Heartbreak Express is the twenty-fourth solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on March 29, 1982, by RCA Victor. It was produced by Dolly and Gregg Perry. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 106 on the all-genre Billboard 200. The album's first two singles, "Single Women" and the title track, peaked at number eight and number seven, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Recording ?The album was recorded from December 1981 to January 1982 at Smoketree Recording Studio in Chatsworth, California. Additional overdubs were recorded at Soundshop Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, and Warner Bros. Recording Studio in Los Angeles, California.
Content The album returned Dolly to a more fully realized country sound, a process she had begun on her previous album, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. "Single Women", a slow-tempo honkytonk ballad about a singles bar, was written by Saturday Night Live writer Michael O'Donoghue, and had previously appeared in an SNL skit in late 1981.
?Dolly originally wrote "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" in the early 1970s, but had never officially recorded it. She recorded a version with Chet Atkins in 1976 for his album, The Best of Chet Atkins & Friends. "Hollywood Potters", Dolly has explained to interviewers, came out of her experience filming the movie 9 to 5, as she watched many of the film's extras and bit players, who had worked very hard at acting through the years, but with very little success. Dolly had previously recorded "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" for her 1969 album of the same name. Dolly would later re-record "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" with Randy Travis for his 1990 album, Heroes and Friends, and with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt for their 1999 album, Trio II.
Release and promotion The album was released March 29, 1982, ?on LP, cassette, and 8-track. Singles ?"Single Women" was released as the album's first single on February 1, 1982. It debuted at number 46 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated February 27. It peaked at number eight on the chart dated May 8, its eleventh week on the chart, and remained there for one additional week. The single charted for 17 weeks. It also peaked at number eight on the Cashbox Country Singles chart. The single peaked at number one in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.
The second single, "Heartbreak Express", was released on May 3, 1982. It debuted at number 53 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated May 29. It peaked at number seven on the chart dated July 24, its ninth week on the chart, and remained there for one additional week. It charted for 15 weeks. It also peaked at number seven on the Cashbox Country Singles chart. The single peaked at number one in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" was released as the third single from the album on July 12, 1982. It was released as a double A-side single with "I Will Always Love You" from Dolly's 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. While "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" did not chart on its own, it was listed as the flip side of "I Will Always Love You" throughout its run on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Commercial performance The album debuted at number 31 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated April 24, 1982. It peaked at number five on the chart dated July 3, its eleventh week on the chart. The album charted for 25 weeks. It also peaked at number 106 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album peaked at number 41 on the Swedish Albums chart.
?The album charted at number 32 on the Billboard Top Country Albums year-end chart for 1982.
?The album's title track, "Heartbreak Express", received the Country Award from BMI in 1982 and 1983.
Personnel
Performance Eddy Anderson – drums Anita Ball – background vocals Jeff Baxter – guitar George Bohanon – horns Alexandra Brown – background vocals Lenny Castro – conga Steve Cropper – guitar Denise Maynelli DeCaro – background vocals Richard Dennison – background vocals Nathan East – bass Chuck Findley – horns Roy Galloway – background vocals Gary Grant – horns Willie Greene – background vocals Greg Herbig – horns Jim Horn – horns Slide Hyde – horns Abe Laboríel – bass Albert Lee – guitar Joe McGuffee – steel guitar Terry McMillian – harmonica Gene Morford – background vocals Ron Oates – keyboards Dolly Parton – lead vocals ?Gregg Perry - dulcimer, background vocals Jim Salestrom – background vocals Tom Saviano – horns Tom Scott – horns Michael Severs – guitar Lee Sklar – bass Buddy Spicher – fiddle Stephanie Spruill – background vocals Fred Tackett – guitar Red Young – keyboards
Production Harry Bluestone – concertmaster Frank DeCaro – contractor Ken Deene – additional overdub recording Dolly Parton – producer, arrangements Doug Parry – recording engineer, mixing engineer ?Gregg Perry – producer, arrangements Rick Romano – assistant recording engineer, assistant mixing engineer Ernie Winfrey – additional overdub recording
Other personnel Phyllis Chotin – art direction ?Erecter Set – set design Kendall Errair – costume coordinator Michelle Hart – art direction Colleen Owens – hair Dolly Parton – design concept Herb Ritts – phorography Shirlee Strahm – costume coordinator
