THE SURVIVORS

April 1981 found Cash on one of his regular tours of Europe. Opening with a show on 17th April in Stockholm, Sweden it ran for ten days with shows in Hamburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Cologne, Paris, Rotterdam and an appearance at the Wembley Country Music Festival in London.

Cash’s regular touring band of the time accompanied him - Bob Wootton (guitar), W. S. Holland (drums), Marty Stuart (guitar & mandolin), Jerry Hensley (guitar), Earl Ball (piano), Jack Hale Jr and Bob Lewin (trumpet and French horn) although the bass player on this ocassion is one of Nashvilles finest, Henry Strzelecki. Also joining them was Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Lewis' guitar player, Kenneth Lovelace, who, as we shall see, joins Cash for several tracks.

During the show at the Sporthalle in Boblingen, Stuttgart the audience were treated to one of those rare moments that turns a great concert into an unforgettable experience.

It was during the interval that Cash was informed that two of his old Sun Records buddies, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, were in the building. Although we shall see later that this was not the impromptu gathering it was hyped up to be, they were certainly not going to miss an opportunity to appear on stage together. 

When Cash returned to the stage for the second half of his performance the audience were not aware that he would soon be joined by two more legendary figures. 

In the sleevenotes to the album The Survivors, Cash talked about the show “Carl’s and Jerry Lee’s appearance with me in Stuttgart, Germany on April 23, 1981 was a total surprise to the audience. We had been appearing separately in various cities doing music festivals. And on the 23rd, they happened to have a night off. Midway into the first show in Stuttgart, June Carter caught my eye from the sidelines and gave me the message that Carl and Jerry Lee were there. At intermission, my producer Lou Robin brought us together backstage. I asked them to sing with me on the second half of the show.”

The show was taped and produced by Cash’s future son-in-law, Rodney Crowell whose job it was to take the raw unedited tapes and mix them suitable for release. On listening to the finished album we owe Crowell a big thank you and as John wrote in the sleeve notes, “My hat is off to Rodney Crowell who took this tape and edited and mixed it.”

The Survivors (Columbia FC 37961) was released in April 1982. The album entered the charts at #29 and during a 13-week chart run it reached #21.

The album opens with a fine version of the Cash original Get Rhythm and is followed by a rare live version of another old Sun track, the Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers composition I Forgot To Remember To Forget. Both originally released on the Sun Records label in the 1950s... Get Rhythm was the b-side of I Walk The Line released in 1956 and I Forgot To Remember To Forget was the b-side of the 1959 single Katy Too.

On both of these tracks Cash, with much more instrumental accompaniement than appeared on the original recordings, manages to breathe new life into them.

It is at this point that Cash introduces Carl Perkins and together they pay tribute to Sun Records owner and producer Sam Phillips with a blistering version of Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad that features some excellent guitar picking from Perkins and support from the rest of the band. A traditional song that was first recorded by Henry Whitter under the title Lonesome Road Blues in 1923. Subsequent recordings included those by Woody Guthrie, Doc Watson, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.

They follow with another duet on the Gene Autry composition That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine which was Autry's first hit record in 1932. Cash had previously recorded and released the song on his Last Gunfighter Ballad album back in the seventies. He introduces the song by saying, “We want to do a song for daddy. My daddy, Carl’s daddy for all the daddies out there!” The song was also covered by The Everly Brothers on their 1958 album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us and Simon & Garfunkels Old Friends.

Cash hands over the spotlight to Carl who turns in a strong performance of Matchbox, a song he recorded in December 1956 and was released as the b-side to Your True Love the following year. The recording session became a milestone in rock 'n' roll history as it was on this date that an impromptu jam session took place with Carl along with Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash which became known as The Million Dollar Quartet.

Cash returned to invite Jerry Lee Lewis to join them. In his introduction Cash says, "One of the greatest talents I've ever known, I never have ceased to love to enjoy watching him. That was twenty-five, twenty-six years ago. My friend, Carl Perkins friend, ladies and gentlemen, the best, Jerry Lee Lewis."

Lewis joins them on the Albert Brumley gospel standard I’ll Fly Away, a hymn written sometime between 1929 and 1932. One of the first recordings of the hymn was by The Selah Jubilee Singers and it has been recorded by many artists over the years including The Chuck Wagon Gang, James & Martha Carson and George Jones. Lewis, Cash and Perkins each take a verse and join forces on the chorus. It also gives Lewis the opportunity to show off his skill at the piano during the instrumental breaks.

Lewis shines again on his two solo numbers, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On and Rockin’ My Life Away. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On was written by Roy Hall (under the name Sunny David) and Dave 'Curly' Williams and first recorded in 1955 by Big Maybelle. It became Lewis' second single with It'll Be Me as the flip-side released in April 1957. Rockin' My Life Away, a Mack Vickery composition, was recorded in January 1979 and released later that year on his Jerry Lee Lewis album.

Perkins returns for his signature song Blue Suede Shoes, written by Perkins, recorded in December 1955 and released as a single in January 1956 backed with Honey Don't, another Perkins composition. A rock 'n' roll standard that has been covered many times over the years, most notably by Elvis Presley. Another standout performance by Perkins after which all three artists take the stage for a selection of gospel material.

With three of the original Million Dollar Quartet present it seemed fitting that they should dedicate a song to the memory of Elvis Presley who passed away on 16 August 1977. Lewis opens their sincere performance of Peace In The Valley with Cash and Perkins joining in on the chorus. Cash takes the second verse and following a subdued piano solo from Lewis it is the turn of Perkins to sing the final verse. The song was written in 1939 by Thomas A. Dorsey and first recorded by Mahalia Jackson. A gospel standard which all three artists on stage that night had recorded previously. One of the highlights on the album and a great tribute to the memory of Elvis.

The Carter Family favourite Will The Circle Be Unbroken is up next. Originally a popular hymn written in 1907 by Ada R. Habershon and Charles H. Gabriel, it was reworked as a funeral hymn by A. P. Carter and released in 1935 by The Carter Family. Jerry Lee Lewis kicks off the song with Cash and Perkins joining in on the chorus and then they all take turns on the verses.

The album is brought to a close with a rousing I Saw The Light, a country/gospel song written by Hank Williams and recorded by him in 1947. Cash, Perkins and Lewis are joined by June Carter Cash, John Carter Cash and Cindy Cash. Once again there is some great piano playing by Lewis. The track brings the album to a close in true style.

Among the tracks that did not make it onto the album The Survivors were Rockabilly Fever by Carl Perkins, Boogie Woogie Medley by Jerry Lee Lewis and When The Saints Go Marching In performed by the entire cast. Add to this the rest of the Johnny Cash segment of the show which included fine performances of A Thing Called Love, Big River, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Without Love, Doin’ My Time, accompanied by Marty Stuart, and a solo reading of Hey, Hey Train by Stuart and you have all the makings of a great expanded CD!

On The Survivors album some of the songs run in a different order to how they were performed on the night.

The complete set-list for the Stuttgart show was -  Ring of Fire/Ring of Fire (reprise)/A Thing Called Love/Sunday Morning Coming Down/Folsom Prison Blues/Without Love/Doin' My Time/The Baron/If You Want Me Dear (Jerry Hensley)/Hey, Hey Train (Marty Stuart)/I Walk The Line/The Ballad Of Ira Hayes/Don't Take Your Guns To Town/Big River/Lay Me Down In Dixie (with Cindy Cash)/City Of New Orleans (Cindy Cash)/Battle Of New Orleans (John Carter Cash)/(Ghost) Riders In The Sky/If I Were A Carpenter (with June Carter)/Wabash Cannonball (June Carter)/San Antonio Rose (instrumental)/Gold Watch And Chain (June Carter)/Rabbit In The Log (June Carter)/Wildwood Flower (June Carter)/Hoedown (instrumental)/Jackson (with June Carter)/Rockabilly Boogie (Earl Ball)/Frankie And Johnny/I Forgot To Remember To Forget/Get Rhythm/Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad (with Carl Perkins)/Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine (with Carl Perkins)/Matchbox (Carl Perkins)/Rockabilly Fever (Carl Perkins)/Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)/I'll Fly Away (with Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis)/Will The Circle Be Unbroken (with Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis)/Boogie Woogie Medley (Jerry Lee Lewis)/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (Jerry Lee Lewis)/Rockin' My Life Away (Jerry Lee Lewis)/When The Saints Go Marching In (with Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis)/Peace In The Valley (with Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis)/I Saw The Light (with Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis).

In his review of the album in Country Music People (June 1982) Tony Byworth wrote, "The Survivors is the Million Dollar Quartet, minus one, a quarter of a century on. No explanations are necessary for the album’s title, the music counts the most. Recorded April ’81, in Stuttgart, this is Johnny Cash in concert, who at the last moment and without rehearsal is joined by his former Sun Records stable mates Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. It’s a memorable capturing of talents on record, with the music throughout dating back to that golden era of the Memphis days. Of course, Cash and Perkins have recorded before, as well as passing a substantial period of time together on the road. The presence of Jerry Lee Lewis, though, adds one of those bonuses that only comes up occasionally in a lifetime. In their seperate rights each artist comes up with what’s expected of him; Cash laying down a couple of his standards with the familiarly rough yet warm vocal styling, Perkins lays down a couple of rockabilly classics with “Matchbox” sounding as great as it ever did (and the guitar work being spot on); and Lewis amazing with that boogie woogie piano styling and that incredible manner of jettisoning his lyrics. Cash and Perkins do a couple of duets, standard play of the years spent together, when each it seemed sought to save the wasted life of the other, and then the trio join forces for a set of songs that are a common stomping ground---gospel songs. (One of them, “Peace In The Valley”, is dedicated to the memory of Elvis Presley, the non-survivor)."

He went on to say, "There’s nothing clever about the album, and its inventiveness isn’t contemporary. It dates back to the 1950’s. But throughout its 41 minutes running time it’s packed with good music and fun, with the friendship showing through. After it was all captured on tape, Rodney Crowell did a perfectionist’s job on the mixing, with a package being completed with Cash’s liner notes centering upon the survivors."

He concludes: “Here’s hoping the new generation survives the 80’s and 90’s along with us, the other Survivors”. I added my own postscript wondering just how many of the newcomers on today’s music scene would be able to come up with an album like this in 25 years time?"

Fred Schruers, in the 27 May 1982 Rolling Stone magazine, reviewed the album although he only awarded the album 3 our of 5 stars.. "As Johnny Cash's slyly funny liner notes explain, this legendary trio’s impromptu show in Stuttgart, Germany, last April is a first-take, unrehearsed affair — the three all just happened to be playing at a European music festival. Each man sings at least one signature tune (e.g., Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes”) and they team up on several ready-at-hand chestnuts from country music’s public domain of warmhearted cornpone (“That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine”) and old-time religion (“I Saw The Light”)."

The rest of the review read, "The results are mixed. Cash, as always, sounds like a comfortable, potent icon. Stuttgart was his date, and he runs the show, cooing to his cronies and speaking to the crowd in knock-kneed German. Perkins huffs through his vocal turns, shaky though somehow compelling. But it’s when Cash brings on “das best” — Jerry Lee Lewis — that things really heat up. Lewis’ pumping piano invigorates the band and — just as when he vied to dominate Sun Records’ Million Dollar Quarter with Perkins, Cash and Elvis Presley twenty-six years ago — his self-involved hollering makes for some real excitement."

Billboard reviewed the album in their 3 April issue, "Taped during a surprise guest spot by the Killer and Carl Perkins during a Johnny Cash show in Stuttgart, Germany, this set is ragged but right, it's impromptu air offset by Cash's crack band, an enraptured audience and the sheer force of the three featured artists."

In 1985 the album was reissued on Hallmark Records (SHM 3180), a budget label in the UK, sporting a different cover. It's first appearance on CD was on the Razor and Tie label with the original artwork and it was also included on the Johnny Cash The Complete Columbia Albums Collection in 2012.

As mentioned earlier, although it is claimed that this was an impromptu appearance both Perkins and Lewis had appeared with Cash a few days earlier during his show in Rotterdam. At that show they performed a medley of Matchbox, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On and Blue Suede Shoes and a gospel medley of I’ll Fly Away, I Saw The Light and Daddy Sang Bass.

The 19 April Rotterdam show and the complete 23 April Stuttgart show have appeared unofficially on CD many times on different labels and sporting different cover designs.

The tapes of the complete and unedited Stuttgart show must exist in the vaults and hopefully Sony/Legacy will consider this album for an upgrade as it is long overdue.