Red Velvet (song)

"Red Velvet" is a song written by Ian Tyson and recorded by Johnny Cash. While the Cash version is the best known, it was first recorded by Ian & Sylvia Tyson in 1965 on their album Early Morning Rain.[2]

For the Outkast song, see Stankonia.
"Red Velvet"
Single by Johnny Cash
from the album Old Golden Throat
A-side"Red Velvet"
"The Wind Changes"
Released1967 (1967)
Genrecountry
LabelColumbia 4-44288
Songwriter(s)Ian Tyson
Producer(s)Don Law and Frank Jones[1]
Audio
"Red Velvet" on YouTube

Recorded by Cash at the Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee,[3] the song was released in September 1967[4][5] as a single (Columbia 4-44288, with "The Wind Changes" on the opposite side).[4][6][7][8][9]

U.S. Billboard gave the song a "Country Spotlight" review, stating: "Folkster Ian Tyson's plaintive ballad serves as potent material for Cash as he performs it in his compelling and winning style. Another big Cash hit,"[10] but in the end, "Red Velvet" did not chart at all,[6] while the flip side charted on the Billboard country chart, but made it only to number 60 and dropped off completely after only six weeks.[11][5]

Later the song was included on Johnny Cash's album Old Golden Throat (1968).

Analysis

During the sessions for From Sea to Shining Sea Cash recorded "Red Velvet." [...] It's a truly inspired piece of writing from Tyson, and a song Cash was immediately drawn to. Cash once remarked that he usually had good ears for picking a hit song, and he thought this song would be a huge hit for him. Ultimately it wasn't, but it should have been. It's a beautiful, descriptive westernthemed story with poetic lyrics. It tells about a girl who comes down on a day coach to be with her boyfriend, told very well and nicely sung.

— John M. Alexander. The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash[7]

Other Versions

Track listing
7" single (Columbia 4-44288,[1] 1967)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Red Velvet"I. Tyson2:43
2."The Wind Changes"J. Cash2:46

References
  1. "Johnny Cash - Red Velvet". Discogs. 1967. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  2. "Early Morning Rain ~ Release by Ian & Sylvia". Musicbrainz. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  3. John L. Smith (1 January 1999). Another Song to Sing: The Recorded Repertoire of Johnny Cash. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3629-7.
  4. The Johnny Cash Record Catalog. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1994. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-0-313-29506-5.
  5. Peter Lewry (2001). I've Been Everywhere: A Johnny Cash Chronicle. Helter Skelter. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-900924-22-1.
    September
    "The Wind Changes"/"Red Velvet" (Columbia 4-44288) released. Following the recent chart successes this single is a relative failure, reaching only #60 during a six-week chart spell.
  6. C. Eric Banister (1 August 2014). Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black. Backbeat. pp. 138–. ISBN 978-1-61713-609-2.
    C. Eric Banister (1 August 2014). Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black. Backbeat Books. pp. 123–. ISBN 978-1-61713-608-5. Curiously, just prior to the album's release, Columbia issued another single featuring two songs—"Red Velvet" and "The Wind Changes"—that were not duets, with the latter stalling at #60 on the Country chart before quickly dropping off. Released in the fall of 1967, Carryin' On brought together Johnny and June's two ...
  7. John M. Alexander (16 April 2018). The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 150–. ISBN 978-1-61075-628-0.
  8. Steve Turner (1 November 2005). The man called Cash: the life, love, and faith of an American legend. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 266. ISBN 978-0-8499-0815-6.
  9. "Billboard". Billboard. 23 May 1970. pp. 1–. ISSN 0006-2510.
    Standard Catalog of American Records, 1950-1975. Krause Publications. 2000. ISBN 978-0-87341-934-5.
    Tim Neely (1 August 2002). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records: 1950-1975. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-471-7.
    Tim Neely (31 August 2006). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records: 1950-1975. Krause Publications. ISBN 9780896893078.
    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 L. Smith (1 January 1985). The Johnny Cash Discography. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-24654-8.
  10. "Billboard". Billboard. 23 September 1967. pp. 18–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  11. Joel Whitburn (2002). Top Country Singles, 1944 to 2001: Chart Data Compiled from Billboard's Country Singles Charts, 1944-2001. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-151-2.
    Joel Whitburn (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005, Billboard. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-165-9.
    "The Wind Changes Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  12. "A Painter Passing Through". Wikipedia. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  13. "Play One More - The Songs Of Ian & Sylvia ~ Release by Tom Russell". Musicbrainz. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
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