Johnny Cash had a distinct vision for how he wanted “Ring of Fire” to sound. In his mind, the song was accompanied by the soulful melodies of mariachi horns.
His intuition proved to be spot-on, as the combination of his burning vocals and the mariachi horns propelled the song to great success. It became more than just a country hit—it even reached the Billboard Top 20.
However, have you ever wondered what “Ring of Fire” would sound like without the beloved mariachi horns? Thanks to YouTube, you can now listen to the isolated vocal track of the song, which was made available in 2014.
As you listen, your mind may anticipate the familiar mariachi sound, only to be greeted by dark pauses between Johnny Cash’s deep baritone vocals.
Without the lively accompaniment of the mariachi band, the track takes on a more mysterious and haunting quality.
