Linda's cameo singing "He’s got the whole world in his hands

[ausfan2]

The Johnny Cash Show s1e3

I know the main performances have been posted many times before (stats at about 3:50).

However, how many are aware of Linda’s cameo in the final number “He’s got the whole world in his hands”? The finale stats at about 47:07 and Linda appears at 48:00

[musicaamator]

Cool--never seen this before! Feel bad for Linda being surrounded by some tall cats there, . Thanks for posting!

[RKEANE49]

sorry ... this is awfu. some this should be left buried

[hotwater]

Thanks for posting love it yes those shows back then were a lil rough sometimes but Jerry Reed and Linda to me always was worth watching.the back up groups (Carter family and Statler Brothers ) were a pleasure to see also.thanks

[erik]

And to be fair, this is, after all, a very early performance of Linda's in a very strange setting. I thought she handled it rather well.

[revin2go]

I realize Linda's a hippie chick and all, but she seems way under-dressed for the occasion. If she were amongst her peers, it would have been fine, but these were established, professional musicians from the previous generation. I'm surprised the powers that be allowed it. I guess they wanted some youth appeal. Chalk one up for the counter culture!

[sliderocker]

Aug 21, 2013 9:28:30 GMT -5 erik said:

And to be fair, this is, after all, a very early performance of Linda's in a very strange setting. I thought she handled it rather well.

I'd say Linda likely was slightly more religious back in those days than what she is now. Remember, she closed "Hand Sown, Home Grown" with "We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus" and "Silk Purse" with "Life's Railway to Heaven." "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is one song I remember quite a few folkies in the 60s doing, along with a lot of religious people. I was never quite sure why as I didn't think it was that good of a song. Linda's performance of the song, I'm wondering if it was her choice to do the song or if it was assigned to her by Cash or the director or producer? If she'd had soem say in the song selection, I have to think she would've chosen some other song. This one seemed chosen for her.

[erik]

Quote by revin2go:

I realize Linda's a hippie chick and all, but she seems way under-dressed for the occasion. If she were amongst her peers, it would have been fine, but these were established, professional musicians from the previous generation. I'm surprised the powers that be allowed it. I guess they wanted some youth appeal. Chalk one up for the counter culture!

And to top that all off, it was Nashville in 1969, where pretty much every "establishment" performer there (save for Mr. Cash, who the powers-that-be didn't mess around with) looked down their noses at hippies (just the year before, the Byrds caused a ruckus at the Opry).


Quote by sliderocker:

I'd say Linda likely was slightly more religious back in those days than what she is now. Remember, she closed "Hand Sown, Home Grown" with "We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus" and "Silk Purse" with "Life's Railway to Heaven." "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is one song I remember quite a few folkies in the 60s doing, along with a lot of religious people. I was never quite sure why as I didn't think it was that good of a song. Linda's performance of the song, I'm wondering if it was her choice to do the song or if it was assigned to her by Cash or the director or producer? If she'd had soem say in the song selection, I have to think she would've chosen some other song. This one seemed chosen for her.

It was probably more the spiritual feel of the songs than any overt religiosity that drew Linda to them; if anything, her version of "We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus" was slightly parodistic in nature, though "Railway" was a fairly good attempt at Appalachian gospel.

[sliderocker]

And to top that all off, it was Nashville in 1969, where pretty much every "establishment" performer there (save for Mr. Cash, who the powers-that-be didn't mess around with) looked down their noses at hippies (just the year before, the Byrds caused a ruckus at the Opry).

Johnny Cash was definitely a force to be reckoned with in Nashville. Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook recalled the time CCR was in town to tape Cash's show. Cook went to buy some clothes while he was there, and when he was in the store, he was confronted by some "men" who didn't like the long haired guys and were going to do something unpleasant. Cash walked into the same store, saw what was happening with Cook, walked up to the bullies and told them Cook was a friend of his and if anything happened, they'd have him to answer to. Cook reported that was all it took for the bullies to back down and he was thankful to Johnny for being there. One has to think Cash probably was a man who could back up his words with actions, if push came to shove.


It was probably more the spiritual feel of the songs than any overt religiosity that drew Linda to them; if anything, her version of "We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus" was slightly parodistic in nature, though "Railway" was a fairly good attempt at Appalachian gospel.

Possibly, but I think Linda at that age was a lot more naive and maybe could've been more religious in those days. I'd like to think Linda's recording of WNAWLOFJ was tongue in cheek - I know the issue was brought up by Dick Clark on "American Bandstand" when Linda appeared on the show, but I can't recall what her exact response was. One thinks someone somewhere would have an old wrinkly cassette tape around somewhere that had that appearance complete with the interview, and would post it on youtube. Or the video. Of course, DC jealously guarded his AB shows and kept them locked tight, which didn't make sense as he ahd quite a bit of rock history on those shows. Keeping them under lock and key and never to be seen again was a very puzzling attitude to take.

Linda's version of "Railway" was a fairly good attempt and it's kind of surprising Capitol didn't try to get her as a country artist to record an all gospel album. Most country artists recorded and released gospel albums at some point in their career, although I was never sure whether the conviction was genuine or just a cynical attempt by the artist or record company to get a little more money from the fans. RCA wanted another gospel album from Elvis from around the time of the Stax sessions but that was something he never got around to recording. And even though he loved gospel music, I don't think it necessarily meant he wanted to record it. He loved Christmas but he hated making that second Christmas album, which was RCA's and Parker's bright idea. Likewise, I couldn't have seen Linda recording a whole album of gospel standards because I think that genre could've been foreign to her. There's no doubt she could've sung the songs with conviction but it didn't seem like a genre that was native to her musically.

[the Scribe]

I don't think that Linda was ever truly religious but like Mexican Catholocism she seemed to like some of the adornments more out of tradition than anything. I think her version of We Need A Whole Lot More of Jesus was meant to shake things up, attract attention and perhaps start a conversation. I think I did a thread on the old forum about that song. That Johnny Cash Show finale is a gem! She was a trailblazer even in the way she dressed back then, breaking boundaries. Not sure why that should surprise anyone. Personally I am a believer that if you have a good body, flaunt it. ha Get the most out of the time period you are living in and then shed that old house in your waning years and move on. I would love to see her do one more song with a video like Johnny Cash's brilliant "Hurt." He rolled his whole life into one four minute video par excellence!

[erik]

Quote by ronstadtfanaz:

She was a trailblazer even in the way she dressed back then, breaking boundaries. Not sure why that should surprise anyone. Personally I am a believer that if you have a good body, flaunt it. ha Get the most out of the time period you are living in and then shed that old house in your waning years and move on.

Of course you're right. But like I said, this was Nashville in 1969. And in that time and place, apart from the Man In Black, maybe a handful of other Music Row luminaries (Skeeter Davis, I believe, was a fan of Linda's), and the Nashville session mafia who really liked working with the "longhairs", if you looked and dressed like Linda did, many in that town either looked down their noses at you (remember that the Byrds got catcalls of the "cut your hair" variety when they played the Opry the previous year), or got scared s***less.

[the Scribe]

Aug 21, 2013 17:44:57 GMT -5 erik said:

Quote by ronstadtfanaz:

And in that time and place, apart from the Man In Black, maybe a handful of other Music Row luminaries (Skeeter Davis, I believe, was a fan of Linda's), and the Nashville session mafia who really liked working with the "longhairs", if you looked and dressed like Linda did, many in that town either looked down their noses at you (remember that the Byrds got catcalls of the "cut your hair" variety when they played the Opry the previous year), or got scared s***less.

And a few years later and even still today it is now that crowd that has the long hair, mullets and the like.

[profstadt]

The finale with Linda is pretty cool and I appreciate it being brought to our attention by ausfan2.

I was happy to see Linda dressed as she was.

I am not sure how much we should make of a professional performer's religious convictions based on what they sing or otherwise perform. Though there may be some highly principled performers out there, there are certain many examples of performers singing religious-based music that appears counter to what is likely their faith, such a Jewish singers doing popular Christmas music and Jewish musicians/conductors performing more classical pieces like the Verdi Requiem. Of course we can only presume that these performers are faithful to what we presume is their faith. Which only supports my point.

What do we REALLY know about Linda's faith? For many people, one's religius convictions are generally a personal matter,and I think she has been appropriately quiet about it. (Though, we have have often tried to read things in to her comments in some of her interviews.)

[Deleted]

That was kind of the look she had around the Playboy party appearance, no?

[erik]

Quote by robertaxel:

That was kind of the look she had around the Playboy party appearance, no?

Yes, pretty much that semi-countrified hippie look.


Quote by ronstadtfanaz:

And a few years later and even still today it is now that crowd that has the long hair, mullets and the like.

Now that it's long since become cool, yes. But they haven't ditched the redneck/holier-than-thou attitude. If anything, I think it's worse now than it was then.

[eddiejinnj]

not sure what the wardrobe issue is. It was a little short but it was a silky polyester dress. very 60's but not overtly hippie with the big sleeves and wild prints. I think she had enough clothes on lol!!!! considering all involved including non-singer guests such as Charlie they did a pretty good job and tv in the late 60's -70's was quote very goody-goody. thanks so much for posting. eddiejinnj

[sliderocker]

Aug 21, 2013 18:52:38 GMT -5 profstadt said:

What do we REALLY know about Linda's faith? For many people, one's religius convictions are generally a personal matter,and I think she has been appropriately quiet about it. (Though, we have have often tried to read things in to her comments in some of her interviews.)

What do we REALLY know about Linda's faith is that we don't know for certain. I know atheists who think she is an atheist, but again, her Grace Cathedral comment about not being a complete atheist cannot be taken as meaning she is an atheist. It's more like she was saying she's an agnostic. But, would that agnosticism (if that is what it is) have more to do with the overzealousness of Christian practicioners who try to ram their beliefs down everone else's throats rather than maybe with a deity who created the universe? Linda may be an atheist or agnostic or horrors...she may be a Christian. But, if she holds to a Christian belief system (she likely would still be a Catholic), she doesn't use that religion to beat down those who don't have them or have another religious belief system. In fact, her words and actions would make her more of a Christian than those who claim to be Christian but who seem to think their Christianity gives them license to pass judgements on others who don't agree with them.

[revin2go]

She has to be Catholic/Christian to some degree. During the Feels Like Home tour and on the Jay Leno appearance for "Anyone Who Had A Heart", you'll notice Linda is wear a rather large crucifix necklace.