ftp.ee.pdx.edu/2014.02.ftp.ee.pdx.edu.tar/ftp.ee.pdx.edu/pub/dylan/1961

Internet Message Format | 1991-05-06 | 17KB

From: [e-mail] (Olof Bj|rner)
Date: 23 Aug 90 19:49:22 GMT


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  C O N T E N T S

      INTRODUCTION
  1.  CALENDAR
  2.  RECORDINGS
  3.  SONGS 1961
  4.  SOURCES
  5.  SUGGESTED READINGS


                             INTRODUCTION

       First professional year as a musician starts with Dylan hitch-hiking
  into New York in January without a home and ends with his triumphant return
  home to Hibbing with a Columbia recording contract and the first LP recorded.


  1.  CALENDAR

  January 24       Dylan arrives in New York accompanied by his friend
           Fred Underhill, heads for "Cafe Wha?" where he performs
           a couple of songs, after which the compere asks the
           audience for a plays to stay for "Bob and Fred" that night.

  January 25       Dylan visits Guthrie's family in Howard's Beach. Meets young
           Arlo and teaches him some harmonica.

  January 29       Dylan performs at Izzy Young's Folklore Centre. Meets Woody
           Guthrie at the home of Sid and Bob Gleason in East Orange,
                   New Jersey.

  February         A second (or third) "home-tape" is recorded by Sid and Bob
           Gleason, while Dylan is singing to their daughter Kathy.

                   Dylan starts to accompany folk singers like Fred Neil,
           Mark Spoelstra, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Dave van Ronk on
           harmonica. He is also performing at "Cafe Wha?",
           "The Gaslight", "The Limelight", "The Lion's Head" and
           "Mill's Tavern".

  February 13      Dylan starts performing regularly at Gerde's Folk City on
           the Monday night hootenanny.

  February 14      In February The Gleasons are given a dated handwritten
           copy of a new Dylan composition called "Song To Woody".

  March 27         Mike Porco, the owner of Gerde's Folk City, offers Dylan
           to be support act to John Lee Hooker for a fortnight in
           April.

  April 5          First paid concert at the Loeb Music Center for the
           University of New York Folk Society. In the audience is
           a young Suze Rotolo.

  April 11-25      Dylan plays a five song set as support to John Lee Hooker
           at Gerde's Folk City.

  May              Dylan tries to get a recording contract first with
           Folkways records, then with with Elektra and Vanguard.
           None of them are interested.

  May              The writing of the second recorded composition, "Talkin'
           New York".

  May 6            At the Indian Neck Folk Festival in Branford, Connecticut,
           Dylan performs three songs and meets Bob Neuwirth for the
           first time.

  Mid May          Dylan returns to Minneapolis and a number of home
           recordings are made.

  June             A hand-written manuscript shows that Dylan wrote a song
           called "East Colorado Blues". No known recording exits.

  June             First studio recording takes place when Dylan plays
           harmonica on "Midnight Special" a track on Harry Belafonte's
           album with the same name.

  July 29          Dylan is part of a 12-hour radio broadcast from Riverside
           Church, Manhattan, NYC, a "Hootenanny Special".

  September 6      Dylan's set on Gerde's Folk City is recorded.

  September 26     New York Times reporter Robert Shelton attends the opening
           night of another two-week Dylan residency at Gerde's Folk
           City. Dylan is supporting The Greenbriar Boys and plays two
           sets each night. After his first set Shelton interviews
           Dylan and then writes an enthusiastic review concentrating
           on Dylan.

  September 30     Second studio experience. Dylan this time joins a Carolyn
           Hester session. He plays harmonica on three songs later
           released on Hester's debut album. Producer is John Hammond.

  October 20       Izzy Young conducts a written interview with Dylan. In this
           he mentions his own composition "California Brown Eyed Baby",
           which he is performing at the time.

  October 23       Izzy Young conducts another written interview with Dylan.

  October 26       Dylan signs for Columbia Records.

  October 29       Dylan appears on Oscar Brand's radio show "Folksong Festival"

  November 4       Izzy Young books Dylan at the Carnegie Recital Hall.
           Only 53 people attend.

  November 20, 22  Recording of BOB DYLAN.

  November 23      Thanksgiving Day is spent with Suze Rotolo at the home of
           Eve and Mac McKenzie. After the dinner Dylan plays a number
           of songs that are recorded by the hosts.

  December 22      On his way home to Hibbing for Christmas celebrations, he
                   gives a private performance, this time in Minneapolis at the
           house of Bonnie Bleecher. It is recorded by Tony Glover.
           The tape is often referred to as the Minneapolis Hotel Tape
           and is the basis for the first bootleg "Great White Wonder"
           and later "A Rare Batch Of Little White Wonder".


  2.  RECORDINGS

  Febr-    East Orange Tape
  March    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Recorded at the home of Sid and Bob Gleason.

            1. San Francisco Bay Blues (Jesse Fuller)
            2. Jesus Met The Woman At The Well (trad.)
            3. Gypsy Davey (trad., arr Woody Guthrie)
            4. Pastures Of Plenty (Woody Guthrie)
            5. Trail Of The Buffalo (trad., arr Woody Guthrie)
            6. Jesse James (trad.)
            7. Car, Car (Woody Guthrie)
            8. Southern Cannonball (R. Hall/Jimmie Rodgers)
            9. Bring Me Back, My Blue-Eyed Boy (trad.)
           10. Remember Me (Scott Wiseman)

       7,8,9 fragments only.

       Mono recording, approximately 27 minutes.


  May 6    Indian Neck Festival
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Montowesi Hotel, Branford, Connecticut

            1. Talkin' Columbia (Woody Guthrie)
            2. Hangknot, Slipknot (Woody Guthrie)
            3. Talking Fish Blues (Woody Guthrie)

       Mono audience recording, approximately 16 minutes.


  May      Minnesota Party Tape
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Bonnie Beecher's apartment in Minneapolis

            1. Railroad Bill (trad.)
            2. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (A. P. Carter)
            3. Man Of Constant Sorrow (trad.)
            4. Pretty Polly (trad.)
            5. Railroad Boy (trad.)
            6. James Alley Blues (Richard Brown)
            7. Why'd You Cut My Hair? (trad.)
            8. This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)
            9. Two Trains Running (McKinley Morganfield)
           10. Wild Mountain Thyme (trad.)
           11. Howdido (Woody Guthrie)
           12. Car Car (Woody Guthrie)
           13. Don't Push Me Down (Woody Guthrie)
           14. Come See (Woody Guthrie)
           15. I Want My Milk (Woody Guthrie)
           16. San Francisco Bay Blues (Jesse Fuller)
           17. A Long Time A-Growin' (trad.)
           18. Devilish Mary (Bess Lomax Hawes)
           19. Ramblin' Round (Woody Guthrie)
           20. Death Don't Have No Mercy (Reverend Gary Davis)
           21. It's Hard To Be Blind (trad.)
           22. This Train Is Bound For Glory (Woody Guthrie)
           23. Harp Blues (instrumental)
           24. Talking Fish Blues (Woody Guthrie)
           25. Pastures Of Plenty (Woody Guthrie)

       Mono recording, approximately 78 minutes.


  June     Harry Belafonte recording session
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       New York City

            1. Midnight Special (trad.)

           Bob Dylan on harmonica.

       Released on Harry Belafonte: "Midnight Special", March 1962


  July 29  Riverside Church
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       New York City

            1. Handsome Molly (trad.)
            2. Naomi Wise (trad.)
            3. Poor Lazarus (trad.)
            4. Mean Old Railroad (Danny Kalb)
            5. Acne (Eric von Schmidt)

           4 Danny Kalb vocal.
       6 Bob Dylan and Ramblin' Jack Elliot shared vocal.

       Broadcast by WRVR-RM radio in the program "Saturday Of Folk Music" -
       a 12 hour "Hootenanny" Saturday Special, July 29, 1961.

       Mono radio broadcast, approximately 27 minutes.


  Sept 6   First Gaslight Tape
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Gaslight Cafe, New York City

            1. Man On The Street
            2. He Was A Friend Of Mine (trad., registered as Bob Dylan)
            3. Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
            4. Song To Woody
            5. Pretty Polly (trad.)
            6. Car, Car (Woody Guthrie)

           Mono PA recording, approximately 26 minutes.


  Sept     Gerde's Folk City
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       New York City

            1. Ranger's Command (Woody Guthrie)
            2. San Francisco Bay Blues (Jesse Fuller)
            3. The Great Divide (Woody Guthrie)
            4. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
            5. Ain't No More Cane (Go Down Old Hannah)
            6. Dink's Song (trad., arr. John & Alan Lomax)
            7. He Was A Friend Of Mine (trad., registered as Bob Dylan)
            8. Pretty Boy Floyd (Woody Guthrie)
            9. In The Pines (Huddie "Leadbelly" Leadbetter)
           10. Sally Girl (Woody Guthrie)

       2,3 Rambling Jack Elliot (shared vocal & guitar).
       8 Jim Kweskin (shared vocal & guitar).

           Mono PA recording.

       NOTE!!! Except for a very rough version of Ranger's Command,
           this tape is NOT in circulation.


  Sept 30  Carolyn Hester recording session
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Columbia Studios, New York City

            1. I'll Fly Away (Albert E. Brumley)
            2. Swing And Turn Jubilee (trad.)
            3. Come Back, Baby (trad.)

       Carolyn Hester (guitar & vocal), Bruce Langhorne (guitar & violin),
       William E. Lee (bass), Bob Dylan (harmonica).

       Stereo studio recording.

       Released on the album "Carolyn Hester", 1962.


  Nov 4    Carnegie Chapter Hall
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       New York City

            1. Pretty Peggy-O (trad.)
            2. In The Pines (Huddie "Leadbelly" Leadbetter)
            3. Gospel Plow (trad.)
            4. 1913 Massacre (Woody Guthrie)
            5. Backwater Blues (Big Joe Williams)
            6. A Long Time A-Growin' (trad.)
            7. Fixin' To Die (Bukka White)

       An incomplete, continuous mono PA recording, appr. 39 minutes.


  Nov 20   The BOB DYLAN sessions
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Columbia Studio A, New York City

            1. You're No Good (Jesse Fuller)
            2. Talkin' New York
            3. In My Time Of Dyin' (Blind Willie Johnson)
            4. Fixin' To Die (Bukka White)
            5. Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Eric von Schmidt)
            6. House Of The Risin' Sun (trad.)
            7. Song To Woody
  Nov 22
            8. Man Of Constant Sorrow (trad. arr Bob Dylan)
            9. Pretty Peggy-O (trad. arr Bob Dylan)
           10. Highway 51 (Curtis Jones)
           11. Gospel Plow (trad. arr Bob Dylan)
           12. Freight Train Blues (John Lair)
           13. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (Blind Lemon Jefferson)

       Released on BOB DYLAN, March 19, 1962
       8 released on MASTERPIECES, March 1978.
       6 released on BIOGRAPH, October 28, 1985.

       Produced by John Hammond.

       Stereo studio recordings, 37 minutes.


  Nov 23   First MacKenzie Tape
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Recorded at the home of Eve and Mac MacKenzie.

            1. Hard Times In New York Town (trad.)
            2. Wayfaring Stranger (trad.)
            3. A Long Time Man Feel Bad (trad.)
            4. Lonesome Whistle Blues (Hank Williams/Jimmie Davies)
            5. Worried Blues (Hally Wood)
            6. Baby Of Mine (?)
            7. Instrumental
            8. Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Eric von Schmidt)
            9. Fixin' To Die (Bukka White)
           10. San Francisco Bay Blues (Jesse Fuller)
           11. You're No Good (Jesse Fuller)
           12. House Of The Risin' Sun (trad.)
           13. Instrumental
           14. This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)
  Dec 4
           15. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms (trad., arr Buster Carter/P. Young)
           16. Bells Of Rhymney (Idries Davies/Pete Seeger)
           17. Come All You Fair And Tender Ladies (trad.)
           18. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms (trad., arr Buster Carter/P. Young)
           19. Bells Of Rhymney (Idries Davies/Pete Seeger)
       20. Instrumental
       21. Instrumental
           22. Highway 51 (Curtis Jones)
           23. This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)

       15-21 have vocal by others and Dylan on back-up guitar.
       1-3, 5-7, 9, 14-16, 21 and 23 are fragments.

       Incomplete mono recording, approximately 40 minutes.


  Dec 22   Minnesota Hotel Tape
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Recorded at the apartment of Bonnie Bleecher

            1. Candy Man (trad., arr Reverend Gary Davis)
            2. Baby Please Don't Go (Big Joe Williams)
            3. Hard Times In New York Town (trad.)
            4. Stealin', Stealin' (trad., arr Memphis Jug Band)
            5. Poor Lazarus (trad.)
            6. I Ain't Got No Home (Woody Guthrie)
            7. It's Hard To Be Blind (trad., arr Reverend Gary Davis)
            8. Dink's Song (trad., arr by John & Alan Lomax)
            9. Man Of Constant Sorrow (trad., arr Bob Dylan)
           10. Naomi Wise (trad.)
           11. Wade In The Water (trad.)
           12. I Was Young When I Left Home (trad.)
           13. In The Evening (Brownie McGhee)
           14. Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Eric von Schmidt)
           15. Sally Girl (Woody Guthrie)
           16. Gospel Plow (trad.)
           17. Long John (trad.)
           18. Cocaine (trad.)
           19. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
           20. Ramblin' Round (Woody Guthrie)
           21. VD Blues (Woody Guthrie)
           22. VD Waltz (Woody Guthrie)
           23. VD City (Woody Guthrie)
           24. VD Gunner's Blues (Woody Guthrie)
           25. Black Cross (Lord Buckley)
           26. The Story Of East Orange, New Jersey (monologue)

       Mono recording, approximately 75 minutes.


  3.  SONGS 1961

  February    Song To Woody  [1,2]
  May           Talkin' New York  [1]
  June          East Colorado Blues  [3]
  August        Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues  [4,5]
  September     He Was A Friend Of Mine  [6,7]
        Man On The Street  [7,8]
        Talkin' Hava Nagilah Blues  [5]
  Fall          California Brown Eyed Baby  [3]
  November      Hard Times In New York Town  [7,9]
  December      Ballad Of The Ox Bow Incident  [3]
        I Was Young When I Left Home  [10]
        Strange Rain  [3]

  Notes
  ~~~~~
  [1]  Released on BOB DYLAN.
  [2]  Performed live twice in 1974 and 1986 and a number of times on the
       never-ending tour,
  [3]  Rumoured composition.
  [4]  First performed at Gerde's Folk City in June, 1961.
  [5]  A studio version was recorded in April, 1962 for the FREEWHEELIN' album.
  [6]  Arrangement by Bob Dylan.
  [7]  Later recorded as a Leeds Music Demo.
  [8]  Covered by Dave van Ronk on the album "No Dirty Names"
  [9]  An adaptation of the traditional "Ketty's Farm"
  [10] Adaptation/derivation from two songs, "900 Miles" and "Detroit City"


  4.  SOURCES

      Clinton Heylin:     Bob Dylan Stolen Moments
              The Ultimate Reference Book.
              Wanted Man 1988.

      Michael Krogsgaard: Master Of The Tracks.
              The Bob Dylan Reference Book of Recording.
              October 1988.

      Glen Dundas:        Tangled Up In Tapes Revisited
                        A Collector's Guide to the Recordings of Bob Dylan.
              SMA Services 1990.

      Tim Dunn:           I Just Write 'Em As They Come.
              An Annotated Guide to the Writings of Bob Dylan
              A Not-A-Ces Publishing Venture 1990.


  5.  SUGGESTED READINGS

      General background:
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Anthony Scaduto:    Bob Dylan
              An intimate biography.
              New American Library 1973

      Robert Shelton:      No Direction Home
              The Life and Music of Bob Dylan
              New American Library 1986

      Eric von Schmidt:   Baby, Let Me Follow You Down
      & Jim Rooney        The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years
              Anchor Books 1979

      Articles:
      ~~~~~~~~~
      Hard Times In New York Town - John Bauldie in The Telegraph #24
      Portrait of the Artist as a Younger Man - interview by Billy James
                          reprinted in Stephen Pickering's "Praxis: One"
                    ___________________________________