Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash
Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash is the sixteenth album by singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1963. This album collects tracks from singles and an EP released between 1959 and 1963, Cash's first years on the Columbia label, and marked the first release of these tracks in LP format, with the exception of "I Still Miss Someone," which had previously appeared on the 1958 album The Fabulous Johnny Cash. "Ring of Fire", one of Cash's most famous tracks, made its first LP appearance here. Ring of Fire was the first No. 1 album when Billboard debuted their Country Album Chart on January 11, 1964. Certified Gold on February 11, 1965 by the RIAA, it earned him his first Gold LP. It stands as the only Columbia "greatest hits" collection to be included in the Johnny Cash: The Complete Columbia Album Collection box set.
Personnel
- Johnny Cash - vocals, guitar
- Luther Perkins, Jack Clement, Norman Blake, Billy Strange, Johnny Western, Roy Nichols - guitar
- Marshall Grant, Buddy Clark - bass
- Buddy Harman, Morris Palmer, W. S. Holland, Irving Kluger, Michael Kazak - drums
- Bill Pursell, Marvin Hughes, James Wilson - piano
- Maybelle Carter - autoharp
- Karl Garvin, Bill McElhiney - trumpet
- Billy Latham - banjo
- Bob Johnston - lute
- Hubert Anderson - vibraphone
- The Carter Family, the Jack Halloran Singers, the Anita Kerr Singers - backing vocals
- Produced By: Don Law and Frank Jones
- Reissue Producer: Bob Irwin
- Digitally Remastered for CD by: Vic Anesini, Sony Music Studios, NY
- Cover Photo: Frank Bez
- Liner Notes: Joe Goldberg
Charts
Album - Billboard| Year | Chart | Position |
| 1963 | Country Albums | 1 |
| 1963 | Billboard Top LPs | 26 |
Singles - Billboard
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
| 1961 | "The Rebel – Johnny Yuma" | Country Singles | 24 |
| 1961 | "Tennessee Flat Top Box" | Country Singles | 11 |
| 1961 | "Tennessee Flat Top Box" | Pop Singles | 84 |
| 1962 | "The Big Battle" | Country Singles | 24 |
| 1962 | "Bonanza" | Pop Singles | 94 |
| 1963 | "What Do I Care" | Country Singles | 7 |
| 1963 | "What Do I Care" | Pop Singles | 52 |
| 1963 | "Ring of Fire" | Country Singles | 1 |
| 1963 | "Ring of Fire" | Pop Singles | 17 |