Dolly (also known as Dolly: The Seeker - We Used To) is the sixteenth solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on September 15, 1975, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Porter Wagoner. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's two singles, "The Seeker" and "We Used To", peaked at number number two and number nine, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It is Dolly's second album to be comprised entirely of solo compositions.
This album, like Bubbling Over, appears to be made up of leftover tracks from previous sessions paired with a couple of new recordings. Sessions for the album took place from 1972 to 1974 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. "I'll Remember You as Mine" was recorded during an August 22, 1972 session. "Hold Me" was recorded on February 1, 1973. "Bobby's Arms" and "The Love I Used to Call Mine" were recorded at sessions for the 1974 album, Jolene on December 3 and 26, 1973, respectively. "Most of All Why" was recorded at the end of a session for Porter and Dolly's 1975 album, Porter 'n' Dolly. The only two tracks recorded specifically for the album were "The Seeker" and "We Used To" on December 8, 1974. Three of the tracks on the album were recorded on unknown dates: "My Heart Started Breaking", "Because I Love You", and "Only the Memory Remains".
Dolly had previously recorded "My Heart Started Breaking" in 1971, but this recording remained unreleased until it was included on the 2007 CD reissue of Coat of Many Colors.
Dolly re-recorded "The Seeker" with Julie & Dan on their 2022 album, Hymns: Some of Old, Some of New.
August 22, 1972 I'll Remember You as Mine
?February 1, 1973 Hold Me
December 3, 1973 Bobby's Arms
December 26, 1973 The Love I Used to Call Mine
May 24, 1974 Most of All Why
December 9, 1974 The Seeker We Used To Unknown dates My Heart Started Breaking Because I Love You Only the Memory Remains
?The album was released September 15, 1975, on LP, cassette, and 8-track.
"The Seeker" received the Country Award from BMI in 1976 and a Million-Air Award in 2020 for reaching over one million broadcast performances. It also received a Songwriter Achievement Award from Nashville Songwriters Association International in 1976.
Credits are adapted from the original album liner notes and the 2009 box set, Dolly ("We Used To" and "The Seeker"), and may not represent the personnel for all tracks.
Herb Burnette – art director Dennis Carney – photography Jimmy Colvard – guitar Bobby Dyson – bass D.J. Fontana – drums John Hughey – steel guitar Dave Kirby – guitar The Lea Jane Singers – background vocals Mack Magaha – fiddle Bill McElhiney – orchestrations The Nashville Edition – background vocals Bruce Osbon – guitar Dolly Parton – lead vocals, liner notes Tom Pick – recording engineer Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano Roy Shockley – recording technician Bobby Thompson – guitar Porter Wagoner – producer, arrangements
