DUNKIRK AND FORTRESS EUROPE

I recently went on my fourth Leger Battlefield Tour and this time it was to visit Dunkirk and the various rocket launch sites in the area.

Following the coach trip from home to Dover, the ferry crossing and the short journey to our hotel in Lo, a borough of the Belgian municipality Lo-Reninge, it was time for dinner, a refreshing pint and then a nights sleep before our busy schedule began.

Our second day looked at the fighting during the Battle of France in May 1940 and our first stop was in Saint Venant. It was here that we were told the story of the Durham Light Infantry and The Royal Welch Fusiliers .

Following Hitler's invasion of France on 10 May it was only a matter of a few days before his Panzer Divisions had moved through Northern France towards the coast. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and French Army were trapped in a pocket and were forced to retreat to Dunkirk.

Forced back towards the coast they formed a perimeter along the canals and both the Royal Welch Fusiliers and Durham Light Infantry were ordered to defend and hold Robecq, Saint Floris and Saint Venant.

This first stop was an opportunity to see the canal area at Saint Venant defended by the Royal Welch Fusiliers and Durham Light Infantry and the memorial. We also visited the Communal Cemetery where many of those killed in Saint Venant are buried.

Moving on to Cassel Hill we examined the last stand of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. They had reached Cassel on 25th May and were ordered to hold the western and eastern halves of the town. The plan was to hold the line to allow the BEF to be evacuated from the Dunkirk beaches.

Despite early success in holding the Germans back, continuous heavy air and ground attacks reduced much of the town to ruins. Most of the regiments men were either killed or taken prisoner. However, they had succeeded in delaying the German advance giving the troops in Dunkirk the much needed time to get off the beaches.

Following lunch in Cassel it was time to move on and our visits to Le Paradis and Wormhoudt, where two massacres took place, were the saddest parts of the whole trip.

At the end of May the Royal Norfolk Regiment were protecting the Battalion headquarters at Duries Farm in Le Paradis and the close hamlets of Le-Cornet Malo and Riez-du-Vinage. 

On 27 May, outnumbered, isolated from the rest of their unit and low on ammunition the 99 men, under the command of Major Lisle Ryder, surrendered. Stepping out with a white flag, German SS Officer Fritz Knoechlein ordered that they were stripped of their weapons and marched to another building at Creton Farm. They were lined up against the wall of a barn and two machine gunners opened fire followed by bayoneting and pistol shots to finish of any soldiers still alive.

Left for dead the Germans were unaware that there were two survivors, Privates William O'Callaghan and Albert Pooley. They managed to crawl towards a pig-sty where they survived for three days before being found by the owners of the farm but were eventually captured and taken prisoner.

Albert Pooley was repatriated and returned to England while O'Callaghan remained a prisoner until the end of the war.

In October 1948 both Pooley and O'Callaghan gave evidence in the trial of Fritz Knoechlein who was found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging in January 1949. 

Major Ryder was killed on 2 October 1940 and was buried at Le Paradis Cemetery and, following our visit to the farm, we had the opportunity to visit his grave during the trip.

This was not the only atrocity committed by the SS as, on the day after the Le Paradis massacre, 80 men were killed at Wormhoudt.

As part of the BEF retreat to Dunkirk the 48th Division was defending the road which ran from Bergues through Cassel and Hazebrouck to slow down the German advance. At Wormhoudt they were finally outnumbered and with little or no ammunition, surrendered. Rightly so, they assumed they would be taken prisoner according to the Geneva Convention. However, this was not the case.

Following the surrender, soldiers from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Cheshire Regiment and Royal Artillery were taken to a barn near Wormhoudt. Concerns were raised during the trip as to the SS conduct which included shooting some of the wounded stragglers. When they arrived at the barn Captain James Lynn-Allen protested but to no avail.

With almost 100 men crammed into the barn soldiers from the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, threw grenades into the barn. Many were killed instantly, but many survived this first attack when Sergeant Stanley Moore and CSM Augustus Jennings threw themselves onto the grenades to protect their comrades. Realising this the SS ordered five at a time to leave the barn where they were then shot. Deciding it was too slow they eventually just opened fire on the barn killing 80 men. A few managed to escape but were eventually captured and taken prisoner.

Hauptsturmfuhrer Wilhelm Mohnke was in command but never faced trial, claiming he had nothing to do with the massacre.

Following the emotional visits to Le Paradis and Wormhoudt it was time to head back to Dunkirk. Bastion 32 was the headquarters of the French and Allied forces during the fighting in and around Dunkirk and during Operation Dynamo (the codename for the evacuation). It is now the Dunkirk War Museum we had the chance to spend a couple of hours looking around.

The museum houses a fascinating collection of uniforms, weapons, models, maps and photographs. Well laid out and with information boards it increased the understanding of what had happened during those dark days in May and June 1940. There was so much to see and photograph.

The day closed with a walk along the East Mole in Dunkirk harbour. The structure allowed ships to moor against the side and allow troops to board and return to England. Despite heavy bombing which destroyed much of the harbour it was from this important structure that 239,465 British and French troops were evacuated back to England. 

From the end of the East Mole you could look across and into the distance and see the beaches of Bray Dunes where more troops were evacuated and also see the remains of ships on the beach.

An early start on day three found us back in Dunkirk and a visit to the Dunkirk War Cemetery and Dunkirk Memorial. Unveiled in June 1957 the memorial stands at the entrance to the Commonwealth War Graves section of the Dunkirk Cemetery. 

The memorial commemorates the 4,505 missing of the BEF and features memorial panels and a shrine with an engraved glass pane which was designed by John Hutton and showed scenes of the evacuation. The Cemetery also has sections of First World War and Second World War graves. 

Moving a short way along the coast we stopped at Bray Dunes where we learned more about the evacuation and the 'little ships' that will forever be associated with the evacuation. It was from these beaches that 98,761 troops were evacuated.

There was time to walk along the beach and looking at the peaceful scene and families playing on the beach it was almost impossible to imagine what it must have been like back in 1940 when the beach was covered with troops waiting to board the 'little ships' and wrecked vehicles, discarded guns and other items strewn across the beach.

Unfortunately the tide was in so it was not possible to see the wreck of the two ships that were sunk by German air attacks, The Crested Eagle and The Devonia, which remain on the beach as a reminder of what happened over those few days in May.

Following lunch in St. Omer it was time to start looking at the history of the German V-weapon sites. Our first stop was at Eperlecques where we took a look around the massive Blockhaus.

Work began on building the V2 launch site at Eperlecques in March 1943. Used to construct and launch the V2 rocket it was planned to launch up to 36 rockets a day. Bombing by the allies between August 1943 and August 1944 prevented the German using the facility to launch the V2s.

Now preserved as a museum that presents the history of the site and V-Weapons programme it was interesting to walk around the site, much of which still remains. As you walk around the site you can't but be impressed by the structure and as you continue the walk you can see inside where images of a V2 give you an idea of what it would have been like had it been used as a launch site. 

Outside there is a V1 on its launch ramp and a V2 and throughout the site are other items of military interest.

Near Morbecque, and hidden in some woods, was the site of another V1 ski-ramp launch site. Although only various ruins remains it was an interesting walk through the woods where various structures stood.

The original launch ramp no longer exists but you could see where it once stood as the banked earth, trees and remaining brickwork are an indication.

In the evening I took the optional tour to Ypres for the Last Post Ceremony. Held at the Menin Gate the ceremony has taken place every night at 8pm since 1928, with the exception of the six years between 1939-1945. I had attended the ceremony back in 2015 during a previous tour and it was good to be among the hundreds of people who had once again, like every night, congregated around the Menin Gate to witness this emotional event.

Unfortunately due to work being undertaken there was scaffold around the Menin Gate which prevented you from seeing what an impressive structure it is. Fortunately last time I was there I managed to see it in all its glory.

Day four began on the Belgian coast at Raversijde where we visited a section of the Atlantic Wall. Originally the World War One Aachen Battery it was turned into a section of the wall by the Germans in World War Two. The Atlantic Wall stretched for more than 2,000 miles from the Spanish border to the tip of Norway.

Now a museum, you can walk through the many tunnels and bunkers viewing the original fortifications, trenches along with displays of uniforms and equipment used by those who occupied the defences.

A brief stop for some lunch then it was across the border into France for a visit to the Batterie Todt. Another impressive structure that was part of a series of four massive gun casemates or Turns as they were known.

Our visit was to Turn 1 which houses a museum with a detailed history of the Batterie Todt. This series of casements was named after Fritz Todt who was the Reich Minister of Munitions and head of Organisation Todt, a civil and military engineering group. 

The batterie housed a 380mm calibre gun built by Krupp that was capable of a range of up to 55 kilometres, well within the reach of the British coast.

Inside you can view where the gun was located along with various military items on the three levels.

The site is also the permanent home of a Krupp K5 280mm railway gun. A second gun is preserved at the United States Army Ordnance Museum in Petersburg, Virginia.

Having already seen the V1 and V2 launch sites at Eperlecques and Morbecque it was now time to visit the V3 super-gun system at Mimoyecques. Consisting of a network of tunnels constructed under a chalk hill with inclines to launch the rocket it was intended to launch up to a hundred missiles a day on London, only 168km away.

Although never fired in anger as the site was bombed by the allies with Tallboy bombs on 6 July 1944 you could still walk through the tunnels built to house this incredible weapon.

Our day ended with a look at the liberation of the coastal region in Northern France during September 1944 and a visit to the Calais Canadian Cemetery.

Our guide pointed out several graves of interest and one was unusual in the fact that the inscription listed the full name, Margaret Campbell of the Women's Auxiliary Airforce, which I believe is one of the few graves in any of the commonwealth cemeteries that has the full name. Other graves always showed the initials and surname only.

It was an early start on our final day for the drive back to Calais and our journey home. Our guide had one more visit planned, which was not on the original itinerary.

Earlier in the tour we were told the story of Major Angus McCorquodale and Lieutenant Jimmy Langley, of the Coldstream Guards, who were defending the Dunkirk perimeter. A Border Regiment officer informed McCorquodale that he was going to pull back and that the right flank would be exposed. Told to get back into line and fight he replied that he had no right to tell him what to do as he had been ordered to retreat. McCorquodale pointed to a tree and informed him that if he or any of his men passed it he would order his men to shoot. Langley was told to pick up a rifle and ordered to shoot the officer if he passed the tree. Later the Border Regiment officer was seen passing the tree and apparently both McCorquodale and Langley both fired and the officer fell to the ground. 

Angus McCorquodale, who was killed on I June 1940, is buried at Warhem Cemetery and we had the opportunity to visit his grave and hear more about the story.

Another informative, enjoyable and at times very sad and emotional tour that I am pleased I went on.

This article only covers my trip and a brief overview of events in and around Dunkirk in May and June 1940. There are many books, DVDs and on-line sites that give a more detailed account and are worth checking out.

I have already booked another for next year, once again with my good friend Brian, and will be visiting and travelling on the steam railways that ran on the Somme during World War One.

I met a great group of people on the Dunkirk and Fortress Europe tour and especially want to mention Heather, Helen, Ellen, Ruth, David, Margaret and Colin. I must also thank the two John's whose company I enjoyed every evening in the village or hotel bar enjoying a few pints of beer, and on one evening, enjoying watching the hundreds of people who filled the towns square for what is apparently a yearly event... a fair, music and an impressive firework display!

Finally thanks go to our knowledgeable tour guide Niall Cherry and our excellent drivers Anthea and Steve.

JOE MEEK - THE TEA CHEST TAPES

In this article we look back on the life and career of Joe Meek, legendary record producer and pioneer of sound recording technology, the discovery of a stash of tapes known as 'The Tea Chest Tapes and review Heinz-The White Tornado, one of the first releases to be taken from the newly discovered recordings.

Born on 5 April 1929 in Gloucestershire, Meek had an interest in electronics from an early age. Biographers described him as a pre-teen Thomas Edison who spent his time in his parents shed at the bottom of their garden messing with radios and electronic circuits. From these humble beginnings a genius would emerge.

During his National Service he spent time as a radar engineer in the Royal Air Force and his fascination with space would lead to the sound for which he became famous and to produce his biggest hit record.

In 1953 he began working for the Midlands Electricity Board where he developed his interest in electronics and music production. It was there that he acquired a disc cutter. He left the electricity board to work as an audio engineer for an independent radio production company who made programmes for stations including Radio Luxembourg. He made his breakthrough working on Ivy Benson's Music For Lonely Lovers.

Meek set up his own production company, RGM Sound Ltd, which would later become Meeksville Sound Ltd. Operated from his home studio which he had built at his flat at 304 Holloway Road in London.

His developments in sound recording included sampling, overdubbing, reverberation and would lead to him being one of the most influential sound engineers of all time and one of the first to use the recording studio as an instrument.

In 1960 he produced Angela Jones, a top ten single for Michael Cox and the following year scored his his first number one with John Leyton's Johnny Remember Me. His third number one single and final major success was Have I The Right by the Honeycombs.

However, it was his second number one for which he will be best remembered. Telstar, an instrumental composed by Meek and recorded by The Tornados, whose bass player was a young blonde Heinz Burt, reached number one in the UK and spent five weeks at the top. The recording received an Ivor Novello Award for 'Best Selling A-Side' of 1962. The record also reached number one on the US Hot 100.

Meek would later produce a vocal version titled Magic Star which was sung by Kenny Hollywood and released as a single on Decca although it failed to chart.

His inability to play any instruments or to write notation did not prevent him writing and producing a string of commercial recordings. He turned to musicians and songwriters including Geoff Goddard, Dave Adams and Charles Blackwell to transcribe his vocal demos into hits. He worked on over 200 singles of which close to fifty reached the UK top-fifty.

Unfortunately his success as a record producer did not extend to his personal life. I do not want to cover his private life here except to mention that on 3 February 1967 Meek killed his landlady Violet Shenton in his flat and then himself using a single-barrelled shotgun. It followed an argument over noise levels and outstanding rent. Apparently he had confiscated the shotgun from Heinz Burt and had kept it under his bed. Meek was buried at Newent Cemetery in Gloucester.

Meeks reputation was recognised by the Music Producers Guild in 2009 who created the 'Joe Meek Award for Innovation in Production'. Music paper New Musical Express ranked him the greatest producer of all time writing, "Meek was a complete trailblazer, attempting endless new ideas in his search for the perfect sound. The legacy of his endless experimentation is writ large over most of your favourite music today."

Meek left behind nearly 1,900 tapes which sat in storage for almost fifty years and became known as the 'Tea Chest Tapes' due to how they were stored. Cliff Cooper purchased the tapes for around £300 following Meek's suicide. In the mid-1980s these tapes were catalogued by Alan Blackburn, former president of the Joe Meek Appreciation Society. The tapes were put up for auction in 2008 although it is reported that they failed to sell. What is known is that in 2020 Cherry Red Records purchased the tapes from Cooper.

An eighteen-month project resulted in all the tapes being digitized and catalogued by Cherry Red's Alan Wilson, a lifelong Joe Meek fan, analog tape specialist and studio engineer. Talking about the work Wilson said, "I'm very lucky to be working on this."

An almost impossible task as many of the tapes had little or no writing on the boxes or where there was documentation it often did not reflect the actual contents.

The tapes contained masters of released material, alternate takes, backing tracks and several songs in their original speed, often having been sped-up for original release. They found tapes with just a backing track, then discovered another with vocals and finally another where backing vocals had been added. It showed how Meek would create a song... bouncing from one machine to another to create a finished master.

Wilson spoke about the quality of the tapes, which you have to remember were over fifty years old and hadn't been stored in ideal conditions, "By and large, the tapes are in very good condition. We're taking everything off with great care, cleaning and baking where necessary. The quality is quite stunning, even flat transfers, before we restore and master. It makes me realize how good Joe Meek was.

The first material to be released by Cherry Red from the legendary 'Tea Chest Tapes' were a couple of limited-edition, 10-inch vinyl extended play albums, The Telstar Story and The Heinz Sessions Vol. 1. More recordings are due in the coming month which brings me to their first comprehensive package which has just been released, Heinz - The White Tornado.

Heinz Burt was born on 24 July 1942 in Detmold, Germany and, from the age of seven, bought up in Eastleigh, Hampshire in England. Bass player in the Tornados, he had come to the attention of Joe Meek and became his protege. Meek styled his image and persuaded him to peroxide his hair. It is stated that Meek fell in love with Heinz but it was one-sided as Heinz did not have any feelings towards him and would go on to marry Della Burke at the height of his career.

A fan of and influenced by Eddie Cochran his biggest selling solo hit was Just Like Eddie, written by Geoff Goddard and a top-five hit in August 1963.

Meek's death signalled the end of Heinz's solo recording career and he worked outside of the music industry at various jobs including working in advertising for a local paper. He would work in pantomime and in later years worked on several 1960s revival shows. Heinz suffered from motor neurone disease and was confined to a wheelchair. He died in 2000 aged 57 following a stroke and was cremated at Eastleigh Crematorium in Hampshire.

He released a number of singles including, Live It Up, Country Boy, Please Little Girl, Diggin' My Potatoes, End Of The World and Movin' In, some of which reached the UK top-fifty.

His only album, Tribute To Eddie, was released in 1964 and, as the title suggests was a tribute to his biggest influence. Among the Cochran tracks featured were, Summertime Blues, Three Steps To Heaven, Cut Across Shorty, Twenty Flight Rock and I Remember. The hit single Just Like Eddie was also featured.

The latest release from Cherry Red Records, and taken from the legendary 'Tea Chest Tapes', is Heinz - The White Tornado. A 5-CD set in a clamshell box with each disc housed in a cardboard sleeve made to look like original tape boxes.

The set is split into five different CDs... Tribute To Eddie + Versions, Tribute To Eddie Sessions, The Singles Pt. 1, The Singles Pt.2 and Demos And Curios.

Of the 131 tracks included over 100 are previously unreleased! These include alternate versions, backing tracks, demos, instrumentals, session highlights and tracks at their original speed. Also featured are a live rehearsal and a short interview. The sound is incredible when taking into account the age of the recordings and credit must go to all those involved in the production of this set.

The 20-page booklet includes a comprehensive liner note by Rob Bradford and Richard Anderson along with some great photos, record sleeves and other memorabilia.

A very impressive release which will not only be of interest to fans of Heinz but also those with an interest in the history of British pop music in the 1960s and the art of studiocraft. I am looking forward to future releases from Joe Meeks 'Tea Chest Tapes'.

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During one of my many walks around London's music sites I visited 304 Holloway Road and captured a few images,

JOHNNY CASH - THE BILLY SHERRILL SESSIONS

The 12 September 2023 marks twenty-years since we lost Johnny Cash and over the next few months I will be reprinting a few articles that I originally wrote and published in Johnny Cash-The Man in Black, which I edited and published between 1994 and 2019. In this article, originally published in Issue #84 - December 2015 although edited here with additional text and illustrations, we look back at the career of Billy Sherrill and his work with Johnny Cash.

When one thinks of Johnny Cash’s producers there are many names that come to mind. Of course high on the list is Sam Phillips, who founded Sun Records, and gave Cash his first break. Also at Sun Records was ‘Cowboy’ Jack Clement, whose name would crop up regularly throughout Cash’s career. While his move to Columbia Records saw him working with Don Law and Frank Jones and in the late 1960s Bob Johnston who was behind the legendary prison albums. Into the 1970s and we find Larry Butler and Charlie Bragg working with Cash while the following decade would see Brian Ahern and band members Earl Poole Ball and Marty Stuart taking over the role. Of course any list would not be complete without Rick Rubin who bought Cash’s music to a whole new audience in the 1990s and 2000s. One name often overlooked is that of legendary Nashville producer Billy Sherrill and in this article we look back at his career and his work with Johnny Cash.

Billy Norris Sherrill was born on 5 November 1936 in Phil Campbell a small town located in Franklin County, Alabama.

His early life was surrounded by music and he would often accompany his evangelist father at local revival meetings. He joined several local R&B and rock bands and in 1960 released a single, Rules Of The Game, on the Mercury label and several years later released the album, Country Classics, on the Epic label. 

Sherrill’s first experience as a producer and engineer was at Sam Phillip’s Nashville studio although it was a hiring by Epic Records in 1963 that was the start of his major role as a producer. Maybe because of his lack of experience he first worked with artists that other producers had declined to work with and surprisingly among these were The Staple Singers!

It wasn’t long though before he started to make an impression with country artists with David Houston’s #1 hit Almost Persuaded being one of his first major successes. Written by Sherrill with Glenn Sutton the song won two Grammy Awards for Houston - ‘Best Country & Western Recording’ and ‘Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Male’ both in 1966. Although they did not walk away with the honour both Sherrill and Sutton were nominated in the ‘Best Country & Western Song’ category.

Sherrill had great admiration for Owen Bradley, a producer who had worked with the likes of Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn and was instrumental in the creation of the Nashville Sound through his work at his own studios The Quonset Hut and Bradley’s Barn. It was Bradley who added strings and backing vocals to country records and Sherrill took this further with his lush arrangements that some people compared to the work of legendary rock producer Phil Spector.

Often criticised for his production the hit records speak for themselves. Jerry Kennedy, another Nashville producer once said, “His productions were always first class and as the charts indicated, he had a pretty good idea about what record buyers wanted.”

During his long career he worked with many artists including Marty Robbins, Joe Stampley, David Allan Coe, Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Charlie Rich and Tanya Tucker as well as British rocker Elvis Costello. However, it is his work with Tammy Wynette and George Jones that he will be best remembered. 

Sherrill guided Wynette’s career more than any other artist he worked with. Although she had already had a minor hit in 1967 with Apartment #9 it was the Billy Sherrill and Glen Sutton composition Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad that would be the first of a string of hits produced by Sherrill.

Thirty-nine top ten hits would follow with an incredible twenty hitting the #1 spot. Among these hits were, I Don’t Want To Play House, Singing My Song, Another Lonely Song, Take Me To Your World, I’ll See Him Through and, who could ever forget her biggest hit, Stand By Your Man.

With his dramatic productions and her emotional performances it helped create her image of the queen of heartbreak and a woman who survives all the romantic turmoils in her life.

Sherrill also produced many of her duets with husband George Jones including We’re Gonna Hold On, Near You and Golden Ring.

Sherrill began producing George Jones’ solo releases in the early 1970s. Having already notched up many successful hits it was under the guidance of Sherrill that he recorded some of his best records – We Can Make It, The Grand Tour and a song which Jones had originally had reservations about recording, He Stopped Loving Her Today.

In 1985 Sherrill left Columbia to further his career as an independent producer and would go on to work with many artists including Shelby Lynne.

Retiring in the early 1990s he could look back on a successful career that still continues to influence country music today as recognised by his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. Sherrill died in August 2015 but his legacy will live forever.

We will now take a look at his work with Johnny Cash which began back in 1980.

Cash first worked with Billy Sherrill at Columbia Studios in Nashville on 5 September 1980 where they worked on two songs, The Baron and I Will Dance With You with a second session on 30 September to overdub The Baron.

An article appeared in Cashbox (21 March 1981) about the teaming up of Cash and Sherrill and explained why it had taken them so long to work together - 'There are many interesting aspects to Columbia recording artist Johnny Cash’s latest single, The Baron, the most unique being that it marks the first teaming of Cash and producer Billy Sherrill. Although Sherrill has been producing CBS artists for 17 years, with Cash recording for CBS for 22 years, the two have never joined forces for a record. According to Sherrill, the reason for this had been that he (Sherrill) “hadn’t found the right song for John.” Sherrill added that when he and co-writers Paul Richey and Jerry Taylor completed this song, he knew it would be perfect for Cash. “We went in and quickly recorded it because we felt so strongly about it,” he said. Cash seems to concur. “The Baron is the best song I’ve heard in years,” he said. I respect Billy Sherrill very much as a producer and an album with him is a possibility."'

Released as a single in March 1981 it spent fifteen weeks on the country charts peaking at #10, his best chart position since Ghost Riders In The Sky two years earlier.

Cash was working with Jack Clement on tracks for his new album to be titled The Adventures of Johnny Cash when, in March 1981, Sherrill approached Cash about recording material to capitalise on the success of The Baron.

They recorded enough material for an album over a few days in March with most of the material picked by Sherrill although Cash did insist on recording an old folk song, Hey, Hey Train, which was arranged by guitarist Marty Stuart.

Other tracks recorded for the album included Mobile Bay, A Ceiling, Four Walls And A Floor, Thanks To You, Chattanooga City Limits Sign, The Reverend Mr Black and The Greatest Love Affair.

The album was released in May and Columbia took out a full-page ad in the music press which included the tag-line, ‘Nobody Can Beat Him…. songs and stories as only Johnny Cash can sing them.’

The album deserved to do better than its high of #24 and 12 week chart run, especially based on the title tracks success as a single and the video that was produced to accompany it. Two further singles didn’t fare much better with Mobile Bay only hitting #60 and Chattanooga City Limit Sign failing to chart.

A number of tracks remain unreleased from these sessions including Don’t You Think It’s Come Our Time, Billy Brown, New Cut Road,Why Am I Thinking Of You and Tennessee although, as we shall see later, a couple of these did finally find a release. 

Other than the live album, The Survivors (featuring both Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis) which stalled at #21, Cash didn’t place any albums on the country or pop charts between 1981 and 1985 when the Highwaymen album was released and peaked at #1.

In an attempt to rejuvinate Cash’s career and see him riding high in the charts again Rick Blackburn, head of Nashville’s country operation, teamed Cash up with Billy Sherrill once again in early 1984.

Despite the modest success of their previous work, Columbia felt that Sherrill had a new song that could turn Cash’s career around.

Unfortunately the song, Chicken In Black (originally to be titled Brain Transfusion) written by Nashville songwriter Gary Gentry, was awful and did not achieve the success everybody had hoped for.

Recorded on 12 April 1984 at 1111 Sound Studios in Nashville, Cash was backed by some of Nashville’s finest – Jerry Carrigan (guitar), Jerry Kennedy (guitar), Billy Sandford (guitar), Dale Sellers (rhythm guitar), Pete Drake (steel guitar), Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins (piano), Henry Strzelecki (electric bass), Bobby Wood (piano) and Cash band-member Marty Stuart (guitar). Unfortunately all of Nashville’s finest still couldn’t improve the song!

The novelty song told the story of Cash needing a brain transplant as his old brain had worn out. He goes to New York where a brain surgeon tells him he is in luck as they have a brain from a bank robber.

Everything is fine until he appears on the Opry in Nashville and half way through a song he tells everybody to hold up their hands and give him their money and valuables! Meanwhile the chicken, who has his old brain, is having a successful career as a singer and is signed to a ten-year recording contract. Cash is left to roam the streets of Nashville robbing people.

Although at first Cash was upbeat about the song, thinking it would repeat the success of his earlier novelty song, A Boy Named Sue, he eventually admitted he hated the song and thought it was, “godawful!” He even demanded that Columbia recall all unsold copies of the single from record stores and refused to sing the song in concert.

As if the song was not embarrassing enough they then filmed a video in which Cash is seen dressed as a chicken, in bright yellow and blue, looking like a comic book hero. Like the single, Cash demanded that the video be pulled from TV stations and never shown.

Family and friends even hated the video with daughter Rosanne saying, “There was an undercurrent of desperation in it. It was painful.” Long-time friend, Waylon Jennings, told Cash he looked like a buffoon in the chicken costume.

Columbia were not happy about Cash’s change of heart feeling that if he hadn’t made such a fuss about the song and video it could have become a hit. Bad feelings not only meant the end of the single but also the planned second Cash/Sherrill album which was shelved.

Instead Cash teamed up with producer Chips Moman, who had produced Elvis Presley’s legendary Memphis recordings back in 1969, and released the album Rainbow.

What of the planned album though? Sessions took place during April, May and June at 1111 Studios with the same band that appeared on Chicken In Black.

They recorded sixteen tracks with only Chicken In Black and it’s b-side, Battle Of Nashville finding a release.

Other tracks recorded during this period included, Baby Ride Easy, Out Among The Stars, If I Told You Who It Was, Call Your Mother, After All and Rock And Roll Shoes.

With the issues over Chicken In Black the planned album was scrapped but not before it was issued a catalogue number and given the title In Living Colour. A record company catalogue advertised the album at the time and even listed a few of the tracks although no paperwork seems to exist to confirm or give any further details.

It is also not known if a cover was designed although as Columbia had issued a catalogue number and given the album a title the chances are one did exist. It is interesting to note that after the project was dropped and Cash recorded a new album with Chips Moman that it ended up being titled Rainbow.

Purely speculation but it is possible the cover shot and/or design of the Rainbow album was originally intended for the In Living Colour project. Even the titles have a similar meaning with references to colours.

Following the sessions in 1981 and 1984 Cash would never work with Sherrill again and for years the tracks he recorded during the sessions in 1984 remained in the vaults and, to most people, were totally unknown.

John L. Smith included details about the sessions in his series of discographies which gave hope to Cash fans around the world that one day the material would be located and released.

Fast forward to December 2013 and Legacy Recordings, the catalogue division of Sony Music Entertainment, who had given Cash fans some amazing releases over the years, announced the release of ‘A Long Lost Johnny Cash Album.’

Was it possible that the 1984 tracks were finally going to find a release? Fans around the world didn’t have to wait long to find out that twelve newly discovered tracks would be released on an album titled Out Among The Stars.

The recordings surfaced in 2012 when John Carter Cash, along with staff from Legacy, were cataloguing the extensive archive at the House of Cash. John Carter Cash said at the time, “When my parents passed away, it became necessary to go through this material. We found these recordings that were produced by Billy Sherrill in the early 1980s… they were beautiful.”

The tapes were taken back to the House of Cash where the album was restored with the help of additional musicians including Marty Stuart, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Laura Cash and Mark Fain. Carlene Carter added harmony vocals to Baby Ride Easy, a track she had recorded as a duet with Dave Edmunds back in 1980.

Released in March 2014 Out Among the Stars featured ten tracks from the 1984 sessions and two, Tennessee and Don’t You Think It’s Come Our Time, from 1981.

Originally a bonus track was only going to be made available with the digital download although the decision was made to include it with the CD. The track was an alternate version of She Used To Love Me A Lot produced by Elvis Costello. It had a darker, moody atmosphere more reminiscent of his ‘American Recordings’ work. The song was issued as a single and a video was also produced to help promote the song and the album.

There are still a handful of Billy Sherrill produced tracks from 1984 left in the vaults, some of which would not have been out of place on Out Among The Stars. Hopefully one day we will get to hear tracks including You Give Me Music, I Know You Love Me, My Elusive Dreams and a re-recording of I Still Miss Someone.

I am fortunate to have in my collection copies of most of the tracks from this period in their original undubbed versions and it is interesting to compare the originals with the Out Among The Stars overdubbed versions.

The Baron, Chicken In Black and the previously unreleased In Living Colour album were not the only time Cash and Sherrill worked together.

Soul and R&B singer Ray Charles had appeared on Cash’s TV show back in 1970 and in 1984 they found themselves working together in the studio.

Charles was recording tracks for his new album, Friendship, and although it is not known who approached who, what is known is that on 22 February 1984 Cash and Charles recorded the duet Crazy Old Soldier, a song composed by Paul Kennerley and Troy Seals with Billy Sherrill producing. The song was also released as a single and although the album reached #1 on the country chart the single failed to chart.

Not documented at the time this was not the only session to feature Cash and Charles recording together.

Back in 1981 they recorded Why Me Lord which, at the time, was never released.

In 2010 Concord Music Group’s John Burk had the task of going through hundreds of previously unreleased session tapes for an album of undiscovered masters to be titled Rare Genius.

One of the tracks chosen was Why Me Lord which would eventually close the album. Charles played piano and provided stellar vocal harmony on a spine-chilling rendition of the Kris Kristofferson composition.

In the booklet for Rare Genius there is a reproduction of a letter dated January 1981 from Cash to Charles which shows how much the song meant to Cash and also how much he respected Ray Charles. It also gave an indication that plans were made to release the song at the time.

The letter reads, ‘You’ve made me a very happy man by allowing the release of Why Me Lord. I have prayed for a record like this for 25 years. The record company is very excited about the record as is producer - Billy Sherrill. Enclosed is a cheque for $10,000 which is what you asked for. I still feel like I am getting the better deal - even if the record doesn’t sell. It’s a great attitude for you to take. I loved working with you. I wish we could get together when we’ve got more time. Like you, I’ve got songs that need to come out. It was great talking with you. I love you. Your friend, Johnny Cash’

It is a shame that the session in 1984 with Ray Charles didn’t lead to more duets or an album as it could have been a milestone in Cash’s career and helped bring his name back to the fore.

However, we do have two albums worth of material Cash recorded with Sherrill and there are still a handful of tracks left in the vaults.

CREAM - SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Cream were formed in London in 1966 and consisted of Eric Clapton (guitar), Jack Bruce (bass) and Ginger Baker (drums). Recognised as the first rock supergroup they earned a reputation based on the instrumental proficiency of the three members.

Clapton had gained a reputation as the premier blues guitarist in the UK through his time with The Yardbirds and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Finding the Bluesbreakers confining his style he was keen to start a new band and expand his playing. In 1966 he met Ginger Baker, drummer in the Graham Bond Organisation, who was growing tired due to Bond's drug addictions and mental instability. Impressed with each others musical abilities it resulted in Baker asking Clapton to join his new band, which at that point had no name. Clapton agreed on the condition that they hire Jack Bruce as the bands bass player. After considering the name Sweet 'n' Sour Rock 'n' Roll they settled on the name Cream.

Their music spanned many genres including blues, psychodelia, hard rock and among their classic recordings were Strange Brew, White Room, Crossroads, Sunshine Of Your Love, Tales Of Brave Ulysses and Born Under A Bad Sign.

They only had a three -year career and during that time released four albums, Fresh Cream (1966), Disraeli Gears (1967), Wheels Of Fire (1968) and Goodbye (1969).

Released in 1966 Fresh Cream was a mix of blues covers (Four Until Late, Spoonful, I'm So Glad) and self-penned originals (I Feel Free, Toad, Dreaming, N.S.U.) and reached #6 in the UK and #9 in the USA.

Their second album, Disraeli Gears, was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York over a few days in May 1967 and was released in November 1967. A top five album in both the UK and USA it reached #1 in Australia, Finland and Sweden. Considered by critics as their defining effort it combined American blues with British psychedelic rock and included mainly band compositions including Strange Brew, Take It Back, Blue Condition, Tales Of Brave Ulysses and the song that would become the groups unofficial anthem and best known song, Sunshine Of Your Love.

Originally scheduled for release in the summer of 1967 it was delayed when the record company decided to scrap the original cover artwork and replace it with a psychedelic design created by artist Martin Sharp.

Recorded during a series of sessions in 1967 and 1968 the bands third album, Wheels Of Fire, released in June (USA) and August (UK), was a double-album with a mix of studio and live recordings. The studio recordings found the band moving from blues towards a progressive rock style and included White Room, Passing The Time, Politician and Those Were The Days. However, blues was not forgotten and the album included Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign and Howlin' Wolf's Sitting On Top Of The World.

During the bands 1968 US Tour a number of shows were recorded at The Fillmore and Winterland, both in San Francisco. The album featured just four tracks, Crossroads, Spoonful, Traintime and Toad.

Due to the band growing tired of the hectic touring schedule and tensions between Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker the decision was made in May 1968 to break-up, although they were persuaded to record one final album.

Released in February 1969, several months after the band split, Goodbye comprised three live recordings from an October 1968 show at The Forum in Los Angeles (I'm So Glad, Politician and Sitting On Top Of The World) along with three studio recordings (Badge, Doing That Scrapyard Thing and What A Bringdown). The original plan was to release another two-record set like Wheels On Fire but lack of decent material meant the idea was scrapped in favour of a single album. Despite being panned by the critics at the time the album reached #1 in the UK and #2 in the US.

Cream also undertook a farewell tour which would see them play 22 shows at 19 different venues across the USA between 4 October and 4 November 1968. The tour closed with two sold-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 25th and 26th November 1968. The shows were filmed, shown in theatres and eventually released on video as Farewell Concert.

Two live compilations were released after the band split up. Live Cream, released in 1970, included four live recordings, N. S. U., Sleepy Time Time, Sweet Wine and Rollin' And Tumblin', all taken from shows at The Fillmore and Winterland in March 1968. Although a live album it did include one studio recording, Lawdy Miss Clawdy (listed as Lawdy Mama) recorded at Atlantic Studios in May 1967 during sessions for  Disraeli Gears. The album peaked at #4 on the UK album charts.

Released in 1972, Live Cream Volume II featured six live recordings, including Deserted Cities Of The Heart, White Room and Sunshine Of Your Love, from March and October 1968 at Winterland and the Oakland Coliseum Arena. Whilst not repeating the success of the previous album it still managed to reach #15 in the UK.

Cream were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and reformed to play at the induction ceremony, performing Sunshine Of Your Love, Crossroads and Born Under A Bad Sign. It was the first time they had played together in twenty-five years and it sparked rumours of a reunion tour, which, due to their own solo projects, would not happen any time soon.

However, at the request of Clapton, they did reunite for four shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London in May 2005, the same venue at which they performed their farewell concerts in 1968.

The aforementioned live recordings at The Fillmore and Winterland are covered in a new book, Cream: Clapton, Bruce, Baker - Sitting On Top Of The World, written by Edoardo Genzolini and published by Schiffer Publishing.

Besides the detailed text on the recordings made, the book also gives a brief history of Cream, Bill Graham, The Fillmore and Winterland and even Clapton's decorated 1964 Gibson SG Standard guitar.

The bulk of the book takes a detailed look at the shows filmed and recorded in February and March at The Fillmore and Winterland and those tracks that made it to album.

Detailed information about what was recorded, where, when and where released was far from complete, accurate or available. A devastating fire at the Atlantic Records archive back in 1978 destroyed much of the archive material along with many session tapes.

Thanks to the hard work of author Genzolini, and the discovery of recent archival information, we can now understand more about these recordings with full details of what happened on and off The Fillmore and Winterland stages. 

Details of the sets performed at both venues, which songs were recorded by Atlantic Records and filmed by British documentary maker Tony Palmer for his film All My Loving sit alongside precise information as to where certain songs appeared on Wheels Of Fire, Live Cream, Live Cream Volume II and which songs remain unreleased.

Accompanying the text are more than one hundred and twenty amazing photos, in both colour and black and white, which cover the shows at The Filmore and Winterland. While many are on the dark side and suffer from being slightly out of focus, obviously due to the conditions under which they were taken, they capture those few weeks when Cream were sitting on top of the world. There are also a few images from Palmer's film, along with tape boxes and other related material which I found very interesting.

I read this book in just one day, found it a fascinating read and can't praise Genzolini enough. I have no hesitation in recommending this book, not only to fans of Cream but anyone interested in 1960s music and the San Francisco music scene of the sixties.

With thanks to Victoria Hansen at Schiffer Publishing Ltd for providing a review copy of the book.