Dolly Parton Once Gave a Confusing Note to Jeff “Skunk” Baxter in the Studio, but I Actually Think He Nailed It

One of the most crucial elements of a record isn’t the talent of the performers, the quality of the equipment, or the song itself—it’s the feel. The right “feel” can explain why a grimy, scuzzy, lo-fi recording sounds better than a crisp and polished one. It can also explain why people who only have limited abilities on their instrument can still make a track that sounds like it came from a seasoned professional.

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Because “feel” exists outside the scope of musical purity, it can sometimes be easier to use non-musical language to coach a player on a certain vibe, feeling, or mental image that you want to create. For veteran guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, he’s heard no small shortage of odd notes from musicians while in the studio.

In a 2026 interview with Guitar Player, Baxter recalled the particularly unmusical guidance he received from Dolly Parton while working with her on “Baby I’m Burnin’” from her twentieth studio album, Heartbreaker, released in mid-July 1978.

Dolly Parton Wanted Jeff “Skunk” Baxter to Make Fireworks in the Studio

A musical instrument has capabilities that stretch far beyond a traditional musical staff, and knowing how to explore these extraneous avenues can be the difference between an okay player and a great one. When Dolly Parton hired Jeff “Skunk” Baxter to work on Heartbreaker, she knew she was bringing a professional into the studio. Baxter was fresh off stints with Steel Dan and The Doobie Brothers, which meant he had plenty of practice exploring different styles and capturing that ever-elusive “feel.”

So, Baxter didn’t flinch when Parton gave him a note mid-recording session that might have left other players scratching their heads. “I was working with my Roland guitar synthesizer,” he told Guitar Player. “And she said, ‘Can you just make it, like, reds and greens and sparkles?’” Parton wanted Baxter’s instrument to “make fireworks.” The unspoken part of that direction, of course, was that Parton wanted the guitar synthesizer to evoke the whistling, popping, and fizzing of a firework explosion in a way that would still sound good on a record or on the radio.

“I thought about it for a second,” Baxter recalled. “Then, with one hand, I played as many notes as I could, while the other hand was working the Roland’s [pitch] transposer, slapping it back up and down. She was going, ‘Yeah! Yeah! That’s it!’”

And she was right. Baxter really did manage to make fireworks out of a synthesizer, which you can hear in the chorus. An explosive burst of noise punctuates Parton shouting out the line, “HOT as a pistol with flamin’ desire,” courtesy of Baxter’s expert guitar synth playing. It just goes to show: if you’re ever stuck on a musical idea, try thinking of it in non-musical terms—like reds, greens, and sparkles.

ABC Photo Archives/Ann Limongello