With His Hot and Blue Guitar

Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar
Studio album by Johnny Cash
Released October 11, 1957 (1957-10-11)
Recorded September 1954 – August 4, 1957
Genre
Length 27:40
Label Sun
Producer Sam Phillips
Johnny Cash chronology
Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar
(1957)
Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous
(1958)Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous1958
Singles from Johnny Cash with his Hot and Blue Guitar
  1. "Cry! Cry! Cry!"
    Released: June 21, 1955
  2. "Folsom Prison Blues"/"So Doggone Lonesome"
    Released: December 15, 1955
  3. "I Walk the Line"
    Released: May 1, 1956
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]

Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar is the debut studio album by American country star Johnny Cash, released on October 11, 1957. The album contained four of his hit singles: "I Walk the Line," "Cry! Cry! Cry!," "So Doggone Lonesome," and "Folsom Prison Blues." It was re-issued on July 23, 2002 as an expanded edition, under the label Varese Vintage, containing five bonus tracks, three being alternate versions of tracks already present on the original LP. In 2012, Columbia Records reissued the album with 16 additional non-album Sun tracks as part of its 63-disc Johnny Cash: The Complete Columbia Album Collection box set.

This was one of the first albums ever issued on Sam Phillips' Sun Records label.

Background

Cash auditioned for a place on the music label Sun Records in 1955, but failed to impress its founder Sam Philips after presenting himself as a gospel singer. Cash was told to come back with a more commercial sound, as gospel wouldn't sell. He returned with the songs "Hey Porter!" and "Cry! Cry! Cry!" and subsequently released them as his debut single on Sun Records in July 1955. On the recording he was backed by Luther Perkins on guitar and Marshall Grant on bass, dubbed "The Tennessee Two" by Philips. ("Hey Porter" was not included on the original Sun album, but was included in later reissues by other labels.)

"Cry! Cry! Cry!" became a commercial success, entering the country charts at number fourteen.

His second single, "Folsom Prison Blues", was released in December 1955 and reached the country Top Five in early 1956.

His final single on With His Hot and Blue Guitar, "I Walk the Line", continued his success, reaching number one on the country charts and staying there for six weeks, eventually crossing over into the pop Top 20.[3]

Track listing

All tracks written by Johnny Cash, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Rock Island Line"Unknown2:11
2."I Heard That Lonesome Whistle"Jimmie Davis, Hank Williams2:25
3."Country Boy" 1:49
4."If the Good Lord's Willing"Jerry Reed1:44
5."Cry! Cry! Cry!" 2:29
6."Remember Me"Stuart Hamblen2:01
7."So Doggone Lonesome" 2:39
8."I Was There When It Happened"Jimmie Davis, Fern Jones2:17
9."I Walk the Line" 2:46
10."The Wreck of the Old '97"Traditional (probably Charles Noell); arranged Cash1:48
11."Folsom Prison Blues" 2:51
12."Doin' My Time"Jimmie Skinner2:40
Total length:27:40

Note that on the Varese CD reissue, "Country Boy" is not the original "full band" version from the LP, but rather an acoustic version with just Cash and his guitar which is the demo version, but the "full band" version is available on iTunes.

See Johnny Cash: The Complete Columbia Album Collection for the track listing of the extended edition included in the 2012 box set.

Personnel

Charts

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1955 "Cry Cry Cry" Country Singles 14
1956 "Folsom Prison Blues" Pop Singles 17
1956 "Folsom Prison Blues" Country Singles 3
1955 "So Doggone Lonesome" Country Singles 4
1956 "I Walk the Line" Country Singles 1
1956 "I Walk the Line" Pop Singles 17

References

  1. http://www.allmusic.com/album/with-his-hot-and-blue-guitar-mw0000226559
  2. With His Hot and Blue Guitar at AllMusic
  3. "Johnny Cash - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". Retrieved 2013-03-29.


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