Through a partnership with the Southern Folklife Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yep Roc Records, Dolly Parton’s first single, “Puppy Love”—recorded when she was 13 years old—will be re-mastered from the original mono master tape and available for sale as a 45-RPM with a B-side of “Girl Left Alone” on April 22. Subsequent releases will be available on compact disc, vinyl and from digital providers.
“Like a first love, a first record for a singer will always be remembered above all others,” said Dolly in a statement. “Hopefully I’ve improved since I recorded ‘Puppy Love,’ so don’t laugh . . . just enjoy.”
Dolly wrote “Puppy Love” at age 11 with her Uncle Bill Owens. She recorded the tune in 1959 when she was just 13, after taking a 30-hour bus ride with her grandmother, Rena Owens, to Goldband Records studio in Lake Charles, La.
Packaging of the new tune will include reproductions of the original Goldband record labels, housed in a picture sleeve featuring an early promotional photograph of Dolly.
Check out Dolly’s “Puppy Love” below via Spotify, which is not the re-mastered version available on April 22.
