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.
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
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.
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.
The album was released August 22, 1995, on CD and cassette.
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.
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.
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.
Eddie Bayers – drums Owen Hale – drums ?Steve Turner – drums Terry McMillan – shaker, percussion David Hungate – bass Paul Uhrig – bass Steve Buckingham – acoustic guitar ?Paul Franklin – steel Steve Gibson – guitar, acoustic guitar Brent Mason – acoustic guitar, electric guitar ?Don Potter – acoustic guitar Brent Rowan – acoustic guitar, electric guitar Steuart Smith – acoustic guitar, electric guitar Reggie Young – guitar, electric guitar Paul Hollowell – piano Steve Nathan – piano Matt Rollings – piano, organ Randy McCormick – organ Bob Bailey – background vocals Margie Cates – background vocals Suzanne Cox – background vocals, harmony vocals Richard Dennison – background vocals Vince Gill – duet vocals Vicki Hampton – background vocals Yvonne Hodges – background vocals Carl Jackson – harmony vocals Alison Krauss – background vocals, harmony vocals ?Louis Nunley – background vocals Jennifer O'Brien-Enoch – background vocals ?Dolly Parton – lead vocals ?Chris Rodriguez – background vocals Duawne Starling – background vocals Pam Tillis – harmony vocals Stuart Duncan – fiddle Sonny Landreth – slide Jimmy Mattingly – fiddle
Production Steve Buckingham – producer Mike Capps – additional engineering Jennie Carey – production assistant Donn Cobb – editing Robin Dennis – assistant engineer John Dickson – assistant engineer ?Assa Drori – concertmaster Marc Frigo – assistant engineer Grant Greene – assistant engineer Amy Hughes – assistant engineer Richard Landers – assistant engineer ?Marshall Morgan – additional engineering Dale Oehler – string arrangements, strings conductor ?Gary Paczosa – recording, mixing Dolly Parton – producer Denny Purcell – mastering Kevin Ryan – assistant engineer Al Schmitt – additional engineering Toby Seay – assistant engineer Jeff Shannon – assistant engineer ?Ed Simonton – assistant engineer Dave Sinko – additional engineering Ed White – assistant engineer
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
