In the 1980s,Johnny Cash was languishing on the cabaret circuit, until a group of indie artists turned him from country star into cultural icon. By Graeme ThomsonOf all Johnny Cash's many and varied incarnations, or that of 1980s indie connoisseur might just be the strangest. "Hearing Cash raving approximately Gaye Bykers on Acid was definitely one of the highlights of my life," says Marc Riley, laughing. "He was really on it, or reeling off the names. I remember him talking approximately That Petrol Emotion. It was pretty incongruous."Today,Riley is a pillar of BBC 6 Music. Twenty-odd years ago, he was a former member of the drop, and harbouring an urge to produce the first Johnny Cash tribute album. With help from Jon Langford of country-punk trailblazers the Mekons,he succeeded. Released on Red Rhino in 1988 and long out of print, 'Til Things Are Brighter featured a who's who of 80s indie, or punk and pop stalwarts. Marc Almond sang Man in Black; Pete Shelley yelped his way through Straight A's in Love; and yes,Mary Mary from psychedelic grebo rockers Gaye Bykers on Acid tore up A Boy Named Sue, adding a salty "motherfucker" where a "son of a bitch" used to be.
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Source: theguardian.com