Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison

I don’t think I can really express my feelings for the singer Johnny Cash. I grew up around country music, but I hated it when I was in my teens. I clung to its polar opposite, rap and hip hop, but I learned as I got older, I knew more about the old country I used to listen to more than I would care to admit. My grandfather was a truck driver and I can remember finding some old tapes of his while I was visiting for the summer. In that box was the Man in Black. I didn’t listen to the tape I found that day, but every time I listen to Johnny Cash now, I think of my grandfather and I am very happy that we have at least one thing in common. It’s a shame I don’t really know what else we have in common but at least I have that.

At Folsom Prison is a live album by Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in May 1968. Since his 1955 song “Folsom Prison Blues”, Cash drew an interest in performing at a prison. His idea was put on hold until 1967, when personnel changes at Columbia Records put Bob Johnston in charge of producing Cash’s material. Cash had recently controlled his drug abuse problems, and was looking to turn his career around after several years of limited commercial success. Backed with June Carter, Carl Perkins, and Cash’s band, the Tennessee Three, Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison in Folsom, California on January 13, 1968. The resulting album consisted of 15 tracks from the first show and one track from the second.

Set list for the 9:40AM concert

1. “Folsom Prison Blues”
2. “Busted”
3. “Dark as a Dungeon”
4. “I Still Miss Someone”
5. “Cocaine Blues”
6. “25 Minutes to Go”
7. “I’m Not in Your Town to Stay”
8. “Orange Blossom Special”
9. “The Long Black Veil”
10. “Send a Picture of Mother”
11. “The Wall”
12. “Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog”
13. “Flushed From The Bathroom of Your Heart”
14. “Joe Beam”
15. “Jackson”
16. “I Got a Woman”
17. “The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer”
18. “Green, Green Grass of Home”
19. “Greystone Chapel”

Set list for the 12:40AM concert

1. “Folsom Prison Blues”
2. “Busted”
3. “Dark as a Dungeon”
4. “Cocaine Blues”
5. “25 Minutes to Go”
6. “Orange Blossom Special”
7. “The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer”
8. “Give My Love to Rose”
9. “Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog”
10. “Flushed From The Bathroom of Your Heart”
11. “Joe Beam”
12. “Jackson”
13. “Long Legged Guitar Picking Man”
14. “I Got Stripes”
15. “Green, Green Grass of Home
16. “Greystone Chapel”
17. “Greystone Chapel” (repeat)

Here is the version we played (re-release from 1999)

1. “Folsom Prison Blues” – 2:42
2. “Busted” (Harlan Howard) – 1:25
3. “Dark as a Dungeon” – 3:04
4. “I Still Miss Someone” – 1:38
5. “Cocaine Blues” – 3:01
6. “25 Minutes to Go” – 3:31
7. “Orange Blossom Special” – 3:06
8. “The Long Black Veil” – 3:58
9. “Send a Picture of Mother” – 2:05
10. “The Wall” – 1:36
11. “Dirty Old Egg-Suckin’ Dog” – 1:30
12. “Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart” – 2:05
13. “Joe Bean” (B. Freeman, L. Pober) – 3:05
14. “Jackson” (with June Carter) – 3:12
15. “Give My Love to Rose” (with June Carter) – 2:43
16. “I Got Stripes” – 1:52
17. “The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer” (Johnny Cash, June Carter) – 7:08
18. “Green Green Grass of Home” – 2:13
19. “Greystone Chapel” – 6:02

• Johnny Cash – vocal, guitar, harmonica
• June Carter – vocal
• Marshall Grant – bass guitar
• W.S. Holland – drums
• Carl Perkins – electric guitar
• Luther Perkins – electric guitar
• The Statler Brothers (Lew DeWitt, Don Reid, Harold Reid, Phil Balsley) – vocals
• Bob Johnston – producer
• Bob Breault, Bill Britain – engineers
• Jim Marshall – photography

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