George Jones - The Johnny Cash Show (1971)

I used to look forward to Wednesday nights just to catch a bit of Johnny Cash on his show, taped at the Grand Ole Opry, as well as hear the other guests. In this segment from April 15, 1970 George Jones does a short set consisting of “White Lightnin’” with Johnny Cash, and then goes on to do a medley of his own with “She Thinks I Still Care”, “The Love Bug”, “The Race is On” and then, curiously, back to “The Love Bug” as a finish. All in 4 minutes! He is backed by a group whom Johnny refers to as “The Jones Boys”, but I’m not sure who they are. Looking it up might spoil the memory so I’ll let it be.

The Johnny Cash Show lasted barely 2 seasons. It didn’t have the commercial appeal in the big city market, and that’s a shame, as the groups and other artists featured on this show went on th influence; and in some cases already had; the bands of the 1970’s and even today when you go hear groups like Phish doing George Jones songs. And the shows were really great TV themselves.

On this typical night, Johnny featured Judy Collins and Bobby Goldsboro as his main guests along with George Jones. He performed with each artist and then, as was his habit on the show, left the stage to them. He also performed regularly with June Carter Cash doing duets and also reciting poetry. On this particular night Johnny read an anti-drug poem. This was brave stuff to do if you were trying to make it on TV in 1970, when pop was king, along with all the “special” effects that went into making most music.

I really miss the old variety shows. There was something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Anyone my age will remember Sunday nights watching Ed Sullivan with their family. It was like a ritual. And there seems to have been a different show for each night. Red Skelton, Dean Martin, the list goes on and on. It’s lucky for me that they are all preserved on You Tube.  

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by Sam Cutler

In a real close-up look at the darker side of Rock and Roll, Sam Cutler, former tour manager for the Rolling Stones 1969 tour; which ended in complete disaster at Altamont Speedway in California; asks the hard questions, and provides some of the harder answers to the "how's and why's" behind the disastrous killing of a gun wielding young black man at the hands of the Hell's Angels in December 1969. The resulting furor over the killing, coupled with the trial of Sonny Barger, heralded the end of the Woodstock Nation, which had been born only 4 months earlier in upstate New York.

Mr. Cutler examines the differences, and egos, which formed the disaster, and then simply vanished, leaving him to face the legal issues. With a keen eye for detail, and just enough sex and drugs thrown in to make it interesting, he has covered all the bases, from the security concerns to ticket scalping. The madness of touring with the Stones is apparent in the whirlwind pace of the author's writing.

Also, there is an added bonus for those who did not know, or like me, were unaware of Mr. Cutler's connection to the Grateful Dead. He became, on the strength of their connection through the Altamont Speedway concert, at which the Dead never played, tour manager for the Grateful Dead for decades to come. His accounts of Jerry Garcia, and what the man was really like, are very revealing, and will definitely be of interest to his fans. Although not a huge Dead fan myself, the business end of the Grateful Dead empire was really a fascinating thing to watch grow. It simply happened, which is, of course what that band is all about. Happening.

A great quick read for fans of either band, and illustrated just enough to make it interesting, this is one memoir which will not disappoint the reader.