We all probably listened to songs at wrong speeds during one time or another. While this usually leads to some uncanny sounds, slowing down Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” to 33 RPM (revolutions per minute) creates a different, but awesome version of the track. Some listeners even compared the end result with Cher’s and Tracy Chapman’s voices.
The original song became Parton’s second solo number-one single on the country charts. It tells a story about a woman who confronts Jolene, a beautiful goddess, who she believes is trying to steal her lover. Dolly claims that “Jolene” is the most-recorded song by other artists of all the songs she has written. It was released in 1973 and Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 217 in the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list.
Take a listen and let us know which version you prefer!
Original “Jolene”
“Jolene” slowed down to 33 RPM
They almost always sound like men when slowed down. I used to mess a lot with sound when I was a kid. It was interesting to hear the fast and slow versions of same songs. Anyway, yeah, this result here is interesting indeed, and the "manly" voice sounds very natural one could be fooled into this being a cover song or something.
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I knew it. Dolly Parton is just a gay guy with a barrel chest on speed singing about a woman who is going to take his man. A many layered song when you know this.
Quite interestingly if you select the option to speed up the pace of the 2nd video (settings, bottom right corner...) then it still sounds like a man. And in the 1st video with the slow down option Dolly Parton still sounds just as usually. Either a fake or it just works differently on a gramophone.
That's because the processes involved are not the same. The speed-up on youtube is digital (instead of analog) and it doesn't affects the pitch. Notice that the song's key also remains the same. Nevertheless, it can be done digitally too.
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I prefer this version too! Love that it sounds like a man singing - fascinating. Husband guessed what it was. Huh! Know-all.
This is strange, because it really seems that it IS a man and original song is a fake. Listen to slowed-down original, especially for voice chorus (1:33 in original, 3:10 in slowed down copy). In the original the chorus, her vibrato, some of arrangements are absolutely unrealistic and wrong (but I must honestly say that 33rpm version here on page doesn't sounds real too, it is slowed down too much). To investigate this I downloaded both videos as mp3, together with her other liveacts where she sang that song. I placed it into my DAW to do some investigation - when I slowed down the original (first video from this page), it sounded as man and very realistic. I must say I didn't slowed it so much as on this 33rpm video, i slowed a little bit less, but result was very good. After that I slowed down her other liveacts (with the same ratio) - the result was bad and you could say after few seconds that it is slowed down. So what now? Is it fake? Did she ever sang that song?
Here are outputs from daw: https://soundcloud.com/dusanmsk/isdollypartonjoleneafake
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Dolly sings it slow on TV in 1973: https://youtu.be/PZCE-r8y6S4 JoleneBoth...303754.jpg 
45 sound fake.It's like 33 is recorded original and then played faster to sound like a woman. Not only vioice,but music sound fake at 45!
Wonder if this is how the White Stripes got the idea to cover this song?
great texture in her voice ... so much nuance exposed at this speed!
i tried to speed up the slower version and it sure does not sound like the original. If I did not "know", I would say it is completely different artist performing
Maybe this is why she never had kids. and has such a small waist weird s**t
Great male singers on the show "The Voice" could do this song justice!
I prefer the original of course. Ive heard tons of covers at a variety of speeds. No matter what speed this song is played, its amazing. But Dolly always does it best.
Dolly doing it slow on TV in 1973: https://youtu.be/PZCE-r8y6S4 JoleneBoth...a98076.jpg 
Change speed of the second video to 2x and play both videos together in sync.
Yay! Came here to say this too, though I'd call it more "Jack White's rendition," rather than a "White Stripes version." Definitely the best WS live tradition, though, and demonstrates the awesomeness of both Parton and Jack White.
Load More Replies...
This is amazing. It's got a great feel at 33 and doesn't drag at all. I've listen to it about 4-5 times today and really like it. Any other songs like this out there? I don't have a record player so....... I can't just do them like this lol
Used Shazzam in the 33 version: Jolene (Slowdown) Dolly Parton, so... think it's no fake, no dude.
part of me is wondering if this is actually real... anyone else?
and this is the prove that women's voice is sweeter then ours because we are more slower :D
I prefer the original Dolly. I like her soprano voice over something that sounds like a male singer.
Take the second recording, and play it at a speed of 1.25 or 1.5 as fast (as 1.36 as fast isn't an option on YouTube) and you'll notice the voice isn't the same as the original. I do like the rhythm at 33rpm, but it isn't the same as the original.
That's because YouTube speeds it up digitally without affecting the pitch. You would have to boost the pitch as well to get back to the original.
Load More Replies...
I once slowed down so much (don't remember which speed) "like a virgin" and it sounded like Madonna was an old black man, was so funny, you should try that one hahha
Interestingly, I read somewhere that the whole album was actually recorded at a slightly lower pitch than the released version.
Load More Replies...
similar as when you slow down Portishead :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_E1-t6h4ZE
I've heard this for several years, and really love it. It sounds more like traditional blues singers from the Delta - which got me to thinking about the differences between "hill music", the country music from Appalachia where Parton is from, and Delta blues. Turns out, higher tempo and pitch is fairly consistent. Blues is almost always slower and lower, but similarly constructed.
They almost always sound like men when slowed down. I used to mess a lot with sound when I was a kid. It was interesting to hear the fast and slow versions of same songs. Anyway, yeah, this result here is interesting indeed, and the "manly" voice sounds very natural one could be fooled into this being a cover song or something.
Load More Replies... I knew it. Dolly Parton is just a gay guy with a barrel chest on speed singing about a woman who is going to take his man. A many layered song when you know this.
Quite interestingly if you select the option to speed up the pace of the 2nd video (settings, bottom right corner...) then it still sounds like a man. And in the 1st video with the slow down option Dolly Parton still sounds just as usually. Either a fake or it just works differently on a gramophone.
That's because the processes involved are not the same. The speed-up on youtube is digital (instead of analog) and it doesn't affects the pitch. Notice that the song's key also remains the same. Nevertheless, it can be done digitally too.
Load More Replies... I prefer this version too! Love that it sounds like a man singing - fascinating. Husband guessed what it was. Huh! Know-all.
This is strange, because it really seems that it IS a man and original song is a fake. Listen to slowed-down original, especially for voice chorus (1:33 in original, 3:10 in slowed down copy). In the original the chorus, her vibrato, some of arrangements are absolutely unrealistic and wrong (but I must honestly say that 33rpm version here on page doesn't sounds real too, it is slowed down too much). To investigate this I downloaded both videos as mp3, together with her other liveacts where she sang that song. I placed it into my DAW to do some investigation - when I slowed down the original (first video from this page), it sounded as man and very realistic. I must say I didn't slowed it so much as on this 33rpm video, i slowed a little bit less, but result was very good. After that I slowed down her other liveacts (with the same ratio) - the result was bad and you could say after few seconds that it is slowed down. So what now? Is it fake? Did she ever sang that song?
Here are outputs from daw: https://soundcloud.com/dusanmsk/isdollypartonjoleneafake
Load More Replies... Dolly sings it slow on TV in 1973: https://youtu.be/PZCE-r8y6S4 JoleneBoth...303754.jpg
45 sound fake.It's like 33 is recorded original and then played faster to sound like a woman. Not only vioice,but music sound fake at 45!
Wonder if this is how the White Stripes got the idea to cover this song?
great texture in her voice ... so much nuance exposed at this speed!
i tried to speed up the slower version and it sure does not sound like the original. If I did not "know", I would say it is completely different artist performing
Maybe this is why she never had kids. and has such a small waist weird s**t
Great male singers on the show "The Voice" could do this song justice!
I prefer the original of course. Ive heard tons of covers at a variety of speeds. No matter what speed this song is played, its amazing. But Dolly always does it best.
Dolly doing it slow on TV in 1973: https://youtu.be/PZCE-r8y6S4 JoleneBoth...a98076.jpg
Change speed of the second video to 2x and play both videos together in sync.
Yay! Came here to say this too, though I'd call it more "Jack White's rendition," rather than a "White Stripes version." Definitely the best WS live tradition, though, and demonstrates the awesomeness of both Parton and Jack White.
Load More Replies... This is amazing. It's got a great feel at 33 and doesn't drag at all. I've listen to it about 4-5 times today and really like it. Any other songs like this out there? I don't have a record player so....... I can't just do them like this lol
Used Shazzam in the 33 version: Jolene (Slowdown) Dolly Parton, so... think it's no fake, no dude.
part of me is wondering if this is actually real... anyone else?
and this is the prove that women's voice is sweeter then ours because we are more slower :D
I prefer the original Dolly. I like her soprano voice over something that sounds like a male singer.
Take the second recording, and play it at a speed of 1.25 or 1.5 as fast (as 1.36 as fast isn't an option on YouTube) and you'll notice the voice isn't the same as the original. I do like the rhythm at 33rpm, but it isn't the same as the original.
That's because YouTube speeds it up digitally without affecting the pitch. You would have to boost the pitch as well to get back to the original.
Load More Replies... I once slowed down so much (don't remember which speed) "like a virgin" and it sounded like Madonna was an old black man, was so funny, you should try that one hahha
Interestingly, I read somewhere that the whole album was actually recorded at a slightly lower pitch than the released version.
Load More Replies... similar as when you slow down Portishead :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_E1-t6h4ZE
I've heard this for several years, and really love it. It sounds more like traditional blues singers from the Delta - which got me to thinking about the differences between "hill music", the country music from Appalachia where Parton is from, and Delta blues. Turns out, higher tempo and pitch is fairly consistent. Blues is almost always slower and lower, but similarly constructed.
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