Liner Notes

On a summer afternoon in New York City, June and I walked through the zoo in Central Park. It was a hot dog and ice cream day. The place was crowded and giving up on the hassles of working our way through the crowd, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for the concert that night at Garden State Art Center. As we approached the hotel, I saw a bum lying on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. He never opened his eyes when I stood over him. June said, "Come on, honey. Let's go." But I said, "Just a minute." I walked around him hoping he wasn't dead. My shadow feel across him and when I moved on, I saw his eyes flutter as the bright sunlight hit his face. He didn't open his eyes, but I knew he wasn't dead. "What are you doing?" June asked. "I'm just thinking about my friend here," I said, "That could have been me, you know." June came over closer to me and smiled at me. "That was you a couple of times". She said again, "Come on, let's go."

The rest of the story is in the song. I became that man. I put myself in his place and in my mind, he finally won. I wish I knew who he is, and where he is. I send him a piece of Strawberry Cake.

By possession of this album, you can consider yourself having been present twenty years ago in 1955 at the start of a career and a sound at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, as Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two cut their first record....to recently as September 1975 when Johnny Cash presented at London England's Palladium his Johnny Cash Concert. From the standpoint of "sound," to have been present at one would be the same as having attended the other.

Times change, taste change, and in order to conform some artist must change. Johnny Cash changed in keeping with the times; but, as it turned out, not keeping with taste. Many opinions were expressed to John and me, as to what should be done for the sake of conformity. Innovations were tried-new arrangements-different material-engineering "gimmicks," but fortunately one item defied change. Through it all the voice and style remained constant and identifiable, admittedly almost unrecognizable in some cases, nevertheless still there. If any change is perceptible in today's recordings, as compared to those twenty years ago, that change is of time as related to maturity of voice.

This album, then, brings around full circle. Back to the start of a career and sound. To a point from which a digression was never needed. Here is what you have demanded. The basic, honest, up-front Johnny Cash...better than ever

Info

Personnel

• Johnny Cash - Main Performer, Vocals
• Bob Wootton, Jerry Hensley - Electric Guitar
• Marshall Grant - Bass
• WS Holland- Drums

Recorded:
1976 at London Palladium 

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Info

Strawberry Cake is a live album by country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1975 (see 1975 in music). In it, Cash tells stories about the recording of each song, and also the history of the United States, in a precursor of sorts to the VH1 Storytellers series, for which he would go on to record a live album entitled VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson. The album includes several of Cash's most well-known early songs, such as "Big River", "I Still Miss Someone" and "Rock Island Line", as well as a number of more obscure compositions, some of which were performed by Cash for the first time; this includes "The Church in the Wildwood", "Lonesome Valley", "Strawberry Cake" and "Navajo". The title track was released as a single, but did poorly on the charts, peaking at No. 54. There is also a rumour that a bomb threat had cancelled part of the show.

Re-Release Info

This album has not been re-released. 

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Lyrics

Not available

Big River

Doin' My Time

I Still Miss Someone

I Got Stripes

Church In The Wildwood & Lonesome Valley (with The Carter Family)

Strawberry Cake

Rock Island Line

Navajo

Destination Victoria Station ( with The Carter Family)

The Fourth Man (The Johnny Cash Show)

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