Studio Album · No. 22
Rainbow Songwriting Credits by Dolly Parton
Holds writing credit on 2 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 2 / 10 documented
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Dolly Parton carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Rainbow was Parton's first album for Columbia after nearly two decades with RCA, and it leans hard into glossy late-1980s pop. Eight of its ten songs come from outside writers, including Mike Chapman ("Red Hot Screaming Love"), Eric Kaz ("Make Love Work"), the songwriting team of George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam with Dean Pitchford ("I Know You by Heart"), and Smokey Robinson, whose 1962 Mary Wells hit "Two Lovers" Parton covers here. Parton contributes only two originals, "Could I Have Your Autograph" and the closing "More Than I Can Say," the latter an original composition of her own that shares its title with but is unrelated to the Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison standard later popularized by Bobby Vee and Leo Sayer. Producer Steve Goldstein steers the record toward a synth-and-session-player studio sound that pulls Parton well away from her country roots.
Released November 23, 1987, on Columbia Records, Rainbow was produced by Steve 'Gold-E' Goldstein and recorded across Record One, Ocean Way, and A&M studios in Los Angeles around July 1987, following Parton's move from RCA to CBS. The album was part of an experimental CBS plan under which Parton would alternate between pop and country releases, but its commercial underperformance ended that strategy entirely. An expansive session roster including guitarist Waddy Wachtel, drummer Jim Keltner, and saxophonist Tom Scott gave the record a sophisticated pop sound, and the duet 'I Know You by Heart' featured Smokey Robinson, though Bette Midler's cover of the same song for the 1988 Beaches soundtrack achieved far greater chart success. The lead single 'The River Unbroken' stalled at number 63 on Hot Country Songs and failed to chart on the pop Hot 100, and the album itself peaked at only number 18 on Top Country Albums and number 153 on the Billboard 200. Both AllMusic and the Encyclopedia of Popular Music awarded Rainbow 2 out of 5 stars.
Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The River Unbroken
#63
|
Darrell BrownDavid Batteau | Darrell BrownDavid Batteau | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
I Know You By Heart
|
Dean PitchfordShannon RubicamGeorge Merrill | Dean PitchfordShannon RubicamGeorge Merrill | Steve Goldstein | Smokey Robinson (Vocals) |
| 3 |
Dump the Dude
|
Allan RichSteve Dorff | Allan RichSteve Dorff | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Red Hot Screaming Love
|
Mike Chapman | Mike Chapman | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Make Love Work
|
Eric Kaz | Eric Kaz | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Everyday Hero
|
Robert O’HearnBlaise Tosti | Robert O’HearnBlaise Tosti | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Two Lovers
|
Smokey Robinson | Smokey Robinson | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Could I Have Your Autograph
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Saving It for You
|
David LoebDino Fekaris | David LoebDino Fekaris | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
More Than I Can Say
|
Dolly Rebecca Parton | Dolly Rebecca Parton | Steve Goldstein | Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals) |