jokerlola wrote:I didn’t really listen to Country radio at the time but I don’t remember Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” I was aware of Dolly Parton from the Porter Wagner show which used to run on Sunday mornings.Did the song cross over to the pop charts? I don’t remember it. I don’t remember Dolly crossing over to Pop until “Here Tou Come Again” in 1977. I first became aware of the song from Whitney Houston. For me it’s no big loss that Elvis didn’t record it. At the time, I wish Elvis had been recording more rock or R&B songs, not more MOR ballads about lost love. So has it been concluded that Dolly hadn’t even recorded the song when Elvis and Priscilla divorced?
I used to listen to country programmes on Radio 2 probably in the 70s or 80s. It was before Wally Whyton presented it which I think was late 80s'.
I can't tell you what the first song I heard by Dolly was, possibly Coat Of Many Colours which came out in 1971, but it did nothing in the UK. The next one was Jolene in 1973, which was a hit, then Love Is Like A Butterfly.
I Will Always Love You was written and recorded in 1973 and released the following year. According to Wiki,
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career, the country single was released in 1974.
It wasn't a hit in the UK, and I was not aware of the song. I was surprised to learn that Dolly wrote it when Whitney had a hit with it in 1992.
I'm glad Elvis didn't record the song, and I don't believe that he wanted to.
