At Folsom Prison

 

Columbia CS-9639


Released   Original: May, 1968

                   Reissued: 2000

Recorded  Live at Folsom State Prison, January 13, 1968

Genre        Country

Length       Original: xx:xx

                   Reissue: 55:56

Label         Columbia Records

                   Reissue: Legacy Recordings

Producer   Bob Johnston

                   Reissue: Bob Irwin



Johnny Cash got the idea to do a concert for the inmates at Folsom State Prison, and on January 13th, 1968, the idea was brought to reality.


Johnny Cash, June Carter, Carl Perkins, The Statler Brothers and The Tennessee Three met up at Folsom Prison and held a concert that forever will be remembered. The inmates got to hear 22 songs at this concert.


Throughout the concert Johnny Cash empathize with the prisoners, and the prisoners showed a great deal of respect to Johnny Cash and his music.


21 out of the 22 songs Cash performed at Folsom Prison are well known songs, many of them previously released by Johnny Cash, while the last song "Greystone Chapel" was heard for the first time at Folsom. "Greystone Chapel" was written by one of the inmates Glen Sherley. The day before the concert a Reverend gave a tape to Cash and asked him to listen to it. The tape contained Sherleys song, and Cash rushed to include the song on the live concert the next day. He had never before sung it, not even heard it, but Cash performed the song at the concert.


The original LP contains 16 songs, wich means that 7 songs got cut on the release. The song order was also changed when released in May 1968. The version that was released in 2000 on CD cointains three more songs than the first LP ("Busted", "Joe Bean" and "The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer"), but still not the whole concert. "I'm Not In Your Town To Stay", I've Got A Woman", "Long Legged Guitar Pickin' Man" and an alternate take on "Greystone Chapel" was cut from both productions.


Some of the cheering and shouting from the inmates that can be heard on the productions was dubbed in after the recording. For example after the line "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die" on "Folsom Prison" the dubbed cheering can be heard.


The album has been refered to as one of the greatest in country music history, and in 2006 it ranked #3 on CMT's "40 Greatest Albums in Country Music". The album was also ranked number 88 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time". In 2003, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year to be added to the National Recording Registry by Library of Congress.


Track listing:


Original release 1968:


Side 1

  1. 1.Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash) -

  2. 2.Dark As A Dungeon (Merle Travis) -

  3. 3.I Still Miss Someone (Johnny Cash, Roy Cash) -

  4. 4.Cocaine Blues (T.J. Arnall) -

  5. 5.25 Minutes To Go (Shel Silverstein) -

  6. 6.Orange Blossom Special (Johnny Cash) -

  7. 7.The Long Black Veil (Marijohn Wilkin, Danny Dill) -


Side 2:

  1. 1.Send A Picture Of Mother (Johnny Cash) -

  2. 2.The Wall (Harlan Howard) -

  3. 3.Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog (Jack H. Clement) -

  4. 4.Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart (Jack H. Clement) -

  5. 5.Jackson (B. Wheeler, J. Lieber) -

  6. 6.Give My Love To Rose (Johnny Cash) -

  7. 7.I Got Stripes (Johnny Cash, C. Williams) -

  8. 8.Green, Green Grass Of Home (Curly Putman) -

  9. 9.Greystone Chapel (Glen Sherley) -


The LP was re-issued in 2002 with following tracks:


  1. 1.Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash) - 2:42

  2. 2.Busted (Harlan Howard) - 1:25

  3. 3.Dark As A Dungeon (Merle Travis) - 3:04

  4. 4.I Still Miss Someone (Johnny Cash, Roy Cash) - 1:38

  5. 5.Cocaine Blues (T.J. Arnall) - 3:01

  6. 6.25 Minutes To Go (Shel Silverstein) - 3:31

  7. 7.Orange Blossom Special (E.T. Rouse) - 3:06

  8. 8.The Long Black Veil (Marijohn Wilkin, Danny Dill) - 3:58

  9. 9.Send A Picture Of Mother (Johnny Cash) - 2:05

  10. 10.The Wall (Harlan Howard) - 1:36

  11. 11.Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog (Jack H. Clement) - 1:30

  12. 12.Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart (Jack H. Clement) - 2:05

  13. 13.Joe Bean (B. Freeman, L. Pober) - 3:05

  14. 14.Jackson (B. Wheeler, J. Lieber) - 3:12

  15. 15.Give My Love To Rose (Johnny Cash) - 2:43

  16. 16.I Got Stripes (Johnny Cash, C. Williams) - 1:52

  17. 17.The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer (Johnny Cash, June Carter) - 7:08

  18. 18.Green, Green Grass Of Home (Curly Putman) - 2:13

  19. 19.Greystone Chapel (Glen Sherley) - 6:02



Personell:


  1. •Johnny Cash - Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica

  2. •June Carter - Vocals

  3. •Luther Perkins - Electric Guitar

  4. •Carl Perkins - Guitar

  5. •Marshall Grant - Bass

  6. •W.S. Holland - Drums

  7. •The Statler Brothers - Vocals



Charts


"Folsom Prison Blues" were released as a live single from this album, and did very well at the billboards.


Year    Single                                              Chart                    Position

1968:   Folsom Prison Blues                        Country Singles         1

1968:   Folsom Prison Blues                        Pop Singles              32


The LP from '68 reached both Country and Pop billboard.


Year    Chart                    Position

1968:   Country Albums          1

1968:   Pop Albums               13

 
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