How much more popular would Dylan's music have been if he'd had Joan Baez sing many of the songs?

Kinda like Simon & Garfunkel... have a supreme vocal talent to sing a lot of the songs. She certainly wanted to and would have. Not that Dylan's voice wasn't unique. But a legendary, in-her-prime voice like Baez's?

 

i think bob's done alright for himself.

 

His music was pretty popular with his versions and all the covers.

 

Maybe he would have escaped his niche cult status?

 

I prefer Bob's voice on Bob's songs. I think his status as "the voice of a generation" is proof enough.

 

Before 65? Maybe a bit for a short time, but even as early as 63 he was hip and she seemed like an old lady.

 

She did sing a lot of his songs. I'm not sure I understand the question.

For example, she released this in 1968, but had been covering him for years, of course, by then.

http://www.amazon.com/Any-Day-Now-J...UTF8&qid=1412822693&sr=1-8&keywords=joan+baez

L.

 

There was already a diversity of performers covering his material that early, Joan included. I don't think he'd have reached any more new listeners than he did had Joan doubled her output of Bob covers.

 

How much less popular would Dylan's music have been if he'd had Joan Baez sing many of the songs?

 

To me, their voices blended about as well as oil and water in the early '60s (With God On Our Side from Newport '63 -- yikes), but they sounded much, much better together during the later Rolling Thunder review in 1975-76.

 

I think it went just the way it should...Peter, Paul & Mary were a boon to Bob! BUT, he stood on his own!

 

I really love Bob's early vocals and JWH as well...his later voice is broken.

 

She would have never gotten the opportunity. His music was for Phoenix.

D.D.

 

I haven't spent a lot of time listening to Joan Baez. I didn't like her songs on the Woodstock album. Then I saw the Hard Rain tv special from Ft. Collins and the rejected special from Clearwater and I liked the way Bob and Joan sang together.

 

I think both Joan and the 60s needed Dylan more than he needed them, i believe being associated with Dylan helped her career greatly.

 

Dylan would never have been the superstar/icon he became if Joan Baez sang all his material. Can you imagine the Hwy 61 Revisited album, not to mention Love and Theft, with Joan's dulcet tones?

 

Agreed on both points. Their duets on the Hard Rain TV special are riveting.

 

Agreed. I'm also quite partial to their duet on Never Let Me Go from Renaldo & Clara.

 

Only my opinion, but I completely disagree. I think Joannie, whom I respect a great deal, ruins everything she touches. I think she has a truly blessed instrument,
but to me she has always sung totally without expression. Apparently, the desire to express yourself is not enough. There is a talent to communication and as far
as I tell, she completely lacks it. I heard that first album, that transfixed Bob, when it first came out and to me it was nothing. Still is. Gorgeous voice though.

 

I just wish there was a full version of Joan singing this

 

Just remembered something: It's the mid-70s, I'm in my bedroom listening to Broadside Newport 1963, and my father (who, to his credit, had come to a grudging appreciation of the singer he still called "DYE-lan") sticks his head in the door and says "Who the hell is that broad singing with him?"

 

So many people just don't realize that Bob Dylan is a damn good singer.

 

I might take issue with the "supreme" in Baez's vocals but the Byrds pretty much proved the tacit point here.