''The Last Gunfighter Ballad'' is the 55th album by American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

singer

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

, released on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

in 1977. Notable tracks include the title track, "Far Side Banks of Jordan" and "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine", the latter of which features Cash's brother

Tommy Cash Tommy Cash (born April 5, 1940) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. His elder brother was Johnny Cash. Biography Cash was born in Dyess, Arkansas, United States, the youngest of four sons and three daughters of Ray and Carrie (R ...

. The title track was the album's only single, reaching #38 on the country charts; it tells the tale of an aging

gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

who finds himself unable to deal with the modern way of life. "Ballad of Barbara" is a new recording of a song that had first appeared as the B-side of Cash's 1973 single "Praise the Lord and Pass the Soup", while "City Jail" is a studio version of a track first released on the live album ''

På Österåker ''Johnny Cash på Österåker'' () is a live album by country singer Johnny Cash released on Columbia Records in 1973, making it his 43rd overall release. The album features Cash's concert at the Österåker Prison in Sweden held on October 3 ...

''. "Far Side Banks of Jordan", a duet featuring Cash and his wife,

June Carter Cash June Carter Cash (born Valerie June Carter; June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter and dancer. A five-time Grammy award-winner, she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. Prior ...

, is a remake of a track first recorded in 1975 for a planned gospel album that was recorded in full, but for reasons unknown was never released (the 1975 version of the song, along with the other tracks, would not be released until 2012). The song is noted for its lyrics which feature June pondering the possibility of dying before her husband (she would in fact die several months before Cash in 2003).Gregg Geller, "Producer's Note", Johnny Cash, ''Bootleg Vol. IV: The Soul of Truth''. Columbia/Legacy Records 88697985382, 2012

Track listing

Personnel

*Johnny Cash - vocals *

Bob Wootton Robert "Bob" Wootton (March 4, 1942 – April 9, 2017) was an American guitarist. He joined Johnny Cash's backing band, the Tennessee Three, after original lead guitarist Luther Perkins died in a house fire. He remained Cash's guitarist for n ...

, Jerry Hensley, Jack Routh - guitar *

Marshall Grant Marshall Garnett Grant (May 5, 1928 – August 7, 2011) was the upright bassist and electric bassist of singer Johnny Cash's original backing duo, the Tennessee Two, in which Grant and electric guitarist Luther Perkins played. The group became kno ...

, Roy Goin, Mike Leech - bass *

WS Holland W. S. "Fluke" Holland (April 22, 1935 – September 23, 2020) was an American drummer who played with Carl Perkins, and later for Johnny Cash in the bands The Tennessee Three, The Great Eighties Eight, and The Johnny Cash Show Band. Holland ...

- drums * Larry McCoy, Earl Poole Ball - piano * Farrell Morris - percussion *

- vocals *

- vocals *The Carter Family and Jan Howard - vocals

Additional personnel

*Produced by: Charlie Bragg and Don Davis *Arranged by: Bill Walker *Recorded at Sound Spectrum Recording, Inc. (House of Cash Studios) *Engineers: Charlie Bragg, Roger Tucker, Danny Jones, Chuck Bragg *Photography: Bill Barnes *Liner Notes: Johnny Cash (as John D. (Deadeye) Cash)

Charts

Album - ''Billboard'' (United States) Singles - ''Billboard'' (United States)

References

External links

Luma Electronic entry on ''The Last Gunfighter Ballad''
Johnny Cash albums 1977 albums Columbia Records albums {{1970s-country-album-stub, Last Gunfighter Ballad, The