1995 12 American II

To close the year's touring Cash played some more domestic shows. 1995-12-08 Thousand Oaks CA (PAC) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWTotqsdp1U 1995-12-09 Las Vegas NV (Hard Rock Cafe) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22Yj3eHE5Rw&t=35s 1995-12-10 Houston Tx (Private Party) It is very likely that recording sessions for Rick Rubin's "American II" started in December too. For this album, Johnny would team up with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, who, like Cash, started working with Rubin in 1993/94. Most of the "American II" album was probably recorded in the first quarter of 1996. Petty later remembered: “Oh man, we had a ball. We’re really proud of that album,” he told BAM in 1997, per The Petty Archives. “We actually did two albums — we did 33 tracks. I think there’s another volume that’s gonna come out. That was a gas. We were doing that at the same time we were doing the "She’s the One" soundtrack, so we were really overworked and scattered." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ2QJW9xqS8 Change the Locks - song by Lucinda Williams "We were in the studio night and day. With the Johnny Cash thing what was so good was we could wander to any instrument we wanted, and did. I played the bass a lot. I played the keyboards, organ — what do they call that thing? — the mellotron [laughs]. I’m spacing out.” After the sudden death of Howie Epstein in late February 2003, a tape emerged with early outtakes of the "American II" album. Epstein had been a close friend of Carlene Carter's and the bass player for the Heartbreakers. It is likely that Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell are playing on this tape too.

Added 25 Sept 2026