Talk:Go Cat Go!

Liner note essay

I've just cut a large portion of text from the article because it appears to be a straight reproduction of the liner notes. If paraphrased, some of the information will be useful in the article, so here's the text I deleted:

Here is the real story: In 1982 Legendary Producer Bob Johnston (producer of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen and many more) formed a record company named The Bob Johnston Organization. Entertainment Marketing Consultant Jim McCullough signed on as an Executive Producer. In the process of discussing who the first BJO artist should be Jim brought up Carl Perkins. Bob knew Carl well from the days that he played in Johnny Cash’s band. Unbeknownst to Bob and Jim, Carl had just received a recording of a song entitled “My Old Friend” from Paul McCartney. Carl had initially written the song to thank Paul for inviting him to be on Paul’s 1981 record “Tug of War”. Upon hearing “My Old Friend” Paul was so taken with it that he asked Carl to play it again for Linda. This time Paul secretly recorded it. He took the track back to London to finish it. In London he played all the instruments (guitar, bass, piano and drums) sang all back-up vocals and got George Martin to arrange a full string section (the track was produced by Paul McCartney and George Martin and engineered by Geoff Emerick at Abbey Road). Paul then sent the finished track back to Carl as a present from him. Paul’s “gift” helped to kick start the whole project. Bob Johnston was recording Willie Nelson at the time, soon Willie was added to the mix. Once Willie and Paul McCartney were on board it got easier for Carl to believe it could really happen. As an aside: Unknown to Carl in the “My Old Friend” lyrics is the line “My old friend, won’t you think about me every now and then”. There was no way for Carl to have known it but this was almost verbatim to the last words John Lennon ever said to Paul McCartney. Paul felt Carl was channeling John Lennon. When Bob first started planning the album Carl was hesitant, but once he had the track from Paul McCartney he never looked back. He told Bob that he wanted Ricky Nelson as the first artist and in less than 2 hours Ricky had been contacted and added to the line-up, Carl greatly admired him (unfortunately Ricky was killed in a plane crash in 1985). Carl quickly got Johnny Cash and George Harrison. Bob Johnston lined up Bono, Charlie Daniels and Willie Nelson. Jim lined up Paul Simon, Tom Petty, John Fogerty, Ringo Starr and the archival tracks by Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. Every artist Carl invited to be on the album said yes immediately. The only reason artists did not appear on the record was due to prior commitments.

“Go Cat Go”is a Rock 'N' Roll classic, it has the distinction of being the only non-Beatles album to have all four Beatles on it (albeit on separate tracks). Some of the other musicians appearing as back-up players include: Eric Clapton, Clarence Clemons, Charlie Daniels, Rick Danko, Sheila E., Dr. John, Jim Keltner, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Levon Helm, Jim Capaldi and Joe Walsh. This is truly a part of “Rock ‘n’ Roll” history. Recording sessions took place in New York (Hit Factory), Memphis (Sun), Nashville, Los Angeles (Sound City), Monserrat (AIR), Friar Park (George Harrison’s home), London (Abbey Road) and Spicewood, Texas (Pedernales Recording Studio). It was mastered at LucasFilm’s Skywalker Sound in Marin County. Producers included: Paul McCartney, George Martin, George Harrison, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Tom Petty, Paul Simon and Bob Johnston. “Go Cat Go” was originally planned for a 1984 release but it was abandoned due to financial problems with the label. In 1995 a new label hired Bob and Jim. The first project Bob and Jim recommended to them was the interrupted Carl Perkins album they had started thirteen years earlier. The project was resurrected, recorded and released in 1996. Again, due to unforeseen financial problems the second record company went out of business and their assets were sold to yet a third label. The third label was acquired by another company. Again, that company folded, its assets were then sold to New Americana Entertainment and prepped to be re-released. Carl loved this album, he was so proud that his friends wanted to be on it.

Now, 32 years from its originally planned release date, New Americana Entertainment proudly presents Carl Perkins’ lost masterpiece “Go Cat Go”. A true classic! The greatest record you never heard. A portion of the profits will go to "The Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse" and "Safe and Sound", a campaign that supports foundations that aid in the rehabilitation of the wounded veterans and their families.

Overall Album Production and Direction by Bob Johnston

Executive Producer Jim McCullough

Edit by Don Campeau, President at New Americana Entertainment, LLC.

It strikes me that, if the text has been lifted verbatim from the CD, pasting it here might also be a copyright violation(?). If so, the text should be deleted, but at least it will remain in the page archive for other editors. JG66 (talk) 11:02, 18 August 2018 (UTC)