Porter & Dolly

Background

Wagoner and Parton recorded "Here Comes the Freedom Train" in 1973 as a fundraiser for a bicentennial train with a museum car displaying historic documents. Around that time, Wagoner urged Parton to write fewer songs about her East Tennessee home and the vanishing rural lifestyle, suggesting she write love songs instead. Parton later recalled sitting by the fireplace at her Antioch, Tennessee home one night, deciding to write a farewell song. That became "I Will Always Love You"; she also wrote "Jolene" in the same writing session. The next day, she sang "I Will Always Love You" for Wagoner in his office, and he agreed she could leave his show if he could produce that song. They performed their last show together in June 1974, though Wagoner continued producing Parton's albums through 1976's All I Can Do.

Critical reception

Billboard gave a positive review, describing the album as an encore from the once red-hot country pairing, with songs heavy on heartbreak and guitars. The review noted simple arrangements by Wagoner, solid harmony with smooth background singing, keyboard work, and strings that balanced the two dissimilar voices. It highlighted "Making Plans", "Someone Just Like You", "Touching Memories", and "If You Say I Can" as the best cuts. Cashbox also gave a positive review, noting the material dated back to pre-1976 and was timeless despite being recorded at least four years earlier.

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 67 on the Billboard Hot Country LPs chart, peaking at number nine in its sixth week and remaining there for two weeks. It spent 31 weeks on the chart. The first single, "Making Plans", released in June 1980, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and number 38 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart. The second single, "If You Go, I'll Follow You", released in October 1980, peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

Recording

The album's ten songs were cut across ten different sessions spanning 1968 to 1976. The most recent additions, "Touching Memories" and "Someone Just Like You," came from recording dates on April 22 and 26, 1976. "Hide Me Away" was taped on May 24, 1974, during work on the album Porter 'n' Dolly. "If You Say I Can" originated from a December 5, 1973 session.

"Beneath the Sweet Magnolia Tree" was recorded on February 13, 1973, for Love and Music. "Singing on the Mountain" and "Little David's Harp" were cut on August 21 and 22, 1972, respectively, for We Found It. "If You Go, I'll Follow You" came from a September 29, 1971 session. "Daddy Did His Best" was recorded on December 2, 1970, for Two of a Kind.

The earliest track, "Making Plans," dates to May 22, 1968, from sessions for Just the Two of Us. Overdub sessions were held on November 23, December 3, 7, 11, and 14, 1979, at Fireside Studio in Nashville, with Jerry Bradley producing.