One Piece at a Time (album)

One Piece at a Time is the 54th album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released in 1976 on Columbia Records. "One Piece at a Time," which was a #1 hit, is a humorous tale of an auto worker on the Detroit assembly line who puts together a car out of parts he swipes from the plant. "Sold Out of Flag Poles" also charted as a single, reaching #29 on the country singles charts. "Committed to Parkview", a Cash original, would be re-recorded in 1985 by Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, collectively known as The Highwaymen, on their first album, Highwayman; it is one of the few country songs sung from the perspective of a patient at a mental hospital.[citation needed]

One Piece at a Time
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 17, 1976
Recorded1975–1976
Genre
Length29:36
LabelColumbia
Producer
Johnny Cash chronology
Strawberry Cake
(1976)
One Piece at a Time
(1976)
The Last Gunfighter Ballad
(1977)
Singles from One Piece at a Time
  1. "One Piece at a Time"
    Released: 1976
  2. "Sold Out of Flagpoles"
    Released: 1976

The album is notable for being credited to "Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three", a credit that hadn't been used on Cash releases since the 1960s, and for featuring Cash's recording of "Love Has Lost Again," written by his daughter, Rosanne Cash prior to the launch of her own solo career. On "Let There Be Country", the album's opening track, Cash shares songwriting credit with Shel Silverstein, who had written Cash's biggest hit up to this time, "A Boy Named Sue".

"Go On Blues" was later re-recorded during the American Recordings session with Rick Rubin. It was not on the album but part of the promo single for "Delia's Gone".

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

Track listing

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All tracks composed by Johnny Cash, except where indicated.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let There Be Country"Johnny Cash, Shel Silverstein2:58
2."One Piece at a Time"Wayne Kemp4:04
3."In a Young Girl's Mind"Hoyt Axton, Mark Dawson3:09
4."Mountain Lady" 2:43
5."Michigan City Howdy Do" 2:26
6."Sold Out of Flag Poles" 2:45
7."Committed to Parkview" 3:14
8."Daughter of a Railroad Man" 3:12
9."Love Has Lost Again"Rosanne Cash2:24
10."Go On Blues" 2:23

Personnel

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Additional personnel

  • Produced by Charlie Bragg and Don Davis
  • "Michigan City Howdy Do" and "Daughter of a Railroad Man" produced by Charlie Bragg
  • "Committed to Parkview" produced by Don Davis
  • Recorded at House of Cash Recording Studio
  • Engineers: Charlie Bragg, Roger Tucker, Danny Jones, Chuck Bragg
  • Cover photo: Mike Woosley
  • Liner notes: Johnny Cash

Charts

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AlbumBillboard (United States)

Year Chart Position
1976 Country Albums 2
1976 Pop Albums 185

Singles - Billboard (United States)

Year Single Chart Position
1976 "One Piece at a Time" Country Singles 1
1976 "One Piece at a Time" Pop Singles 29
1976 "Sold Out of Flagpoles" Country Singles 29
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