Dolly Parton Was ‘Excited to Death’ to Work With Paul McCartney on New Album
Dolly Parton’s upcoming album, Rockstar, features an epic roster of guest stars, helping her cover some of rock’s most classic songs. One of the most exciting team-ups is on The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” which features Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reuniting. Parton is excited to bring in the surviving Beatles on this song, especially McCartney, who she is “excited” to death to work with.
Dolly Parton recorded ‘Let It Be’ with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr
“Let It Be” was first released in 1970 by The Beatles on their album of the same name. It was released as a single and became one of their biggest hits, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song is significant to McCartney, who wrote it after receiving a visit from his mother in a dream.
Dolly Parton said she loved the song and wanted to record a version with Sir Paul McCartney. In an interview with Absolute Radio, Parton said she recorded “Let It Be” before asking Macca if he wanted to appear on it. When he said yes, she then invited Starr if he wanted to join him. Her version of the song also features Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood and Peter Frampton, so it’s a star-studded affair.
“I’ve always loved that song. I recorded the song without them, and then I thought, ‘Wow. Wouldn’t it be great if Paul McCartney would agree to play piano and sing on it?!’ And then I thought ‘wouldn’t it even be greater to have Ringo Starr – because that’s the last of The Beatles – play on that track?’” Parton shared. “Then, of course, we had Mick Fleetwood doing some percussion along with that, and then we had Peter Frampton who added a few things on it. I thought, ‘this is an all-star song!”
“But just the whole idea of having Paul, who I’ve loved through the years, and just having them be on it… I just asked if they’d do it, and they said ‘yeah’, and I was excited to death,” she continued. “They were so generous and so sweet about it. I was so, so touched with so many of the people on the album that they were so willing to do it.”
The Beatles inspired Parton at a young age
Growing up in the mountains of Tennessee, the “Jolene” singer was mainly surrounded by country and gospel music. Dolly Parton enjoyed rock, but it wasn’t until she first heard Paul McCartney and The Beatles that a rock song floored her. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Parton recalled the first time she heard “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” The Beatles’ first No. 1 hit in the U.S.
“I loved all kinds of songs, and I grew up singin’ all sorts of songs, but the first time I ever remember totally being jarred and feelin’ all kinds of emotions was when that song came out,” Parton said. “I couldn’t get enough of it. This girlfriend of ours had an old trap car, so we used to ride around — she was a little older than us. I just remember us hearing that on the radio any time we had a chance — because they played it night and day when the Beatles first came on the scene.”
“Let It Be” isn’t the first time Parton has covered a Beatles song, as she covered “Help!” for her 1979 album Great Balls of Fire. It’ll be fantastic to hear The Beatles reunited, even if Parton maintains the spotlight.
