Return to the Promised Land
Encyclopedia
Return to the Promised Land is a gospel music
soundtrack
by American
country
singer Johnny Cash
, in 2000 as the exact soundtrack to the 45-minute video of the same title released in 1992 by Rev. Billy Graham's World Wide Pictures and was only released on VHS format. The Return To The Promised Land soundtrack was released by the now-defunct Brentwood, Tennessee independent label Renaissance Records. The "Return To The Promised Land" title track song was co-written by Cash, Cash employee Hugh Waddell, and Atlanta, Georgia resident David Ray Skinner, the artist who also designed the "Return To The Promised Land" logo. The video project, filmed entirely in Israel in 1990, was a "20 years later" follow-up to Cash's successful film Gospel Road.
Only 2,000 copies of the 2000 CD soundtrack were released, as the first-run advance order and media review copies. The record label went "belly up" just two months after the projected soundtrack release and no additional copies were ever manufactured. The entire video and audio Return To The Promised Land project has yet to ever be re-released in digital format, by Cash's Estate. Due to the limited number of manufacted product, both the audio and video copies of Return To The Promised Land are fetching a high price on Amazon.com.
The four Cash-penned bonus tracks are from an un-related January 15, 1993 demo session Cash did at LSI Studios in Nashville, to have the song music tracks to send to the Harry Fox Agency in New York, for copyrighting purposes for the House of Cash. The end of the Return To The Promised Land soundtrack features a hidden bonus track with John's mother Carrie (aka "Mama Cash") who plays piano, sings songs, reads her poetry and speaks of her memories of John R. Cash as a little boy on their farm in rural Arkansas. This 12-minute special and raw Mama Cash recording was a 1989 birthday present to Cash from Cash's publicist hugh waddell (producer of both Return To The Promised Land audio and video releases) so that Cash would always have his mother playing and sing and talking on tape, where ever Cash went on tour.
Cash would eventually sign with Rick Rubin
's American Recordings label, and see a period of career revival. One song (not included here) from that same demo session, "Drive On," would later be recorded for American Recordings
.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
singer 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...
, in 2000 as the exact soundtrack to the 45-minute video of the same title released in 1992 by Rev. Billy Graham's World Wide Pictures and was only released on VHS format. The Return To The Promised Land soundtrack was released by the now-defunct Brentwood, Tennessee independent label Renaissance Records. The "Return To The Promised Land" title track song was co-written by Cash, Cash employee Hugh Waddell, and Atlanta, Georgia resident David Ray Skinner, the artist who also designed the "Return To The Promised Land" logo. The video project, filmed entirely in Israel in 1990, was a "20 years later" follow-up to Cash's successful film Gospel Road.
Only 2,000 copies of the 2000 CD soundtrack were released, as the first-run advance order and media review copies. The record label went "belly up" just two months after the projected soundtrack release and no additional copies were ever manufactured. The entire video and audio Return To The Promised Land project has yet to ever be re-released in digital format, by Cash's Estate. Due to the limited number of manufacted product, both the audio and video copies of Return To The Promised Land are fetching a high price on Amazon.com.
The four Cash-penned bonus tracks are from an un-related January 15, 1993 demo session Cash did at LSI Studios in Nashville, to have the song music tracks to send to the Harry Fox Agency in New York, for copyrighting purposes for the House of Cash. The end of the Return To The Promised Land soundtrack features a hidden bonus track with John's mother Carrie (aka "Mama Cash") who plays piano, sings songs, reads her poetry and speaks of her memories of John R. Cash as a little boy on their farm in rural Arkansas. This 12-minute special and raw Mama Cash recording was a 1989 birthday present to Cash from Cash's publicist hugh waddell (producer of both Return To The Promised Land audio and video releases) so that Cash would always have his mother playing and sing and talking on tape, where ever Cash went on tour.
Cash would eventually sign with Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
's American Recordings label, and see a period of career revival. One song (not included here) from that same demo session, "Drive On," would later be recorded for American Recordings
American Recordings (album)
American Recordings is a Grammy Award-winning album by the country singer Johnny Cash. It was released in April 1994 , the first album issued by American Recordings after its name change from Def American...
.
Track listing
All tracks credited to Johnny Cash except as noted- News Conference – :51
- "Return to the Promised Land" – 3:01
- Opening Dialogue – :14
- "When I Look" – 2:57
- Dialogue – :55
- "Over the Next Hill We'll Be Home" – 2:09
- Dialogue (Tour Guides) – 1:18
- "The Old Rugged Cross" (George BennardGeorge BennardGeorge Bennard was an American hymn composer and preacher. He is best known for composing the famous hymn, "The Old Rugged Cross".- Early years :...
) – :57 - Interlude and Monologue – :34
- "I Won't Have to Cross Jordan Alone" (Charles E. Durham/Tom Ramsey) – :47
- Dialogue – :54
- "Far Side Banks of Jordan" (Terry Smith) – 2:10
- Monologue – 1:04
- "Let Me Help You Carry This Weight" (Johnny Cash/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...
) – 2:24 - Dialogue – 1:31
- "Lord Take These Hands" – 3:43
- Monologue – 1:43
- "Fishers of Men" – :47
- Dialogue – 1:48
- "The Old Gospel Ship" – 2:25
- "What on Earth Will You Do (For Heaven's Sake)" – 2:03
- Interlude – 1:10
- "God's Hands" – 2:25
- "Return to the Promised Land (instrumental)" – 1:50
- Bonus tracks from 2000 CD re-release:
- "Hello Out There" – 2:44
- "Like a Soldier Getting over the War" – 2:48
- "Poor Valley Girl" – 2:15
- "Soldier Boy" – 2:53
- Untitled (Cash/Cash/John Carter CashJohn Carter CashJohn Carter Cash is an American Country music-singer, author, songwriter and producer. He is the only son of Johnny and June Carter Cash.-Biography:...
) – 10:11