A Holly Dolly Christmas

by Dolly Parton

Overview

Given her ebullient spirit and the overall length and breadth of her catalog, it seems like Dolly Parton would -- like so many of her country peers -- have turned out a half-dozen or so Christmas albums by this point. She in fact has only two, a 1984 collaborative set with Kenny Rogers and a fairly standard 1990 album heavy on traditional carols. Returning to the Yuletide arena 30 years later, Parton is now a bona fide international icon credited in the 2019 NPR podcast series Dolly Parton's America as being a great unifier within an exceedingly divided nation. As with most things, she takes such pressures in stride, and with little left to prove offers up a heartfelt, compassionate, and joyous cup of holiday cheer on A Holly Dolly Christmas. Of course, the Johnny Marks-written Burl Ives classic "A Holly Jolly Christmas" opens the set with a typically folksy mid-song explanation from Dolly about how much she loves the song and how she eventually decided "why not do a whole album and call it A Holly Dolly Christmas." Unlike her previous holiday-themed album, Home for Christmas, this set is loaded with Parton originals, some of which are quite good. The cheerful Appalachian romp of "Christmas in the Square" is classic old-time Dolly, while the sweet Michael Buble duet "Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas" has the playful spirit of a jazz standard. High-profile guests abound ranging from Jimmy Fallon (on Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You") and both Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus (on separate songs) to Willie Nelson (Nelson's own classic "Pretty Paper") and Dolly's younger brother Randy Parton. Stylistically, she revisits classic sounds while moving easily between contemporary country's pop and organic elements, all the while chatting and laughing with her duet partners and delivering to those who need it an undemanding and likeable Christmas album. ~ Timothy Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	10/14/2022
Label:	Rhino / Warner Records
UPC:	0093624870272
Rank:	9743

Tracks

1. Holly Jolly Christmas
2. Christmas Is
3. Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas
4. Christmas on the Square
5. Circle of Love
6. All I Want for Christmas Is You
7. Comin' Home for Christmas
8. Christmas Where We Are
9. Pretty Paper
10. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
11. You Are My Christmas
12. Mary, Did You Know?
13. Three Candles
14. The Wish Book
15. Baby, It's Cold Outside
16. Something Bigger Than Me
17. A Smoky Mountain Christmas
18. (I'd Like to Spend) Christmas With Santa
19. Wrapped Up in You
20. Silent Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dolly Parton   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Willie Nelson   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Rod Stewart   Primary Artist
Jimmy Fallon   Primary Artist,Vocals
Michael Buble   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kent Wells   Banjo,Guitar,Keyboards,Voiceover,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Nylon String)
Lloyd Green   Guitar (Steel)
Sam Levine   Flute,Clarinet,Orchestra,Saxophone
Aaron McCune   Vocals (Background)
Tom Rutledge   Bass,Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Randy Parton   Featured Artist
Janet Darnall   Violin
Paul Nelson   Cello
Lakieta Bagwell   Vocals (Background)
Carole Neuen-Rabinowitz   Cello
Jennifer O'Brian   Vocals (Background)
Michael Davis   Keyboards,Percussion,Keyboards,Orchestra,Percussion,Orchestral Keyboards
Stephen Mackey   Bass
Steve Mackey   Bass
Steve Turner   Drums,Percussion
Billy Ray Cyrus   Vocals,Featured Artist
Dennis Crouch   Double Bass,Bass (Upright)
David Davidson   Viola,Violin,Orchestra
Richard Dennison   Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Vicki Hampton   Vocals (Background)
Mary Kathryn Van Osdale   Violin
Wei Tsun Chang   Violin
Stefan Petrescu   Violin
Christopher Farrell   Viola
Evan Hutchings   Drums
Carol Rabinowitz   Cello
Heidi Parton   Vocal Harmony
Lakieta Bagwell-Graves   Vocals (Background)
Sarighani Reist   Cello
Roy Agee   Orchestra,Trombone (Bass),Trombone (Tenor)
Rhonda Vincent   Mandolin,Vocals (Background)
Karen Winkelmann   Violin
David Angell   Violin
Miley Cyrus   Vocals,Featured Artist
Darrin Vincent   Vocals (Background)
Monisa Angell   Viola
Tom Hoey   Drums,Percussion
Gary Lunn   Bass,Double Bass
Jimmy Mattingly   Fiddle,Mandolin
Jennifer O'Brien   Vocals (Background)
Paul Hollowell   Piano,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Kent Wells   Composer,Engineer,Overdubs,Producer,Programming
Mariah Carey   Composer
Sam Levine   Orchestration
Kyle Dickinson   Editing,Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Kevin Willis   Editing,Engineer,Track Engineer,Editing Engineer
Tom Rutledge   Engineer,Producer
Taylor Pollert   Engineer,Assistant Orchestra Engineer
Andrew Mayer   Assistant Engineer
Michael Davis   Orchestration,Amplifiers,Orchestration
David Davidson   Orchestral Arrangements,Orchestration
Dolly Parton   Composer,Executive Producer
Michael Buble   Vocal Arrangement
Patrick Murphy   Engineer,Track Engineer,Engineer
Paul David Hager   Vocal Engineer
Steve Chadie   Engineer
Johnny Marks   Composer
Chris Latham   Editing,Vocal Editing,Voice Editing
Richard Dennison   Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Patrick Connor Thomas   Composer
Stacie Huckeba   Photography
Cody Simpson   Vocal Engineer
Ryan Enockson   Engineer
Kam Luchterhand   Assistant Engineer
Jamie Graves   Recording
Vance Nichols   Design
Kat Elfman   Assistant Producer,Production Assistant
Tyler Spratt   Editing,Mixing Assistant
Joel McKenney   Assistant Engineer
Parker Lyons   Assistant Engineer
Adam Wathen   Assistant Engineer
Barry Jobe   Composer
Jada Star Anderson-Roberts   Composer
Mark Needham   Mixing
Roy Agee   Orchestration
Walter Afanasieff   Composer
Joey Crawford   Engineer
Willie Nelson   Composer
Cynthia Daniels   Engineer
Mark Alan Lowry   Composer
Jim DeMain   Mastering
Buddy Greene   Composer