| Live Recordings from the Louisiana Hayride - Johnny Cash | |
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Reviewed by Jolene Downs
One of the latest releases from The Louisiana Hayride Series is Johnny Cash, Live Recordings from the Louisiana Hayride. The songs were recorded from Johnny's appearances on the Hayride between 1955 and 1963. From 1948 to 1970, The Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana was a stopping point for many major country music stars along with the local artists in the area. It had a live audience of 3,800 people each Saturday night and its live broadcast was at 50,000 watts on KWKH out of Shreveport. They are releasing live recordings from many of these sessions, and it is a trip down memory lane when you sit down and listen to the performances.
On Johnny's first Hayride appearance in November of 1955, he and The Tennessee Two had only been playing in front of paying audiences for a few weeks. However, he sounds confident in his abilities as a performer, and you can tell even then that he has that special connection with his audience that will lead to great things in his future. The songs he chose to perform that night were "Hey Porter" and "Luther Played The Boogie." "Hey Porter" was the 'B' side of Johnny's first single, "Cry, Cry, Cry." "Luther Played The Boogie" was a tribute to lead guitarist Luther Perkins and was eventually released as a Sun single in 1959. Johnny's performance that night made him an immediate favorite with the Hayride audience and he was a cast regular for the next seven months.
"So Doggone Lonesome" and "I Walk The Line" were recorded during appearances in May and June of 1956. "So Doggone Lonesome" was a recent No. 4 hit on the country charts. "I Walk The Line" had just been on the charts a week or two when Johnny first performed it on the Hayride. It would go on to become Johnny's first No. 1 on the national charts. The song had a strong connection with The Louisiana Hayride. Johnny had written it while he was on tour the night after his first appearance on the Hayride.
In July of 1956, Johnny moved on to become a cast member of The Grand Ole Opry where he stayed for the next two years. But in March of 1959, Johnny returned to the Hayride once again a free agent. That night Johnny performed "Give My Love to Rose," "Goodbye Little Darlin'" and "Rock Island Line." This was where Johnny showed he was willing to perform something other than his current hits. "Give My Love To Rose" was just a minor 'B' side hit in 1957. The talents of his band are in the spotlight for the other two songs.
They included eight songs from Johnny's sold out show in February of 1962. The material was a combination of Sun Records and Columbia Records, who Johnny had signed with in 1958. It is a testament to Johnny's great talent that almost of his chosen songs from these performances are so well known even today. "Rock Island Line," "Big River," "Five Feet High and Rising," "Guess Things Happen That Way" and "Folsom Prison Blues" are still songs that almost everyone who is familiar with Johnny Cash can sing along with. "I Got Stripes" and "The Rebel - Johnny Yuma" are both fairly well known among Cash fans as well. He also performed "When I've Learned" and "Ballad of the Harp Weaver."
The final song on the album, "Busted," was recorded in June of 1963. The best part about this type of album, is the fact that they leave in all of the background noise of the performance. What you hear is pretty much what the audiences that were there for the shows heard. As long as they release recordings like this, the atmosphere and artists of shows like The Louisiana Hayride can never die.
This album is a great addition to any collection of the classic country music fan. Johnny Cash fans will truly appreciate the onstage banter and the choice of material on this CD.
Song List:
Album cover used with permission of Scena Records.
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