Only a few folks would have guessed that we’d be getting an album of beforehand unreleased authentic materials from Johnny Money in 2024 — a group that actually appears like a “new” album from the legendary singer, 21 years after his dying. Far fewer nonetheless guess on something popping out at this late date can be any good, if the unique recordings sat within the vault this lengthy. So “Songwriter,” which got here out Friday, registers as an actual shock on each depend. It affords a Money who not solely feels like he’s proper there in entrance of you, in his fullest, richest voice, however trotting out a batch of fully self-penned songs so robust it’s laborious to imagine he didn’t launch them in his lifetime.
The brand new album’s co-producers, John Carter Money and David “Fergie” Ferguson, spoke with Selection about the place the venture got here from and the way it obtained reinvisioned for the 21st century, as did Marty Stuart, the Nation Music Corridor of Famer and shut buddy of Money’s who went into the studio to document new guitar elements for the set.
They clarify how Money went right into a studio with members of his touring band in 1993 and shortly recorded these 11 demos of songs he’d lately written, after which set the recordings apart as he quickly moved on to a extremely fruitful collaboration with Rick Rubin. Two of the 11 compositions Money performed for the primary time in that ’93 session, “Drive On” and “Like a Soldier,” did find yourself getting picked up and re-recorded by Rubin for the comeback albums he produced. However there are some actual gems among the many songs that by no means obtained introduced out into the sunshine, together with some extremely private materials he wrote about his relationship with June Carter Money and her household.
Over the previous couple of years, Money’s son, John, and “Fergie,” who’d engineered the senior Money’s albums because the early Nineteen Eighties, got here collectively on the well-known Money Cabin exterior of Nashville and invited gamers in to document new backing tracks for the 11 tunes, to exchange authentic preparations that everybody concerned agreed felt under-rehearsed or dated. Right here, captured in separate interviews, Money, Ferguson and Stuart supply a historical past of the venture, from 1993 to now, together with ideas about Johnny Money’s legacy as a tunesmith.
The place was Johnny at when he laid down these tracks? Since this was earlier than his fateful hookup with Rick Rubin, was he down in any respect from the downturn his recording profession had suffered within the ‘80s?
John Carter Money: He was type of in limbo, simply earlier than he was cool once more, I feel. He had simply executed the stuff with U2 (singing lead on “The Wanderer,” which appeared on the band’s 1993 “Zooropa” album), however I don’t assume that was launched but at the moment. So he was on an upswing, however it was earlier than he had formally left Polygram and earlier than he was formally with Rick Rubin. He might have met Rick, however he was nonetheless not beneath contract. So he was contemplating songs, for what he would possibly do presumably with Rick.
When he recorded this, with the way in which that it was recorded, I don’t know if he ever supposed on it being a quote-unquote album. However when you’ve gotten these wonderful vocals and the good presentation of all authentic Johnny Money songs, and his guitar, that’s what we had. The query was, how can we under-produce it, to let it’s an album that that works in a approach that’s proper, with out being trite, and add the music that he would’ve added if he was right here?
Two of the songs wound up on the “American” collection. “Drive On” was on the primary American document, however there it was simply executed with him and a guitar. A few of these had been enjoyable issues that had been simply type of foolish, like “Effectively, All Proper” (a song about hooking up with a woman at a laundromat)— these weren’t the sort of songs that he would take into account for a document with Rick Rubin. However this works as a physique of labor, as a result of it exhibits all these completely different variances of who he was as a songwriter. In the event you take a look at the types of songs which can be on his best information, that they’re those which can be on this album — the identical fashion of songs which can be on “American 1” or “American 4” or the reside information for that matter, like “Folsom.”
The standard of his voice knocks you down. So if I ever questioned whether or not the document must be launched, then listening to the tone of his voice and the ability of his presentation at this level in his life… He was in a terrific house. He was clearheaded at the moment. He was in restoration. He was linked with household. He was in therapeutic relationships when he made this album.
Marty, you had been in his band within the ‘80s, however gone from that circle by the point of this session. Do you know about these tapes?
Marty Stuart: I wasn’t conscious of those songs or periods. I feel it was throughout COVID that John Carter known as me and advised me the story: “We’ve rescued these tapes, and a few of the songs are fairly good, however we’re gonna take it down and construct them again up.” So I went to Money Cabin, and I feel me and the engineer had been the one two folks there. The aim was to take it right down to the voice and the guitar. And a few of John’s guitar elements we might use and a few we didn’t. However the factor that that first struck me was listening to that voice and being like, “Effectively, there he’s. Oh, geez.”
Listening to his voice on that is sort of startling, if you happen to’re pondering it will sound like he sounded on “Damage” — it’s so strong.
Stuart: What I cherished about it probably the most is that he sounded so wholesome and vibrant and there was a lot hearth in his voice. Because the guitar participant in his band within the ‘80s, the factor about enjoying with him is that voice was like this huge oak tree. You possibly can take something you threw at it and it by no means moved. There was an influence about it, and it had a thousand completely different colours inside it, and nuances of tone, that every one he did was simply open his mouth and there it was, however it was a terrific voice to play to. … So it was nice to have him again within the room. It was a terrific go to. I left the studio stepping larger, as a result of it felt like I’d frolicked with the chief.
David “Fergie” Ferguson: Whenever you hear his voice on this, it actually sounds prefer it may very well be to me like Johnny Money within the late ‘60s or ‘70s. Johnny Money was a person of many voices. I’ve found, there’s this voice from the mid-‘50s, the place he sounded completely different — it’s not as resonant, or wasn’t as matured. The voice that we now have right here is the one which caught on with him within the late ‘60s and ‘70s, I feel, when it sort of mellowed, when he had “One Piece at a Time” and “Blistered” and people sort of issues.
What was mistaken with the backing tracks on the unique tapes, that you simply felt you wanted to exchange them? Did they simply sound dated?
Ferguson: His voice was in nice form the day he made these recordings. He seemed like he felt actually good. However what he did is he would sing the track, get the band to play together with him, and sing till he thought he had gotten all of it out with out stuttering or making a mistake. And so they’d say, “OK, let’s transfer to the following one.” So due to this fact, the band wasn’t nearly as good because it may very well be. I feel the band members that had been on the unique recordings would need them redone. They’d say, “We’d like to have one other crack at it,” however most of ’em are gone. So it was not a matter of the association sounding dated a lot as simply the performances weren’t what they wanted to be.
Money: There was gated drums, and a variety of harmonica, albeit a terrific harmonica participant. To me, it was of the time. I feel with the tones of the upright bass, it wasn’t performed that properly. Dave Roe was not as nice a participant again then when he first did this recording. So when Dave got here again all these years later, and we added him at that time, in any case these years of him enjoying on periods and dealing with my dad, he was top-of-the-line bass gamers in Nashville.
My father’s voice is timeless. His guitar is timeless. The recordings, although, had been of the time, together with that one rhythm guitar participant that was on most of it, who occurred to be me. So I took me off — I’m additionally one of many musicians that was eliminated.
My favourite track on the document is “Highlight,” which is simply basic nation songwriting. It doesn’t damage that you simply enlisted Dan Auerbach for a solo.
Fergie: I work so much with Dan, and I performed “Highlight” for him. He stated, “Man, I’d like to play on that.” And I stated, “Effectively, there’s nothing we’d like extra.” In order that’s one the place we did change the association and add some house in there for him to take that solo. He actually loved it after which he performed some licks on the tip of it. It match Dan’s fashion rather well. I hope everyone else thinks so, too. Dan is so proud. He despatched me an image of the title developing on the radio on the sprint of the automobile, the place it stated “Johnny Money and Dan Auerbach” on the identical line. He stated, “Man, I can’t imagine it.”
“Highlight” has sort of just a little rock groove and it appeared to actually match what he was singing, or what he was feeling when he wrote it, I feel. And what was on the unique tape was nothing like that — it was not good. However a few of ’em, we stored actually sort of true to what was to the tape too, like “Effectively, All Proper.” That and some others are straight-up Johnny Money beats, and so we didn’t mess with the person’s beat an excessive amount of on these. A few of them we had so as to add a bar right here and take a bar or two on the market to make ’em make extra sense.
Money: “Highlight” was so brief, in its authentic type. We wound up doubling the refrain as a result of it was similar to a minute and a half. I used to be like, there’s obtained to be extra.
Do you’ve gotten a favourite track on the brand new document?
Stuart: I actually love “Drive On” so much. However there’s a track known as “Soldier Boy,” and there’s a cause I like it. All people has their favourite model of Johnny Money. However , that Johnny Money from the late ‘50s, early ‘60s when it was Luther and Marshall and him — the Tennessee Three was my Beatles. And that character who was making information from then proper alongside about as much as the “Folsom Jail” reside album, that was my favourite. So after I heard “Soldier Boy,” John Carter owns one in all Luther Perkins’ guitars, and I stated, “Let me have Luther’s guitar,” and I rolled all of the tone off of it so it could sound like he did on “I Stroll the Line” and “Give My Like to Rose.” Hastily that Johnny Money that I fell in love with as a child reappeared in my audio system after I framed it in that sound. So if I needed to level to at least one track on this document and go, “That’s the one I wish to put in my pocket,” it could in all probability be “Soldier Boy,” for that cause.
Fergie: I feel my favourite, or one in all my favorites, is “She Sang Candy Child James.” That’s some actual gut-wrenching, lovely Johnny Money songwriting.
The place do you assume his songwriting legacy stands?
Stuart: Merle Haggard and I used to speak about John’s songwriting and at some point we went, “All proper, we now have to choose a favourite.” I stated, “Yeah, that’s like choosing one in all yours as a favourite. You may’t do it.” However someway we settled on “5 Ft Excessive and Rising.” That will’ve been from the late ‘50s. And it’s like, man, that is likely one of the most good songs ever written, all the things about it, and it outlined him. And there’s an obscure track that he wrote in about ‘65, known as “The Partitions of a Jail That No person Is aware of.” It was buried on a document known as “From Sea to Shining Sea.” The tune is (borrowed from) “The Streets of Laredo,” however the phrases are simply unbelievable. So no, he was by no means, ever, ever to be taken calmly as a author.
Fergie: He may very well be a foolish, foolish man. That man, he was simply enjoyable… After I was working with him within the ‘80s, he’d go as much as the studio and Cowboy (Jack Clement) would say, “Ferg, go up there … Johnny needs to do one thing.” I’d go up there and put a pair microphones on Johnny and activate the little quarter-inch tape machine, and he would put down some foolish track that he had written that morning. There was one known as “Wackos and Weirdos” that got here out on a document later, and the refrain was, ”There have been wackos and weirdos and dingbats and dodos and film stars and David Allen Coe / There was leather-based and lace and each minority race with a backstage move to the Willie Nelson present.” It was speaking about all these nuts backstage at a Willie Nelson present. And one in all my all-time favourite songs of his is known as “Beans for Breakfast.” And I imply, it’s a chunk of labor. It’s obtained the phrase “histoplasmosis” in it. That ain’t a phrase you hear in songs.
Wanting again on this time, in ’93, do you assume he had this confidence about himself that issues had been going to show again in his favor, or did it actually take working with Rubin a bit later to get there?
Stuart: I feel it was a time the place, if you happen to knew the place to look, you might inform that the telegraph was sort of clicking in his favor. Like, man, that is gonna pop once more. You recognize, he’s a kind of characters. He all the time comes again round. And it hadn’t fairly occurred but, however there was sufficient proof on the desk to know that that is gonna occur once more.
After I was within the band, , we might play a variety of live shows and he was like Patriot Money to older residents within the heartland. And a stray rock star would come by now and again. He would refill state gala’s and performing arts facilities. However once we would go to Europe, that’s after I would see what might probably occur, as a result of all of the rockabilly youngsters got here out and pop stars got here out, and he was nonetheless a pop star over there. I went to him after a present one night time and I stated, “Why don’t you hearth me and everyone else on this stage that couldn’t have something to do along with your actual sound? That’s what persons are eager for out of you.” And he says, “Lots of people rely upon me.” I stated, “I get that, however there’s a day coming that you simply’re gonna have to handle this.”
And some years not lengthy after that, within the ‘90s, he known as me to his workplace at some point and he stated, “Have a seat.” And he opened a Coca-Cola and he handed it to me. He stated, “Don’t discuss to me for 21 minutes.” I laughed and stated, “OK.” And he sang me 10 songs in a row, simply him and his guitar. And on the finish of it, I stated, “What did I simply hear?” He stated, “My new document with Rick Rubin. What do you assume?” I requested, “It’s simply you and your guitar?” He stated, “Yep.” I stated, “I feel it’s good.” And that grew to become that first “American Recordings.” It was only a matter of getting it again to sq. one and turning the wheel simply in sufficient the place the world noticed it in a unique gentle. And I cherished it for him. Couldn’t have been happier.
Ferguson: I like this document being in-between the stuff from the ‘70s or ‘80s and the Rick Rubin period. It has its personal sound. And, God bless Rick Rubin. I like Rick. Rick single-handedly introduced that man again from the doldrums of not getting any airplay in any respect or nothing occurring, and turned it round for him, and was very respectful and sort to Johnny. He did Johnny proper, and Johnny cherished the man. However that is only a bit previous to that. And John Carter and I had some freedom, and we took it. I’d by no means been in a position to make a Johnny Money document the place I wasn’t working for the producer, so it’s sort of good.
He was in a extremely good place additionally as a result of he was doing the Highwaymen throughout this era, and he loved that. These guys cherished one another. However yeah, Johnny was completely satisfied, man. He was. You may inform. I can inform he’s completely satisfied in these recordings. I can inform he feels good. I can inform he’s sober. I can inform he wished to be there.
You recognize, that man cherished to sing. I’d be sitting in a room with him, sitting there speaking. I stated, “Hey, sing a track, JR.” And he picked the guitar up and would sing a track in a second. Or my mom or a buddy would stroll in, and I stated, “Hey, that’s Johnny Money. You need him to sing a track?” And Johnny would seize that guitar and simply sit there and provide the most lovely efficiency. I get chills simply occupied with it, ? As a result of I cherished it when it was taking place and I’m so glad to have been there to take heed to it. To listen to the tone popping out of that man’s head, , it’s loopy. And this document is the interval that’s actually my favourite interval of his singing voice.
Do you assume he valued his songwriting as a lot as everybody else did? He didn’t fill his personal information along with his personal songs, which makes this one uncommon. The “American Recordings” albums that reestablished him had been largely covers, though “The Man Comes Round” grew to become one in all his most iconic songs.
Money: A track like “Effectively, All Proper” on that is simply him having enjoyable. My dad, he wrote a variety of fantastic issues, after which he wrote some songs that weren’t fairly nearly as good. There are different writers that had been extra constant in writing these masterpieces. Dad wrote some issues that weren’t fairly masterpieces typically, however there are the masterpieces there inside the catalog.
He by no means wrote a track as a result of he felt prefer it was time to sit down down and write a track. If he wrote a track, it was for enjoyable or for therapeutic or for schooling. A number of the gospel stuff, like “Man Comes Round” — I imply, he would get misplaced in learning for the track itself, in scripture, and be trying up issues in a Thompson chain cross-referencing system for weeks at a time. It virtually grew to become an academic factor for him. He was changing into educated by means of the method of writing. However he by no means was the sort of individual that stated, “Oh, it’s time to go to work. I higher write a track.” It was by no means him.
Ferguson: You recognize, “The Man Comes Round,” I used to be round for all of that. He labored on that track a very long time. He labored on it a very long time. He labored on it a very long time and it was like, I feel that track’s a masterpiece. I feel it’s a masterpiece, that track. He’s written some songs that had been simply superb, I feel, like that track “Redemption,” I feel that’s the identify of it. “From his fingers, it got here down / From the facet, it got here down / From the toes, it got here down, ran to the bottom.” That’s simply unbelievable writing.
However he additionally cherished nice songs and he knew what match his voice. He wasn’t above recording any person else’s track, and he was all the time open to the concept if you happen to would convey him a track. I took him so much. I took him a Stephen Foster track, “Laborious Instances Come Once more No Extra.” He goes, “I can’t imagine I’ve by no means heard this track earlier than. And I used to be like, how did you not know that? Anyway, he cherished for folks to convey him a track, or a track concept. I feel his son-in-law, Jimmy Tittle, took him that track “Unchained” (by Jude Johnstone). Him packing a document with solely his songs, I don’t know that he ever did that, aside from this one. I don’t know there’s ever been a Johnny Money document the place there wasn’t something however Johnny Money songs on it. And I feel that’s the purpose with this one.
Money: He was a poet. He couldn’t assist however write. However when it got here time for feeling life, whether or not it was for therapeutic or whether or not it was simply to get his angst out, or whether or not if it was to inform a narrative, he might additionally take a look at another person’s track and know if that might apply to that character that was that songwriter. Like “Damage” (his hit 9 Inch Nails cowl) — I imply, it’s autobiographical, coming from Johnny Money, as a result of it’s sincere. It might simply as simply be his phrases, the identical as a terrific actor or the identical as a terrific author. And (Depeche Mode’s) “Private Jesus,” it was not supposed to be the message that my dad associated when he sang it. However he made it his personal, as a result of particularly it was about Christ. It wasn’t initially written as that.
Bob Dylan says he’s one in all America’s best writers. And I imply, speaking about “Huge River,” it’s only a wondrous track. However it’s like, on this album, “Effectively, All Proper” is just not one in all my favourite songs, however folks like it. “Good day Out There” (which opens the album) is one in all my favourite songs he ever wrote.
“Effectively, All Proper” is effective on the album as a reminder that your dad cherished goofier songs, too, and was not simply the Man in Black.
Money: I imply, working example, this “The Hen in Black” enterprise. It’s everywhere in the web proper now. And , Dad didn’t like that track…
Wait, “The Hen in Black” is huge now?
Money: Yeah. It was a giant TikTok factor. The track talks concerning the man grabbing a hen and holding it up like a gun and saying, “Get down, everyone, get out of this place. Put all of your cash in my guitar case.” So what folks began doing is grabbing their pets and aiming them on the digicam and singing together with my father, lip-syncing to my dad’s observe. And so it was this monstrous TikTok factor. And it’s okay. The document gross sales for that track was went by means of the roof. He didn’t write it, however he appreciated the track. It was written properly, however now it’s only a monstrous hit, ? It’s what matches and what connects with the folks. And who am I to say?
Is there extra the place this new album got here from?
Money: No, not the place this got here from. If there’s extra, it’s largely within the American Recordings years. And it’s stuff that perhaps my father was extra the producer on, as a result of Dad would name completely different bands in and have completely different concepts and go into recordings that perhaps didn’t essentially match inside the Rick Rubin releases. And I imagine that there are recordings that he would’ve cherished folks to listen to that had been executed throughout that point interval, however I’m not engaged on these.
Though many of the backing tracks had been changed on this album, you stored Waylon Jennings within the combine, when he confirmed up.
Money: They had been actually expensive buddies and, on the time, they had been very shut, within the Highwaymen years, and Waylon’s workplace was proper throughout the road. My guess is he simply dropped by and Dad stated, “Why don’t you sing on a pair?” Or Waylon would possibly’ve stated, “I hear an element on there, Johnny.” You recognize, Waylon did a variety of recording. And I do know Shooter simply got here throughout some tapes that he didn’t notice how a lot there was. The way in which that Shooter’s speaking, it’s like there are dozens of Waylon information — like, full albums. Anyway, I’ll let Shooter inform.
Recording within the cabin, although the unique session wasn’t executed there, is there nonetheless one thing particular about going to that surroundings for you along with your gamers?
Money: Man, it’s the one place I ever make music. I imply, that is house. And it’s simply the place I’m going for music, it doesn’t matter what sort of music it’s. I spent a variety of life in these partitions. However Dad’s positively part of this. His power and spirit is thick in right here, . It all the time is. You may really feel him round. After all, he’s positively in our face for this one with all of the engaged on his voice, engaged on the tracks, listening to the music. It was nice to be within the studio with my dad once more, in that approach.
Did you get emotional or had been you stoic once you had been engaged on?
It was positively emotional at occasions. I’d get engaged on it on a technical stage, after which it could simply hit me that, , wow, I’m again type of feeling the reference to my father in a approach that I didn’t anticipate. One factor is, it linked me again to when he was so robust, and that was a superb expertise as a result of I’d labored with him so much within the studio, however largely when he was struggling, when he was weak. The endurance and the energy that he had by means of all of it, I like it amazingly. However simply to take a look at the face of the easy factor that he was so robust whereas he was making these recordings was nice.