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[Kaladin]

A long-lost Johnny Cash album will soon see the light of day, 10 years after the country legend's death. Cash's estate will be releasing Out Among the Stars, an album Cash recorded in the early 1980s that was never released and has never been heard before, The Associated Press reports.

Cash recorded Out Among the Stars between 1981 and 1984, when he was signed to Columbia Records. Columbia never used those recordings, but Cash kept hold of the tapes. His son, John Carter Cash, and the archivists at Legacy Recordings finally found those tapes last year, stashed among Johnny and June Carter Cash's vast archive of recordings and random souvenirs from their lives.

Johnny Cash had been at a low point in his career in the early Eighties when Columbia set him up to record the album with Country Music Hall of Famer Billy Sherill, a producer (and president of CBS Records Nashville) who was pushing country music in a pop direction that clashed with Cash's outlaw style.

"It was the 'Urban Cowboy' phase," John Carter Cash told the AP. "It was pop country, and dad was not that. I think him working with Billy was sort of an effort by the record company to put him more in the circle of Music Row and see what could happen at the heart of that machine."

Although Columbia never saw fit to release the recordings (and dropped Cash from the label a few years later), John Carter Cash saw something special in the 12 tracks, which include duets with June Carter Cash and Waylon Jennings. Cash's backing band on the record includes Hargus "Pig" Robbins and Marty Stuart, who was brought back in to re-record his part. "We were like, my goodness this is a beautiful record that nobody has ever heard," he said. "Johnny Cash is in the very prime of his voice for his lifetime. He's pitch perfect."

Out Among the Stars is due out on March 25th.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lost-johnny-cash-album-due-out-in-march-20131210

Even though the 80s was a down period for Cash, I'm always interested to hear new recordings....bring it.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lost-johnny-cash-album-due-out-in-march-20131210

Even though the 80s was a down period for Cash, I'm always interested to hear new recordings....bring it.

Same! These things hardly ever turn out good but I'm willing to listen to any new Johnny Cash.

 

[Kaladin]

Same! These things hardly ever turn out good but I'm willing to listen to any new Johnny Cash.

At least it's an actual shelved album and not outtakes, bootlegs or songs pieced together from unfinished recordings.

 

[Alex Anderson]

John Carter Cash saw something special in the 12 tracks

I'm $ure he did!

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

At least it's an actual shelved album and not outtakes, bootlegs or songs pieced together from unfinished recordings.

True, which gives me more hope. I'm really hoping it's good.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Damn, he's already been gone 10 years? Crazy.

Will definitely check this out. The idea of just shelving completed albums is always so crazy.

 

[Kaladin]

I'm $ure he did!

It's not like his own music career is doing much. Turns out a famous last name doesn't make up for lack of talent.

 

[thefro]

It's not like his own music career is doing much. Turns out a famous last name doesn't make up for lack of talent.

He's a pretty well-respected record producer in Nashville. That's where his talent lies.

 

[Kaladin]

He's a pretty well-respected record producer in Nashville. That's where his talent lies.

I can believe that, but he's just no performer himself. I tried to get into his album The Family Secret but just couldn't.

 

[Mr_Elysia]

I think TOOL covered his song Stinkfist from this album on Aenima.

 

[wenis]

Maybe it was shelved for a reason.

 

[Flying Toaster]

Maybe it was shelved for a reason.

It was most definitely shelved for a reason, still would love to experience the album to see the low point of a stars life.

 

[AniHawk]

Maybe it was shelved for a reason.

the only explanation is that it was to seal away one of the old ones. now their reign will begin and it will last eternal.

 

[Deleted member 57681]

Yeah, I'd rather have American VI be his "last" album, thanks. Wonder why they didn't push for a release around christmas.
This tune from around that period is still legit though.

 

[Kaladin]

Maybe it was shelved for a reason.

Johnny Cash was trying to get out of his deal with Columbia throughout the 80's till he was finally successful. The album just got lost in that period of time, likely because Columbia was trying to push a different sound on him than what he wanted to record.

 

[Deleted member 57681]

Johnny Cash was trying to get out of his deal with Columbia throughout the 80's till he was finally successful. The album just got lost in that period of time, likely because Columbia was trying to push a different sound on him than what he wanted to record.

Chicken in Black was actually supposed to be a fuck you to Columbia (not that it seems like I need to tell you this, just for context concerning the song above )

 

[Kaladin]

Chicken in Black was actually supposed to be a fuck you to Columbia (not that it seems like I need to tell you this, just for context concerning the song above )

I love Chicken In Black. It goes to show you how much of a talent he was when he could record something meant to be bad and it turned out awesome.

I bet this album is probably decent at best. Some of his 80's output was good though. I've got that set that Columbia released and even some of the phoned in albums were decent.

 

[Deleted member 57681]

I love Chicken In Black. It goes to show you how much of a talent he was when he could record something meant to be bad and it turned out awesome.

I bet this album is probably decent at best. Some of his 80's output was good though. I've got that set that Columbia released and even some of the phoned in albums were decent.

Johnny 99 is alright. Might be because of the covers or the outstandig musicians on there, but it definitely is above his early 80s average.
And it has a baller cover:

 

[Deleted member 57681]

So Mr. Sandman actually made a thread for this two weeks ago, but I think it warrants a mention here

She Used To Love Me A Lot, the first song off Out Among the Stars, written by Dennis Morgan, Kye Fleming, and Charles Quillen.

Surprisingly alright. I agree that it's not so much "vintage" as a beefed up version of, well, the more senimental late seventies-stuff. Production-wise it has this light American-shimmer, sounds nice. Towards the end a bit of cheesy "Schlager", as it's called in German, but I could dig a (short) album full of this.

 

[Kaladin]

So Mr. Sandman actually made a thread for this two weeks ago, but I think it warrants a mention here

She Used To Love Me A Lot, the first song off Out Among the Stars, written by Dennis Morgan, Kye Fleming, and Charles Quillen.

Surprisingly alright. I agree that it's not so much "vintage" as a beefed up version of, well, the more senimental late seventies-stuff. Production-wise it has this light American-shimmer, sounds nice. Towards the end a bit of cheesy "Schlager", as it's called in German, but I could dig a (short) album full of this.

The most interesting thing about that song is the argument over whether to call it a cover or not. It is being released long after David Allan Coe's version, but likely recorded before then.

 

[Deleted member 57681]

The most interesting thing about that song is the argument over whether to call it a cover or not. It is being released long after David Allan Coe's version, but likely recorded before then.

Eh, I wouldn't call it that. Just your typical professional songwriter situation. Cashs version now certainly sounds a bit gloomier than DACs, I think it would be pretty much the same were it to be released in the 80s though. It's a nice song.

Tracklist btw:

1. "Out Among the Stars" (Adam Mitchell)
2. "Baby Ride Easy" (Richard Dobson)
3. "She Used to Love Me a Lot" (Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan, and Charles Quillen)
4. "After All" (Ed Bruce and Patsy Bruce)
5. "I'm Movin' On" (Hank Snow)
6. "If I Told You Who It Was"
7. "Call Your Mother" (Cash)
8. "I Drove Her Out of My Mind"
9. "Tennessee"
10. "Rock and Roll Shoes"
11. "Don't You Think It's Come Our Time"
12. "I Came to Believe" (Cash)