Cat. No. VV 1546: JOHNNY CASH ~ BITTER TEARS - BALLADS OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN (REVISED EDITION). BEAR FAMILY BFX 15127.

USED VINYL RECORD. PART OF A COLLECTION NOW UP FOR SALE.

BITTER TEARS : BALLADS OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 1964 WAS A CONCEPT ALBUM. IT WAS CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL AND WAS REJECTED BY SOME RADIO STATIONS.

THE ALBUM FOCUSES ON ON THE HISTORY OF OF NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES AND THEIR PROBLEMS. JOHNNY CASH ASSUMED THAT HIS ANCESTRY INCLUDED CHEROKEE, WHICH PARTLY INSPIRED IS WORK ON THIS RECORDING. THE SONGS IN THIS ALBUM ADDRESS THE HARSH AND UNFAIR TREATMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA BY EUROPEANS IN THE UNITED STATES. TWO TRACKS DEAL WITH 20TH CENTURY ISSUES AFFECTING THE SENECA AND PIMA PEOPLES.

"BITTER TEARS" AND ONE SINGLE WERE SUCCESSFUL, THE ALBUM RISING TO No. 2 AND "THE BALLAD OF IRA HAYES", REACHING No. 3 ON THE BILLBOARD HOT COUNTRY SINGLES CHART BUT THIS REQUIRED EFFORT ACCORDING TO LATER ACCOUNTS, BY STRESSING THE NATIVE AMERICAN THEME, JOHNNY HAD ENTERED CONTEMPORARY CONTROVERSIAL SOCIAL ISSUES AND UPHEAVEL OF THE PERIOD. JOHNNY ENCOUNTERED RESISTANCE TO THIS WORK. TODAY THIS ALBUM IS ONE OF JOHNNY'S MOST SOUGHT AFTER ALBUMS ATTRACTING VERY HIGH PRICES.

THIS SELECTION BY BEAR FAMILY RECORDS OF GERMANY IS A BRILLIANT 1984 REISSUE OF THE ORIGINAL ALBUM WITH TWO ADDITIONAL TRACKS AND EXPANDED LINER NOTES AND PRESENTED AS ONLY BEAR FAMILY CAN. THE SLEEVE IS A BIFOLD SLEEVE IN NEAR MINT CONDITION AND THE THE RECORD IS GRADED AS VIRTUALLY MINT. A VERY HIGHLY COLLECTABLE FOR THE JOHNNY CASH FAN.

TRACK LISTING: Side 1 - Intro - Big Foot / As Long As The Grass Shall Grow (The Senecas) / Apache Tears / Custer / The Talking Leaves. Side 2 - The Ballad Of Ira Hayes / Drums / White Girl / Old Apache Squaw / The Vanishing Race.

12" VINYL RECORD.