The Fabulous Johnny Cash is the second studio album by American country singer Johnny Cash and his first to be released by Columbia Records, marking the beginning of 28 years with the label. The album was released on November 3, 1958, not long after Cash's departure from Sun Records.
| The Fabulous Johnny Cash | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 3, 1958 | |||
| Recorded | July 24–August 13, 1958 | |||
| Studio | Bradley Film and Recording Studio (Nashville) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 28:28 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Don Law | |||
| Johnny Cash chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Fabulous Johnny Cash | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   link |
| PopMatters | favorable[1] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [2] |
| Classic Rock | favorable[3] |
Content
The album features five tracks written by Cash and backing vocal performances by The Jordanaires (who at this time were also regulars on Elvis Presley's recording sessions for RCA Records). Overall, even though the album is only 29 minutes in length, it is considered one of Cash's most cohesive pieces. This is largely because his sessions with Columbia were completed over a two-month period. That is greatly reduced when compared to the year by year sessions by Sun Records.[4]
Commercial performance
The Fabulous Johnny Cash was a successful debut on Columbia for Cash as it sold over half a million copies during its initial release.[5] Although Billboard did not publish a chart for country albums in 1958, the album peaked at #19 on the Billboard Best Selling LP's chart.
Reissues
The album was reissued in 2002 by Sony Music's Legacy imprint. The re-issue contains six bonus tracks and unedited versions of the songs. Legacy reissued the album on 180 gram vinyl for Record Store Day on November 23, 2012.[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Run Softly, Blue River" | John R. Cash | August 8, 1958 | 2:22 |
| 2. | "Frankie's Man, Johnny" | J. R. Cash | August 8, 1958 | 2:15 |
| 3. | "That's All Over" | Dick Glasser | August 8, 1958 | 1:52 |
| 4. | "The Troubadour" | Cindy Walker | August 8, 1958 | 2:15 |
| 5. | "One More Ride" | Bob Nolan | August 13, 1958 | 1:59 |
| 6. | "That's Enough" | Dorothy Coates | August 13, 1958 | 2:41 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Still Miss Someone" |
| August 13, 1958 | 2:34 |
| 2. | "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" | J. R. Cash | August 13, 1958 | 3:03 |
| 3. | "I'd Rather Die Young" |
| August 13, 1958 | 2:29 |
| 4. | "Pickin' Time" | J. R. Cash | August 13, 1958 | 1:58 |
| 5. | "Shepherd of My Heart" | Jenny Lou Carson | August 13, 1958 | 2:10 |
| 6. | "Suppertime" | Ira Stanphill | July 24, 1958 | 2:50 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Oh, What a Dream" (Take 1) | J. R. Cash | July 24, 1958 | 2:08 |
| 14. | "Mama's Baby" | J. R. Cash | August 8, 1958 | 2:22 |
| 15. | "Fool's Hall of Fame" |
| August 8, 1958 | 2:10 |
| 16. | "I'll Remember You" | J. R. Cash | August 14, 1958 | 2:07 |
| 17. | "Cold Shoulder" | Helene Hudgins | August 13, 1958 | 1:55 |
| 18. | "Walking the Blues" |
| August 13, 1958 | 2:12 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Johnny Cash - vocals, rhythm guitar
- Luther Perkins - lead guitar
- Don Helms - steel guitar
- Marshall Grant - bass
- The Jordanaires - background vocals
- Marvin Hughes - piano
- Buddy Harman - drums on "Suppertime," "Oh, What a Dream" and "I'll Remember You"
- Morris Palmer - drums
Additional personnel
- Al Quaglieri - Producer
- Don Law - Producer
- Billy Altman - Liner Notes
- Don Hunstein - Photography
- Seth Foster - Mastering
- Mark Wilder - Mastering, Mixing
- Hal Adams - Cover Photo
- Stacey Boyle - Tape Research
- Kay Smith - Tape Research
- Matt Kelly - Tape Research
- Geoff Gillette - Sleeve Design
- Steven Berkowitz - A&R
- Darren Salmieri - A&R
- Patti Matheny - A&R
- Howard Fritzson - Art Direction
- Nick Shaffran - Series Consultant
Charts
Album - Billboard (United States)
| Chart (1958) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Best Selling LP's | 19 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" | Country Singles | 1 |
| 1959 | "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" | Pop Singles | 32 |
| 1959 | "Frankie's Man, Johnny" | Country Singles | 9 |
| 1959 | "Frankie's Man, Johnny" | Pop Singles | 57 |
References
- ^ https://www.popmatters.com/cashjohnny-fabulous-2495863220.html
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 145. ISBN 9780743201698.
- ^ https://www.loudersound.com/features/buyers-guide-how-to-buy-the-best-of-johnny-cash
- ^ "Johnny Cash". adriandenning.co.uk. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/cas0bio-1
- ^ "Johnny Cash - Fabulous Johnny Cash". johnnycashonline.com. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
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