After Dolly went her separate ways with Porter she was offered a syndicated nationwide weekly variety show, which was to be taped in Nashville. The company who made the series, Show Biz, also made The Porter Wagoner Show. The series ran for 26 episodes and was considered a big success, achieving much higher ratings than Porter’s show ever did. This could be attributed to the show firstly having an $85,000 a week budget, as well as being targeted at a mass audience including Country fans, Pop fans and also children. The guests and song choices reflected the wide appeal quite determinedly and although there is a lot of great stuff within these shows, some of the material, particularly that aimed at kids, has aged quite badly.
The format of the show always began with Dolly being lowered on to the stage from a swing to the opening of the song Love is Like a Butterfly. She would then sing a solo song, introduce the weekly guest, who would normally get to sing one or two solo songs and then a duet with Dolly at the end. Dolly herself would generally sing 3 solo songs on average, with one of them being on location, which she would mime to. The show always finished with a verse of I Will Always Love You, the same way Dolly’s 1987/88 show did.
In this guide I have only listed of Dolly’s songs which are performed, although I have made exceptions for the more interesting guests. Generally speaking the better shows are when Dolly had Country singers guesting, rather than a Pop band, who were there simply boost ratings and sing their latest hit. The shows that have dated badly are the ones that feature TV personalities, who have long since been forgotten, where comedy skits and routines were commonplace.
Although the network wanted to pick up the series for another season, Dolly declined, the long working hours and the lack of control she had in making it, being major factors in her decision. Its a real shame that the show has never been rerun since the 70’s and in its current form I just can’t see it ever being released on DVD.
1) Guests: Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt
Silver Threads and Golden Needles – Dolly
Blue Ridge Mountain Boy - Emmylou
I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love With You - Linda
Applejack - Trio
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (inc "78-speed" version) - Dolly (on location)
The Sweetest Gift – Trio
Bury Me Beneath the Willow – Trio
Comments: Bury Me Beneath the Willow was finally released on record in 1980 on the Porter and Dolly album and was renamed as Beneath the Sweet Magnolia Tree. Quite why Dolly waited several years to record this beauty is a mystery. Incidentally Silver Threads and Golden Needles was recorded several years later with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn and released as single from the Honky Tonk Angels album. The Sweetest Gift was a country hit for Emmylou and Linda in 1976.
2) Guest: Jim Stafford
Dolly - Lucky Lady
Queen of the Silver Dollar – Dolly (on location)
Medley – Yesterday/For The Good Times/Help Me Make It Through the Night/ Bridge over Troubled Water - Dolly
Spiders and Snakes - Dolly and Jim
Comments: Queen of the Silver Dollar was an Emmylou Harris hit and Spiders and Snakes (which was a minor hit for Jim Stafford) has Dolly dressed as a child and in a child’s voice!
3) Guest: Chuck Woolery
Burning Love – Dolly
Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay - Dolly
Hello Dolly - Dolly and Cast (on location)
Help Me Make it Through the Night/Thank God I'm a Country Girl - Dolly and Chuck
Comments: During this series Dolly performed several Elvis hits and songs which were regulars in his 70’s live set. Hello Dolly is performed on location with a whole cast backing her up on this Broadway classic. Incidentally Dolly finally released on record Thank God I’m a Country Boy in 2004, which was a duet with Roy Rivers.
4) Guests: Pure Prairie League
Slippin' Away - Dolly
Down From Dover – Dolly (on location)
Afternoon Delight - Dolly with her band Gypsie Fever
Bye Bye Love - Dolly with Pure Prairie League
Comments:Slippin’ Away was a 1973 Country hit for Jean Shepard, whilst Afternoon Delight was a No.1 pop hit in 1976 for Starland Vocal. The two accompanying Dolly on this song were Debbie Jo and Richard Dennison, who were part of her band called Gypsie Fever. Richard, as you probably all know, has been performing with Dolly for over 30 years now.
5) Guests: La Costa and John Hartford
When Will I Be Loved - Dolly
Circle Game - Dolly
Gentle on My Mind – Dolly, John and LaCosta
How Great Thou Art – Dolly
Comments: Just as Dolly had performed an Emmylou song on her 2 nd show, she gives the nod to Linda Ronstadt when she does her version of When Will I Be Loved. Circle Game incidentally was a Joni Mitchell album track and Gentle on My Mind was originally written and recorded by John Hartford.
6) Guests: The Parton Family
Old Black Kettle - Dolly;
I'm Not That Good With Goodbye – Stella Parton
Down - Randy Parton
Brand New Key – Dolly & Stella
In the Pines - Dolly & Family
In The Sweet Bye and Bye - Dolly & Family
Comments: Dolly’s family are the guests on this show and accompany her on the end of Old Black Kettle. Randy sings Down, which Dolly wrote, but didn’t record and release until it appeared on 1979’s Great Balls of Fire. Incidentally she sang it on her 1987/8 Dolly variety show. Brand New Key was a big No.1 hit for Melanie in 1973, whilst the standards In The Pines featured on 1994’s Heartsongs and In the Sweet By and By on Precious Memories in 1999. During the family piece at the end of the show, Dolly’s sister Willadene recites some poetry and there is an instrumental skit where the whole family demonstrate some traditional country dancing.
7 ) Guests: Jim Ed Brown and Hellyn Cornelius
Loves Me Like a Rock - Dolly
The Way We Were - Dolly (on location)
Midnight Train to Georgia - Dolly
Looking Back To See - Dolly with Jim and Hellyn
Bubblin’ Over - Dolly
Comments: Dolly tackles the songs of Paul Simon, Barbara Streisand and Gladys Knight, which were all big hits of mid 70’s. Looking Back To See was an old 1954 Country hit for The Browns. The Bubblin’ Over number features in a comedy sketch where Dolly sings the song sitting at a bar, whilst the barman does a very bad job at pouring beer, hence the bubbling over theme.
8) Guests: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
Proud Mary - Dolly
Rhinestone Cowgirl – Dolly (on location)
Love Is Like a Butterfly - Dolly
Take These Chains from My Heart - Dolly with Marilyn and Billy
You – Dolly
Comments: Dolly changes the lyrics of Rhinestone Cowboy to suit her feminine side, although the backing singers sing “Cowboy” in an amusing attempt to correct her. You is taken from the album Love and Music.
9) Guest: Bobby Goldsboro
The Door is Always Open - Dolly
A Little at a Time - Dolly
Carroll County Accident - Dolly
Proud Mary/Let It Be Me - Dolly and Bobby
Comments: The Door Is Always Open is a Waylon Jennings track, whilst A Little at a Time and The Carroll County Accident are from the albums Touch Your Woman and In The Good Old Days respectively.
10) Guest: Karen Black
Getting’ Happy - Dolly
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Dolly
What Ain't To Be Just Might Happen - Dolly
Me and Bobby Magee - Dolly and Karen
Comments: Gettin’ Happy and What Ain’t To Be Just Might Happen are from Love is Like a Butterfly and Sings My Favorite Songwriter respectively. What Ain’t To Be is a Porter penned track and what is very noble of Dolly is that she dedicates the song to him and thanks him for his part in making helping her career. This was despite Porter suing Dolly at the time for $1 million.
11) Guest: Lynn Anderson
That'll Be The Day - Dolly and Lynn
Swanee River - Dolly
Getting Happy - Dolly
Taking Care of Business - Dolly and Lynn
We Used To - Dolly
Dumb Blonde - Dolly and Lynn
Comments: On That’ll Be The Day, Lynn dresses up as Dolly which is very amusing and more so to Dolly, who forgets the words to the song and struggles with laughter to get through it. Incidentally Taking Care of Business was a No.12 hit for Bachman Turner Overdrive in 1974.
12) Guest: Kenny Rogers
Knock Three Times - Dolly
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Dolly
Love Lifted Me - Kenny
He's Got The Whole World in His Hands - Kenny and Dolly
Joshua – Dolly
The World Needs a Melody - Kenny
Medley - Spanish Eyes/Brown Eyed Handsome Man/Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain - Kenny and Dolly
Comments: Dolly sang two big No.1 hits on this show. Knock Three Times was a big hit in 1971 for Dawn and Bad, Bad Leroy Brown for Jim Croce. For this first pairing between the two, there was an instant chemistry here, which was evident in the hilarious Spanish Eyes. Dolly is all decked out as a senorita, complete with fan and sings the song with a Spanish accent, which clearly amuses Kenny no end.
13) Guests: The Fifth Dimension
Promised Land - Dolly
We'll Sing in The Sunshine – Dolly (on location)
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight - Dolly & The Fifth Dimension
With Pen in Hand - Dolly
Comments: Promised Land was an old Chuck Berry track, which Elvis has recently had a hit with. We’ll Sing in the Sunshine was later recorded for The Great Pretender album in 1984 and Does Your Chewing Gum was an old Lonnie Donegan hit. With Pen in Hand was a Roger Miller penned tune.
14) Guest: Tom T. Hall
Sneaky Snake - Dolly
Coat of Many Colors - Dolly
Crackerjack - Dolly
I Love - Dolly & Tom
Comments: Here we have the unreleased Dolly penned track, Crackerjack. She sang it here and on the Captain Kangaroo Show, which aired around the same time. Sneaky Snake and I Love were both Tom T. Hall hits.
15) Guest: Ray Stevens
Great Balls of Fire - Dolly
Lyin’ Eyes - Dolly
Happy, Happy Birthday Baby - Dolly & Ray
City of New Orleans – Dolly (on location)
Searching - Dolly and Ray
Comments: D olly notes that Ray actually produced Dolly’s first recording of Happy, Happy Birthday Baby, which was one of her earliest recording sessions in 1965. Incidentally Dolly recorded Great Balls of Fire in 1979 on her album of the same name. The City of New Orleans was a big hit for someone called Arlo Gutherie in 1972 and Searchin’ was originally done by The Coasters. Great version of the Eagles Lyin’ Eyes too.
16) Guests: The Staples
Gypsie Fever - Dolly
House of the Rising Sun – Dolly
Love With Me - Dolly
Highway Heading South - Dolly
The Seeker - Dolly & The Staples
Comments: Gypsie Fever, as far as I can guess, must have been written by Dolly’s backing band of the same name. I can find no information on this disco styled song and Dolly never recorded it. The version of House of the Rising Sun done here is much slower and better than either the version on 9 to 5 & Odd Jobs or the one on The Dolly Show in 1987/88. Love With Me comes from the Bubblin' Over LP from 1973.
17) Guests: K.C. and The Sunshine Band
Flowers on the Wall - Dolly
Get Down Tonight and That's The Way I Like It - K.C. and The Sunshine Band (with Dolly singing on the chorus on the latter)
He Would Know - Dolly
In the Ghetto - Dolly
Cryin' Time - Dolly & K.C.
Comments: Flowers on the Wall was a big hit for The Statler Brothers in 1966. Dolly does Elvis’ In The Ghetto, which she had a minor hit with herself back in 1969 as well as the wonderful He Would Know from The Bargain Store.
18) Guest: Mel Tillis
The Entertainer - Dolly
The Last Time I Saw Him - Dolly
Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show - Dolly
Don't Let Go - Dolly and Mel
Comments: Dolly tackles the hits of Billy Joel, Diana Ross and Neil Diamond, as well as duetting on Mel Tillis’ hit, Don’t Let Go.
19) Guest: Ronnie Millsap
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Dolly
Me and Little Andy - Dolly
The Night Life - Dolly
Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms/I Believe in Music - Dolly & Ronnie
Comments: Dolly tackles Bad Bad Leroy Brown for the 2nd time in this series, as well as Willie Nelson’s Night Life. Incidentally, Dolly actually duetted with Ronnie on Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms on the 1975 RCA album In Concert.
20) Guest: Anson Williams
Love Will Keep Us Together - Dolly
Early Morning Breeze - Dolly (on location)
Everything Old is New Again - Dolly
Mack the Knife – Dolly & Anson
The Bargain Store - Dolly
Comments: D olly certainly had some odd choices for guests during this series, none more so than Anson Williams, who played Potsie on Happy Days. I can only imagine guests were picked on popularity, rather than actual singing talent. Everything Old Is New Again was a Broadway styled number by singer/songwriter Peter Allen who incidentally married Liza Minelli.
21) Guest: Freddy Fender
Higher and Higher - Dolly
Mr. Bojangles - Dolly
American Trilogy - Dolly
Before the Next Teardrop Falls – Dolly & Freddie
Comments: Dolly recorded Freddy Fender’s big hit, Before the Next Teardrop Falls in 1996 for the Treasures album, which she duetted on with David Hildalgo. Mr. Bojangles was another Neil Diamond cover, whilst American Trilogy is best known for Elvis’ version.
22) Guest: Tennessee Ernie Ford
Jolene - Dolly
Sing a Little Sunshine/Sunshine On My Shoulders - Dolly
I Believe – Dolly & Ernie
Tiptoe Through the Tulips - Dolly
12th of Never - Dolly
Comments: Dolly tackles some interesting songs here, firstly Sunshine on My Shoulders was a John Denver hit, whilst I Believe was an old 50’s song. Tiptoe Through the Tulips continues Dolly’s liking of novelty tunes, whilst 12 th of Never was recorded by Johnny Mathis and later by Donny Osmond.
23) Guests: The Hughes Corp.
Thank God I'm a Country Girl - Dolly
Today I Started Loving You Again – Dolly & Hughes Corp
Down on Music Row – Dolly (on location)
Medley - Blues Stay Away From Me/Song Sung Blue/My Blue Tears - Dolly
Comments: A second performance of Thank God I’m a Country Girl here. Today I Started Loving You Again was later recorded for the 1996 album, Treasures, this time a duet with John Popper. It was originally done by Bettye Swann in 1973. The medley featured an old country standard, another Neil Diamond cover and one of Dolly’s finest originals.
24) Guest: Rod McKuen
China Grove - Dolly
Feelings - Dolly
My Funny Valentine - Dolly
All I Can Do – Dolly & Rod
I Know – Dolly & Rod
Comments: China Grove was a Doobie Brothers hit and the least said about Feelings the better. My Funny Valentine is an old Rogers and Hart Broadway number. Incidentally Dolly does a comedy sketch with Rod wearing a black wig, now that’s something you don’t see everyday.
25) Guest: Anne Murray & Randy Parton
Let Me Be There - Dolly
The Battle of New Orleans – Dolly (on location)
Tennessee I Long to See You - Randy
All I Can Do – Dolly (Randy and Anne singing backing)
Drift Away – Dolly with Randy & Anne
Comments: The Battle of New Orleans was a big Country hit for Johnny Horton in 1959, which was subsequently covered by numerous artists. The classic Drift Away was originally done by Dobie Gray, whilst Let Me Be There was done by both Olivia Newton John and Anne Murray.
26) Guest: Captain Kangaroo
Joy to the World – Dolly
How Much is that Doggie – Dolly
3 Little Fishes – Dolly & Captain
My Tennessee Mountain Home - Dolly
Coat of Many Colors - Dolly
Abba Dabba Honeymoon
Comments: To explain Captain Kangaroo was the host of a kids TV show and as Dolly had a big kid’s fan base this was apparently a good choice of guest. Their duet 3 Little Fishes was a 1967 Country hit for Mitch Ryder and Detroit Wheels. Joy to the World was a big hit for 3 Dog Night, whilst Abba Dabba Honeymoon is from a early 1950's Debbie Reynolds movie. Dolly sings it, whilst Captain Kangaroo is sat in the audience with a dressed up chimp. This whole sequence has dated very badly and is embarrassing to watch.
Dolly's comments on The Dolly Show
"I liked all of the people that were on...but I would have had a totally different lineup of guests myself. .. it was really bad for me, that TV show. It was worse for me than good, because the people who didn't know me who liked the show thought that's how I was... I mean, I still come through as myself, even with all the other stuff, but now really like I should. Not my real, natural way. And the people who did know me thought I was crazy. They knew that wasn't me. Including me. I didn't know that woman on TV! There were about three really good shows - my family show... the (Ronnie) Milsap show and the Emmylou/Linda show. I was especially proud of them".
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