Joshua (album)


Joshua is the seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on April 12, 1971, by RCA Victor. The album's single, "Joshua", was nominated for a Grammy and was Parton's first song to reach No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
The album was reissued on CD in 2001 with Parton's 1971 album, Coat of Many Colors. It was released as a digital download on December 4, 2015.

Critical reception

The review published in the April 24, 1971 issue of Billboard said, "Dolly Parton took "Joshua" right to the top of the country singles chart, and she should now take him right to the top of the LP chart as well, with this exceptional album followup. Most of the tunes
are originals, and there are many standouts, among them "You Can't Reach Me Anymore", "The Last One to Touch Me", and "Chicken Every Sunday"."
The April 10, 1971 issue of Cashbox featured a review that said, "Dolly Parton's "Joshua" has to be one of the all-time best country records ever recorded. Now the title tune of her latest album, it enables those who missed it the first time around to hear it along with nine other fine selections. Always a best seller, this LP containing "The Last One to Touch Me", "Walls of My Mind", "Chicken Every Sunday", "Letter
to Heaven", and "J.J. Sneed", which are outstanding tracks, is sure to top the charts shortly.

Commercial performance

The album peaked at No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot Country LPs chart and No. 198 on the US Billboard Hot LPs chart. The album peaked at No. 24 in Canada on the RPM Country Albums chart.
The album's single, "Joshua", was released in November 1970 and peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and No. 108 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. The single peaked at No. 2 in Canada on the RPM Country Singles chart.

Accolades

The album's single, "Joshua", was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards.

Recording

Recording sessions for the album began at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 20, 1970. There additional sessions followed on October 21, 1970; January 26 and February 11, 1971. "Walls of My Mind", "You Can't Reach Me Anymore", and "The Fire's Still Burning" were recorded during the October 31, 1969 session for 1970's The Fairest of Them All.

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.
Album
Chart Peak
position
Canada Country Albums 24
US Hot Country LPs 16
US Top LPs 198

Singles

Release history