Better Day is the forty-third solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on June 28, 2011, by Dolly Records and Warner Music Nashville. The album was produced by Kent Wells with Dolly serving as executive producer. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 51 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Two singles were released from the album, "Together You and I" and "The Sacrifice." Better Day received positive reviews from music critics. Dolly promoted the album with the Better Day World Tour, grossing $34 million from 49 shows. It is Dolly's most successful tour to date. The album was reissued digitally by Dolly Records on April 10, 2020, and again on December 13, 2024, with bonus tracks.
Track listing
In the Meantime (Dolly Parton) 4:06
Just Leaving (Dolly Parton) 3:02
?Somebody's Missing You (Dolly Parton) 3:45
?Together You and I (Dolly Parton) 3:59
Country Is as Country Does (Dolly Parton, Mac Davis) 3:22
Holding Everything (duet with Kent Wells) (Dolly Parton) 3:39
?The Sacrifice (Dolly Parton) 3:28
I Just Might (Dolly Parton) 3:59
Better Day (Dolly Parton) 3:22
Shine Like the Sun (Dolly Parton) 3:14
Get Out and Stay Out (Dolly Parton) 3:07
Let Love Grow (Dolly Parton) 3:41
2024 digital reissue bonus tracks* 13. Get Up, Get Out, Get On (Dolly Parton) 2:15 14. Early Morning Breeze (Dolly Parton) 2:59 15. Olive Branch (Dolly Parton) 3:06 16. Angels in the Midst (Dolly Parton) 3:13
* The bonus tracks included on this digital reissue are taken from the Walmart edition of Dolly's 2014 album, Blue Smoke. "Get Up, Get Out, Get On" is a shorter alternate version than what was released in 2014. Originally the 1971 version of "Early Morning Breeze" from the Coat of Many Colors album was included here, but has since been corrected to the 2014 re-recording.
Dolly first mentioned plans for a new album in October 2010 during an interview with The Huntsville Times. She said she was currently working on the album which will "have some uplifting gospel flavor and some country." She went on to say that she plans to tour "in the fall and winter" in Europe and Australia. It was announced in January 2011 that the album's title would be Better Day.
?The majority of the album was recorded at the Sound Kitchen in Franklin, Tennessee. Additional recording took place at Kent Wells Productions and Blackbird Studios in Nashville.
Better Day contains entirely original material, her first since Hungry Again. However, only five of the album's twelve tracks are exclusively new. Four of the songs on Better Day ("I Just Might," "Shine Like the Sun." "Get Out and Stay Out," and "Let Love Grow") are Dolly's versions of songs that she wrote for the Broadway adaptation of her 1980 movie 9 to 5. "Holding Everything" was previously written for and recorded by Randy Owen on his debut album, One on One. Dolly previously recorded "Together You and I" with Porter Wagoner for their 1974 collaborative album, Porter 'n' Dolly. "Somebody's Missing You" was previously used in the soundtrack of the 2010 movie, First Dog, but was not made commercially available at the time. "Country Is as Country Does" was originally intended to be the title track of Dolly's 2008 album that eventually became Backwoods Barbie.
In an interview with Billboard, it was noted that the songs on the album are thematically linked, in that they are all inspirational. Dolly replied with, "We actually did demo a lot of songs for this and it seemed that with everything being so doomsday-terrorists and bad weather and unemployment-we need a little sunshine. I wanted to do something people would want to hear." Dolly told The National Post that the album was inspired in part by such disparate world problems as the Japanese tsunami, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and America's economic crisis". She added, "I don't write just to relieve my own anxieties, I write for the people who can't express themselves." She concluded by saying, "I can't save the world, but I might be able to save someone today if I can put them in a better mood. The music's designed to be like a ray of sunshine for all those folks in the dark."
?The album was released June 28, 2011, on CD, LP, and digital download.
Dolly began promoting the album and tour across Europe on the BBC and ITV in April 2011. She performed "Together You and I" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 27, 2011.
?Dolly embarked on the Better Day World Tour on July 17, 2011, performing 49 shows across North America, Europe, and Australia. With nearly 275,000 tickets sold, and an overall gross of $34 million, it is Dolly's most successful tour to date.
?The album debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated July 16, 2011, with 17,500 copies sold. It also peaked at number 51 on the Billboard 200. The album peaked at number one on the UK Country Albums Chart. number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and number 18 on the UK Download Albums Chart. It reached number one on the Australian Country Albums Chart and number 29 on the Australian Albums Chart. The album peaked at number six on the Scottish Albums Chart and number 68 on the Irish Albums Chart.
Personnel
Mike Brignardello – electric bass Jamie Dailey – background vocals Christian Davis – background vocals Michael Davis – Hammond B3, Hammond organ, synthesizer Richard Dennison – background vocals Lloyd Green – steel guitar ?Andy Hall – dobro Vicki Hampton – background vocals Emmylou Harris – background vocals Aubrey Haynie – fiddle, mandolin Steve Hinson – slide guitar, steel guitar Paul Hollowell – piano, B3, keys Becky Isaacs – background vocals Sonya Isaacs – background vocals Randy Kohrs – dobro Alison Krauss – background vocals Steve Mackey – electric bass, upright bass Brent Mason – electric guitar Jimmy Mattingly – fiddle, mandolin Rob McNelley – electric guitar Jerry McPherson – electric guitar Jennifer O'Brien – background vocals Richie Owens – harmonica Dolly Parton – lead vocals, background vocals Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar Dave Talbot – banjo Steve Turner – drums, percussion Darrin Vincent – background vocals Biff Watson – acoustic guitar Kent Wells – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, duet vocals, background vocals, harmony vocals
Production Matt Coles – assistant recording engineer Kyle Dickinson – assistant recording engineer Allen Ditto – assistant recording engineer Stephen Marcussen – mastering Patrick Murphy – recording engineer, mixing Dolly Parton – executive producer Ben Schmitt – assistant recording engineer ?Tony Smith – recording engineer ?Kent Wells – producer Stewart Whitmore – digital editing
Other personnel Kii Arens – art direction Peter Dokus – photography assistant Cheryl Riddle – hair Fran Strine – photography Steve Summers – costume design
