Summary
"Starting Over Again" is a song recorded by American entertainer Dolly Parton. The song was written by Donna Summer and her husband Bruce Sudano.[1] Parton's recording was performed as a slow tempo ballad, gradually building to a dramatic crescendo. It was released in March 1980 as the first single from her album Dolly, Dolly, Dolly. "Starting Over Again" made the U.S. pop top forty, peaking at number 36, and reached number 1 on the U.S. country charts on May 24, 1980, becoming Parton's 12th number one. [2] Dolly’s recording would also make Donna Summer the first black female to co-write a number 1 country hit.[3]
| "Starting Over Again" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Dolly Parton | ||||
| from the album Dolly, Dolly, Dolly | ||||
| B-side | "Sweet Agony" | |||
| Released | February 25, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | December 1979 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:58 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Donna Summer, Bruce Sudano | |||
| Producer(s) | Gary Klein | |||
| Dolly Parton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Donna Summer also recorded it[1] as a non-album track, performing it live numerous time on television specials during the 1980s, including her own program, The Donna Summer Show.
Content edit
The song tells the story of a middle-aged couple separating after 30 years of marriage. It was based upon the divorce of Sudano's parents.
Chart history edit
Weekly
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 36 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[6] | 35 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 2 |
Year-End
| Chart (1980) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 22 |
Reba McEntire cover edit
| "Starting Over Again" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Reba McEntire | ||||
| from the album Starting Over | ||||
| B-side | "I Won't Mention It Again" | |||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:07 | |||
| Label | MCA Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Donna Summer, Bruce Sudano | |||
| Producer(s) | Tony Brown, Reba McEntire | |||
| Reba McEntire singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reba McEntire also covered the song in 1995 for her Starting Over album. Released as the album's third single, McEntire's version peaked at number 19 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[8] In the album's liner notes, McEntire wrote that she chose to cover the song as a tribute to Parton and Summer, both artists whom she'd admired.
Chart history edit
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[9] | 26 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10] | 19 |
Other cover versions edit
Martine McCutcheon covered "Starting Over Again" in 2001.
References edit
- ^ Tennessean Music Team (24 July 2009). "Bruce Sudano's 'Wedding Day' rings bells with listeners". Advertisement Music. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 262.
- ^ https://nypost.com/2024/02/23/entertainment/how-donna-summer-made-black-female-history-on-country-charts-before-beyonce/amp/
- ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Billboard Hot Country Songs - Year-End Charts (1980)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1844-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 226.
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2987." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 3, 1996. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
- ^ "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.