There were numerous great recordings chronicling their romance, but it strikes me listening to these collections how much ground is represented just with "Jackson" and their duet of "If I Were a Carpenter" from 1969. Throw in "Ring of Fire" and the 1999 recording of "Far Side Banks of Jordan" and you've got a pretty good chunk of a legendary romance captured for the ages.
Nearly half of the 1999 Press On album comes from re-recordings of songs from an out of print 1975 album Appalachian Pride. Conveniently and revealingly, the Keep on the Sunny Side collection has the 1975 recordings. Usually one would be skeptical of re-recordings of your old songs. However, they sound really different not just stylistically, but in the underlying emotional communication. Moreover, I'd pick the 1999 recordings clearly over the 1975 versions for nearly ever song.
Most improved award goes to "Losin' You" which shows the limitations of humor, and where it might sometimes have been something of a limitation. In 1975, she's still half playing it off for a joke. Note some of the cheesy keyboards. By 1999, she's got a whole different and more serious reading of the same tune. It's not somber, really, but something's heavier and more real.
It seems as if only late in life did she become really comfortable with addressing heavier dramatic states such as the pure tragedy of "Tall Loverman" with no vaudeville punchlines. The Press On recordings uniformly have more emotional throw weight than the earlier recordings.
Naturally, there are several cuts among these albums that go to Carter family mythology, not to put too high-falutin' a word to it. Of course, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" shows up in multiple recordings. But there are perhaps more interesting songs to that end.
"Ole Slewfoot" (recorded in 1974) rates special attention for folks interested in the whole family mythology. This song about a pig-stealin' country Bigfoot is best known from Porter Wagoner's definitive version. This becomes a special family moment though as sung by June, who's going to shoot Ole Slewfoot full of buckshot. Then, of course, the famous baritone kicks in with "Some folks say he looks a lot like me." Soon enough, their young daughters are singing "Some folks say he looks a lot like Daddy" Them Carter womenfolk could be a little wild and mean.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Kisses thrown your way Al. Appreciate the June knowledge connection since I had very little.
2 - Al Barger
Thank you so much Temple. I only hope that I'm doing her justice. I'm still tinkering with this slightly. I want to add in just a couple of little bio details.
3 - todd
Ol' Johnny had himself a good hoss there, yessiree bob.
4 - Bill Madon
Wish I could get a copy of the CARRYIN' ON album, just to get the original recording of JACKSON. This song is represented in several of Johnny's later compilations, but it's never the original, maybe he lost the rights to the original. I have fond childhood memories of the 45 rpm single playing on my dad's hi-fi.
5 - Al Barger
Bill, there's an Amazon link for the 1967 Carryin' On album right here, listed as "original recording remastered." I've only ever heard one studio recording of the song, unless they re-recorded it somewhere so faithfully that I can't tell the difference.
6 - mick
was june carter all there??