B-side "Act Like a Fool" Recorded 1982 Length 3:56 | Released October 1982 Genre Country Label RCA | |
"Hard Candy Christmas" is a song written by composer-lyricist Carol Hall for the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Near the end of the original play, individual girls of the brothel sing lines of the verses as they are preparing to leave; they join together on the refrains. This pattern was adopted for the film version of the musical, except that Dolly Parton (who played Miss Mona) is featured as soloist on the refrains, with the girls accompanying her. A further alteration can be found on the soundtrack album for the film in which Parton alone sings the verses.
Parton's version of the song was released as a single in October of 1982, reaching number 8 on the U.S. country singles chart in January 1983. In 1998, the song re-entered the country charts and peaked at number 73 based on unsolicited airplay. Though not expressly a "Christmas song", Parton's recording received some airplay on country stations around the holiday seasons during the 1980s and 1990s; Parton also performed the song on Bob Hope's Christmas Special in 1988. During the late 1990s, when RCA reissued Parton's 1984 holiday album with Kenny Rogers, Once Upon a Christmas, Parton's recording of "Hard Candy Christmas" was added to the track list.
In 1997, the song was covered by RuPaul on the album Ho, Ho, Ho featuring Michelle Visage and Barbara Mitchell. The song has also been recorded by indie rocker Dan Bryk, and former Sixpence None The Richer vocalist Leigh Nash on their respective 2006 releases Christmas Record and Wishing for This.
The Venture Bros. released a version of the song in 2005 as performed by Henchmen Nos. 21 and 24 and The Monarch.
June Carter Cash performed the song on the 1982 Johnny Cash Christmas special on CBS Television.
In 2012, Tracey Thorn recorded a version of the song for her Christmas album Tinsel and Lights.
In 2015, Cyndi Lauper recorded a cover of the song for her album Detour as a duet with Alison Krauss.
In 2016, Reba recorded a cover of the song for her album "My Kind of Christmas"