Down the Street to 301
"Down the Street to 301" is a song originally recorded by Johnny Cash. It was written for him by Jack Clement.[2][3]
"Down the Street to 301" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Johnny Cash | ||||
from the album Now Here's Johnny Cash | ||||
A-side | "Down the Street to 301" "The Story of a Broken Heart" | |||
Released | June 1960 | |||
Genre | Country, rockabilly, doo-wop, honky-tonk, pop | |||
Label | Sun 343 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jack Clement[1] | |||
Johnny Cash singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Down the Street to 301" (audio only) on YouTube |
The song was recorded by Cash on July 17, 1958 during his final session for Sun Records[4][3] (or on May 15)[5] and released as a single (Sun 343, with "The Story of a Broken Heart" on the opposite side)[6][7][8][9] in June 1960.[10][11]
Background
According to John M. Alexander's book The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash, the song was written by Charlie Rich and wasn't released as a single:
"Down the Street to 301" was the last track Cash recorded at Sun Studios, courtesy of Charlie Rich. It's a story about a boy who is dating the girl who lives at 301. It appears that they were aiming for a song, and a sound, similar to Cash's giant hit "Ballad of a Teenage Queen." It almost feels like a follow-up to that song, with its doo-wop harmonies and pop production. It was never released as a single, but certainly stands as a fitting finale to Cash's incredible Sun recording career.
— John M. Alexander. The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash[4]
Charts
Chart (1960) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 85 |
References
- "The Story Of A Broken Heart / Down The Street To 301". Discogs. 1960. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
- "Down The Street To 301 - Composition by Johnny Cash, Traditional, Jack Clement - Discogs Tracks". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- John L. Smith (1 January 1999). Another Song to Sing: The Recorded Repertoire of Johnny Cash. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3629-7.
- John M. Alexander (16 April 2018). The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-1-61075-628-0.
- John Edwards Memorial Foundation (1974). JEMF Quarterly. John Edwards Memorial Foundation.
- John Edwards Memorial Foundation (1974). JEMF Quarterly. John Edwards Memorial Foundation.
- Tim Neely (2004-05-01). Goldmine Records & Prices. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-781-7.
Down the Street to 301 The Story of a Broken Heart Sun 343.
- Colin Escott; Martin Hawkins (1980). Sun Records: The Brief History of the Legendary Recording Label. Quick Fox. ISBN 978-0-8256-3161-0.
Down the Street to 301 The Story of a Broken Heart.
- George Albert (1984-01-01). The Cash Box Country Singles Charts, 1958-1982. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-1685-5.
- Peter Lewry (2001). I've Been Everywhere: A Johnny Cash Chronicle. Helter Skelter. ISBN 978-1-900924-22-1.
June
Both Columbia and Sun Records release singles this month – "Second Honeymoon"/"Honky Tonk Girl" (Columbia 4-41707) and "Story Of A Broken Heart"/"Down The Street To 301" (Sun 343). - The Johnny Cash Record Catalog. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1994. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-0-313-29506-5.
- "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-20.