The song was originally written and performed by Dolly Parton in 1974. She wrote it for her mentor and partner Porter Wagoner after leaving their band.
The song was originally written and performed by Dolly Parton in 1974. She wrote it for her mentor and partner Porter Wagoner after leaving their band.
To add to my previous comment: afaik covers could actually be released before the ‘originals’, because the earlier-recorded song was stuck somewhere in the pipeline, and meanwhile the songwriter shopped the song around to different singers whose labels turned out to be quicker with the release.
Not quite the same, but: Carl Perkins’ ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ was recorded in December 1955 and released in January 1956, while Elvis Presley’s version was recorded in January 1956 but not released until August 31. This thankfully preserved the order, but the story could be different if the labels had a different sense of urgency.