‘Spotlight’: Lost Johnny Cash song featuring Dan Auerbach released
Over 30 years since it was initially recorded, the Johnny Cash song ‘Spotlight’ has finally been released into the world.
The newly shared creation is vintage Cash, with his unmistakable delivery gripping the listener for close to three-minutes. Although ‘Spotlight’ was first recorded in 1993, the new version which has been released has been enhanced from the original demo, with The Black Keys singer Dan Auerbach providing additional guitar.
For Auerbach, the chance to feature on a Cash recording is a realisation of a lifetime ambition. As the legendary singer-songwriter sadly passed away in 2003, naturally, he believed this chance would never occur.
In a statement, Auerbach described it as “the thrill of a lifetime to be able to play guitar on a Johnny Cash song.” The Black Keys frontman continued: “Hearing his voice through the speakers in my studio sent chills down my spine. I can’t thank John Carter and Fergie enough for including me.”
The track is set to appear on Cash’s upcoming record, titled Songwriter, scheduled for release on June 28th through Mercury Nashville/UMe. Johnny and June Carter Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, rediscovered the set of recordings last year before getting to work with co-producer David ‘Fergie’ Ferguson to bring the songs to life.
John praised Auerbach’s contribution, which he believes brought another dimension to ‘Spotlight’, noting, “It was great to have Dan be a part of ‘Spotlight’ and to add his guitar tones and his sounds to this incredible song. I think it really opened it up into a different direction. It’s good to hear two fantastic guitarists, Dan and Marty, working together to bring this song alive.”
In addition to featuring a helping hand from Auerbach, other contributors to Songwriter include Marty Stuart, the late bassist Dave Roe, along with drummer Pete Abbott. Furthermore, country icon Waylon Jennings, who passed away in 2002, initially sang on ‘I Love You Tonite’ and ‘Like A Soldier’ during the 1993 sessions.
For John, the opportunity to bring Songwriter to life has allowed him to grow closer to his late father, which was the reason he chose to undertake the project rather than seeing the venture as a potential cash cow. He previously explained upon announcing the project, “It’s not about selling Johnny Cash, he would be doing that himself. I’m grateful that this record is here, even if it was only for me, because it reminds me of who my father was, and I do believe there are people out there that knew him on somewhat of a level that I did, that will be just as touched”.
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