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At Folsom Prison is a live album
Live album

A live album – commonly contrasted with a studio album – is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances. Live albums may be recorded at a single concert, or combine recordings made at multiple concerts....
 by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Primarily a country music artist, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll , as well as blues, folk music and Gospel music....
, released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders....
 in May 1968. Since his 1955 song "Folsom Prison Blues
Folsom Prison Blues

"Folsom Prison Blues" is a classic American country music song credited to Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk music genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career....
", 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
Bob Johnston

Donald William 'Bob' Johnston is a noted American record producer, best known for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson and many Nashville recording artists, as well as Simon and Garfunkel....
 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.






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Encyclopedia


At Folsom Prison is a live album
Live album

A live album – commonly contrasted with a studio album – is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances. Live albums may be recorded at a single concert, or combine recordings made at multiple concerts....
 by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Primarily a country music artist, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll , as well as blues, folk music and Gospel music....
, released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders....
 in May 1968. Since his 1955 song "Folsom Prison Blues
Folsom Prison Blues

"Folsom Prison Blues" is a classic American country music song credited to Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk music genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career....
", 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
Bob Johnston

Donald William 'Bob' Johnston is a noted American record producer, best known for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson and many Nashville recording artists, as well as Simon and Garfunkel....
 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
Carl Perkins

Carl Lee Perkins was an United States of America pioneer of rockabilly music who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee beginning in 1954....
, and Cash's band, the Tennessee Three
Tennessee Three

The Tennessee Three was the backing band for renowned country music and rockabilly singer Johnny Cash, for over 40 years until Cash's semi-retirement in 1997....
, Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison in Folsom
Folsom, California

Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California, California, United States. Folsom is most commonly known by its famous Folsom Prison. As of 2007, the State of California's estimate of Folsom's population is 70,835....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 on January 13, 1968. The resulting album consisted of fifteen tracks from the first show and one track from the second.

Despite little initial investment by Columbia, the album was a hit in the United States, reaching number one on the country charts and the top fifteen of the national album chart. The lead single from the album, a live version of "Folsom Prison Blues", was a top 40 hit, Cash's first since 1964's "Understand Your Man". At Folsom Prison received good reviews upon its release and has since been considered one of the greatest albums of all time. The ensuing popularity revitalized Cash's career, and let to a release of a second prison album, At San Quentin
At San Quentin

At San Quentin is a recording of a live concert given by Johnny Cash to the inmates of San Quentin State Prison. As well as being released on record the concert was filmed by Granada Television....
. The album was re-released with additional tracks in 1999 and as a three-disc set in 2008.

Background

Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Primarily a country music artist, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll , as well as blues, folk music and Gospel music....
 first took interest in Folsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison

Folsom State Prison is a California State Prison located in the city of Folsom, California, 20 miles from the state capital of Sacramento, California, USA....
 while serving in the U.S. Air Force Security Service
U.S. Air Force Security Service

The United States Air Force Security Service was essentially the United States Air Force's military intelligence branch; its motto was Freedom through Vigilance. It was created in October 1948 and operated until 1979, when the branch was redesignated the Electronic Security Command....
. In 1953, his unit watched Crane Wilbur
Crane Wilbur

Crane Wilbur was an United States writer, actor and Film director for stage, radio and screen. He was born on 17 November 1886 in Athens, New York....
's film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison
Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison

Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison is a 1951 in film drama film starring Steve Cochran and David Brian. Set in Folsom State Prison in California, the film was seen both in the United States and Europe....
. The movie inspired Cash to write a song that reflected his perception of prison life. The result was "Folsom Prison Blues
Folsom Prison Blues

"Folsom Prison Blues" is a classic American country music song credited to Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk music genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career....
", Cash's second single on Sun Records
Sun Records

Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27 1952. Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash their first recording contracts and helping to launch their careers....
. After its release, the song became a popular song among inmates, who would sometimes write to Cash, requesting him to perform at their prisons. Cash first answered one of the letters by performing at Huntsville State Prison in 1957. Satisfied by the favorable reception of the concert, he performed at several other prisons, including Folsom in 1966.

A few years after attaining commercial success from songs such as "I Walk the Line
I Walk the Line

"I Walk the Line" is a song written by Johnny Cash and recorded in 1956. A I Walk the Line drama of the same name, starring Gregory Peck, featured a soundtrack of Johnny Cash songs including the title song....
", "Understand Your Man", and "Ring of Fire
Ring of Fire (song)

"Ring of Fire" is a country music song popularized by Johnny Cash and co-written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore. The single appears on Cash's 1963 compilation album, Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash....
", Cash's popularity waned. This was due in no small part to his increasing dependence on drugs. In 1967, Cash sought help for his escalating drug problems; by the end of the year, his drug use decreased and he sought to turn his career around. Concurrently, the country portion of Columbia Records
Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders....
 underwent major personnel changes. Frank Jones and Don Law, who had produced several of Cash's albums, were ousted in favor of Bob Johnston
Bob Johnston

Donald William 'Bob' Johnston is a noted American record producer, best known for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson and many Nashville recording artists, as well as Simon and Garfunkel....
. Johnston was known for his erratic behavior and willingness to disagree with studio executives. Cash saw this as an opportunity to pitch his idea of recording a live album at a prison; Johnston enthusiastically supported the concept. Johnston called San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison

San Quentin State Prison is a California State Prison located near the city of San Rafael, California. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state....
 and Folsom, and Folsom was the first to respond.

Recording

In early January 1968, Cash, the Tennessee Three
Tennessee Three

The Tennessee Three was the backing band for renowned country music and rockabilly singer Johnny Cash, for over 40 years until Cash's semi-retirement in 1997....
, June Carter, Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins

Carl Lee Perkins was an United States of America pioneer of rockabilly music who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee beginning in 1954....
, and The Statler Brothers checked into an inn in Sacramento
Sacramento

Sacramento, an Italian language-, Spanish language- and Portuguese language-language word meaning sacrament, is a common Toponymy in parts of the world where those tongues were or are spoken....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
. The musicians were accompanied by Johnny's father Ray Cash and producer Johnston. The performers rehearsed for two days, an uncommon occurrence for them. During the rehearsal sessions on January 12, California governor Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California . Born in Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s, where he was an actor, president of the Screen Actors Guild , and a spokesman for General Electric ....
 visited the band and offered his encouragement. One of the foci of the sessions was to learn "Greystone Chapel
Greystone Chapel

"Greystone Chapel" is an American country music song written by Glen Sherley in the late 1960s and was included on the 1968 Johnny Cash album At Folsom Prison, released by the Columbia Records label....
", a song written by inmate Glen Sherley
Glen Sherley

Glen Milborn Sherley was a Country music singer/songwriter, who famously penned Johnny Cash's song "Greystone Chapel", recorded in 1968....
. Sherley recorded a version of the song, which he passed onto the prison pastor
Pastor

The term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christianity churches....
 via the recreation director. On January 13, the group traveled to Folsom, meeting up with Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the Western United States. It is the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States and the fourth-most widely distributed newspaper in the United States....
 writer Robert Hilburn and Columbia photographer Jim Marshall, who were paid to document the album for the liner notes.

Cash decided to hold two performances on January 13, one at 9:40AM and one at 12:40AM, in case the first performance was unsatisfactory. After an introduction by MC Hugh Cherry, who encouraged the prisoners to "respond" to Cash's performance, Carl Perkins took the stage. Perkins performed his hit song "Blue Suede Shoes
Blue Suede Shoes

"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll Standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955. The 12-bar blues is considered one of the first rock and roll records and incorporated elements of blues, country music and pop music of the time....
". Following this song, The Statler Brothers sang their hit "Flowers on the Wall
Flowers on the Wall

"Flowers on the Wall" is a song made famous by country music group Statler Brothers. Written by the group's original tenor, Lew DeWitt, the song peaked in popularity in January 1966 in country music, spending four weeks at No....
" and the country standard "This Old House
This Ole House

"This Ole House" is a popular music song songwriter by Stuart Hamblen, and published in 1954....
". Cherry again took the stage and instructed the inmates not to cheer for Cash until he introduced himself; they obliged. Cash opened both shows with a rendition of "Folsom Prison Blues" and the concerts contained many songs about prison, including "The Wall", "Green, Green Grass of Home", and the gallows humor
Gallows humor

Gallows humor is a type of humour that arises from stressful, traumatic, or life-threatening situations; often in circumstances such that death is perceived as impending and unavoidable....
 tune "25 Minutes to Go
25 Minutes to Go

25 Minutes to Go is a song performed by The Brothers Four in 1963 on the album Cross Country Concert. The song was written by Shel Silverstein....
". The singer also included other songs of despair, such as the Merle Travis
Merle Travis

Merle Robert Travis was an United States country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the exploitation of coal miners....
 coal mining song "Dark as a Dungeon
Dark as a Dungeon

"Dark as a Dungeon" is a song written by singer-songwriter Merle Travis. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in an Appalachian shaft mine....
". Following "Orange Blossom Special", Cash included a few "slow, ballad-type songs", including "Send a Picture of Mother" and "The Long Black Veil", and then followed with two novelty songs from his album Everybody Loves A Nut
Everybody Loves a Nut

Everybody Loves a Nut is the twenty-second album by American country music singer Johnny Cash, released by Columbia Records in the United States in 1966 ....
, "Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog", "Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart", and "Joe Bean". June Carter joined Cash on stage to perform a pair of duets. After a seven-minute version of "The Legend of John Henry's Hammer", Cash took a break and Carter recited a poem. Cash ended both concerts with Sherley's "Greystone Chapel".

The second concert wasn't as fruitful as the first; the musicians were fatigued from the earlier show. Only two songs from the second concert, "Give My Love to Rose" and "I Got Stripes," made it onto the LP release.

Reception and impact

The album release of At Folsom Prison was prepared in four months. Despite the recent success of "Rosanna's Going Wild", a Cash single released just prior to the Folsom concerts that reached number two on the country charts, Columbia initially invested little into the album or its single "Folsom Prison Blues". This was due partially to Columbia's efforts to promote pop stars instead of country artists. Nevertheless, the single charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
 on May 25, 1968; it also hit the country charts a week later. The single suffered a setback, however, when Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy

Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also called RFK, was an United States politician. He was United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a United States Senator from New York from 1965 until his Robert F....
 was assassinated
Robert F. Kennedy assassination

The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senate and brother of John F. Kennedy assassination President of the United States John F....
 on June 5, 1968. Radio stations ceased playing the single due to the macabre line: "I shot a man in Reno/Just to watch him die". Reeling in the success prior to the assassination, Columbia demanded that Johnston to remix the single with the line removed. Despite protest from Cash, the single was edited and re-released. The new version became a success, hitting number one on the country charts and the top forty on the national charts. The successful single prompted the album to climb the album charts, eventually reaching number one on the Top Country Albums chart and number thirteen on the Pop Albums
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
 chart—the forerunner to the Billboard 200. By August 1968, Folsom had shipped over 300,000 copies; two months later it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America

The Recording Industry Association of America is the trade group that represents the recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of a large number of private corporate entities such as record labels and distributors, which the RIAA claims "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recor...
 (RIAA) for shipping over 500,000.

At Folsom Prison received rave reviews upon its release. Alfred Aronowitz of Life
Life (magazine)

File:Coles Phillips2 Life.jpgLife generally refers to three United States magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936....
 stated that Cash sang the songs like "someone who has grown up believing he is one of the people that these songs are about." For The Village Voice
The Village Voice

The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper in New York City, United States featuring investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts reviews and events listings for New York City....
, Ann Fisher wrote that "every cut is special in its own way" and Richard Goldstein noted that the album was "filled with the kind of emotionalism you seldom find in rock." Fredrick E. Danker of Sing Out!
Sing Out!

Sing Out! is a quarterly journal of folk music and folk songs that has been published since May 1950....
 praised At Folsom Prison as "an album structured an aural experience for us."

The success of At Folsom Prison revitalized Cash's career; according to Cash, "that's where things really got started for me again". Columbia re-dubbed Cash's previous B-side "Get Rhythm
Get Rhythm

"Get Rhythm" is a 1956 rockabilly song, written and recorded by Johnny Cash. The song is about optimism, centering on a shoeshine boy who "gets rhythm" to cope with the tedious nature of his job....
" with applause similar to Folsom's, and it became successful enough to enter the Hot 100. Cash returned to the prison scene in 1969 when he recorded At San Quentin
At San Quentin

At San Quentin is a recording of a live concert given by Johnny Cash to the inmates of San Quentin State Prison. As well as being released on record the concert was filmed by Granada Television....
 at San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison

San Quentin State Prison is a California State Prison located near the city of San Rafael, California. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state....
. At San Quentin became Cash's first album to hit number one on the Pop Albums chart and produced the number two hit "A Boy Named Sue
A Boy Named Sue

"A Boy Named Sue" is a Country music song, written by Shel Silverstein and popularly sung by Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash was at the height of his popularity when he recorded this song live at San Quentin State Prison in California....
". The ensuing popularity from the Folsom concert also prompted ABC to give Cash his own television show.

The album was re-released on October 19, 1999 with three extra tracks excluded from the original LP: "Busted", "Joe Bean", "The Legend of John Henry's Hammer". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for allmusic. He is the author of thousands of artist biographies and record reviews, as well as a freelance writer, and has written several liner notes....
 of Allmusic praised the new version, calling it "the ideal blend of mythmaking and gritty reality." On May 27, 2003, At Folsom Prison was certified triple platinum by the RIAA for shipping over three million units. Since its release, it has been acknowledged as one of the greatest albums of all time by several sources. In 2003, the album was ranked number 88 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J....
 magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003.Related news articles:* The list was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics and industry figures, each of whom submitted a weighted list of 50 albums....
. Also that year, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books....
 to be added to the National Recording Registry
National Recording Registry

The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which created the National Recording Preservation Board, whose members are appointed...
. Country Music Television
Country Music Television

Country Music Television, or CMT as it is usually called, is an United States country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, Films, biography of country music stars, and reality television....
 named it the third greatest album in country music in 2006. Blender
Blender (magazine)

Blender is an United States music magazine that bills itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It is also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of female celebrities....
 listed the album as the sixty-third greatest American album of all time and as one of the "500 CDs You Must Own". In 2006, Time
Time (magazine)

Time is a weekly United States newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. A European edition is published from London....
 listed it among the 100 greatest albums of all time.

In 2008, Columbia and Legacy Records re-issued At Folsom Prison as a two CD, one DVD set. This so-called "Legacy Edition" contained both concerts uncut and remastered. The included DVD, produced by Bestor Cram and Michael Streissguth, featured pictures and interviews relevant to the concert. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication devoted to music journalism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews....
 lauded the collection, claiming that it had "the force of empathic endeavors, as if he were doing penance for his notorious bad habits." Christian Hoard wrote for Rolling Stone that the Legacy edition "makes for an excellent historical document, highlighting Cash's rapport with prison folk."

Track listing


Original release

  • Side 1
    1. "Folsom Prison Blues
      Folsom Prison Blues

      "Folsom Prison Blues" is a classic American country music song credited to Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk music genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career....
      " (Cash)
    2. "Dark as a Dungeon
      Dark as a Dungeon

      "Dark as a Dungeon" is a song written by singer-songwriter Merle Travis. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in an Appalachian shaft mine....
      " (Merle Travis
      Merle Travis

      Merle Robert Travis was an United States country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the exploitation of coal miners....
      )
    3. "I Still Miss Someone" (Johnny Cash, Roy Cash, Jr.)
    4. "Cocaine Blues
      Cocaine Blues

      "Cocaine Blues" is a Western Swing song written by T.J. "Red" Arnall, a reworking of the traditional song "Little Sadie". This song was originally recorded by W....
      " (T. J. Arnall)
    5. "25 Minutes to Go
      25 Minutes to Go

      25 Minutes to Go is a song performed by The Brothers Four in 1963 on the album Cross Country Concert. The song was written by Shel Silverstein....
      " (Shel Silverstein
      Shel Silverstein

      Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein was an United States poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books....
      )
    6. "Orange Blossom Special
      Orange Blossom Special (song)

      The fiddle tune "Orange Blossom Special", about the Orange Blossom Special of the same name, was written by Ervin T. Rouse in 1938. The original recording was created by Ervin and Gordon Rouse in 1939....
      " (Ervin T. Rouse)
    7. "The Long Black Veil
      Long Black Veil (song)

      "Long Black Veil" is a 1959 country music ballad about a man suspected of murder. The alleged refuses to provide an alibi, because he was having an affair with his best friend's wife at the time, and would rather die than reveal this....
      " (Marijohn Wilkin
      Marijohn Wilkin

      Marijohn Wilkin , nee Melson, was an United States songwriter, famous in the Country Music genre for writing a number of hits. Wilkin won numerous awards over the years and was referred to as "The Den Mother of Music Row," as chronicled in her 1978 biography from Word Books--Lord, Let Me Leave a Song ....
      , Danny Dill
      Danny Dill

      Horace Eldred Dill professionally known as Danny Dill was an United States country music songwriter. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975....
      )
  • Side 2
    1. "Send a Picture of Mother" (Cash)
    2. "The Wall" (Harlan Howard
      Harlan Howard

      Harlan Perry Howard was a prolific United States songwriter, principally in the field of country music. In a career spanning six decades Harlan Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists....
      )
    3. "Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog" (Jack H. Clement
      Jack Clement

      Jack Henderson Clement is an United States singer, songwriter, and a record producer and film producer.Raised and educated in Memphis, Jack Clement was performing at an early age....
      )
    4. "Flushed From The Bathroom of Your Heart" (Jack H. Clement)
    5. "Jackson
      Jackson (song)

      "Jackson" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship....
      " (with June Carter; Billy Edd Wheeler, J. Lieber
      Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

      Jerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller are among the most influential American songwriters and music producers in post-World War II popular music....
      )
    6. "Give My Love to Rose" (with June Carter; Cash)
    7. "I Got Stripes" (Cash, Charlie Williams)
    8. "Green, Green Grass of Home
      Green Green Grass of Home

      "Green Green Grass of Home", written by Curly Putman, is a country music song originally made popular by Porter Wagoner in 1964 and Bobby Bare in 1965....
      " (Curly Putman
      Curly Putman

      Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. is an American songwriter, based in Nashville. His biggest success was "Green Green Grass of Home" , which was covered by Elvis Presley, Johnny Darrell, Gram Parsons, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roberto Leal, Merle Haggard, Bobby Bare, Joe Tex and Tom Jones ....
      )
    9. "Greystone Chapel
      Greystone Chapel

      "Greystone Chapel" is an American country music song written by Glen Sherley in the late 1960s and was included on the 1968 Johnny Cash album At Folsom Prison, released by the Columbia Records label....
      " (Glen Sherley
      Glen Sherley

      Glen Milborn Sherley was a Country music singer/songwriter, who famously penned Johnny Cash's song "Greystone Chapel", recorded in 1968....
      )


Re-release


  • Disk 1:
  1. "Folsom Prison Blues
    Folsom Prison Blues

    "Folsom Prison Blues" is a classic American country music song credited to Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk music genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career....
    " – 2:42
  2. "Busted" (Harlan Howard) – 1:25
  3. "Dark as a Dungeon
    Dark as a Dungeon

    "Dark as a Dungeon" is a song written by singer-songwriter Merle Travis. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in an Appalachian shaft mine....
    " – 3:04
  4. "I Still Miss Someone" – 1:38
  5. "Cocaine Blues
    Cocaine Blues

    "Cocaine Blues" is a Western Swing song written by T.J. "Red" Arnall, a reworking of the traditional song "Little Sadie". This song was originally recorded by W....
    " – 3:01
  6. "25 Minutes to Go
    25 Minutes to Go

    25 Minutes to Go is a song performed by The Brothers Four in 1963 on the album Cross Country Concert. The song was written by Shel Silverstein....
    " – 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
    Jackson (song)

    "Jackson" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship....
    " (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
    Green Green Grass of Home

    "Green Green Grass of Home", written by Curly Putman, is a country music song originally made popular by Porter Wagoner in 1964 and Bobby Bare in 1965....
    " – 2:13
  19. "Greystone Chapel
    Greystone Chapel

    "Greystone Chapel" is an American country music song written by Glen Sherley in the late 1960s and was included on the 1968 Johnny Cash album At Folsom Prison, released by the Columbia Records label....
    " – 6:02
  • Disk 2:
Currently not posted.

Credits

  • Johnny Cash
    Johnny Cash

    Johnny Cash was a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Primarily a country music artist, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll , as well as blues, folk music and Gospel music....
     – vocal, guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
    , harmonica
    Harmonica

    The harmonica is a free reed aerophone wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes....
  • June Carter – vocal
  • Marshall Grant
    Marshall Grant

    Marshall Grant was the upright bass and electric bassist of singer Johnny Cash's original backing duo, the Tennessee Two, in which Grant and electric guitarist Luther Perkins played....
     – bass guitar
    Bass guitar

    The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
  • W.S. Holland – drums
    Drum kit

    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
  • Carl Perkins
    Carl Perkins

    Carl Lee Perkins was an United States of America pioneer of rockabilly music who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee beginning in 1954....
     – electric guitar
    Electric guitar

    An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickup to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker....
  • Luther Perkins
    Luther Perkins

    Luther Monroe Perkins was an American country music guitarist renowned for his work as a member of the Tennessee Three with Johnny Cash and their "boom-chicka" rhythmic style....
     – electric guitar
  • The Statler Brothers (Lew DeWitt
    Lew DeWitt

    Lewis Calvin "Lew" DeWitt was an United States country music singer and composer.For most of his career DeWitt sang tenor for The Statler Brothers....
    , Don Reid
    Don Reid (music)

    Donald Sidney Reid is lead singer and main songwriter of the legendary United States country music vocal group, The Statler Brothers.In the early 1960s, Reid replaced Joe McDorman at lead vocals as the quartet that would go on to become the Statler Brothers changed their name from the Four Star Quartet to the Kingsmen....
    , Harold Reid
    Harold Reid

    Harold Reid is the Bass for the famous country quartet The Statler Brothers. His younger brother, Don Reid , is the lead singer and songwriter for the group....
    , Phil Balsley
    Phil Balsley

    Phillip Elwood Balsley sings baritone for the presently-retired country quartet The Statler Brothers. Due to his quiet presence on stage and humble appearance, he is known as "The Quiet One" of the Statler Brothers....
    ) – vocals
  • Bob Johnston
    Bob Johnston

    Donald William 'Bob' Johnston is a noted American record producer, best known for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson and many Nashville recording artists, as well as Simon and Garfunkel....
     – producer
    Record producer

    In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
  • Bob Breault, Bill Britain – engineers
  • Jim Marshall – photography


Credited on 1999 re-issue
  • Bob Irwin – producer
  • Steven Berkowitz – producer, A&R
    A&R

    Artists and Repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and the artistic development of recording artists....
  • Vic Aneseni – mixing
  • Howard Fritzson – art direction
  • Darcy Proper – mastering
  • John Henry Jackson – product manager
  • Randall Martin – packaging manager
  • Darren Salmieri, Tim Smith – A&R
  • Nick Shaffran – consultant


Charts

Chart (1968) Peak
Position
Norwegian Albums Chart
VG-lista

VG-lista is a Norway record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper Verdens Gang and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20....
 7
UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart

The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus....
 7
Pop Albums
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
 13
Top Country Albums
Billboard charts

The Billboard charts are music sales, airplay and digital ranking reports distributed to the general public by Billboard magazine. Billboard is considered the foremost authority worldwide in these song sales, airplay, digital reports, or Record chart....
 1
Chart (1969) Peak
Position
Canada RPM
RPM (magazine)

RPM was a Canada music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees....
 LP Chart		 27