In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)
{{Infobox album
| name = In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)
| type = studio
| artist = Dolly Parton
| cover = goodold.jpg
| released = February 3, 1969
| recorded = September 9–October 9, 1968
| studio = RCA Studio B (Nashville)
| genre = Country
| length = 29:00
| label = RCA Victor
| producer = Bob Ferguson
| prev_title = Just the Two of Us
| prev_year = 1968
| next_title = Always, Always
| next_year = 1969
| misc = {{Singles
| name = In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)
| type = Studio
| single1 = In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)
| single1date = October 14, 1968
}}
}}{{italic title|all=yes|noerror}}
In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad) is the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on February 3, 1969, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album's title track was the only single released and it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Recording
Recording sessions for the album began at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 9 and 10, 1968. One additional session followed on October 9.
Content
In the title song, Parton looks back on her impoverished upbringing, concluding that while she values the lessons it taught her, she would not want to go back. The humorous "He's a Go Getter" plays on an unexpected pun, "When his wife gets off from work, he'll go get 'er." Parton also covers the Jeannie C. Riley hit "Harper Valley PTA", Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E", and Porter Wagoner's hit, "The Carroll County Accident".
Parton re-recorded the title song for her 1973 album My Tennessee Mountain Home.
Parton re-recorded "The Carroll County Accident" with Buck Trent for his 2018 album Spartanburg Blues.
Release and promotion
=Singles=
The album's only single, "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)", was released in October 1968{{cite web |title=Spotlight Singles |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1968/Billboard%201968-10-26.pdf |website=World Radio History |publisher=Billboard |access-date=September 25, 2020 |page=93 |date=October 26, 1968}} and debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated November 16. It peaked at number 25 on the chart dated December 21, its sixth week on the chart. It charted for a total of 11 weeks.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000863979}}
}}
The review published in the February 15, 1969 issue of Billboard said, "Without doubt this will be a big hit LP for Dolly Parton... just as it will be considered a great package of entertainment by her friends. The key to the LP is her empathy on "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)", but also she tugs the heartstrings on "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and gets through to the emotion on "The Carrol County Accident"."{{cite web |title=Album Reviews |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1969/Billboard-1969-02-15.pdf |website=World Radio History |publisher=Billboard |access-date=September 25, 2020 |page=41 |date=February 15, 1969}}
Cashbox published a review of the album, saying that, "Gaining in strength as one of the more popular country female artists, Dolly Parton follows up her chart single of "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)" with a strong LP that should solidify her position with the disk buyers. In addition to her own hit single, the LP features such monster titles as "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "Harper Valley PTA", among others."{{cite web |title=Country LP Reviews |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1969/CB-1969-02-15.pdf |website=World Radio History |publisher=Cashbox |access-date=September 25, 2020 |page=49 |date=February 15, 1969}}
AllMusic rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars.
On a list of the top 50 Dolly Parton songs, Rolling Stone magazine listed the title track at number 28, citing that "this marked the first time on record that the songwriter addressed her hardscrabble Smoky Mountain childhood head-on."{{cite magazine |first=Stephen |last=Betts |title=The 50 Best Dolly Parton Songs|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-dolly-parton-songs-1234701711/tennessee-homesick-blues-1234701802/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date = April 5, 2023|access-date=April 14, 2023}}
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 35 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated March 1, 1969. It peaked at number 15 on the chart dated March 29, its fifth week on the chart, where it remained for two weeks. It charted for a total of 11 weeks.
Reissues
Track listing
All tracks written by Dolly Parton, except where noted.
{{track listing
| headline = Side one
| extra_column = Recording date
| title1 = Don't Let It Trouble Your Mind
| writer1 =
| length1 = 2:12
| extra1 = October 9, 1968
| title2 = He's a Go-Getter
| writer2 =
| length2 = 2:03
| extra2 = October 9, 1968
| title3 = In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)
| writer3 =
| length3 = 2:45
| extra3 = September 9, 1968
| title4 = It's My Time
| writer4 = John D. Loudermilk
| length4 = 2:37
| extra4 = September 10, 1968
| title5 = Harper Valley PTA
| writer5 = Tom T. Hall
| length5 = 3:10
| extra5 = September 9, 1968
| title6 = Little Bird
| writer6 =
| length6 = 1:44
| extra6 = September 10, 1968
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side two
| extra_column = Recording date
| title1 = Mine
| writer1 =
| length1 = 2:03
| extra1 = October 9, 1968
| title2 = The Carroll County Accident
| writer2 = Bob Ferguson
| length2 = 2:56
| extra2 = October 9, 1968
| title3 = Fresh Out of Forgiveness
| writer3 = {{hlist|Bill Owens|Gene Gill}}
| length3 = 2:01
| extra3 = October 9, 1968
| title4 = Mama, Say a Prayer
| writer4 =
| length4 = 2:45
| extra4 = October 9, 1968
| title5 = Always the First Time
| writer5 = Joyce McCord
| length5 = 2:01
| extra5 = September 9, 1968
| title6 = D-I-V-O-R-C-E
| writer6 = {{hlist|Bobby Braddock|Curly Putman}}
| length6 = 2:43
| extra6 = September 10, 1968
}}
Personnel
Adapted from the album liner notes and RCA recording session records.
{{div col|colwidth=35em}}
- Joseph Babcock – background vocals
- Kenneth Buttrey – drums
- Jerry Carrigan – drums
- Dolores Edgin – background vocals
- Bob Ferguson – producer
- Lloyd Green – steel
- Junior Huskey – bass
- Mack Magaha – fiddle
- George McCormick – rhythm guitar
- Wayne Moss – guitar
- Al Pachucki – recording engineer
- June Page – background vocals
- Dolly Parton – lead vocals, liner notes
- Jerry Reed – guitar
- Hargus Robbins – piano
- Jerry Stembridge – guitar
- Buck Trent – electric banjo
{{end div col}}
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad) ! scope="col"| Chart (1969) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{Album chart|BillboardCountry|15|artist=Dolly Parton|rowheader=true}} |
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates and formats for In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad) ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}} |
| Various
| February 3, 1969 |
| Germany
| 1987 | Cassette | RCA |
| Portugal
| 1997 | CD | Gold Collection |
| Various
| July 26, 2019 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Dolly Parton}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)}}