Song of the Day: Bad News by Johnny Cash

This is one of Johnny Cash’s wildest, loosest, craziest performances.  It has the feel of a live performance but, was probably recorded in the studio.  Johnny can be heard cracking up and ad libbing with the background singers (including his wife June Carter Cash).  He seems like he’s barely holding it together (who knows what substances fueled the performance) but, when he goes down for that low note at the end the line “Leaving little girls that hate to see me Go”, you know he is in complete control.  Who but Cash could start as low as this song already is and then reach down so effortlessly for that payoff note.  Amazing!

As near as I can tell this was recorded in 1963 and released as the B-side of the Ballad of Ira Hayes single.  It first appeared on an album in 1964 called I Walk the Line, a Columbia compilation of some sort that features new tunes and as well as re-recordings of some of Cash’s famous Sun sides (see here for details).  The song was written by J. D. Loudermilk and also appeared, in a fine version, on yesterday’s Infinite Jones Recommends album Ton-Ton Macoute! by Johnny Jenkins.