Backwoods Barbie is the forty-second solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on February 26, 2008, as the first release from Dolly's new label Dolly Records. The album was produced by Dolly with Kent Wells. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 17 on the all-genre Billboard 200. The first two singles, "Better Get to Livin'" and "Jesus & Gravity," peaked at number 48 and number 56, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Three more singles followed: "Shinola," "Drives Me Crazy," and the title track. Dolly promoted the album with the Backwoods Barbie Tour from March to November 2008, grossing more than nine million dollars across 64 dates. The album ?has sold 281,000 units in the United States as of December 2020.
Track listing
Better Get to Livin' (Dolly Parton, Kent Wells) 3:36
Made of Stone (Dolly Parton) 4:13
Drives Me Crazy (Roland Gift, David Steele) 4:12
Backwoods Barbie (Dolly Parton) 3:19
Jesus & Gravity (Betsy Ulmer, Craig Wiseman) 4:40
Only Dreamin' (Dolly Parton) 5:36
The Tracks of My Tears (William Robinson, Marv Tarplin, Warren Moore) 3:33
The Lonesomes (Dolly Parton) 3:18
Cologne (Dolly Parton) 3:42
Shinola (Dolly Parton) 4:12
I Will Forever Hate Roses (Dolly Parton) 3:26
Somebody's Everything (Dolly Parton) 4:20
iTunes edition bonus tracks 13. The Grass Is Blue (Live)* (Preorder exclusive) (Dolly Parton) 4:12 14. I Will Always Love You (Live) (Dolly Parton) 3:12 15. Better Get to Livin' (Music Video) (Dolly Parton) 4:38
* Previously released on the 2007 compilation, ?Singer, Songwriter & Legendary Performer.
?* Previously released on the 2007 compilation, ?Singer, Songwriter & Legendary Performer.
2009 Cracker Barrel Collector's Edition bonus tracks 13. Rose of My Heart (Dolly Parton) 2:34 14. Hallelujah Holiday (Dolly Parton) 2:07 15. Berry Pie (Dolly Parton) 2:54
2024 digital reissue bonus tracks* 13. I Will Always Love You (Live) (Dolly Parton) 3:11 14. The Grass Is Blue (Live) (Dolly Parton) 4:12 15. Rose of My Heart (Dolly Parton) 2:31 16. Hallelujah Holiday (Dolly Parton) 2:05 17. Berry Pie (Dolly Parton) 2:54
* The bonus tracks included on this digital reissue are taken from the 2008 iTunes pre-order edition and the 2009 Cracker Barrel Collector's Edition.
Rumors of a new album began to circulate in summer 2006 when Dolly was seen at a recording studio in Nashville. A spokesperson for Dolly confirmed in July that while she had been in the studio, she was only recording some demos "just for fun" with no plans currently to release any of the material she had recorded. In an interview with The News Courier in September, Dolly revealed that her next album would be titled Country Is as Country Does and would include a song she had written titled "I Dreamed About Elvis". The song had been performed on the Hello, I'm Dolly Tour in 2004 and was originally to appear on her 2005 album before its title was changed from Blue Smoke to Those Were the Days. Dolly revealed in an interview with The Republican that she planned to tour for about three months in 2007 to promote the album's release, which would be sometime in the spring or early summer. She also mentioned that she wrote the album's title track, "Country Is as Country Does," with Mac Davis.
The Press Democrat covered Dolly's February 2007 concert in Santa Rosa, where she revealed that the album's title had been changed to Backwoods Barbie and that it would feature a cover of Fine Young Cannibals' "She Drives Me Crazy," Smokey Robinson's "The Tracks of My Tears," and a newly recorded version of her 1966 composition "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" with Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. She added that most of the other songs she had recorded for possible inclusion on the album are ones she had written and they are "solid country things" reflecting her own philosophy of life. Dolly told The Las Vegas City Life that she had recorded a song for the album titled "Just a Wee Bit Gay" about a woman and her in-the-closet husband. At a March 2007 concert in London Dolly said that she hopes to have the album out by early fall and that she had recorded around 24 songs for possible inclusion. Although she had previously stated that she hoped to tour North America for about three months in the spring or early summer to promote the album, Dolly confirmed in April that plans for a tour had been pushed back to late fall to coincide with the album's tentative September release. She confirmed to Country Weekly in the July 2007 issue that she was still in the studio recording the album as recently as June when she was in Nashville for her Academy of Country Music Pioneer Award ceremony, and she would not comment on whether or not a tour was scheduled for the fall.
It was confirmed by Dolly's manager Danny Nozell to Billboard in August 2007 that the album was scheduled for a February 2008 release on Dolly's new label, Dolly Records. He also confirmed that the album's first single would be titled "Better Get to Livin'" and that a world tour was scheduled to begin in March 2008.
Perez Hilton attended an album listening party in Los Angeles in August 2007 and reported that Dolly ended the night by playing "Just a Wee Bit Gay," but she stated that the song would not be on the album. The previously announced new version of "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" with Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell also failed to make the final track listing. ? The album's original title track, "Country Is as Country Does," did not make the final track listing and would remain unreleased until Dolly's 2011 album Better Day.
The album was recorded in Nashville at Blackbird Studio A, Kent Wells Productions, and Emerald Studio A. Additonal recording took place at the Sound Kitchen in Franklin, Tennessee.
?The album was originally scheduled for a February 5, 2008 release, but was pushed back to better coincide with the beginning of the tour. It was released February 26, 2008, on CD and digital download. Several retailers offered editions of the album containing live bonus tracks. "Baby I'm Burnin'" on Best Buy editions of the album, the Target edition offered "Jolene" and "Two Doors Down", while Walmart stores added "9 to 5". The iTunes Store version added a live version of "I Will Always Love You" and the music video for "Better Get to Livin'". Pre-orders on the iTunes store included and additional live bonus track, "The Grass Is Blue".
A Collector's Edition of the album was released exclusively at Cracker Barrel on March 23, 2009. The new edition of the album featured new cover art and three bonus tracks: "Rose of My Heart", "Hallelujah Holiday", and "Berry Pie".
Dolly embarked on the Backwoods Barbie Tour to support the album on March 28, 2008, and performed 64 dates across North America and Europe before concluding the tour on November 19. The tour was well received by critics and spectators alike, earning more than nine million dollars.
Backwoods Barbie debuted at number 48 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated March 8, 2008. It peaked at number two on the chart dated March 15, its second week on the chart. The album charted for 50 weeks. It also peaked at number two on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album reached number 35 on the UK Albums chart. It also peaked at number six on the Danish Albums chart and number 57 on the Swedish Albums chart.
The album charted at number 56 on the Billboard Top Country Albums year-end chart for 2008, and number 70 on the chart for 2009.
The album ?has sold 281,000 units in the United States as of December 2020.
?The album was nominated for Indie Album of the Year at the 2008 ?European Country Music Association Awards.
Personnel
Steve Turner – drums, percussion Lonnie Wilson – drums, percussion Sam Bacco – percussion Mark Brignardello – bass Mike Brignardello – bass Steve Mackey – bass Craig Nelson – bass violin Tom Bukovac – electric guitar Terry Crisp – steel guitar Paul Franklin – steel guitar ?Lloyd Green – steel guitar Brent Mason – electric guitar Rob McNelley – electric guitar Jerry McPherson – electric guitar Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar Biff Watson – acoustic guitar Derek Wells – electric guitar Kent Wells – electric guitar, acoustic guitar Paul Hollowell – piano, organ, Hammond B3, Yamaha Motif, Fender Rhodes Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano David Angell – violin Monisa Angell – viola Janet Askey – violin Carolyn Bailey – violin Zeneba Bowers – violin Kristen Cassell – cello David Davidson – violin Conni Ellisor – violin Chris Farrell – viola Carl Gorodetzky – violin Jim Grosjean – viola Anthony Lamarchina – cello? Carole Rabinowitz – cello Sarighani Reist – cello Pamela Sixfin – violin Alan Umstead – violin Catherine Umstead – violin Gary Vanosdale – viola Mary Kathryn Vanosdale – violin Karen Winkelmann – violin Rebecca Isaacs Bowman – background vocals Billy Davis – background vocals Richard Dennison – background vocals Terry Eldredge – background vocals Vicki Hampton – background vocals Sonya Isaacs – background vocals Carl Jackson – background vocals Jamie Johnson – background vocals Alecia Nugent – background vocals Jennifer O'Brien – background vocals Dolly Parton – lead vocals, background vocals ?Marty Slayton – background vocals Darrin Vincent – background vocals Rhonda Vincent – background vocals Christine Winslow – background vocals ?Aubrey Haynie – mandolin, fiddle Jimmy Mattingly – fiddle, mandolin John Mock – tin whistle, bodhrán, harmonium Dave Talbot – banjo
Production Drew Bollman – mixing assistant Jim DeMain – mastering Kyle Dickinson – recording, recording assistant, editing Alan Ditto – recording assistant Stephen Lamb – orchestral music preparation Alex McCullough – mastering Patrick Murphy – recording, editing Justin Niebank – mixing ?Dolly Parton – producer Ben "Snake" Schmidt – recording, recording assistant, editing Kent Wells – producer, arrangements Kristen Wilkinson – string arrangement Brian Willis – editing Christine Winslow – production assistant
Other personnel Kii Arens – art direction, photos Robert Behar – costume designer Pat Blewett – photo assistant Valorie W. Cole – makeup Trevor Gens – lighting Cheryl Riddle – hair Stephen Shareaux – conceptual assistant Steve Summers – conceptual assistant
2009 Cracker Barrel Collector's Edition bonus tracks Gary Davis – banjo Richard Dennison – piano, background vocals Rod Fletcher – background vocals Vicki Hampton – background vocals Randy Kohrs – dobro, background vocals Jimmy Mattingly – fiddle, dulcimer Jennifer O'Brien – background vocals? Dolly Parton – lead vocals, background vocals ?Ben "Snake" Schmidt – mixing Tony Smith – synthesizer Brent Truitt – mandolin Steve Turner – drums Jay Weaver – bass Kent Wells – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals
