At Folsom Prison
Encyclopedia
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 had been interested 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
, whom he married later that year; Carl Perkins
and the Tennessee Three
, Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison
in California
on January 13, 1968. The resulting album consisted of 15 tracks from the first show and two tracks 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 15 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 the ensuing popularity revitalized Cash's career, leading to the release of a second prison album, At San Quentin
. The album was re-released with additional tracks in 1999 and as a three-disc set in 2008. It was certified Gold
on 10/30/1968, Platinum and 2x Platinum on 11/21/1986 and 3x Platinum on 3/27/2003 by the R.I.A.A.
while serving in the U.S. Air Force Security Service
. In 1953, his unit watched Crane Wilbur
's film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison
. The movie inspired Cash to write a song that reflected his perception of prison life. The result was "Folsom Prison Blues
", Cash's second single on Sun Records
. After its release, the song became popular 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
", "Understand Your Man", and "Ring of Fire
", 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
underwent major personnel changes. Frank Jones and Don Law, who had produced several of Cash's albums, were ousted in favor of Bob Johnston
, who 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
and Folsom, and Folsom was the first to respond.
On January 10, 1968, Cash and June Carter
checked into the El Rancho Motel in Sacramento
, California
. They were later accompanied by the Tennessee Three
, Carl Perkins
, The Statler Brothers, Johnny's father Ray Cash and producer Johnston. The performers rehearsed for two days, an uncommon occurrence for them. sometimes with two or more songs being rehearsed concurrently by various combinations of the musicians.. A fashion show taking place in an adjacent ballroom provided an unneeded distraction, and during the rehearsal sessions on January 12, California governor Ronald Reagan
, who was at the hotel for an after-dinner speech, visited the band and offered his encouragement. One of the foci of the sessions was to learn "Greystone Chapel", a song written by inmate Glen Sherley
. Sherley recorded a version of the song, which he passed on to Rev. Floyd Gressett, a Ventura, CA pastor who regularly visited inmates at Folsom, via the prison's recreation director. On January 13, the group traveled to Folsom, meeting up with Los Angeles Times
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 9:40 AM and one at 12:40 PM, 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
". Following this song, The Statler Brothers sang their hit "Flowers on the Wall
" and the country standard "This Old House
". 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
tune "25 Minutes to Go
". The singer also included other songs of despair, such as the Merle Travis
song "Dark as a Dungeon
". 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 three novelty songs from his album Everybody Loves A Nut
, "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 a song from his "Blood, Sweat and Tears
" album, "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 was not 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.
on May 25, 1968; it also hit the country charts a week later. The single suffered a setback, however, when Robert F. Kennedy
was assassinated
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 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
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
(RIAA) for shipping over 500,000.
At Folsom Prison received rave reviews upon its release. Al Aronowitz
of Life
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
, 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!
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". Sun Records
re-dubbed Cash's previous B-side "Get Rhythm
" 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 State Prison
. At San Quentin became Cash's first album to hit number one on the Pop chart and produced the number two hit "A Boy Named Sue
". 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", and "The Legend of John Henry's Hammer". Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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
s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
. Also that year, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress
to be added to the National Recording Registry
. Country Music Television
named it the third greatest album in country music in 2006. Blender
listed the album as the 63rd greatest American album of all time and as one of the "500 CDs You Must Own". In 2006, Time
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 of Northern Light Productions
, featured pictures and interviews relevant to the concert. Pitchfork Media
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."
Credited on 1999 re-issue
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
by Johnny Cash
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...
, released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in May 1968. Since his 1955 song "Folsom Prison Blues
Folsom 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...
", Cash had been interested 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 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...
in charge of producing Cash's material. Cash had recently controlled his drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
problems, and was looking to turn his career around after several years of limited commercial success. Backed with June Carter
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...
, whom he married later that year; Carl 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...
and the Tennessee Three
Tennessee Three
The Tennessee Three was the backing band for country music and rockabilly singer Johnny Cash for nearly 25 years, until Cash's reorganizing of the group and naming it The Great Eighties Eight in 1980....
, Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison is a California State Prison located in the city of Folsom, California, northeast from the state capital of Sacramento. Opened in 1880, Folsom is the second-oldest prison in the state of California after San Quentin and was the first in the country to have electricity...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on January 13, 1968. The resulting album consisted of 15 tracks from the first show and two tracks from the second.
Despite little initial investment by Columbia, the album was a hit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, reaching number one on the country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
charts and the top 15 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 the ensuing popularity revitalized Cash's career, leading to the 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. It was certified Gold
on 10/30/1968, Platinum and 2x Platinum on 11/21/1986 and 3x Platinum on 3/27/2003 by the R.I.A.A.
Background
Cash first took interest in Folsom State PrisonFolsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison is a California State Prison located in the city of Folsom, California, northeast from the state capital of Sacramento. Opened in 1880, Folsom is the second-oldest prison in the state of California after San Quentin and was the first in the country to have electricity...
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 cryptographic intelligence branch; its motto was Freedom through Vigilance. It was created in October 1948 and operated until 1979, when the branch was re-designated the Electronic Security Command...
. In 1953, his unit watched Crane Wilbur
Crane Wilbur
Crane Wilbur was an American writer, actor and director for stage, radio and screen. He was born 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 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 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...
", Cash's second single on Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, 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...
. After its release, the song became popular 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. 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,...
", "Understand Your Man", and "Ring of Fire
Ring 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...
", 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, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
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 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...
, who 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 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...
and Folsom, and Folsom was the first to respond.
Recording
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...
checked into the El Rancho Motel in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. They were later accompanied by the Tennessee Three
Tennessee Three
The Tennessee Three was the backing band for country music and rockabilly singer Johnny Cash for nearly 25 years, until Cash's reorganizing of the group and naming it The Great Eighties Eight in 1980....
, Carl 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...
, The Statler Brothers, Johnny's father Ray Cash and producer Johnston. The performers rehearsed for two days, an uncommon occurrence for them. sometimes with two or more songs being rehearsed concurrently by various combinations of the musicians.. A fashion show taking place in an adjacent ballroom provided an unneeded distraction, and during the rehearsal sessions on January 12, California governor Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, who was at the hotel for an after-dinner speech, visited the band and offered his encouragement. One of the foci of the sessions was to learn "Greystone Chapel", a song written by inmate Glen Sherley
Glen Sherley
Glen Milborn Sherley was a country singer-songwriter, who famously penned "Greystone Chapel" made famous by Johnny Cash in 1968, when Cash performed the song live at Folsom Prison.- Early life :...
. Sherley recorded a version of the song, which he passed on to Rev. Floyd Gressett, a Ventura, CA pastor who regularly visited inmates at Folsom, via the prison's 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, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
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 9:40 AM and one at 12:40 PM, 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 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country 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 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....
" and the country standard "This Old House
This Ole House
"This Ole House" is a popular song written by Stuart Hamblen, and published in 1954.-Background:Hamblen was supposedly out on a hunting expedition when he and his fellow hunter, actor John Wayne, came across a tumbledown hut in the mountains, many miles from civilization...
". 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 , derives from gallows which is a platform with a noose used to execute people by hanging. Gallows humor is the type of humor that still manages to be funny in the face of, and in response to, a perfectly hopeless situation...
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.-Lyrics:The song is literally "gallows humor", as it is sung by a man awaiting his own execution by hanging...
". The singer also included other songs of despair, such as the Merle Travis
Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
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. It has become a rallying song among miners seeking improved working conditions....
". Following "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...
", Cash included a few "slow, ballad-type songs", including "Send a Picture of Mother" and "The Long Black Veil", and then followed with three 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 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
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...
joined Cash on stage to perform a pair of duets. After a seven-minute version of a song from his "Blood, Sweat and Tears
Blood, Sweat and Tears (album)
Blood, Sweat and Tears is the fifteenth album by singer Johnny Cash, released in 1963 . It is, in essence, a collection of songs about the American working man...
" album, "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 was not 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 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
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 referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
was assassinated
Robert F. Kennedy assassination
The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California...
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 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 music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
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 a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for shipping over 500,000.
At Folsom Prison received rave reviews upon its release. Al Aronowitz
Al Aronowitz
Alfred Gilbert Aronowitz was an American rock journalist best known for introducing Bob Dylan and The Beatles in 1964.Aronowitz was born in Bordentown, New Jersey...
of Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
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 and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, 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.-Background:Sing Out! is the primary publication of the tax exempt, not-for-profit, educational corporation of the same name...
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". Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, 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...
re-dubbed Cash's previous B-side "Get Rhythm
Get Rhythm
"Get Rhythm" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It was released in September 1969 as a single.-Content:...
" 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 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...
. At San Quentin became Cash's first album to hit number one on the Pop chart and produced the number two hit "A Boy Named Sue
A 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...
". The ensuing popularity from the Folsom concert also prompted ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
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
Busted
Busted were an English pop band consisting of members James Bourne and Matt Willis and previously Charlie Simpson who left the band in 2005. Busted split up in January 2005 after Simpson decided to leave to join his own band Fightstar. During their run, they released two studio albums, a...
", "Joe Bean", and "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 many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
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 US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal 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...
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 title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
. Also that year, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
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...
. Country Music Television
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
named it the third greatest album in country music in 2006. Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
listed the album as the 63rd greatest American album of all time and as one of the "500 CDs You Must Own". In 2006, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
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 of Northern Light Productions
Northern Light Productions
Northern Light Productions is a documentary film production company based in Boston, MA. Founded in 1982 by independent filmmaker Bestor Cram, the company is one of New England's premiere production organizations, creating a variety of work for museums, visitor centers, educational institutions,...
, featured pictures and interviews relevant to the concert. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
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."
Original release (1968)
Re-release (1999)
Legacy Edition (2008)
Disc 3 (DVD)- Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison documentary film (2 hours, 10 minutes)
- Interviews
- Marty Stuart
- Rosanne Cash
- Marshall Grant
- Bob Irwin: "Remixing the Folsom Recording"
- Marty Stuart: Performance of "Hangman"
- Ronda Sherley: "Glen Sherley's My Last Day"
- Folsom Inmate Lefty: "Orange Blossom Special Harmonica"
Credits
- 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...
– vocal, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - 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...
– vocal - 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... - Luther PerkinsLuther PerkinsLuther Monroe Perkins was an American country music guitarist and a member of the Tennessee Three, the backup band for singer Johnny Cash. Perkins was an iconic figure in what would become known as rockabilly music...
– electric guitar - The Statler Brothers (Lew DeWittLew DeWittLewis Calvin "Lew" DeWitt was an American country music singer and composer.For most of his career DeWitt sang tenor for The Statler Brothers...
, Don ReidDon Reid (music)Donald Sidney "Don" Reid is the retired lead singer and main songwriter of the American country music vocal group, The Statler Brothers...
, Harold ReidHarold ReidHarold Reid is the former bass singer for the country vocal group The Statler Brothers. He wrote or co-wrote 17 songs that were hit singles for the group, including "Bed of Rose's" and the #1 hit "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine." The latter was written with his younger brother, Don Reid, the lead...
, Phil BalsleyPhil BalsleyPhilip Elwood Balsley is the former baritone singer for the retired country vocal group The Statler Brothers...
) – vocals - 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...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Bob Breault, Bill Britain – engineers
- Jim Marshall – photography
Credited on 1999 re-issue
- Bob Irwin – producer
- Steven Berkowitz – producer, A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
- 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-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
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 every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
7 |
| Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
13 |
| Top Country Albums Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
1 |
| Chart (1969) | Peak Position |
| Canada RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian 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. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... LP Chart |
27 |