Music is nothing without collaboration. Now, a singer/songwriter can, of course, write a song on their own. However, with no notes from a peer, it is difficult to know the true quality of a song. That being said, collaboration is crucial, as different perspectives often lead to the greatest product. Johnny Cash knew this, and consequently, in January of 1969, he hosted an all-star songwriters round with Bob Dylan, Shel Silverstein, Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, and Kris Kristofferson.
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On the night of this session, Joni Mitchell was in Nashville with her then-boyfriend, Graham Nash, in order to film her appearance on The Johnny Cash Show. Bob Dylan was in town recording his infamous Nashville Skyline album, and was actually staying at Cash’s Hendersonville, Tennessee home. And well, Kristofferson and Silverstein were just around town, and they wanted their songs to be heard, so they joined the party as well. The caliber of talent in the room that night was, quite frankly, absurd, and the songs they showcased supported that already evident fact.
The Hit Songs To Come From Johnny Cash’s Songwriting Party
In 1985, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings appeared on The David Letterman Show. During their appearance, Cash briefly recalled all the songs that were played that night. Per Cash’s comments, Bob Dylan played “Lay Lady Lay”, Kris Kristofferson played “Me and Bobby McGee”, Joni Mitchell played “Both Sides Now”, Shel Silverstein played “Boy Named Sue”, and Graham Nash played “Marrakesh Express”.
A setlist of hits, though, at the time, these songs were seemingly mere ideas. Well, as we know, these songs went from ideas to polished products, and all of them were very successful. Particularly, “Me and Bobby McGee” became a No. 1 hit for Janis Joplin and “A Boy Named Sue” became a No. 1 hit for Johnny Cash. Furthermore, Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lady” became one of the most notable singles from his country/folk album, and Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lastly, Nash and CSN’s “Marrakesh Express” became a top 50 single on the Billboard Hot 100.
Needless to say, these infamous wordsmiths and musicians were throwing artistic weight around. Though, is this a surprise? After all, greatness often begets more greatness. In the grand scheme of music history, there are only so many instances when so much talent was in one room together.
Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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