“Dolly factual sat there and listened very sweetly. I asked the producer, ‘Is there one thing else particular you wish from me? He said, ‘I desire you to create what Skunk does’”: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter remembers recording guitar on Dolly Parton mega-hit 9 to 5

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter has had an effectively-known profession sessioning for artists admire Joni Mitchell, Donna Summer season, and Dolly Parton, alongside stints with Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers. One in every of doubtlessly the most iconic songs he played on is Dolly Parton staple 9 to 5, first and main written for the 1980 comedy of the identical title, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Parton in her first movie impartial.

“I was once out right here in LA, bought the resolution, confirmed up, brought my normal ’61 Jazzmaster with me. [During that time,] I was once taking part in interior and outside of the dwelling band in the Palomino Club [a popular music venue in North Hollywood that was once the most prominent country music club in LA],” Baxter says in an interview with Vertex Results.

“I was once on the boulevard with Johnny Rodriguez [Tejano and Texas country music singer]. I indicate, I was once taking part in country song. And so to me, this was once a really easy one. But after I heard the tune, they didn’t say me what to play. They called me because they wished the Donna Summer season mutter [Baxter had previously performed on Hot Stuff]. They wished one thing a little bit of diversified.

“So I believed I’d give it some jump, which finally helped the tune out because it has a syncopation to it that you don’t with out a doubt hear in country song.”

He also remembers his trip assembly and recording with Parton: “Dolly factual sat there and listened very sweetly. She was once so kind. She was once baking cookies. And with out a doubt, this lady is an angel.

“But after they ran the tune, I asked the producer, I said, ‘Is there one thing else particular you wish from me? , because there might perchance be with out a doubt all these chords right here.’ And he said, ‘I desire you to create what Skunk does.’ So ok, I’ll.”

Based mostly on Baxter, what made the tune stand out from the an awfully good deal of country singles out at that time was once its R&B affect.

“After I listened to it, it has an awfully good deal of [American funk and disco band] Fatback with out a doubt feel to it and R&B. And I feel that any factual style of R&B, if or now not it is accomplished tastefully, can even be optimistic for any file because or now not it is in other folks’s DNA.”