Fantastic idea imo. The 18 cd set was exactly what Id hope for as far as content. I want to be in the studio with Bob. I also think that studio takes etc BS would be a more cohesive and sensible project if kept separate from the Live BS. My secret wish is: Go back to the beginning on the studio stuff as you suggest and let us be in the studio with the master songster. All the tapes. Everything. Call it the "DTP Series" (Dylan Tape Series) or whatever and go forward with it. At the same time start with the most recent (maybe the glory years of Charlie and Larry late 90s 2000s) live concerts and work backwards to the front. A studio release one a year and a live release once a year. It would make an inner'esting mix of entertainment and insight. Just a crazy idea of mine that probably doesnt appeal to anyone else lol.
One extremely interesting potential nugget of information about the sessions was found in the (bizarrely on-line only) notes for The Basement Tapes Complete box by Ben Rollins: 14. Spanish is the Loving Tongue (Traditional, Arranged by Bob Dylan) A traditional song based on a poem written by cowboy poet Charles Badger Clark in 1907, this is one of the songs Dylan has returned to again and again throughout his career. This is Dylan’s first known taping of this song. He would release another performance for the first time in 1971 as the “B” side of the single, “Watching the River Flow.” He would record it again but not release it during the sessions for Blood on the Tracks. Was he outright wrong? Was he confusing it with the '76 San Antonio live performance of the song from the RTR? Or the rehearsal version for the tour? Maybe. But he may have gotten the heads up from Dylan's office (who seem to have been working on a BOOT for years now). And if this previously undocumented performance exists in the vault, who can say what other surprises may be in the BOTT archive?
A Apple IS stubborn, but sheesh the 'studio years' are fast approaching. There's already high quality (though certainly not EMI-perfect quality) b00ts that have every extant outtake, EMI demos and home demos for Strawberry Fields Forever (enough for an entire CD on its own). What we wouldn't give to hear each and every take of the other masterpieces in the vaults... and some of the little treasures too. We ALL know that each and every take may not be amazing (same is true for Bob's upcoming set), but they will interesting for sure. Separate sets for each "studio year" 1965-1969 would be more than we could ever envision. WILL it happen? Still not convinced, but if Bob's upcoming set is a commerical hit and SELLS... something has to give. Apple will certainly look foolish in two short years if My PD Label of Choice releases an entire CD of SFF sessions. And Apple could include material NO ONE has ever heard and in perfect fidelity. As you say, guess we'll have to wait and see... Ron
I would imagine 'Spanish Is The Loving Tongue' could be from the September 17th 1974 session. Two 'unknown' songs listed: Studio A A & R Recording New York City, New York September 17, 1974, 7 pm-1 am. Produced by Bob Dylan Engineers: Phil & Lenn 1. You're A Big Girl Now Take 1C 2. You're A Big Girl Now Take 2C 3. Tangled Up In Blue Take 1C 4. ? Take 1x 5. Blues (incomplete) Take 1x 6. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go Take 1C 7. Shelter From The Storm Take 1C 8. Shelter From The Storm Take 2 9. Buckets Of Rain Take 1C 10. Tangled Up In Blue Take 2C 11. Buckets Of Rain Take 2C 12. Shelter From The Storm (slow) Take 2C 13. Shelter From The Storm (fast) Take 3x 14. Shelter From The Storm Take 4C 15. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (slow) Take 1C 16. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (fast) Take 2C
I'll take what I can get, but I'd love to see a box set of the live tour with future "The Band" members backing him just so I wouldn't have to listen to the bootlegs. Otherwise, give me Blood on the Tracks and related material.
This sounds great - especially the versions of Dylan solo - but having the NY version of the album gives us only 5 (?) new songs - and those could be included in the Disc 2/3 versions. (People could make their own NY version by checking the recording info.) From what I have read, there was more experimenting with arrangements and deciding whether certain instruments would be on various songs than most people think. I'm hoping for a huge sessions set for BOTT - since it's thought of as the equal of (or perhaps better than) the Big 3 from 65-66.
I see your point - I would hope/assume if this eventuates in a similar fashion to what I've suggested, different complete takes are used on Disc 2 & Disc 3 to the 'final' ones chosen for the NY version/Disc 4. I agree that if you look at it in terms of 'new' songs there wouldn't be a lot on that 4th disc (however the version of 'You're A Big Girl Now' as featured on Biograph is an (imo inferior) remix) - but on the other hand, and especially with a fresh remix from the master tapes, as an album from start to finish, the NY version has a very different feel to the released version and surely deserves some kind of official release in it's original sequencing. If not as part of this set then where?
My dream deluxe edition of Blood On the Tracks would also include the following disc. This would make an amazing live compilation from the '76 tour! Blood on the Tracks LIVE 1976 Tangled Up in Blue (electric) Simple Twist of Fate You're a Big Girl Now Idiot Wind You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts If You See Her, Say Hello Shelter From the Storm Tangled Up in Blue (acoustic)
I've long been intrigued by this nugget. My gut feeling is that it's something like "Meet Me In The Morning" or "Call Letter Blues" (the best candidates among the BOTT songs to be labelled a "blues") but in the best case scenario, maybe it's an attempt at one of those otherwise unrecorded "Red Notebook" songs? But I'd be stunned if anyone would have labelled "Spanish Is The Loving Tongue" as a generic blues. Unless Dylan did a RADICAL re-interpretation (not impossible, of course). And I further think #4  must be closely related. But your point stands. There is one open question in the available documentation that can't be resolved without hearing it. And that's very exciting! But my hope is there is a cache of UNDOCUMENTED performances (maybe vocal warm ups at the beginning of the session, or something).
Interesting that you mention the note book. It's long been known to be in the hands of a private collector, however some pages were reproduced in the newer edition of 'Lyrics', so Dylan's team either have it or have been loaned it to copy - I would guess there's a fair chance that the entire notebook might be reproduced as part of the package for the BOTT Bootleg Series release...
BTW, I've said it before, but I think a "deluxe" edition of a Blood on the Tracks retrospective should include a full reproduction of the famous "Red Notebook" (though I'm fine if it's not 100% authentic, and instead chooses to use more durable materials than your average notebook). That would be far more valuable to me than the 45s in the upcoming monster Cutting Edge box.
Not sure. I can't remember the name of the person who has it, but obviously Sony/Columbia got to copy it prior to 2001 with the 'Lyrics' book - I assume in 1998/99 when an expanded remaster of Blood On The Tracks was first on the cards.
Really? I always figured was set for Vol. 11 (the Meet Me in the Morning outtake b-side) but then I feel it got pushed back so The Basement Tapes could match up with the New Basement Tapes project and then the Cutting Edge is basically coming out to coincide with the EU copyright laws. Never heard about the master tape thing. Hopefully they found them, I'm hoping for the BoTT series soon.
I am currently listening to the Genuine Never-ending Tour covers bootleg. Would love a bootleg series collection to compile good quality recordings of some of these tracks. And now that the series is issuing 6 disc versions this sort of release does not seem as distant a possibility as it used to. This would be an absolute treasure trove!
The complete Carnegie Hall Oct. 26 1963 could easily fit on a nice, affordable 2 CD set! Give our wallets a little break!
I think a NET retrospective BS release is inevitable (probably not all covers), but I'm guessing BOTT, 1975, and even Gospel might be ahead of it on pecking order for Sony. You can actually put together a pretty cool NET playlist from numerous official B-sides, promos, and compilations from 1996-2003. My current one has 24 tracks. There's another 28 or so tracks from this period that were streamed on BobDylan.com. Quality sounds like sterile soundboard, but enjoyable. A good portion of these are rarely played cover songs too.
I'm looking at the booklet that comes with the latest edition of Mojo Magazine (December 2015 edition with Elvis Costello on the cover.) The booklet is "Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series - The ultimate guide to his most intimate music." Of course the most interesting part is at the end "The Bootleg Series - The Future!" with suggestions of what may be next. BOOT is suggested as the next installment but has anyone come up with the suggestion of a combined BOOT and Desire set? I'm assuming that would give enough tracks for a 6cd deluxe edition. Other suggestions being: Rolling Thunder - The Movie. Film release/soundtrack The Infidels sessions The June 92 Bromberg Sessions Street Legal piano demo's '69 Johnny Cash sessions Professional film footage from 1980 Toronto gospel show And live suggestions: Blackbushe, Surrey, England 1978 Fox Warfield Theatre, SA, USA Nov 16 1979 Wembley Arena, Oct 17 1987 Mid-hudson arena, Poughkeepsie, NY USA Oct 20 1989 Hammersmith Odeon, London Feb 8 1990 Supper Club, NY Nov 1993 Congress Hall, Prague, March 11 1995 Guildhall Portsmouth, England Sept 25 2000 Tehama County Fairgrounds, Red Bluff, USA, Oct 7 2002 Hammersmith Apollo, London Nov 24 2003 I'd personally go for BOOT mixed with Desire and maybe even some Planet Waves, i'm not well up enough on the various outtakes for all but seeing how 3 albums are covered as part of vol.12 the same could potentially happen again.
Thanks for posting. I'm looking forward to getting the new MOJO when it makes it over to the States. Were the suggestions in the "Future" section MOJO's suggestions, or from a Dylan/Sony source?
Well, if Almost Simon was quoting verbatim, here they are: Other suggestions being: Rolling Thunder - The Movie. Film release/soundtrack The Infidels sessions The June 92 Bromberg Sessions Street Legal piano demo's '69 Johnny Cash sessions Professional film footage from 1980 Toronto gospel show And live suggestions: Blackbushe, Surrey, England 1978 Fox Warfield Theatre, SA, USA Nov 16 1979 Wembley Arena, Oct 17 1987 Mid-hudson arena, Poughkeepsie, NY USA Oct 20 1989 Hammersmith Odeon, London Feb 8 1990 Supper Club, NY Nov 1993 Congress Hall, Prague, March 11 1995 Guildhall Portsmouth, England Sept 25 2000 Tehama County Fairgrounds, Red Bluff, USA, Oct 7 2002 Hammersmith Apollo, London Nov 24 2003
re: vol. 7. A waste for who? For the consumer? It is a soundtrack. If you want the soundtrack to the Scorcese film, buy it. For the rest? I didn't buy it (I already had most of that stuff) but if I had it would have been with that understanding ,and with the expectation and wish, that the material would be later released in the kind of ideal packaging that has indeed ensued. I.e. with regard to the consumer, they are being super well served by having it available both ways. A waste for the company? It is a soundtrack. All the archival research and restoration, and so forth had already been done in preparation for the film. All they had to do was release. There was no cost. For the company it was a freebee, a no brainer, pure profit. so..... a waste for whom?