Country Christmas (Johnny Cash album)

Country Christmas is the fourth Christmas album and 78th overall album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released on Laserlight Digital in 1991 (see 1991 in music), in-between Cash's contracts with Mercury Records and American Recordings.

Country Christmas
Studio album by
Johnny Cash with June Carter and Carter Family
ReleasedSeptember 20, 1991
RecordedJune–August 1991
GenreChristmas, country
LabelDelta Records
ProducerRalph Jungheim
Johnny Cash chronology
The Mystery of Life
(1991)		 Country Christmas
(1991)		 Johnny Cash: Patriot
(1991)

Four tracks do not feature Cash but instead feature vocals by his wife, June Carter Cash and the Carter Family. This was the last Johnny Cash release within his lifetime to feature Carter Family, who had been a staple of his live show and studio recordings since the early 1960s. The sisters would not participate in his upcoming work for American Recordings; nor would June Carter Cash, though a 2000 private release, Return to the Promised Land, would feature her alongside her husband.

Due to this album not having any connection to the Columbia, Mercury or American labels, it is one of the more uncommon Johnny Cash releases and as of 2015 has yet to appear in any box sets or compilations.

Background and content

Most tracks had been previously recorded by Cash for one (or more) of this three prior Columbia Christmas albums, most notably Classic Christmas, though the album also includes several tracks unique to this collection such as a version of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" featured in the 15-track edition. "Silent Night" is performed on all each of Cash's four canonical Christmas albums. "Figgy Pudding" is an arrangement of the standard "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with comedic interjections by June Carter Cash, reminiscent of her country-comedy work of the 1950s and 1960s before joining with Johnny Cash.

Reissue

The album was reissued with "White Christmas" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" removed. In subsequent reissues these songs were replaced by "Ring Of Fire" and "I Walk The Line" despite neither song having anything to do with Christmas. It is unconfirmed whether these tracks are new recordings or any of the previous versions Cash recorded for Sun Records, Columbia Records or Mercury as "I Walk the Line" had previously been recorded for all three labels and "Ring of Fire" for the latter two.

Personnel
  • Johnny Cash - Vocals, Guitar
  • June Carter - Vocals
  • Carter Family - Vocals
  • Jack Hale Jr. & His Nashville All-Star Band & Singers - Vocals, Instruments. Hale is also credited as arranger on all of the traditional Christmas songs

Track listing

15-track version
No.TitleLength
1."Blue Christmas"3:05
2."Silent Night"3:26
3."White Christmas"3:48
4."Figgy Pudding" (June Carter Cash and the Carter Family)2:43
5."Here Was a Man"2:44
6."Joy to the World"3:42
7."O Little Town of Bethlehem"4:16
8."What Child Is This?"4:12
9."The First Noel" (June Carter Cash and the Carter Family)3:26
10."Away in a Manger"3:33
11."O Christmas Tree" (June Carter Cash and the Carter Family)3:18
12."O Come All Ye Faithful"3:59
13."It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" (June Carter Cash and the Carter Family)3:52
14."Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"3:14
15."I'll Be Home for Christmas"4:12

13-track version
No.TitleLength
1."Blue Christmas"3:05
2."Silent Night"3:26
3."Figgy Pudding" (June Carter Cash and the Carter Family)2:43
4."Here Was a Man"2:44
5."Joy to the World"3:42
6."O Little Town of Bethlehem"4:16
7."What Child Is This?"4:12
8."The First Noel" (June Carter Cash and the Carter Family)3:26
9."Away in a Manger"3:33
10."O Christmas Tree" (June Carter Cash and the Carter Family)3:18
11."O Come All Ye Faithful"3:59
12."It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" (June Carter Cash and the Carter Family)3:52
13."Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"3:14

2006 reissue
  1. "Silent Night"
  2. "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear"
  3. "Here Was A Man"
  4. "Blue Christmas"
  5. "What Child is This?"
  6. "Joy To The World"
  7. "Ring Of Fire"
  8. "O Christmas Tree"
  9. "Away In A Manger"
  10. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
  11. "O Come All Ye Faithful"
  12. "I Walk The Line"
  13. "Figgy Pudding"
  14. "O Little Town Of Bethlehem"
  15. "The First Noel"
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