At San Quentin
Encyclopedia
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
.
On the original LP
release, the song order was changed and several songs were cut, probably for space reasons. Despite the title of the version released on CD
in 2000 – At San Quentin (The Complete 1969 Concert) – the CD does not contain the entire concert uncut, but does feature additional tracks and running order that parallels the actual setlist. Performed but not included were the songs "Jackson
" and "Orange Blossom Special
", which are included in the video release of the show. The album was certified Gold on 8/12/1969, Platinum
and 2x Platinum on 11/21/1986 and 3x Platinum on 3/27/2003 by the R.I.A.A.
The album was nominated for a number of Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year
and won Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "A Boy Named Sue".
Side 2
* Has no author-credit. Apparently David G. George never won a law-suit against RCA-Victor in 1933 over the copyrights for this song.
It is worth noting, however, that it seems to be widely accepted that Henry Whitter wrote the music , as "The Ship That Never Returned"; Fred Lewey wrote the original words, and Charles Noell wrote the original two additional verses. Source: http://www.ezfolk.com/bgbanjo/bgb-tabs/wreck97/wreckbio/wreckbio.html
Carl Perkins
The Statler Brothers
The Carter Family
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash
and Carl Perkins
The Carter Family and Carl Perkins
Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins
Disc 2
Carl Perkins
Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins
Johnny Cash, The Carter Family and Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
The Statler Brothers & Carl Perkins
Johnny Cash, The Carter Family and Carl Perkins
Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers and Carl Perkins
Disc 3 (DVD)
Singles - U.S. Billboard charts
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
to the inmates of San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
. As well as being released on record the concert was filmed by Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
.
On the original LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
release, the song order was changed and several songs were cut, probably for space reasons. Despite the title of the version released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 2000 – At San Quentin (The Complete 1969 Concert) – the CD does not contain the entire concert uncut, but does feature additional tracks and running order that parallels the actual setlist. Performed but not included were the songs "Jackson
Jackson (song)
"Jackson" is a song, written in 1963 by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler, about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship...
" and "Orange Blossom Special
Orange Blossom Special (song)
The fiddle tune "Orange Blossom Special", about the passenger train of the same name, was written by Ervin T. Rouse in 1938. The original recording was created by Ervin and Gordon Rouse in 1939. It is considered the best known fiddle tune of the twentieth century and is often called simply The...
", which are included in the video release of the show. The album was certified Gold on 8/12/1969, Platinum
and 2x Platinum on 11/21/1986 and 3x Platinum on 3/27/2003 by the R.I.A.A.
The album was nominated for a number of Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
and won Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "A Boy Named Sue".
Original release
Side 1- "Wanted Man" (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
/Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
) - "Wreck of the Old 97Wreck of the Old 97Old 97 was a Southern Railway train officially known as the Fast Mail. It ran from Washington DC to Atlanta, Georgia. On September 27, 1903 while en route from Monroe, Virginia, to Spencer, North Carolina, the train derailed at Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia...
"* (arranged by Cash, Bob JohnstonBob JohnstonDonald William Robert '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.-Early days:Johnston was born into a professional musical family...
, Norman BlakeNorman Blake (American musician)Norman Blake is an instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter. In a career spanning more than 50 years Blake has played in a number of folk and Country groups...
) - "I Walk the LineI Walk the Line"I Walk the Line" is a song written by Johnny Cash and recorded in 1956. It was performed with the help of Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins, two mechanics that his brother introduced him to following his discharge from the Air Force. Cash and his wife, Vivian, were living in Memphis, Tennessee,...
" - "Darling Companion" (John SebastianJohn SebastianJohn Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
) - "Starkville City Jail"
Side 2
- "San Quentin"
- "San Quentin"
- "A Boy Named SueA Boy Named Sue"A Boy Named Sue" is a song written by Shel Silverstein and performed by Johnny Cash. Cash was at the height of his popularity when he recorded the song live at California's San Quentin State Prison at a concert on 24 February 1969. The concert was filmed by Granada Television for later...
" (Shel SilversteinShel SilversteinSheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
) - "(There'll Be) Peace in the ValleyPeace in the Valley"Peace in the Valley" is a 1937 song written by Thomas A. Dorsey, originally for Mahalia Jackson. The song became a hit in 1951 for Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys, reaching No. 7 on the Country & Western Best Seller chart. It was among the first gospel recordings to sell one million copies...
" (Thomas A. DorseyThomas A. DorseyThomas Andrew Dorsey was known as "the father of black gospel music" and was at one time so closely associated with the field that songs written in the new style were sometimes known as "dorseys." Earlier in his life he was a leading blues pianist known as Georgia Tom.As formulated by Dorsey,...
) - "Folsom Prison BluesFolsom Prison Blues"Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career...
"
CD reissue (2000)
- "Big RiverBig River (Johnny Cash song)"Big River" is a song written and originally recorded by Johnny Cash. Released as a single by Sun Records in 1958, it went as high as #4 on the Billboard country music charts and stayed on the charts for 14 weeks...
" – 1:56 - "I Still Miss SomeoneI Still Miss Someone"I Still Miss Someone" is the title of a song written and originally recorded by American country music singer Johnny Cash. He first recorded it in 1958 as the b-side to "Don't Take Your Guns to Town".-History:...
" (J. Cash, Roy Cash) – 1:52 - "Wreck of the Old 97"* (arranged by Cash, Johnston, Blake) – 2:05
- "I Walk the Line" – 3:29
- "Darlin' Companion" (Sebastian) – 3:21
- "I Don't Know Where I'm Bound" (T. Cuttie) – 2:24
- "Starkville City Jail" – 6:15
- "San Quentin" – 4:07
- "San Quentin" – 3:13
- "Wanted Man" (Dylan) – 3:24
- "A Boy Named Sue" (Silverstein) – 3:59
- "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley" (Dorsey) – 2:30
- "Folsom Prison Blues" – 4:24
- "Ring of FireRing of Fire (song)"Ring of Fire" or "The Ring of Fire" is a country music song popularized by Johnny Cash and co-written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore. The single appears on Cash's 1963 compilation album, Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash...
" (June CarterJune Carter CashValerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash...
, Merle KilgoreMerle KilgoreWyatt Merle Kilgore was an American singer, songwriter, and manager.-Early life:Although born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Merle Kilgore was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the son of Wyatt and Gladys B. Kilgore...
) – 2:07 - "He Turned the Water Into Wine" – 4:01
- "Daddy Sang BassDaddy Sang Bass"Daddy Sang Bass" is a 1968 single written by Carl Perkins, with some lines from "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" and recorded by Johnny Cash. "Daddy Sang Bass" was Johnny Cash's sixty-first release on the country chart. The song went to number one on the country charts for six weeks and spent a...
" (Carl PerkinsCarl PerkinsCarl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
) – 2:43 - "The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago" (L.R. Dalton) – 2:16
- "Closing Medley: Folsom Prison Blues/I Walk the Line/Ring of Fire/The Rebel-Johnny Yuma" (Cash)/(Cash)/(Carter, Kilgore)/(R. Markowitz, A. Fenady) – 5:08
It is worth noting, however, that it seems to be widely accepted that Henry Whitter wrote the music , as "The Ship That Never Returned"; Fred Lewey wrote the original words, and Charles Noell wrote the original two additional verses. Source: http://www.ezfolk.com/bgbanjo/bgb-tabs/wreck97/wreckbio/wreckbio.html
Legacy edition (2006)
Disc 1Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
- 1. "Blue Suede ShoesBlue Suede Shoes"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time...
" (Carl Perkins) - 3:52
The Statler Brothers
- 2. "Flowers on the WallFlowers on the Wall"Flowers on The Wall" is a song made famous by country music group The Statler Brothers. Written and composed by the group's original tenor, Lew DeWitt, the song peaked in popularity in January 1966, spending four weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart, and reaching No....
" - 3:27
The Carter Family
- 3. "The Last Thing on My MindThe Last Thing on My Mind"The Last Thing on My Mind" is a song written by American musician and singer-songwriter Tom Paxton in the early 1960s, which Paxton first recorded in 1964...
" (Tom PaxtonTom PaxtonThomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
) - 3:34 - 4. "June Carter Cash Talks To The Audience" - 2:41
- 5. "Wildwood FlowerWildwood Flower"Wildwood Flower" is an American song, best known through performances and recordings by the Carter Family. However, the song predates them. The original title was "I'll Twine 'Mid the Ringlets"...
" (Maud Irving, Joseph Philbrick WebsterJoseph Philbrick WebsterJoseph Philbrick Webster, also known as J.P. Webster , was an American songwriter and composer most notable for his musical compositions during the Antebellum and American Civil War periods of United States history, and his post-war religious hymns.Amongst his most notable works are the ballad...
) - 3:49
Johnny Cash
- 6. "Big River" - 1:43
- 7. "I Still Miss Someone" - 1:50
- 8. "Wreck of the Old 97"* (arranged by Cash, Johnston, Blake) - 3:24
- 9. "I Walk the Line" - 2:28
- 10. "Medley: The Long Black Veil/Give My Love To Rose" (Danny DillDanny DillHorace Eldred Dill , known professionally known as Danny Dill, was an American country music singer and songwriter...
, Marijohn WilkinMarijohn WilkinMarijohn Wilkin , née Melson, was an American 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...
) - 4:06 - 11. "Folsom Prison Blues" - 3:00
- 12. "Orange Blossom SpecialOrange Blossom Special (song)The fiddle tune "Orange Blossom Special", about the passenger train of the same name, was written by Ervin T. Rouse in 1938. The original recording was created by Ervin and Gordon Rouse in 1939. It is considered the best known fiddle tune of the twentieth century and is often called simply The...
" (Ervin T. Rouse) - 3:03
Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash
June Carter Cash
Valerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash...
and Carl Perkins
- 13. "JacksonJackson (song)"Jackson" is a song, written in 1963 by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler, about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship...
" (Jerry Leiber, Billy Edd WheelerBilly Edd WheelerBilly Edward "Edd" Wheeler is an American songwriter, performer, writer and visual artist. He has written songs performed by over 90 different artists including Judy Collins, Jefferson Airplane, Bobby Darin, The Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Kenny Rogers, Hazel Dickens, and Elvis Presley...
) - 3:23 - 14. "Darlin' Companion" (Sebastian) - 2:24
The Carter Family and Carl Perkins
- 15. "Break My Mind" - 2:56
Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins
- 16. "I Don't Know Where I'm Bound" - 5:14
- 17. "Starkville City Jail" - 3:32
Disc 2
- 1. "San Quentin" - 4:09
- 2. "San Quentin" - 3:13
- 3. "Wanted Man" (Dylan/Cash) - 3:29
Carl Perkins
- 4. "Restless" (Perkins) - 3:54
Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins
- 5. "A Boy Named Sue" - 3:45
- 6. "BlisteredBlistered"Blistered" is a single by American country music artist Johnny Cash. Released in October 1969, it was the first single from his album Hello, I'm Johnny Cash. The song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart...
" - 1:46
Johnny Cash, The Carter Family and Carl Perkins
- 7. "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley" (Dorsey) - 3:14
Carl Perkins
- 8. "The Outside Looking In" - 3:00
The Statler Brothers & Carl Perkins
- 9. "Less Of Me" - 2:45
Johnny Cash, The Carter Family and Carl Perkins
- 10. "Ring Of Fire" (Carter, Kilgore) - 2:07
Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers and Carl Perkins
- 11. "He Turned The Water Into Wine" - 4:01
- 12. "Daddy Sang Bass" - 2:43
- 13. "The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago" (Dalton) - 2:16
- 14. "Closing Medley: Folsom Prison Blues (June Carter Cash)/I Walk The Line (The Carter Family)/Ring Of Fire (The Statler Brothers)/Folsom Prison Blues (Carl Perkins)/The Rebel - Johnny Yuma (Johnny Cash)/Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)" - 5:08
Disc 3 (DVD)
- The original 1969 documentary produced by Granada TV in the U.K. chronicles Cash's historic concert at the maximum security prison. Includes footage of the concert that became the 1969 best-selling LP, and features an edited performance of the number 1 hit "A Boy Named Sue". Also contains one-on-one interviews with several of the prison guards and inmates, talking about their time and experiences behind bars. (Running time: approx. 60 minutes)
Personnel
- Johnny Cash - vocal, Acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- June Carter CashJune Carter CashValerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash...
- vocal - Carter FamilyCarter FamilyThe Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
- vocals, AutoharpAutoharpThe autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
, Guitar - Marshall GrantMarshall GrantMarshall Garnett Grant was the upright bassist and electric bassist of singer Johnny Cash's original backing duo, the Tennessee Two, in which Grant and electric guitarist Luther Perkins played. The group became known as The Tennessee Three in 1960, with the addition of drummer W. S. Holland...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - W.S. Holland - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Carl PerkinsCarl PerkinsCarl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
- electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Bob WoottonBob WoottonBob Wootton is an American guitarist. He joined Johnny Cash's backing band, the Tennessee Three, after original lead guitarist, Luther Perkins, died in a house fire.- Biography :...
- electric guitar - The Statler Brothers - vocals
Charts
Album - U.S. Billboard chartsBillboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Country Albums | 1 |
| 1969 | Pop Albums | 1 |
Singles - U.S. Billboard charts
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | "A Boy Named Sue" | Country Singles | 1 |
| 1969 | "A Boy Named Sue" | Pop Singles | 2 |