I couldn’t disagree more about Johnny Cash and It Ain’t Me, Babe. Johnny’s version was BEFORE the Turtles, and if you listen to the lyrics, it’s obvious he has the real handle on the song. The anger and assertiveness in the way he says “NO,NO,NO” - it’s just great. The Turtles version is just wimpy by comarison. No emotion, no anything.
Funny about June singing with him. At the time, not everyone knew that. The great Bruce Bradley on WBZ was playing this record, and in his totally off the wall style, he said: “This song....was written by a guy who never washes. Johnny Cash washes, though...Because a lady sings this song with him.”
re: “I couldn’t disagree more about Johnny Cash and It Ain’t Me, Babe. Johnny’s version was BEFORE the Turtles, and if you listen to the lyrics, it’s obvious he has the real handle on the song. The anger and assertiveness in the way he says “NO,NO,NO” - it’s just great. The Turtles version is just wimpy by comarison. No emotion, no anything.”
Both Johnny Cash and the Turtles released the song in 1965 although it is possible Johnny’s release was earlier in the year. As to the better performance, I have to give it to the Turtles, but that’s just my opinion. I would say Johnny’s version is closer to Bob Dylan’s original rendering, but I think it works better as a rock song than a country song.
Either way, “It Ain’t Me, Babe” is just not one of Johnny’s better recordings and I doubt it is on any Johnny Cash fans “favorite recordings” list. It is a song that is out of his genre. No one can beat Johnny Cash doing Johnny Cash’s own songs. I LOVE his compositions and his performance of his compositions the best.
So, I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.