Whilst touring in the US Billy Bragg decided to spice up the often onerous sound-check routine with some well known covers. His guilty pleasures have been revealing and his latest one is a great cover of “Long Black Veil”, a 1959 country ballad, originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell. It’s been well covered most famously by Johnny Cash who performed it on his 1968 chart topping Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. Other favourite covers include The Chieftains 1995 album Long Black Veil on which Mick Jagger provided vocals.
This was filmed during the sound check at the Musikfest Cafe in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on 3rd October 2013 and features Joe Purdy:
Johnny Cash also performed The Long Black Veil with Joni Mitchell on his own show in 1969, couldn’t really leave this one out: