Rainbow is the 28th solo studio album by American country entertainer Dolly Parton. Released on November 25, 1987, it was her first album after switching to Columbia Records, after nearly two decades with RCA. The original plan, when Parton signed with CBS, was for her to alternate between releasing pop and country albums (rather than trying to combine the two styles on each album), but due to Rainbow’s poor sales and tepid critical reception, the plan was quickly abandoned, and Parton more or less focused on recording country material for the remainder of her association with the label.
The album was among Parton’s lowest charting albums to that point. It stalled at 153 on the U.S. pop albums charts and barely cracked the top twenty on the country albums charts; its first single, “The River Unbroken” missed the country top 40 entirely, stalling at # 63, and did not make the pop charts; its second single, “I Know You by Heart”, a duet with Smokey Robinson, did not chart at all. A third single, “Make Love Work”, was released in June 1988, but fared poorly, likely due, in part, to competition from “Wildflowers”, a top-ten single by Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt released from their 1987 Trio album a month earlier.
Rainbow’s release coincided with the launch of Parton’s ill-fated 1987-88 variety show, Dolly, and much of the music on the album was highlighted on the show. The song Every Day Hero was (co-)written by Blaise Tosti.
Tracks
1 The River Unbroken (David Batteau, Darrell Brown) 4:33
2 I Know You By Heart (George Merrill, Shannon Rubicam, Dean Pitchford) 4:20
3 Dumb The Dude (Steve Dorff, Allan Rich) 3:52
4 Red Hot Screaming Love (Mike Chapman) 4:11
5 Make Love Work (Eric Kaz) 3:26
6 Everyday Hero ( Blaise Tosti, Robert O’Hearn) 4:35
7 Two Lovers (Smokey Robinson) 3:22
8 Could I Have Your Autograph (Dolly Parton) 3:20
9 Savin`it For You ( Dino Fekaris, David Loeb) 4:18
10 More Than I Can Say (Dolly Parton) 4:06
Musicians
1 The River Unbroken
Bass | Bob Glaub |
Drums (programming) | John Vigran |
Drums (programming) | Steve Goldstein |
Slide Guitar | Kevin Dukes |
Acoustic Guitar | Waddy Wachtel |
Synthesizer | Steve Goldstein |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Background Vocals | Richard Dennison |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
2 I Know You By Heart
Bass | Leland Sklar |
Drums (programming) | John Vigran |
Drums (programming) | Craig Krampf |
Drums (programming) | Steve Goldstein |
Guitar | Dann Huff |
Synthesizer | Bill Cuomo |
Synthesizer | Steve Goldstein |
Harmonica | Hammer Smith |
Vocals | Smokey Robinson |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
3 Dumb The Dude
Bass (synthesizer) | Steve Goldstein |
Drums (programming) | Craig Krampf |
Guitar | Mike Landau |
Keyboards | Steve Goldstein |
Sax | Tom Scott |
Background Vocals | Carmen Twillie |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
4 Red Hot Screaming Love
Bass | Leland Sklar |
Drums | Jim Keltner |
Guitar | Waddy Wachtel |
Slide Guitar | Rick Vito |
12 String Guitar | Danny Kortchmar |
Piano | Steve Goldstein |
Synthesizer | Bill Cuomo |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Background Vocals | Mike Chapman |
Background Vocals | Richard Dennison |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
5 Make Love Work
Bass | Leland Sklar |
Drums (programming) | Craig Krampf |
Drums (programming) | Steve Goldstein |
Pedal Steel Guitar | Al Perkins |
Piano | Steve Goldstein |
Synthesizer | Steve Goldstein |
Sax | Tom Scott |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Background Vocals | Richard Dennison |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
6 Everyday Hero
Bass (synthesizer) | Steve Goldstein |
Drums (programming) | Steve Goldstein |
Drums (programming) | Craig Krampf |
Guitar | Waddy Wachtel |
Pedal Steel Guitar | Al Perkins |
Synthesizer | Robert O’Hearn |
Background Vocals | Blaise Tosti |
Background Vocals | Carmen Twillie |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Background Vocals | Richard Dennison |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
7 Two Lovers
Bass (synthesizer) | Steve Goldstein |
Drums (programming) | Craig Krampf |
Drums (programming) | Steve Goldstein |
Pedal Steel Guitar | Al Perkins |
Synthesizer | Steve Goldstein |
Background Vocals | Anita Ball |
Background Vocals | Richard Dennison |
Background Vocals | Waddy Wachtel |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
8 Could I Have Your Autograph
Bass | Abraham Laboriel Sr |
Drums (programming) | Craig Krampf |
Drums (programming) | Steve Goldstein |
Guitar | Dann Huff |
Pedal Steel Guitar | Al Perkins |
Banjo | Buck Trent |
Synthesizer | Steve Goldstein |
Background Vocals | Carmen Twillie |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
9 Savin`it For You
Bass (synthesizer) | Steve Goldstein |
Drums (programming) | Craig Krampf |
Guitar | Waddy Wachtel |
Pedal Steel Guitar | Al Perkins |
Synthesizer | Steve Goldstein |
Violin | Bobby Bruce |
Background Vocals | Anita Ball |
Background Vocals | Richard Dennison |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
10 More Than I Can Say
Harpsichord | Patricia Mabee |
Vocals | Dolly Parton |
Liner Notes
Producer – Steve Goldstein
Producer (Executive) – Dolly Parton
Arranged By – Dolly Parton, Steve Goldstein
Arranged By (Orchestra) – David Campbell (Tracks 5, 10)
Concertmaster – Sidney Page (Track 10)
Conductor – David Campbell (Tracks 5, 10)
Mixed By – Richard Bosworth
Recorded By – Richard Bosworth
Recorded By (Orchestra) – Allen Sides (Track 10)
Recorded By (Assistant) – Bob Loftus, Brett Swain, Brian Scheuble, Rail Rogut
Art Direction – Tony Lane, Nancy Donald
Photography – Annie Leibovitz, Raul Vega
Recorded At Record One, Los Angeles
Phonographic Copyright CBS Inc