Bob Dylan: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 17: "Fragments - Time Out of Mind Sessions" [1/27/23]*

Wish they'd included the live "Things Have Changed" on disc 5. He was still touring TOoM (same year as half the featured live cuts) and many of us don't have the TTS third cd. Would've provided a twist of variety, too.

Happy to obtain the half dozen third disc tracks, though, for sure.

 

maybe she was his bodyguard.

 

In his other book, Listen Up!, does he mention what his involvement was in Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert?

As noted a couple of days ago on another thread I was surprised to see his name on the list of people given "special thanks"

 

No, not at all! I am surprised about that. I have that album for a long time and I had never looked at the thanks section. That was very well mixed by Michael Brauer. Maybe Howard gave some advice...

BTW, Listen Up! does have a few TOOM stories that appear nowhere else and some tidbits on how, for example, the drums were recorded (which helps interpret the drum tracks in the Track sheets). He also talks about how when they recorded the album version of Not dark yet everybody knew it was a classic right away, the different attempts to record Can't wait, etc.. Unfortunately, overall it is more of a celebrity gossip type of book, which is a really missed opportunity, because I am a big fan of Mark Howard's engineering and would have loved a more technical book. He is uniformly scathing towards Lanois, they must have fallen out at some point between the Uncut interviews (in 2007) and now, because his recollections of him have certainly soured between the two interviews.

 

I suppose it is possible that, having done the work on the House of Blues show, Howard was asked to take a look at the 1966 Manchester CBS tapes and put together a mix for Bootleg Series Vol.4.

 

Perhaps Amazon could produce a board game where players advance by correctly guessing which corner of their box set will arrive bashed?

 

I'm sure all you guys have seen this, but just in case here's a really cool interview with the bass player of the Plugz, the band that Dylan used on his Letterman appearance in 1984.

Plugz Bassist Talks Backing Bob Dylan in Raucous Letterman Performance

 

I didn't know the Plugz had played with Dylan. I only really know of them because they did the theme for Repo Man with Iggy, possibly my favorite movie of the '80s.

 

The guitarist wasn't in Plugz, but a buddy of theirs they picked up for the gig. The whole thing is amazing, but the part between 6:15 and 7:00 when Dylan is looking for the right harmonica is utterly priceless.

 

from a youtube comment>




THE REALSTORY BEHIND “HARMONICA-GATE”. I was the person who handed Bob Dylan the harmonica during this performance on David Letterman. My name is Ed and back in the day I worked for one of the biggest rock and roll production managers in the country Michael Ahern who in turn worked for Bill Graham. At the time Bill Graham was doing production for Bob Dylan. I got a call from Michael saying Dylan was appearing on the David Letterman show the following week ( I think it was a Thursday) and could I take care of his “back line duties.” Backline means setting up the drums, amps, guitars etc. and taking care of whatever technical needs the band might have. Bob was scheduled to perform two songs on the show that night. On the second song he told me to have a harmonica in a certain key sitting on his Marshall amplifier so he could pick it up and play it towards the end of the song. He used it and everything worked out perfectly. At that point I figured my job was pretty much over for the night, you know wait for the show to finish pack up the gear and go home. Then all of a sudden I was told (by Bob’s son) that Letterman asked Bob to do a third song to close the show and I should have a harmonica ready again. He said it should be in the key of D (if I remember correctly). Now Bob’s son was still a teenager at this time and I was a little wary of the messenger so I took it upon myself to backstage to the dressing room to ask Bob personally. When I got there he was really busy speaking with friends and industry types and I said something to the effect of “hey Bob your son said you need a harmonica in the key of D for the last song”. Bob turns to me and says “ah yea that’s right”. So I figure great end of story, but no not end of story because Bob mistakenly (because he was busy with his guests) told me “ah yea sure”. So I set up everything the way I was told and the third song started. Halfway through the song Bob takes off his guitar hands it to me picks up the harmonica starts blowing immediately stops looks left to me and says “what the **** it’s the wrong key”. I say “what key do you need?”. He says “G”. I think to myself oh **** that harmonica is on the other side of the drums, so I go running (on camera) behind the drummer to fetch the right one. It took about twenty seconds but seemed like a ****ing lifetime! After the song was over I turned to Bob and said “what happened what happened”. He said “I got mixed up”. All of a sudden Bob’s manager Mick Brigdon was all over me saying “what the hell just happened?”. I said Bob asked for the wrong harp”. He said “don’t you move, wait right here”. He came back two minutes later and said “never mind”. I started to pack up the gear thinking **** these guys are never going hire me again! A month later I got a call asking me if I would go on the up coming European Tour as his guitar tech.

 

Fragments – Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series Vol. 17

 

For those with a curiosity about these administrative things, there is a paragraph from Tim Dunn on page 50 of On The Tracks #12. This issue of the fanzine was published in November, 1997 and has plenty of content about the then recently released Time Out Of Mind.

"Make You Feel My Love" was registered on 24 March, 1997 by way of the deposit of an audio cassette.

Registered on 08 May, 1997 were "Can't Wait", "Cold Irons Bound", "Highlands", "Million Miles", "Not Dark Yet", and "Standing In The Doorway." Also registered on that day were songs titled "Trying To Get To Heaven", "Dirt Road", and "Lovesick."

"Mississippi" and "Red River Shore" were also registered on 08 May, as was "Doing Alright." Obviously, the latter was then the name for "'Till I Fell In Love With You."

No mention of "Marching To The City", although we know from John Lewis's book that the song does have its own folder in the BD Archive, unlike "Tryin' To Get To Heaven" which seems to reside somewhere in the "All I Ever Loved Is You" folder.

 

This had passed me by: LA Times Fragments feature with a brief interview with Lanois, Brian Blade and Jim Dickinson's son. Mostly known stuff, but some good quotes like Lanois dissing Don Was and Dylan asking Brian Blade at the Teatro whether he had played for Little Richard.

Bob Dylan almost died in 1997. Months later, 'Time Out of Mind' revived his career

 

Oh, it also features a great Lanois quote on "To make you feel my love", on which he shares the same negative opinion as many on this forum...

 

They were brand new interviews. Thanks for the kind words.

 

So its not Tony M on Wade.

Jeff Slate in the house.

 

So, what's everybody in the USA paying for this now?
I mean the 5-disc box-set?

 

Loved your slot on Pod Dylan recently Jeff discussing Fragments, thanks.

Oh, and your interview with Bob was arguably the best he's given this century.

 

Great thread. Thank you all. With the info in this thread I've decided to replace my iTunes "Tell Tale Signs (bonus Track Version)" purchase with the "Tell Tale Signs (Deluxe Edition)".

 

Speaking of The Plugz, Daniel Romano re-recorded Infidels as if it was played with The Plugz as backing band. This was during his nine (or so) album streak during Covid. I am afraid it is no longer available though.

Daniel Romano's Outfit - Do (What Could Have Been) "Infidels" By Bob Dylan & The Plugz

 

You won't regret it, even though half of that third disc is now on Fragments.

 

I think i have that album from bandcamp.com.
It's not there anymore.

 

But you can listen to it here:

 

That was my introduction to Daniel Romano, since then I have seen Daniel Romano's Outfit once (absolutely killer show!), have tickets to see them again in June, and own close to 20 albums on LP, CD, and Cassette. His album from last year La Luna is great and I recommend all the albums by The Outfit for anyone who has any interest in great Power Pop.