A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU

Last year I wrote about one of my favourite Festive albums, Elvis' Christmas Album and the article can be read here... Christmas With Elvis.

Now it's that time of year again and the opportunity to write about another of my favourites... A Christmas Gift For You, an album that is sixty years old this year.

 

The album was produced by legendary producer Phil Spector who was best known for his innovative recording techniques and use of dense orchestral sounds that would make him one of the most influential and successful producers of the 1960s.

He began his career in 1958 and penned the number one single To Know Him Is To Love Him, by The Teddy Bears, of which he was a founding member. The song was inspired by the wording on his father's grave which read 'To Know Him Was To Love Him.'

Following his time as an apprentice working with songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller he co-founded Philles Records. He was only 21 and became the youngest record label owner at the time. Among the hit records he produced were Da Doo Ron Ron and Then He Kissed Me (The Crystals), Be My Baby (The Ronettes), River Deep, Mountain High (Ike & Tina Turner) and You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (The Righteous Brothers). All featured his trademark 'Wall of Sound.'

The 'Wall of Sound', in simple terms, was a technique that captured the musicians live and embraced chaos and oversaturation. Spector chose not to record instrumental pieces with the minimum of interference and preferred to let the sonics of the studio define the sound. He allowed sounds to bounce around the room to create a dense sonic sound that was rich with complex overtones. The musicians that worked with Spector were a major part of the sound and became known as 'The Wrecking Crew.'

Among those session musicians who earned the name 'The Wrecking Crew' and would work on Spector's Christmas album were Hal Blaine (drums), Tommy Tedesco (guitar), Leon Russell (guitar), Barney Kessel (guitar), Jimmy Bond (bass), Ray Pohlman (bass), Al De Lory (piano), Don Randi (piano) and Frank Capp (percussion). There was also the brass section that featured Roy Caton (trumpet), Steve Douglas (baritone saxophone) and Jay Migliori (saxophone).

He picked his regular artists of the period for the album and bought together The Crystals, The Ronettes, Darlene Love and Bob B Soxx and The Blue Jeans for the recordings.

The Crystals were formed in New York City and were one of the defining acts of the girl group era. In 1963 the members were Patricia Wright, Dolores Kenniebrew, Dolores Brooks and Barbara Alston. Between 1961 and 1964 they charted with There's No Other (Like My Baby), Uptown, He's Sure The Boy I Love, He's A Rebel, Da Doo Ron Ron and Then He Kissed Me. Despite the success and steady flow of hit singles with Spector there were tensions which resulted in them leaving Philles Records and signing with Imperial Records. One reason was the decision by Spector to devote more of his time to The Ronettes. They released two albums, Twist Uptown and He's A Rebel, both produced by Spector.

Consisting of Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley, The Ronettes had sung together since they were in their teens when they were known as The Darling Sisters. A short spell with Colpix Records in 1961 was followed by their signing with Spector's Philles Records in March of 1963 where they changed their name to The Ronettes. Their hits included Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, (The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up and Walking In The Rain. They released one album, Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, in 1964 with tracks including their singles along with Chapel Of Love, How Does It Feel?, So Young and When I Saw You.

Darlene Love, born Darlene Wright on 26 July 1941, was the lead singer of the girl group The Blossoms and also recorded as a solo artist. She started recording with Spector, who renamed her Darlene Love, in 1962. She sang lead on He's A Rebel and He's Sure The Boy I Love, both credited to The Crystals. Her vocals can also be heard on songs by Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans including Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts and Not Too Young To Get Married. Under her own name, and as part of The Blossoms, she released several singles including Hard To Get, Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry and Wait 'til My Bobby Gets Home. In 1968 she worked with The Blossoms on Elvis Presley's 1968 Comeback TV Special.

Bob B. Soxx and The The Blue Jeans were a vocal trio, originally formed as a vehicle for the lead vocals of Bobby Sheen who used the stage name Bob B. Soxx. The other two members were Darlene Love and Fanita James, both members of The Blossoms. As mentioned earlier it was Darlene Love who provided the lead vocals on Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts and shared the lead vocals with Sheen on Not Too Young To Get Married. They also shared vocals on the trio's only album, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. However, it is Sheen who was featured as lead vocalist on the trio's contributions to the Christmas album. By late-1963 they were dropped by Philles Records and ceased to exist, although Sheen would go on to record for Capitol Records using his real name.

Sessions ran during September and October 1963 at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood with Spector producing, Larry Levine engineering and Jack 'Specs' Nitzsche arranging all the tracks.

Founded by David S. Gold and Stan Ross, Gold Star Studios was an independent studio that opened in October 1950 on Santa Monica Boulevard. The studio name was a mix/combination of the names of the two owners. It was a unique studio with custom-built recording equipment, echo chambers and was a popular studio for many years. Among those who recorded there were The Righteous Brothers, Sonny & Cher, Eddie Cochran, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, whose work there included the Pet Sounds album, the hit single Good Vibrations and the abandoned Smile project. 

The sessions weren't without their problems. Spector took the best track away from Ronnie (his wife) claiming she couldn't sing it to his standards and it wasn't emotional enough while other performers had issues about the sessions. However, there were just as many positive comments, with Levine recalling that Spector would regularly "do stand up comedy for 20 minutes at a time" when things were going well, while Darlene Love remembers them all receiving gifts from him.

Levine also recalled that the spoken introduction to Silent Night could have been very different. "The first time he did it, he used foul language, something like, 'I made this record for you, cocksuckers!'"

A Christmas Gift For You (Philles 4005) was released on 22 November 1963 and a month later peaked at #13 on the Billboard Magazine year-end, weekly Christmas Albums sales chart.

It failed to make any impression on the Billboard album chart at the time and this has been blamed on the fact that it was released the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. As Nitzsche explained at the time, "The album never really took off. I think some of that had to do with the world after the Kennedy assassination. It affected the public. No one really wanted to celebrate Christmas in December 1963."

However, in December 2018 the album entered the Billboard 200 Album Chart for the first time reaching a respectable #12. The album would return to the chart in January 2021, reaching #12 again, and over the next two years it would chart again, reaching #10 in 2022 and achieving its highest placing the following year when it peaked at #8.

In 2003 Rolling Stone listed the '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' and A Christmas Gift For You was placed No. 142, keeping the same rating a few years later in 2012 on a revised list. It was also ranked the Greatest Christmas album of all time in the magazine in 2019.

Pitchfork ranked it the 130th greatest album of 1960, not bad when you consider the quantity and quality of albums released in that decade.

The album opens with the Irving Berlin classic White Christmas, made famous by Bing Crosby in the films Holiday Inn and White Christmas. Crosby's version, which reached number one in 1942, 1943 and 1944, sold more than 50 million copies. It has been stated that there are more than 500 recorded versions of the song.

White Christmas is the first of four songs performed by Darlene Love on the album. Her other contributions are Marshmallow World, Winter Wonderland and the only original song on the album, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), a song written by Brill Building songwriters Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry along with Phil Spector. It was released as a single although it never achieved the chart success it deserved. Written in 1949 by Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose, Marshmallow World was first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1950. The song is about winter but doesn't actually mention Christmas although it is now classed as a festive song. Winter Wonderland is another winter themed song that has become a Christmas standard. Written by Felix Bernard and Richard V. Smith, it has been recorded by many artists including Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan and many others.

The Ronettes are featured on three tracks, Frosty The Snowman, Sleigh Ride and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. Written by Walter 'Jack' Rollins and Steve Nelson, Frosty The Snowman is a popular Christmas song first recorded by Gene Autry in 1950. It was written for Autry after his success the previous year with Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Another popular song for the festive season is Sleigh Ride, originally an orchestral piece written by Leroy Anderson during a heat wave in 1946. A few years later the lyrics, about riding in a sleigh and other wintertime activities, were written by Mitchell Parish. With music and lyrics by British songwriter Tommie Connor and first recorded in 1952 by Jimmy Boyd, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus is yet another popular Christmas song. Its the  story of a young boy who sees his mother kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe and wondering how his father will react, not realising that his father was actually Santa Claus. The song caused some concern and it was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church in Boston who believed it described an adulterous encounter. However, after a meeting with the Archdiocese, the ban was lifted.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is The Crystals first contribution and they also take the lead on Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers. Written by John Fred Coots & Haven Gillespie, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town was first recorded by Harry Reser and his Band and covered by more than 200 artists including, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, The Temptations, Neil Diamond and Bruce Springsteen. Rudolph... was composed by Johnny Marks in 1939 and based on the story of the same name. Gene Autry had a number one hit with the song in 1949. Based on the instrumental piece Parade Of The Tin Soldiers, written by German composer Leon Jessel in 1897 as a popular jaunty march, Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers gained its slightly different title in 1911 when Russian impresario Nikita Balieff chose it for his vaudeville revue and altered the title. It remained an instrumental piece until 1922 when Ballard MacDonald wrote the English lyrics.

Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans perform two more songs, The Bells Of St. Mary's and Here Comes Santa Claus. The former was written back in the 1910s and revived by Bing Crosby in the film of the same name. Featured in a scene at a Christmas Pageant, it has become known as a Christmas song despite having no lyrical connection with the season. Here Comes Santa Claus was written and originally recorded by Gene Autry back in 1947.

The closing track on the album is Silent Night which features all four artists and an introduction by Phil Spector. My all-time favourite Christmas song, it was written by Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr in 1818 with the original German title of Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht. It is a beautiful ending to the album.

Reviews were scarce and at the time the UK music paper New Musical Express failed to print any review. However, many years later they did write, "It's impossible to imagine the festive musical canon without it. Despite largely consisting of covers, the joy that exudes from Spector's production ensures his take on the songs is the only one worth bothering with."

In 2013, Darlene Love commented, "Christmas meant a lot to Phil. It was one of the biggest projects he ever took on, because it was something that had never been done before."

The front cover featured a group photo of all the artists looking festive and a list of the tracks. It is unknown who took the photo as there is no credit.

The reverse featured sleeve-notes by Spector, part of which read, "Can twelve great Christmas songs be treated with the same excitement as original pop material of today: sang by four of the greatest pop artists in the country: produced with the same feeling and sound that is featured on the hit singles of these artists, without losing for a moment the feeling of Christmas and without destroying or invading the sensitivity and the beauty that surrounds all of the great Christmas music? Until now, perhaps not. But I am quite sure that after you listen to this album you will agree that the answers to these questions are found in every groove of this album."

In the years following the albums original release it has been re-issued many times on vinyl and CD on different labels.

It was first re-issued in 1972 by Apple Records with a different cover art, an image of Spector dressed as a heavily bearded Santa Claus and wearing a 'Back to Mono' button. The album also received a new title, Phil Spector's Christmas Album. This issue of the album reached #6 on Billboard's Christmas Album Sales Chart in December 1972, its highest chart placing. In the same year it made its debut on the UK Albums Chart and would re-enter the charts in 1983, peaking at #19.

In 1974 it was re-released on Warner Spector, the first to feature a stereo mix of the songs although they used the same cover as the one used on the Apple release, complete with the Back To Mono badge! 

Additional re-issues included, a stereo version on Pavilion, a short-lived imprint of CBS, in 1981, Impression (1983), Passport (1984) and Rhino (1987). In 2009 the Sundazed Label put out a vinyl copy of the album.

The album made its first appearance on CD in 1987 on Rhino mastered by Bill Inglot and Ken Perry restoring the original mono mix. Further CD issues occurred in 1987 on Chrysalis and in 1989 on ABKCO. The latter restored the original title, artwork and mono mix and was remastered by Spector and Levine.

When Sony Music took over the distribution rights to the Philles Records catalogue in 2009 they re-released the mono album, newly remastered by Bob Ludwig, on its Legacy Recordings imprint. Three years later they issued a two-CD set with a new remastering of the album by Vic Anesini on disc one and a selection of non-festive Spector hits and rarities on the second.

Despite all the critical acclaim the album received and the amount of times it has been re-issued over the years, I'm surprised there has never been a special or definitive edition. It is unknown if any other Christmas songs were recorded during the sessions or if any outtakes exist but it would be great to have a two-disc version with extensive liner notes, photographs and memorabilia... I can always dream.

Spector believed he could produce an album for the holiday season that would capture not only the essence of the Christmas spirit, but also be a pop masterpiece. An album that would stand alongside any work the artists had already recorded. He succeeded on every level, with all the artists recording some of their most memorable performances. A Christmas Gift For You is the album which all later festive releases would be judged.

I'll end this article with Phil Spector's words that led into the final track on the album, Silent Night...

Hello, this is Phil Spector, it is so difficult at this time

To say words that would express my feelings

About the album to which you have just listened

An album that has been in the planning for many, many months

First, let me thank all the people who worked so hard with me

In the production of this album and in my endeavour and desire

To bring something new and different to the music of Christmas

And to the recording industry which is so much a part of my life

Of course, the biggest thanks goes to you

For giving me the opportunity to relate my feelings

Of Christmas through the music that I love

At this moment, I am very proud of all the artists

And on behalf of all of them, The Crystals, The Ronettes

Darlene Love, Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans, and myself

May we wish you the very merriest of Christmases

And the happiest of New Years, and thank you so very much

For letting us spend this Christmas with you.

ROSANNE CASH - THE WHEEL

The Wheel was first released in 1993 and to celebrate thirty years since its initial release comes this new expanded edition The Wheel (30th Anniversary Edition) on the newly formed RumbleStrip Records. In this article we look back at the recording, release and commercial success of the original album, find out more about the formation of the new label and review this latest offering. I was fortunate to ask Rosanne about the new project and her answers form part of this article.

Rosanne Cash released her first album in 1978, the self titled Rosanne Cash, on the German label Ariola. The following year she signed with Columbia Records and between 1980 and 1990 released six more albums, Right Or Wrong, Seven Year Ache, Somewhere In The Stars, Rhythm & Romance, Kings Record Shop and Interiors.

During this period she also placed twenty-two singles on the country charts with ten of those reaching number one, including Seven Year Ache, My Baby Thinks He's A Train, I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me, The Way We Make A Broken Heart, Tennessee Flat Top Box and Runaway Train.

By 1991 Cash had broken up with her husband Rodney Crowell, who had produced all her albums up to that point except for Interiors which Cash produced herself, and she relocated from Nashville to New York.

It was there that she began a creative relationship with songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer John Leventhal who she would eventually marry.

Credit: Pamela Springsteen

She started work on her next album on which she wrote, or co-wrote with Leventhal, all the songs which marked a new beginning for her.

Rosanne had written seven songs, The Wheel, You Won't Let Me In, Change Partners, Sleeping In Paris, From The Ashes, Roses In The Fire and If There's A God On My Side and had played them for Leventhal. She said they were elemental, full of references to the natural world... wind, fire, rain, moon and snow. She wasn't really sure what she was talking about but noticed she was using a lot of nature metaphors, many of them violent. Apparently Leventhal looked a little confused and finally said, "Okay, But are they good songs?"

Leventhal wrote the music on four more songs, Seventh Avenue, Tears Falling Down, The Truth About You and Fire Of The Newly Alive.

Recording took place at various studios in New York City with Cash and Leventhal producing. Leventhal played several instruments including guitar, mandolin, bass, keyboards and percussion. Additional musicians making an appearance on the album included Benmont Tench from The Heartbreakers and Steuart Smith of The Eagles. Cash invited Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Larkin, Marc Cohn and Bruce Cockburn to provide additional vocals. "The sessions were a thrilling mix of truly gifted people," remembered Rosanne.

The Wheel was released on 19th January 1993 and deserved to do much better in the charts. The album peaked at #37 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #160 on the Billboard 200, certainly not a reflection on the material which was some of her strongest to date.

Two singles were released, Seventh Avenue and The Wheel, the former reaching #63 on the Canadian Country Charts and the latter #45 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart.

Credit: Pamela Springsteen

The album may not have performed well on the charts but received critical acclaim from the music press. Reviews were positive with Rolling Stone commenting that the album, "makes her singer-songwriter shorthand a cathartic outlet, not merely a blunt weapon." They went on to say, "Most remarkable about these tightly scripted songs is Cash's resilience..."

Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Rosanne Cash sounds as if she's lived every word she sings on The Wheel - and she probably has." Making their 'Best Of The Year' list they also said, "This crystal-clear, intensely sung record rings startingly true as it details the end of a marriage-and the renewal that can follow."

During the sessions Cash and Leventhal's relationship grew as she would later recall, "John and I grew closer with every session and by the end of the record we were a couple." In my interview with her she spoke more about their relationship, "This is the first of seven albums John and I have made together, and the record which began our relationship. We've been together for these thirty years now. I guess it all worked out!"

Credit: Vivian Wang

Recently Cash and Leventhal started their own record label, RumbleStrip Records, in partnership with Thirty Tigers. David Macias, founder of Thirty Tigers, spoke about the partnership, "I have listened to Rosanne Cash's music ever since Seven Year Ache came out, and I was working in record stores. She has continued to grow and push the boundaries of her creative powers. I respect her immenseley. She is a vital artist, and I am so thrilled that she has agreed to team up with Thirty Tigers."

Rosanne told me more about the label and why she decided to start the label. "My contract with Sony stipulated that I would get my master recordings back after thirty years, and they started coming back to me. I didn't anticipate how that would feel - it was powerful and moving to me to actually own my own master recordings for the first time. John and I started talking about what we could do with them, and the idea of forming our own record label, to re-release some of them seemed like a fun thing to do. We partnered with Thirty Tigers to distribute and do the administrative things we didn't know how to do!"

When asked why The Wheel was chosen as the first release on the new album she said, "It was the thirtieth anniversary year, 1993-2023, and it seemed like a special time to release it. It is remastered to modern sonic standards and, for vinyl fans, is out on vinyl for the very first time."

The first disc features the original album, remastered for this new release, and is a collection of introspective and confessional songs that follow the theme of love and relationships.

In her memoir Composed, Rosanne talked about the album. "The Wheel was a satisfying and truthful record, and conveyed, for me anyway, the crazy longing and lust of new love." Talking about the albums relative commercial failure she says, "I still have a lot of affection for it. It wasn't commercially successful, however, and I had to start thinking seriously about what I wanted to do with my life and how I could reinvent a forum for my work that was outside Top 40 radio, since that avenue was closing for artists like me."

The Wheel is a beautiful album with great lyrics, instrumentation and production. There isn't a poor track on the album and it is almost impossible to pick any favourites. However, if asked I would pick Seventh Avenue, Sleeping In Paris, The Truth About Me, Roses In The Fire and the title track.

The second disc features previously unreleased live recordings. From a 26 July 1993 appearance on Live At Austin City comes The Wheel, Seventh Avenue, Sleeping In Paris and two non-album tracks, Crescent City and I'll Change For You, The latter would eventually be recorded and released for her 2003 album Rules Of Travel.

From the 16 May 1993 Columbia Records Hour are Seventh Avenue, Roses In The Fire, The Truth About You, What We Really Want and The Wheel, all from The Wheel except for What We Really Want, a song originally released on Cash's 1990 album Interiors and also a Top 40 single. Also included from this show is a beautiful rendition of Wouldn't It Be Loverly?, a song written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe for the musical My Fair Lady. 

Most people who know me will realise that packaging is important to me and this new release certainly didn't let me down. Presented in a three-panel card sleeve with photos, memorabilia and notes from Rosanne along with a booklet of lyrics and more photos. A nice addition is the signed card that was included.

Seven Year Ache has always been my favourite Rosanne Cash album but The Wheel is a close second.

 

What of the future? I was fortunate to chat to Rosanne about future plans and she said, "I am definitely thinking about re-mastering and re-releasing other albums, but our next release is of John's first solo album! It is coming on January 26th."

Regarding the possibility of more previously unreleased material she commented, "The double vinyl set of The Wheel includes live performances, and I am definitely considering a full live album."

I hope that all her other Columbia albums receive the same treatment and that more previously unreleased material can be included... unreleased songs, alternate versions, demos and live recordings. I am sure we have a lot to look forward too.

The Wheel 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition is available as a Deluxe Double CD, Vinyl and a Deluxe 180g Exclusive Marble Swirl Vinyl, all with a signed insert, and can be ordered from Rosanne Cash's website... https://shop.rosannecash.com/

With thanks to Rosanne Cash, John Leventhal and Danny Kahn for their help with this article.

JOHNNY CASH - THE LIFE IN LYRICS

Johnny Cash wrote over 600 songs covering everything from love songs to murder ballads, prison songs to those about the working man, American history and the plight of the Indians, humorous songs and gospel. In this new book, Johnny Cash The Life In Lyrics, Cash historian Mark Stielper looks in detail at 125 lyrics written by 'America's Foremost Singing Storyteller'.

Within the 374 pages of this lavishly illustrated, hard-back, coffee table book Johnny Cash's fifty years of song-writing is bought together for the first time. However, it is more than just a book of lyrics as there are stories behind the songs which give the reader an insight into Cash, not only as an artist but also a man who spoke to a nation and the triumphs and challenges he faced in his own life.

Along with the reprinted lyrics and Stielper's insightful background information there are remembrances from John Carter-Cash.

The book is split into eight chapters, each studying a particular period, aspect and genre of Cash's career. Most lyrics in each chapter come from a certain period although there are a few exceptions where songs from a different era are included where the theme is similar. Opening with the chapter Wide Open Road there are lyrics from some of Cash's best Sun Records recordings including Hey Porter, Cry! Cry! Cry!, Folsom Prison Blues, Country Boy and I Walk The Line.

His departure from Sun and move to Columbia is covered in Hollywood Could Offer More which covers many of his hits and album tracks from the early 1960s with All Over Again, I Still Miss Someone, Five Feet High And Rising, Forty Shades Of Green and Tennessee Flat-Top Box just a few of those featured. 

Continuing through the 1960s, A New Light Shining covers the later part of the decade, a period which saw Cash writing more than he had in the previous few years. It was a time of the prison albums, a return to the concept albums and The Johnny Cash Show, and among the lyrics reproduced here are San Quentin, Starkville City Jail, Come Along And Ride This Train, Cisco Clifton's Fillin' Station, The Walls Of A Prison, Another Song To Sing and The Whirl And The Suck, the latter four from his 1968 concept album From Sea To Shining Sea.

Darkness On My Back continues in the 1960s and early 1970s and finds Cash writing about injustice, the environment, patriotism, war and the American Indian with What Is Truth, Don't Go Near The Water, Ragged Old Flag, Singin' In Vietnam Talkin' Blues, Big Foot, Apache Tears and my favourite Cash song, The Man In Black.

Cash's faith provides the theme behind the chapter headed Truth. "I am a Christian" Johnny said, and his journey had its share of detours but he never wavered. "God never gave up on me. Even when I gave up on myself, I always knew he loved me." The lyrics reproduced here cover his career from his early sides with Columbia to material recorded with Rick Rubin at American Records and include, It Was Jesus, Over The Next Hill, When He Comes, Another Wide River To Cross, Man In White and Redemption.

People You Would Like To Get To Know covers those characters Cash either knew, wished he knew and in some cases, those he would have rather not known at all with printed lyrics for Hardin Wouldn't Run, The Ballad Of Annie Palmer, Calilou, Who's Gene Autry, Abner Brown and She Sang 'Sweet Baby James'.

The penultimate chapter, This Song I Sung For Thee, concentrates on passing love, life in the fast lane, consequences and reckoning. Included in this chapter are Tear Stained Letter, Please Don't Let Me Out, It Comes And Go, Call Your Mother, Beans For Breakfast and Tears In The Holsten River.

Closing the book is Hear The Trumpets, a chapter that showed that Cash, in the 1990s and 2000s, was far from considering retirement. Most of the lyrics here come from his time working with Rick Rubin and include The Man Comes Around, Let The Train Blow The Whistle, Like A Soldier, 1 Corinthians 15:55 and the last song he wrote, Like The 309.

While the lyrics are the most important part of the book mention must be made of the photographic content.

There are more than 300 illustrations... photos in both colour and black & white along with sheet music, letters, handwritten lyrics and album sleeves. While many of the these have been seen many times before there are more than enough new images to enjoy throughout the book.

Among my favourite photographic images are those of Cash in the recording studio, various family photos, meeting presidents, fans and the many live images, especially those taken in 1969 performing for the troops in South Vietnam, which were all new to me.

I've always loved looking at memorabilia and this book is full of wonderful images including hand-written lyrics, sheet music, letters, especially those he wrote to himself at the end of the year, Cash's own artwork, posters and adverts. Of special interest were the notes for the Johnny Cash in the Holy Land and The Gospel Road projects, manuscript pages for his novel Man In White and a written list of his own personal evaluation of his early recordings with Rick Rubin.

I really enjoyed this book and it sits alongside the rest of my Johnny Cash library and I am certain will be referred to many times as and when I write about Johnny Cash here on this blog.

Highly recommended and a big thank you to Mark Stielper for putting this book together.  

With thanks to Aoife Datta at Orion Books for providing a review copy of the book. 

THRONE OF GLASS PHOTOSHOOT

Throne of Glass is a series of fantasy novels written by Sarah J. Maas and published by Bloomsbury between 2012 and 2018.

Photographer: Unknown

Maas started writing her debut novel, which would eventually become Throne of Glass, when she was just sixteen years old. At the time she posted several chapters online at FictionPress.com with the original title Queen of Glass. It was subsequently removed from the site when she took the decision to publish the novel.

In 2008 Maas started sending the story to various literary agents and, in 2009,  went on to sign with The Laura Dial Literary Agency. The following year Bloomsbury purchased Throne of Glass and published the novel two years later.

They would publish a further six volumes, Crown of Midnight (2013), Heir of Fire (2014), Queen of Shadows (2015), Empire of Storms (2016), Tower of Dawn (2017) and Kingdom of Ash (2018). 

Four prequel novellas, along with an original novella, all set two years before Throne of Glass were published in 2012 as The Assassin's Blade. 

'When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the king's champion and earn her freedom. Her name is Celaena Sardothien - beautiful, deadly and destined for greatness.'

Throne of Glass follows the journey of 18-year old Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin living in a corrupt kingdom that is ruled by the tyrannical King of Adarlan. Following a year in a slave camp called Endovier, suffering for her crimes, she accepts Crown Prince Dorian Havilliard's offer to compete with other assassins for the opportunity to serve as the King's Champion and finally gain her freedom. This leads to unexpected bonds with Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, and Dorian, the Crown Prince of Ardalan. As time passes she is drawn into a conspiracy and series of battles which lead to discoveries about the Kingdom and herself.

The main characters of the story are Aelin Ashryver Whitehorn Galathynius (Celaena Sardothien), the main protagonist in the series, Rowan Whitehorn Galathynius, a full-blooded Fae who is over three centuries old, Dorian Havilliard II, Crown Prince of Adarlan, Manon Blackbeak Crochan, a witch and heir to the Blackbeak clan and Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Guard. 

The books received positive reviews with Publishers Weekly in their review of Throne of Glass, writing, "This is not a cuddly romance, but neither is it grim. Celaena is trained to murder, yet she hasn't lost her taste for pretty dresses or good books, and a gleam of optimism tinges her outlook. Maas tends toward over-description, but the verve and freshness of the narration make for a thrilling read."

The Guardian awarded the book 5-stars and mentioned that the main character, Celaena, was more 'relatable' than most other female protagonists while USA Today called Celaena a 'next level Cinderella.'

The connection with Cinderella was something Maas spoke about in an interview, "In the 10 years that I've been working on the series, Throne of Glass has become more of an original epic fantasy than a Cinderella retelling, but you can still find a few nods to the legend here and there."

Artist: Unknown

I recently had the pleasure of working with two local cosplayers, FaelightandFolklore and Lemondreams_cosplay as Aelin and Rowan on a photoshoot based on the book.

I had worked with them many times before, as a couple and individually, on shoots including Snow White & Prince Florian, Ariel & Eric (The Little Mermaid), Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) and Feyre Archeron & Rhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses). They have also become good friends and I am sure there will be many more shoots in the future.

They had been looking for a location that would work and I suggested Lewes Priory, a local ruin, that I had used many times before.

Communications before the shoot were excellent with a plan for the shoot, what we all wanted to achieve and details about time and place to meet all agreed well in advance.

Photographer: Peter Lewry

They turned up on time and were soon kitted out in their costumes ready to begin the shoot. I have to say that they are both excellent cosplayers, two of the best I have worked with, with an obvious love of what they do. Their costumes were excellent and the attention to detail was amazing.

The location had so many areas that we could use and we made the most of every part of the ruins to create a variety of images.

The theme of the book gave us many opportunities to capture individual shots as well as those of both characters together, recreating various aspects of the story. 

I was especially pleased with the series of photos recreating swordplay with both of them effortlessly battling it out and looking every bit like they really wanted to injure each other.

However, in the story their relationship grows and Rowan proves his complete loyalty to Aelin. This is something we captured during a series of images where they embrace.

We took many photos during the shoot and those featured in this article are only a small selection.

Photographer: Peter Lewry

At every shoot I work on I have always suggested ideas for poses but also always happy for those I work with to have their own input. I feel every shoot is a joint effort and both parties need to be creative and end up with the results they set out to achieve.

Photographer: Peter Lewry

We all seemed to be on the same wavelength when it came to ideas and poses during the shoot. One such idea was to have them run towards the camera, swords raised and looking menacing. We took several shots and captured some great images with them together and individually.

It would be impossible to pick any favourites, there are just too many, but I do love this one of them both relaxing by a tree.

Photographer: Peter Lewry

Following the shoot we stopped for a well-deserved hot drink and the chance to look through the photos back-of-camera. I was happy to hear their positive comments. 

Having received their selection of images I started work on the editing. I provided the images in both colour and black and white along with a few 'special edits' that I had worked on. We were all very pleased with the results which we have posted on our various social media sites.

It is nice to have behind the scenes shots and I am grateful for these two images that capture a different view of an enjoyable few hours.

I really enjoyed the shoot, working with two great cosplayers at a wonderful location and I am looking forward to working with them both again in the future. 

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You can read more about the Throne of Glass book series here... https://sarahjmaas.com/books/throne-of-glass-series/

You can also check out both @FaelightandFolklore and @Lemondreams_cosplay on Instagram

More images from the shoot, and my other work, can be found on my Instagram page @peterlewry and on Purple Port