New Harvest – First Gathering

Album history

It is significant for being Parton's first self-produced album, as well as her first effort aimed specifically at the pop charts. Recorded partially in Los Angeles, it was also her first album to be recorded outside of Nashville.

In addition to her own compositions, Parton included The Temptations classic "My Girl" (sung as the gender-neutral "My Love"), and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher", originally a Jackie Wilson song. Though the album wasn't the blockbuster pop hit Parton had hoped it would be—though it topped the U.S. country album charts, it only reached # 77 on the pop albums charts, and its single "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" stalled at # 87 on the U.S. pop singles charts—it was fairly well received critically and one of its tracks, "Applejack" has gone to become one of Parton's best-known compositions. (The album recording of the song featured an all-star lineup of country legends, including Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, Johnny Wright, Chet Atkins and Minnie Pearl.)

The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal for "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher."

One of its tracks, "You Are", was issued as a single in the Netherlands by late 1983, to coincide with the release of the compilation The Love Album. It surprisingly reached number one on the Dutch singles charts in December 1983/January 1984.

In conjunction with the Dolly Parton European Tour 2007, BMG Germany (a division of Sony/BMG) released the album for the first time on CD. It was paired with 1976s All I Can Do on one CD.

Track listing

All tracks written by Dolly Parton except as noted.