Johnny Cash’s Cover of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” from Red Hot + Country 30th Anniversary Vinyl/Digital Re-issues
Bob Dylan (left) and Johnny Cash (right) together performing on The Johnny Cash Show’s debut episode in 1969 (SOURCE: Best Classic Bands / COLORZED BY: The Witzard)
"Forever Young" is a Bob Dylan original that was covered by his close friend and collaborator, Johnny Cash (R.I.P.) in 1994 for a County/Rock music AIDS/HIV awareness compilation called Red Hot + County (AKA RH+C.) It was originally only released on CD and cassette and just this past Friday, the compilation went live on streaming services for the first time ever. I didn't even know of Cash's "Forever Young" cover's existence until it randomly popped up within my latest Release Radar Spotify playlist. Notably and likely, most famously quasi-covered by Rod Stewart in 1987 for a similarly-minded and themed song of the same name, Dylan initially released "Forever Young" on Planet Waves in 1974. Two versions—one, Slow (a lullaby) and one, Fast (slightly more Rock-oriented)—were recorded by Dylan with The Band as a “bedtime” lullaby for his son, Jesse, who would later grow up to direct popular films such as films How High, American Wedding, and Kicking & Screaming and even his dad’s own music video for “Most of The Time” from Dylan’s 1989 26th studio album, Oh Mercy. "Forever Young" was released as a single in 1979 from Dylan's "greatest hits"-oriented live album, Bob Dylan at Budokan. Internet legend amongst fans seemingly suggests that Dylan supposedly wrote "Forever Young" in such a way and at lower octaves, ultimately, intended for Cash to sing all along.
Although it was 1994, "Forever Young" was far from the first (or last time) Cash had covered Dylan or vice versa. Cash released his own versions of "Understand Your Man," which borrowed parts of its melody from Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," "It Ain't Me, Babe," "Blowin' In The Wind" during a Letterman appearance, "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," “Wanted Man,” "Mama, You Been On My Mind," and "One Too Many Mornings" more than once. Dylan also famously covered Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," "Ring of Fire," "Train of Love," and "Big River." As odd as it seems, Bob & Johnny really seemed to have a mutual admiration for one another that morphed into a genuine friendship; culminating with them collaborating on a new version of Dylan's own "Girl from The North County" for 1969's now-beloved “100% Country music” album, Nashville Skyline. Additionally, in 1969, Dylan appeared as a guest on The Johnny Cash Show and the two performed a whole collaborative off-the-cuff set together, which has been heavily bootlegged over the last 50 or so odd years. It was finally properly released unto the masses of adoring Dylan & Cash devotees in 2019 as Bob Dylan's Travelin' Thru, 1967-1969: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 15 Featuring Johnny Cash, which spanned nine staggering sides of vinyl (3xLP) and a 3-CD set. It’s currently available on Spotify in abridged form via a digital Sampler with six Dylan/Cash songs and a solo Dylan cover of Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”
Red Hot + Country - mint green vinyl LP, L-R: Side A, vinyl liner notes insert sheets, and Side B (SOURCE: Red Hot Org Bandcamp page)
Ecstatically billed as the “30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ALBUM COUNTRY RADIO WOULDN’T PLAY. FIRST TIME ON VINYL!” RH+C showcased Brooks & Dunn with Johnny Cash covering Cash’s own “Folsom Prison Blues,” Suzy Bogguss, Alison Krauss & Kathy Mattea with original performers Crosby, Stills & Nash AKA GRAMMY Awward-winning “The Red Hots,” Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Webb, Dolly Parton, Billy Ray Cyrus, and the first released recorded appearance from eventual Alt. Country/Indie Rock darlings Wilco. As a long-time Dylan (and Cash) fan, it’s really cool to hear Johnny covering Bob (yet again!) and I think he was able to add a lot of understated pizzazz to the song, which Dylan would have wanted to add to his own 1974 original recording, but probably just wasn’t likely able to with the limitations to and imperfections related to his own voice and corresponding unique “vocal chops.” Red Hot + Country is now available now for the first-ever time digitally and on 3xLP vinyl, as well as a newly re-packaged 3-disc CD set. The digital Bandcamp-only version of Red Hot + Country also comes complete with 16 BONUS TRACKS of recordings lifted Live from The Ryman Auditorium, which was released on V.H.S. in 1994.
