'People Get Ready' is one of the rare songs on the Basement Tapes where Dylan & the band try out gospel- or soul-style group vocals. You'd think they might have tried more covers like this (there are almost no soul covers in this set, except possibly 'Guilty of Loving You') - they were all fans of the Staple Singers, and were listening to lots of gospel records that summer (hence maybe 'Down On Me'). Robertson had also played the Impressions' "Keep On Pushing" album for Dylan as an example of music that impressed him.
There's a different sound heard when a recorder is turned off vs. a reel running out. The end of "Any Time" is a reel running out. Personally I'm waiting for any explanation, from anyone, about "Garth's numbering system".
I would add that while tape manufacturers tended to be very consistent in the length of tape in their product, it didn't actually match the number listed on the box! (Just like a Maxell 90 minute cassette tape actually ran for 47 minutes plus leader on either side.) A "1200 foot" reel actually captured just over 32 minutes of content @7.5, which means the tape was actually right around 1280 feet. I assume this was done to create a margin for error, so there was never accidentally a "1200 foot" reel with less than 1200 feet on it.
I just loaded the 6CD set into iTunes and then onto the iPad and started up the Bootleg Series App. Are all the songs supposed to be there like in Another Self Portrait? I only have 10 songs appear. It doesn't say any are missing. How many songs do other people have?
In case people ain't seen it yet. The Basement Tapes Track-by-Track: http://www.bobdylan.com/us/news/basement-tapes-track-track
Right. The next problem with "our" reels is: is the reel still in the box that it came in? Very likely it is. But you cannot be absolutely certain about the length of the tape until you hold in your hands ;(
THE BASEMENT TAPES COVER SONGS In Chronological Order of Composition I thought I’d present a list of the Basement Tapes covers in the order they were written. This seemed like it would be an interesting way to look at Dylan’s roots circa ’67. Here’s another useful annotated list of the Basement Tapes songs, though it’s incomplete: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Basement_Tapes_songs Also check out HominyRhodes’ list of covers, which sorts them by recording artist/genre: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...rently-at-part-3.381361/page-34#post-11219886 This list falls into two parts. Traditional songs had to be handled very differently than modern songs where the date & songwriter are known. It is generally not possible to tell exactly when old folk songs were composed, so in that section when their origin is unknown, they are mostly arranged in the order of first appearance, whether in print or on record. But it’s likely that some of these songs were being sung for decades before they were first recorded. In the list of modern songs, the date of the first recording is given. Composers are listed in italics if they’re different from the performers. Where known, the artists Dylan actually got the songs from are listed in brackets if they weren’t the first performers – I’m sure I missed some and more could be added. Information was drawn from Greil Marcus’s and Sid Griffin’s Basement Tapes books, Derek Barker’s book of Dylan’s covers, and online sources. Although this list is the most complete available, it’s still incomplete in some ways. It’s just a rough draft and could be much improved – by adding youtube links; noting other times Dylan performed these songs; or identifying the albums he learned the songs from. But I offer this as an outline for others to add to. THE COVERS Traditionals Young But Daily Growing (traditional) – One of Dylan’s most ancient ballads, possibly dating from the mid-1600s. It seems to be of Scottish origin, first appearing in print in the “Scots Musical Museum” in 1792. Robert Burns based his poem ‘Lady Mary Ann’ on the ballad (known to him as ‘Craigston’s Growing’ or ‘Young Craigston,’ and thought to be about an arranged marriage in the 1630s). It’s gone under many variant titles: ‘Lang a Growing,’ ‘My Bonny Boy Is Young But He’s Growing,’ ‘The Trees They Do Grow High’ or ‘The Trees So High.’ It was a very popular traditional song in the 19th century, frequently reprinted. First recorded in 1907 for the English Folk Dance & Song Society. Many folk revivalists did the song such as Liam Clancy and Joan Baez, but Dylan was performing it in mid-1961 and may have known it earlier. Ol’ Roison the Beau (traditional) – An early 19th-century Irish drinking song, possibly dating to the previous century, ‘Old Rosin the Beau’ was first published in Philadelphia in 1838 as a “comic song;” it became one of the most popular songs of the century and and was soon adapted for presidential campaign songs. Earliest recording unknown; the Clancy Brothers recorded it in 1959. Bonnie Ship The Diamond (traditional) - This song is thought to date from the late 1820s; one stanza appears in the 1851 novel Moby Dick, though the full song lyrics are first found in the 1905 Greig-Duncan folk song collection, as ‘The Diamond Ship.’ (The Diamond was a ship in the Scottish whaling fleet, lost at sea off Greenland in 1830.) Earliest recording unknown, as is Dylan’s source; it was a popular song in the folk revival. Ewan MacColl recorded it in 1957. Wildwood Flower – Based on the parlor song ‘I’ll Twine Mid The Ringlets,’ published in 1860 with lyrics by Maud Irving and music by Joseph Webster. Recorded in 1928 by the Carter Family, it became a popular standard. Among others, Joan Baez recorded it in 1960. (AP Carter) Johnny Todd (traditional) – An English shanty thought to date from the mid-19th century, it was very popular and widespread by 1870. Collected by Frank Kidson from Liverpool schoolchildren and published in 1891 in his book “Traditional Tunes: A Collection of Ballad Airs.” First recording unknown, but there were some well-known recordings in the ‘50s folk revival by Bob Roberts, Ewan MacColl & A.L. Lloyd. Also recorded by the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem in 1964. The Hills Of Mexico (traditional) – Also known as ‘On the Trail of the Buffalo.’ Written in the 1870s, the song ‘Buffalo Skinners’ was adapted from a Maine lumberjacks’ song from the 1850s called ‘Canaday-I-O’ or ‘Come All Ye Jolly Lumbermen.’ It was collected by John Lomax in his 1910 book “Cowboy Songs” as ‘The Buffalo Skinners’ or ‘Range of the Buffalo.’ Lomax made some field recordings of this song for the Library of Congress in the 1930s; the earliest released recording was done by Bill Bender, “the Happy Cowboy,” in 1939; Woody Guthrie recorded it in 1945. Dylan had also played this song in 1961. Kickin’ My Dog Around – Originally written circa the 1870s by minstrel-show songwriter James Bland, but copyrighted in 1912 by Webb Oungst & Cy Perkins and used as a presidential campaign theme. Byron Harlan & the American Quartet recorded it in 1912 as ‘They Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dog Around,’ but the most well-known early version was Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers in 1926. Dylan doesn’t sing much of this song except two lines of the chorus. She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain (traditional) – Based on the 19th-century spiritual ‘When the Chariot Comes,’ which became a railroad work song and was printed in 1899 in the “New England Magazine” (as a “recent Negro melody”), and in a collection of “Old Plantation Hymns” the same year. ‘Coming Round the Mountain’ was first published in Carl Sandburg’s 1927 book “American Songbag,” and it’s said to have been copyrighted in 1923 by Spencer Williams. There were many recordings by country groups through the 1920s, the earliest being Henry Whitter in 1924. Will The Circle Be Unbroken – A Christian hymn written in 1907, lyrics by Ada Habershon & music by Charles Gabriel, and published in “Alexander’s Gospel Songs” in 1908. The earliest recording was by William McEwan in 1912; however the most famous version was the Carter Family’s rewritten adaptation ‘Can the Circle Be Unbroken,’ recorded in 1935, which has been the standard ever since. (AP Carter) Spanish Is The Loving Tongue – The lyrics were written in 1907 by Charles Badger Clark as ‘A Border Affair,’ initially printed in the “Pacific Monthly” and later reprinted in various cowboy song collections, and set to music in 1925 by Billy Simon. First recorded in 1936 by Tex Fletcher as ‘The Border Affair,’ it became a standard folk-revival tune in the late 1950s, done by Pete Seeger, Paul Clayton, and many others, including Ian & Sylvia in 1963. 900 Miles (traditional) – First printed in the Journal of American Folklore in 1909, the verses had probably floated around well before that. (The common folk songs ‘Reuben’s Train’ and ‘Train 45’ are variations on the same tune.) First recorded in 1924 by Fiddlin’ John Carson as ‘I’m 900 Miles From Home.’ It became a folk standard done by many singers; Woody Guthrie recorded it in 1944. Hedy West revised it as ‘500 Miles,’ which became a popular folk hit in the ‘60s. Dylan had been playing ‘900 Miles’ in 1960, and wrote his own variation, ‘I Was Young When I Left Home,’ in 1961. Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies (traditional) – An Appalachian folk song, also known as ‘Little Sparrow,’ it was first printed in the 1916 book “Lonesome Tunes: Folk Songs from the Kentucky Mountains,” and also in Cecil Sharp’s 1917 “English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachians.” It was undoubtedly already an ancient song. I couldn’t trace the earliest recording, but the folk revival brought numerous covers starting in the late ‘50s, including Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. Dylan had played it in 1961. Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad (traditional) – The song’s origins are unknown and I couldn’t trace an early printing, but it was probably widespread long before it appeared on record. First recorded in 1923 by Henry Whitter as ‘Lonesome Road Blues.’ It was frequently recorded thereafter by country artists, most notably by Woody Guthrie in 1940. One Kind Favor/See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (traditional) – First recorded in 1927 by Blind Lemon Jefferson, who adapted the song from earlier song verses. Before Jefferson’s definitive rendition, it isn’t possible to pin down an origin for the song, since various verses and versions had probably floated around since the late 1800s – alternate versions include Evans & McClain’s 1931 ‘Two White Horses’ and the Carter Family’s 1935 ‘Sad and Lonesome Day.’ (A sentimental popular song called ‘See That My Grave Is Kept Green’ had been published in 1876, but had completely different lyrics, and was recorded in 1927 by Bela Lam & the Greene Country Singers.) Dave van Ronk recorded this in 1961, as did Dylan. Down On Me (traditional) – A religious song, first recorded by Eddie Head & His Family in 1930, and also caught on Lomax field recordings over the next decade; no telling how much older it was. Recordings Dylan would’ve known were done by Odetta in 1960 and Eric von Schmidt in 1963. (Janis Joplin also released a rock version as a single in the summer of ’67, but it’s doubtful that this reached Dylan.) Po’ Lazarus (traditional) –– A Southern prison work song of unknown origin, John Lomax printed it in his 1934 “American Ballads and Folk Songs,” and made several field recordings in 1939. I don’t know who first released a recording; Woody Guthrie did this song in 1944. Dylan played it in 1961; he may have learned it from Danny Kalb, who’d gotten it from Dave van Ronk. Ain’t No More Cane (traditional) – Another prison work song, this one from Texas, also printed in Lomax’s 1934 “American Ballads and Folk Songs,” as ‘Ain’ No Mo’ Cane On De Brazis.’ He made a prison recording of it in 1933 done by Ernest Williams & James “Iron Head” Baker. It became a common song in the folk revival; Odetta recorded it in 1959; Dylan was playing it in 1961. Modern Songs Cool Water – 1941 Sons of the Pioneers (Bob Nolan) My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It – 1949 Hank Williams (Clarence Williams) Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw – 1949 Little Jimmie Dickens (Bonnie Dodd) [Hank Williams covered in 1952.] I’m In The Mood – 1951 John Lee Hooker [Dylan had opened for Hooker in ’61. Robertson & Danko had also recorded ‘In the Mood’ with John Hammond Jr. in 1965.] You Win Again - 1952 Hank Williams [Jerry Lee Lewis also covered in 1957.] A Fool Such As I – 1953 Hank Snow (Bill Trader) I Don’t Hurt Anymore – 1954 Hank Snow (Donald Robertson/Walter Rollins) [Robbie Robertson told Greil Marcus: “The only way this could have come up is because I suggested it.”] Waltzing With Sin – 1954 Sonny Burns (Sonny Burns/Red Hayes) [Cowboy Copas covered in 1965.] The Auld Triangle/Banks of the Royal Canal - 1954 Brendan Behan [Liam Clancy recorded in 1965.] A Satisfied Mind – 1955 Porter Wagoner (Joe Hayes/Jack Rhodes) [Covered by numerous artists, including various country singers, Joan Baez, the Byrds, and Ian & Sylvia. Dylan would record it again in 1980.] I Forgot To Remember To Forget – 1955 Elvis Presley (Charlie Feathers/Stanley Kesler) [Dylan most likely got this from Johnny Cash’s 1959 version.] See You Later Alligator – 1955 Bobby Charles (Robert Guidry) [Bill Haley & His Comets covered in 1956. Dylan & the Band quickly change the words.] Confidential – 1956 Sonny Knight (Dorinda Morgan) Folsom Prison Blues - 1956 Johnny Cash Belshazzar - 1957 Johnny Cash Silhouettes – 1957 The Rays (Bob Crewe/Frank Slay) Big River - 1958 Johnny Cash Bells of Rhymney - 1958 Pete Seeger (lyrics Idris Davies/melody Pete Seeger) [Pete Seeger based this song on a poem published in 1938. The Byrds covered it in 1965.] Mr. Blue – 1959 The Fleetwoods (Dewayne Blackwell) Tupelo - 1959 John Lee Hooker [Dylan parodies the song, keeping few of the lyrics.] All American Boy – 1959 Bobby Bare (Bill Parsons/Orville Lunsford are also credited, but they didn’t write it.) [Dylan was inspired by this song, but makes up most of his own lyrics, making his cover a quasi-original.] Rock Salt And Nails – 1962 Rosalie Sorrels (Bruce “Utah” Phillips) [Flatt & Scruggs covered in 1965.] Four Strong Winds – 1963 Ian & Sylvia (Ian Tyson) Joshua Gone Barbados - 1963 Eric von Schmidt Still In Town – 1964 Johnny Cash (Hank Cochran/Harlan Howard) I’m Guilty Of Loving You – Based on Jerry Butler’s 1964 ‘I Stand Accused.’ [Previously thought to be based on Jim Reeves’ 1963 ‘Guilty,’ but there’s no resemblance except the title phrase. Since only a fragment of Dylan remains, it’s hard to say how much of Butler’s original song he kept.] People Get Ready – 1965 The Impressions (Curtis Mayfield) Song For Canada – 1965 Ian & Sylvia (Pete Gzowski/Ian Tyson) The French Girl - 1966 Ian & Sylvia Baby Ain’t That Fine – 1966 Gene Pitney & Melba Montgomery (Dallas Frazier) If I Were A Carpenter – 1966 Bobby Darin (Tim Hardin) [Hardin recorded it first, but his version wasn’t released til April ’67.] Inspirations Pretty Mary (traditional) – Peter, Paul & Mary covered this folk song in 1963; Jimmy Driftwood also recorded a different version in 1958; Dylan’s version is different still. Due to all the lyrical variations, ‘Pretty Mary’ is a hard song to trace and I don’t know its origins, but it’s related to the ‘Rambler, Gambler’/‘Wagoner’s Lad’ old-English-ballad family, with verses and melody shared between different songs (such as ‘My Horses Ain’t Hungry,’ ‘Loving Nancy,’ ‘Farewell Sweet Mary,’ etc). Though I can’t make out the words, it seems Dylan rewrote them entirely, just keeping the melody. The Flight Of The Bumblebee – From Rimsky-Korsakov’s 1900 composition. A little snatch is played, and Dylan makes up an ad-libbed song round the title. One for the Road – Shares a title with the 1943 Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen song ‘One For My Baby (and One More For The Road),’ recorded by Sinatra in ’47, but there’s otherwise no resemblance. Open The Door Homer – The title phrase comes from Jack McVea’s 1947 hit ‘Open The Door Richard’ (immediately covered by Count Basie, Louis Jordan, Dusty Fletcher, etc). One Man’s Loss – Marcus says this was “probably loosely based on” ‘One Man’s Loss Is Another Man’s Gain,’ done by Dick Thomas & His Nashville Ramblers in 1950. I haven’t heard it, so can’t say. Bring It On Home – Possibly inspired by Bo Diddley’s 1955 ‘Bring It To Jerome.’ Clothesline Saga – A parody of Bobbie Gentry’s 1967 ‘Ode To Billie Joe.’ Clinton Heylin notes that in several cases Dylan seems to have started songs simply by borrowing song titles. He suggests James Brown’s ‘Try Me’ as an example, and also the Goffin/King song ‘I Can’t Make It Alone’ (done by PJ Proby in 1966, among others), but these may be coincidental. Heylin also says that ‘The Spanish Song’ is a parody of the ballad ‘La Adelita’ (a Mexican folk-song of the 1910s), however it bears no resemblance to that song. (Dylan has played something called ‘Adelita’ at other times, but I haven’t heard it.) Dylan could have had a specific ballad in mind, but just as likely it’s a generic pastiche like ‘I’m Your Teenage Prayer,’ with no specific antecedent. Dylan also recorded other fake-Mexican ballads like ‘Mona Marola’ and ‘Jesita Marolla’ during the sessions, but these haven’t been released. ‘Hallelujah, I’ve Just Been Moved’ is credited as a traditional song, however I couldn’t find anything with those specific lyrics. It certainly sounds like it’s based on a known song, but I’m not able to trace the original – someone more familiar with gospel songs might be able to. Unreleased Catfish Blues – 1941 Robert Petway. (This may be improvised – Robertson suggests ‘Catfish Blues’ and they try a few short takes; but Griffin doesn’t say whether Dylan uses the traditional lyrics, and Heylin says it’s “an improvised blues that bears more resemblance to ‘Matchbox’ than the Robert Petway blues standard.”) Work With Me Annie – 1954 Hank Ballard & the Midnighters I Am For You Baby – Possibly based on ‘Blueberry Hill,’ written in 1940 and recorded by Fats Domino in 1956. Griffin writes that “the title was originally written down as ‘On Blueberry Hill,’ although it shifted with repeated takes into ‘I Am For You, Baby.’” Griffin also notes some song titles that were written on the reels but erased on the tapes. These include several likely covers: Hey Good Lookin’ – 1951 Hank Williams (based on Cole Porter’s 1942 ‘Hey Good Lookin’) 30 Days – 1955 Chuck Berry Hey Bo Diddley – 1957 Bo Diddley (Dylan & the band also used a Bo Diddley beat for the lost song ‘You Own A Racehorse.’) Down in the Holler [Could be several things. “Down in the hollow” appears in the lyrics of ‘Rock Salt and Nails,’ so this may be a miswrite, like Garth's "In the Town of Drippen" for 'Hills of Mexico.' Or, this could be some variation of the old verse “I’d rather be in some dark hollow,” which appears in many songs.] That Was Born In Bethlehem [?] Also, per Griffin, at one point “Robertson asks, “Do you remember ‘Annie Had A Baby’?” “Sure do,” says Bob, but the Hank Ballard hit remains unrecorded for now, as Garth stops the tape.” (This 1954 song was the Midnighters’ ‘answer song’ to ‘Work With Me Annie.’)
Myself as well. Really surprising no further info or details has come out about that yet. Or could it be that the vaunted "numbering system" is no more than the reel number written on the tape box???
That's probably all it is... And it seems the producers of the set still aren't even sure of the right reel order in some cases! I don't suppose we'll get more info unless more reel pics get posted, or Heylin writes another Basement Tapes piece.
Any other reviews on the vinyl box? Sound quality? Does it come with anything else other than the records and that booklet? Is the booklet substantial? Basically, looking for someone to sell me.
Ha, good catch! But we have this quote from Robertson: "When I first met [Dylan] [in 1965], I played him this ballad from The Impressions' Keep On Pushing album, 'I've Been Trying,' written by Curtis Mayfield. I said: 'They're not saying anything much and this is killing me, and you're rambling on for an hour and you're losing me; I mean, I think you're losing the spirit.'" Maybe Dylan just didn't let on he already liked the Impressions...
Okay so I've created my own playlist, separating the material from Red Room, Big Pink, and Wittenberg Road. Then the tracklists follow Sid Griffin's updated book for each location. So it's: Red Room (Discs 1, 2) Big Pink (Discs 3, 4, 5, 6) Wittenberg Road (Disc 7) I really enjoy Sid Griffin's book, and by Dylan's people having him write the liner notes for the box, they clearly accept his book as a pretty thorough account of the sessions. I see the box not having track notes because Sid's book does that already, with instrument credits. The only thing I am always noticing is that I don't always agree with his instrument lineup claims. Sometimes you just hear other instruments and they simply aren't listed. Like "Blowin' In The Wind", there's piano and organ and Dylan on acoustic and vocals. So Levon has to be there on drums. A lot of times simple logic like that is overlooked in the detail of instrumental lineups in the book.
And with a song like "Wild Wolf", it's a problem. I can not even tell which version officially released corresponds to Sid Griffin's two takes listed. It certainly sounds like Garth on piano in the first half, but then Dylan says "Organ..." for the solo, and it's clearly Garth with audible piano then behind it. and drums still too. so it's kind of a mystery which take of "Wild Wolf" we have, if there are even two takes, or if Levon Helm was on it. Sid does make many Levon errors though, too. He isn't listed on "Minstrel Boy" in the book, but he's clearly there and disputed by Sid in the notes.
I noticed that myself - a lot of Griffin's instrument attributions are wrong and he sometimes misses instruments, like he wasn't listening very well. I certainly wouldn't trust him about the location or song order. Helm's clearly on "Wild Wolf" & "Blowing in the Wind" etc, for instance. I wrote a post a while back listing all the songs he's certainly on, which were a lot more than Griffin thought he was on. I believe we have take 2 of "Wild Wolf" since Griffin mentions the solo - IF he's right about there being two takes. Since he seems mistaken about other two-take claims, we can't be sure about this one either.
Wonderful list - thanks for all the info. The Fleetwoods deserve mention on Confidential as well, since the "hidden track" version seems to be based on their version
I checked the Bob Spitz bio for Mort Nasatir's story of the MGM negotiations with Dylan in early '67. There's a whole chapter devoted to it. Unfortunately, it's heavily fictionalized, with few direct quotes from Nasatir; so it's hard to rely on for any specific details. Nasatir may well have given Spitz a reliable account of what happened, but it's hard to make out in Spitz's retelling. A sample paragraph: "The pale winter sun had already dipped below the Catskills when the stretch limo carrying Mort Nasatir edged onto the New York State thruway for the trip back to the city. The temperature had dropped to a teeth-chattering fifteen degrees, but Nasatir felt warmer than he had been in months. Positively glowing, in fact. And gloating, too, like a gluttonous little boy. Once more, he ran his fingers over the sheaf of papers clutched in his hand. Over the signature with its childish scrawl and curlicues. With a forefinger, he traced the round, slanting strokes that swung above and below the mimeographed line. D-Y-L...he could hardly believe his good luck...A-N. No doubt about the name there. Bob Dylan - signed, sealed, and delivered. Nasatir heaved a sigh of relief. So it hadn't been a hoax, after all." And so on... And the MGM recording crew that went up to Woodstock? "The tapes it got sounded like they were made in Dylan's basement, of all things. They were frivolous and trifling. And get this: not every number on them was sung by Bob Dylan! And on some songs the vocal sounded suspiciously like...Tiny Tim! In fact, after a few listens the MGM crew were certain it was Tiny Tim warbling a cover version of 'I Got You, Babe' (he sung Cher's part, need you ask) in a duet with Robbie Robertson." I think we can toss this story into the hoax bin. Another sign of Spitz's credibility is that he completely skips over the Basement Tapes. As in, he briefly mentions that "atrocious demos" were recorded (supposedly for MGM) - but other than a page of Dylan's meetings with Tiny Tim, the summer of '67 just disappears, Big Pink is never mentioned, and you'd never guess that Dylan was hanging out with the Hawks for months on end. Anyway, for a dose of semi-reality, here's what was actually being reported in spring '67, while Dylan was "between" labels - from a May 6, 1967 Billboard article: "Now that Bob Dylan is virtually set to fulfill his recording commitment to Columbia Records, he may yet wind up on the MGM label. Mort Nasatir, MGM Records president, had announced the acquisition of Dylan at the label's sales meeting in Acapulco, Mexico, early this year, but he has yet to record for MGM. According to a Columbia spokesman, Dylan would not record for another label until he recorded the 14 sides due Columbia under the contract which expired several months ago. Dylan is now expected to be in Nashville sometime later this month to wind up his recording obligations to Columbia. Bob Johnston, a&r head of Columbia's Nashville office, is slated to supervise Dylan's sessions... It's understood that Columbia still has more than 80 sides of unreleased Dylan. It's also understood that Dylan has been working on a new image since he went into seclusion at his home in Woodstock, N.Y., after a motorcycle accident nine months ago." A while back in this thread we discussed what actually happened in terms of the Columbia/MGM contracts, and it's interesting to see how it was reflected in the news. Columbia required Dylan to record 14 more tracks to fulfill his contract, and it looks like they expected him to record another album with Bob Johnston in May. (Notice the veiled threat that they "still have more than 80 sides of unreleased Dylan," to release as they see fit.) But the negotiations with MGM fell through, Dylan re-signed with Columbia that summer, and no longer owed them the "14 sides," so he sent demos to his publishing company instead and went to record the album for Columbia in October. What grabbed my eye is that MGM "announced the acquisition of Dylan at the label's sales meeting in Acapulco." (The meeting had apparently been in January; at least it was mentioned in the Jan. 28 Billboard.) Acapulco! Can that be a coincidence? Is that song really a veiled allegory about the MGM deal?
I'll be disappointed if a sharp-eared Hoffmanite doesn't hear Nasatir in place of soft gun/gut/gub/whatever.
Yeah, as soon as I read "Acapulco". Couldn't find any pictures of Mort at the beach in Acapulco ... or down at Rose Marie's. Here he is with Hank Williams Jr.
The "historical fiction" style that Spitz utilizes really turns my stomach. He began composing his long-awaited Bob Dylan tome on a sunny Tuesday morning, As he banged away on his HP lap top while sipping a black coffee, he creatively visualized the details of the Summer of '67, his poodle napping in his lap.
