The Holy Land (album)
Encyclopedia
The Holy Land is a concept album
and the third gospel album by country
singer Johnny Cash
, released on Columbia Records
in 1969
). Cash recorded the album inspired by a visit to the Holy Land
with his wife, June Carter Cash
. The majority of the songs on the record accept religion
as their main theme, with several gospel
tracks making an appearance. All but three of the songs were written by Cash, though the sole single, "Daddy Sang Bass
", which reached No. 1 on the Country charts and was no. 1 for 6 weeks, was penned by Carl Perkins
.
The cover has a picture of Cash standing in front of the chapel on top of the Mount of the Beatitudes, immediately north of the Sea of Galilee. Some versions of the album had a 3-D
picture on the cover.
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
and the third gospel album by country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1969
1969 in music
-Events:Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event...
). Cash recorded the album inspired by a visit to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
with his wife, June Carter Cash
June Carter Cash
Valerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash...
. The majority of the songs on the record accept religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
as their main theme, with several gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
tracks making an appearance. All but three of the songs were written by Cash, though the sole single, "Daddy Sang Bass
Daddy Sang Bass
"Daddy Sang Bass" is a 1968 single written by Carl Perkins, with some lines from "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" and recorded by Johnny Cash. "Daddy Sang Bass" was Johnny Cash's sixty-first release on the country chart. The song went to number one on the country charts for six weeks and spent a...
", which reached No. 1 on the Country charts and was no. 1 for 6 weeks, was penned by Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
.
The cover has a picture of Cash standing in front of the chapel on top of the Mount of the Beatitudes, immediately north of the Sea of Galilee. Some versions of the album had a 3-D
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
picture on the cover.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Johnny Cash; except where indicated- "Prologue" – 0:54
- "Land of Israel" – 2:50
- "Mother's Love" – 1:32
- "This is NazarethNazarethNazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
" – 0:43 - "Nazarene" – 2:03
- "Town of CanaCanaIn the Christian New Testament, the Gospel of John refers a number of times to a town called Cana of Galilee.-The marriage at Cana:Among Christians and other students of the New Testament, Cana is best known as the place where, according to the Fourth Gospel, Jesus performed his first public...
" – 1:36 - "He Turned Water Into Wine" – 2:47
- "My Wife June at the Sea of GalileeSea of GalileeThe Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
" – 1:32 - "Beautiful Words" – 1:52
- "Our Guide Jacob at Mount TaborMount Tabor-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
" – 1:54 - "The Ten Commandments" (Lew DeWittLew DeWittLewis Calvin "Lew" DeWitt was an American country music singer and composer.For most of his career DeWitt sang tenor for The Statler Brothers...
) – 3:59 - "Daddy Sang BassDaddy Sang Bass"Daddy Sang Bass" is a 1968 single written by Carl Perkins, with some lines from "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" and recorded by Johnny Cash. "Daddy Sang Bass" was Johnny Cash's sixty-first release on the country chart. The song went to number one on the country charts for six weeks and spent a...
" (Carl PerkinsCarl PerkinsCarl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
) – 2:19 - "At the Wailing Wall" – 0:46
- "Come to the Wailing Wall" – 2:49
- "In BethlehemBethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
" – 1:46 - "In Garden of GethsemaneGethsemaneGethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem most famous as the place where, according to Biblical texts, Jesus and his disciples are said to have prayed the night before Jesus' crucifixion.- Etymology :...
" – 1:57 - "The Fourth Man" (Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith) – 2:08
- "On the Via DolorosaVia DolorosaThe Via Dolorosa is a street, in two parts, within the Old City of Jerusalem, held to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to his crucifixion. The current route has been established since the 18th century, replacing various earlier versions...
" – 3:53 - "Church of the Holy SepulchreChurch of the Holy SepulchreThe Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan....
" – 1:07 - "At CalvaryCalvaryCalvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus is said to have occurred. Calvary and Golgotha are the English names for the site used in Western Christianity...
" – 2:33 - "God is Not Dead" – 2:43
Personnel
- Johnny Cash - Vocals, Guitar
- The Carter Family, The Statler BrothersStatler BrothersThe Statler Brothers were an American country music vocal group founded in 1955 in Staunton, Virginia.Originally performing gospel music at local churches, the group billed themselves as The Four Star Quartet, and later The Kingsmen...
- Background Vocals - Luther PerkinsLuther PerkinsLuther Monroe Perkins was an American country music guitarist and a member of the Tennessee Three, the backup band for singer Johnny Cash. Perkins was an iconic figure in what would become known as rockabilly music...
- Guitar - Marshall GrantMarshall GrantMarshall Garnett Grant 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 known as The Tennessee Three in 1960, with the addition of drummer W. S. Holland...
- bass - W.S. Holland - drums
- Carl PerkinsCarl PerkinsCarl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
- Electric Guitar
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Country Albums | 6 |
| 1969 | Pop Albums | 54 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | "Daddy Sang Bass" | Country Singles | 1 |