971) Peak
position
Canada Country Albums (RPM)[9] 24
US Billboard 200[10] 198
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[11] 16

Release history

Release dates and formats for Joshua
Region Date Format Title Label Ref.
Various April 12, 1971
Joshua RCA Victor [1]
Europe July 28, 2001 CD Joshua & Coat of Many Colors Camden Deluxe [7]
Various December 4, 2015 Digital download Joshua
[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Dolly Parton - Joshua". Discogs. 1971. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  2. ^ "Billboard - November 21, 1970" (PDF). World Radio History. Billboard. p. 88. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Joshua at AllMusic
  4. ^ "Billboard - April 24, 1971" (PDF). World Radio History. Billboard. p. 58. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  5. ^ "Cashbox - April 10, 1971" (PDF). World Radio History. Cashbox. p. 40. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  6. ^ "Dolly Parton". GRAMMY.com. February 15, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Joshua & Coat Of Many Colors". Camden. 28 July 2001. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Joshua by Dolly Parton on Amazon Music - Amazon.com". Amazon. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  9. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Results: RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  10. ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.