All the songs listed in the Official
Rarities section are cross-referenced by song title in these
alphabetical pages.
A-E
F-J
K-O
P-S
T-Z

This yearly page now contains only the main Rarities List! Mono 7" Singles & EPs (up to 1976) are now here, and Promotional Items (Albums and Singles) are now here. All Honourable Mentions are now here.
If you have any entries to add to the list or additions/corrections to
existing entries, please let me know!
Please note I cannot value your Dylan rarities -
see the Mission page for reasons why. Contact the
dealers on my Trading page for assistance!
Revised: 21 January, 2012.
Entries separated by a blue line contain the same rarities. Titles in red are not available
on a currently released Bob Dylan CD (for these see bobdylan.com
)
Key to symbols used:
Links to other World Wide Web pages - ![]()
Links to email addresses - ![]()
Links to bobdylan.com for song lyrics -
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Performances currently available on commercial CD are marked by
(these are the ones that count as obscurities
rather than as rarities)
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special"
- mono vinyl album, RCA
Victor LPM 2449 (USA/Canada),
recorded Feb 1962, released Mar 1962:
Bob's first album Bob Dylan was recorded in Nov 1961, and
also released in Mar 1962, see Mono Album Releases
and International Albums
(Regular).
![]() RCA Victor LPM 2449 (USA mono) - scan by Hans Seegers |
R-0001M Midnight Special
(Huddie Ledbetter - "Leadbelly")
- Bob plays harmonica for Harry Belafonte on the title track of his 1962 RCA
album (mono version) Thanks to Hans Seegers for the information that the mono version was mixed first with Bob in the background, but on the stereo version Bob's harmonica is clearly coming out of one channel. This mono version was reportedly released as a 7" mono single. Information is required on the catalogue number of the single and whether it had a picture sleeve. R-0001M was released as the B-side of a West German RCA Victor 7" mono single with Zombie Jamboree as the A-side, see 1964. Thanks to Stuart Moore for finding an original insert advertising the album songbook and for scans of the UK album songbook. Bob does not appear in the session photographs. Thanks to Hans Seegers and Stuart Moore for information and scans. |
![]() RCA US insert with ad for album songbook - scan by Stuart Moore |
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![]() Belafonte Music UK album songbook - front scan by Stuart Moore |
![]() Belafonte Music UK album songbook - inside scan by Stuart Moore |
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![]() Belafonte Music UK album songbook - inside scan by Stuart Moore |
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - mono vinyl albums, RCA L 101284 (Australia)/RCA RPL 3300 (New Zealand), 1962:

RCA L 101284 (Australia mono) - detail of rear, scan by Hans Seegers

RCA RPL 3300 (New Zealand mono) - detail of rear, scan by Bill Hester
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - "living" stereo vinyl LP, RCA Victor LSP 2449 (USA), recorded Feb 1962, released Mar 1962:
The stereo version of Midnight Special (R-0001) can be also found on LP and CD releases of the album and many Belafonte compilations listed here and on the appropriate chronological page. This original album was released on CD in a "2 on 1" release with Jump Up Calypso in 1995, and was eventually released on CD in the USA by Wounded Bird Records/Sony Music in 2009, see below.
A previously unreleased alternate stereo take of Midnight Special was released in May 2001 on the BMG Germany compilation May Your Song Always Be Sung Again: The Songs Of Bob Dylan Vol. 2, see 2001. This was for years thought to be Bob's first commercial recording session, and is dated variously between Jun and Dec 1961 by Krogsgaard, Dundas and Heylin. However, documentation found in 2001 in the RCA vaults along with the tapes dates the session definitively as having been recorded at Webster Hall, New York City, on the later date of 2 Feb 1962.
Thanks to Hans Seegers and Rob Cole for information and scans and to Dr. Hanns Peter Bushoff for information about the RCA recording session.
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - "living" stereo vinyl LP, RCA Victor FTP-1108 (USA), 1962:
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - stereo 7" EP, RCA Victor VLP 2449 (USA), Mar 1962:
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - stereo vinyl LP, Victor SHP-5062 (Japan), 1962; Victor SA-7005-7 (Japan), Sep 1963:
The 1962 release Victor SHP-5062, is a single LP, with price ¥1,800 on the rear sleeve. The Sep 1963 release, Victor SA-7005-7, is the 7th LP of a 7LP set called "Popular Music You Love Best" and there is no price on the rear sleeve. The 4th LP in the 1963 set, Victor SA-7005-4, was Girls, Girls, Girls by Elvis Presley, the 6th LP, Victor SA-7005-6, was The Best Of Perez Prado - From Mambo To Bossa Nova. The other LPs in the set are unknown as yet. There must also have been a 12" box and perhaps an obi with this set - scans required!
Thanks to Hans Seegers and Wil Gielen for information and scans.
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - stereo vinyl LP, RCA Victor SL 101284 (Australia), 1962:
Harry Belafonte - "Midnight Special" - reissue stereo vinyl LP, RCA Camden CDS 1100 (UK)/RCA Camden CDS 6022 (West Germany)/RCA Camden CAS-7170 (Australia), 1972:
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - reissue stereo vinyl LP, RCA International VAL1-0311 (Australia), mid-1970s:
Harry Belafonte - "Midnight Special" - reissue stereo vinyl LP, RCA ANL1-2324 (USA/Philippines), 1977; RCA INTS 5029 (UK), 1977:
Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - reissue vinyl album, RCA Victor NL 82324 (Belgium/West Germany/France/Italy/NL/UK), 1980:
![]() RCA Victor NL 82324 (Belgium/West Germany/France/Italy/NL/UK) - reproduction of album sleeve, scan by Jean-Pol Hiernaux |
Thanks to Jean-Pol Hiernaux for noticing that the booklet with the "2 on 1" CD release with Jump Up Calypso in 1995 shows illustrations of a 1980 European release previously not listed, RCA Victor NL 82324. |
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Harry Belafonte - "The Midnight Special" - reissue CD release, Wounded Bird Records/Sony Music WOU 2449 (USA), 10 Mar 2009:
Various Artists - "Columbia April Demonstration Record" - stereo promo compilation LP, Columbia XSM 55655/55656 (USA), Apr 1962:
Carolyn Hester - "Carolyn Hester" - mono vinyl album, Columbia CL 1796 (USA/Canada); CBS SBPG 62033 (UK), May 1962:
Bob plays harmonica on three tracks recorded Sep 1961 on this album produced by John Hammond - this is now known definitely to have been his first commercial recording session. Thanks to Tracy Zank for pointing out that this is in fact Carolyn's second self-titled album - the first was released in 1961 on Tradition Records with a completely different tracklist including House Of The Risin' Sun - Bob did not play on that album. The sleeve photograph of Carolyn is by Don Hunstein as is the photo of Bob on his first release Bob Dylan. Regular contributor to this site Bill Hester, who now lives in New Zealand, is a relative of Carolyn's!
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Note the silver star sticker on the mono LP release with the words "A NEW STAR ON COLUMBIA RECORDS", this is the same as the one that appears on first copies of Bob's first album Bob Dylan in 1962, see Mono Album Releases and International Albums (Regular). R-0002M I'll Fly Away (Albert E. Brumley)
R-0003M Come Back, Baby (traditional) |
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R-0004M
Swing And Turn Jubilee (traditional)
(mono
version)
This track also appeared on the Columbia Special Products US various
artists mono compilation LP Hummin' And Strummin' - Folk And Country Hits
and on the UK various artists mono compilation LP All-Star Hootenanny,
Nov 1964 (for both see 1964).
Two US promo copies are shown, both with the original "6 eye" Columbia record label. The first has "DEMONSTRATION RECORD NOT FOR SALE" printed in white open text on the label, the second has a white label on the regular commercial label. The first commercial copy shown has a different label design with "CAROLYN HESTER" in much larger text. Thanks to Hans Seegers for information that the labels are from different Columbia pressing plants and both date from May 1962. Max from Italy has a copy with a red rubber stamp of "DEMONSTRATION NOT FOR SALE" on the rear sleeve and commercial first variant 6-eye labels. This mono copy and Gerd Rundel's mono copy have the same generic Columbia US picture inner sleeve as the stereo copy below. Gerd Rundel's copy has a "1" printed on the rear sleeve at the bottom right of the text box with track timings. The record has stamped matrix numbers: Side 1 - XLP-55910-1B, Side 2 - XLP-55911-1C. The second commercial copy shown has the later plain red US Columbia mono record label. The Canadian label has a variant of the first "6 eye" design. The UK promo copy has white labels and the commercial copy has regular orange CBS labels.
Thanks to Hans Seegers, Arie de Reus and Gerd Rundel for information and scans. Thanks to Jeff Gold of Record Mecca for the photos of John Hammond's personal 10" single-sided acetates of R-0002M and R-0004M (I assume these acetates are mono).
Carolyn Hester - "Carolyn Hester" - stereo vinyl LP, Columbia CS 8596 (USA/Canada); CBS SBPG 62033 (UK), May 1962:
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Arie de Reus' demo copy of the stereo release Columbia CS
8596 has "DEMONSTRATION" stamped in red on the rear sleeve and a white
demonstration sticker on the Side 1 record label. This would have been
distributed to record stores in the USA to play for customers. Both the
demonstration and commercial copies shown have the "6 eye" record labels. The
record labels of the Canadian release have a variant of the "6 eye" design. Gerd Rundel has a demonstration copy with the silver star sticker on the front sleeve and the white demonstration sticker on the Side 2 record label. The record has stamped matrix numbers: Side 1 - XSM-55912-1A, Side 2 - XSM-55913-1B. The record is in a colour picture inner sleeve with illustrations of current Columbia releases. Arie de Reus also has a commercial copy of CS 8596 where the labels have a completely different text layout with "CAROLYN HESTER" in much larger text. Thanks to Hans Seegers for information that the labels are from different Columbia pressing plants and both date from May 1962. |
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![]() Columbia CS 8596 (USA stereo) - Side 1 scan by Gerd Rundel (demonstration copy without sticker on this side, same as commercial copy) |
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![]() Columbia CS 8579 (USA) - inner sleeve front, scan by Hans Seegers |
![]() Columbia CS 8579 (USA) - inner sleeve rear, scan by Hans Seegers |
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![]() CBS SBPG 62033 (UK stereo) - rear scan by Kenneth Robson |
![]() CBS SBPG 62033 (UK stereo) - Side 1 scan by Kenneth Robson |
![]() CBS SBPG 62033 (UK stereo) - Side 2 scan by Kenneth Robson |
![]() Columbia/Legacy CK 57310 (USA) - 1994 CD release with bonus tracks (my copy, see 1994) |
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R-0002 I'll Fly Away (Albert E. Brumley)
(stereo version)
(Albert E. Brumley is also the author of Rank Strangers To Me,
released on Down In The Groove, 1988, and one of
the bobdylan.com
online performances - BDC 37, from Jul 1998, see Online
Performances).
This track has appeared on stereo various artist compilations as follows:
Columbia Special Products US 4LP boxed set Columbia Special Products Presents A Limited Edition Of Great Folk Ballads, Country And Western (see 1964)
Columbia Special Products Canada 10LP boxed set Fleetwood Presents Stereo Highlights From The World Of Music (see 1965)
CBS/Sony Japan 1974 promo compilation LP Mr. D's Collection # 1 (see 1974)
Rhino US 1992 compilation CD Troubadours Of The Folk Era Vol. 1 (see 1992)
Sony France 2005 compilation 2CD set Chroniques: Tome 1, see 2005.
R-0003 Come Back, Baby (traditional)
(stereo version)
R-0004 Swing And Turn
Jubilee (traditional)
(stereo version)
This track also appeared on the UK various artists stereo compilation LP All-Star Hootenanny
(see 1964) and a 1989 Columbia various artists
stereo promo compilation LP Folk Classics
(Roots Of American Folk Music) (see
1989)
This LP was issued in Japan in stereo in 1966 and 1968 with redesigned sleeves highlighting Bob's involvement, see below. It was re-released on CD in 1994 with the original US stereo LP sleeve, with bonus tracks including two alternate takes with Bob performing (see 1994) and as part of a Bear Family Germany 2CD boxed set Dear Companion, see 1995.
Thanks to Ian Woodward for information and to Hans Seegers, Arie de Reus and Kenneth Robson for further information and scans.
Carolyn Hester - "Carolyn Hester" - stereo vinyl LP, CBS YS-629-C
(Japan), 1966:
This is a reissue
of Carolyn's first Columbia album from 1962, with Bob's involvement now mentioned in the panel on the left.
This album was released before CBS was bought by Sony.
Carolyn Hester - "Carolyn Hester With Bob Dylan" - stereo vinyl LP, CBS/Sony SONP 50392 (Japan), 1970:
This is yet again a reissue
of Carolyn's first Columbia album from 1962, this time by CBS/Sony with a completely new
sleeve making Bob's involvement
even more prominent!
"Mixed Up Confusion"/"Corrina, Corrina" - 7" mono singles, Columbia 4-42656 (USA), 14 Dec 1962:
This title was Bob's first single release under his own name. Another rarity which fetches a very high price! Roger Ford's discography in Robert Shelton's book "No Direction Home: The Life & Music of Bob Dylan" (New English Library, 1987) says that the single was originally released as Columbia 3-42656, but I have as yet seen no examples with this catalogue number. Thanks to Hans Seegers for the scans of these label variations, which would seem to prove this single was much more widely distributed than popular belief would have it. We can see that apart from the white label radio station promo, there were at least three separate pressings of the orange label single (If there's one with matrix ZSP 58625/6-1C/1C, not shown here, that would make four!) Hans Seegers informs me that of the three orange label variants shown, variant 1 (the first, with a different typeface for the title) is the rarest. The promo white label style is that of the second variant!
R-0007 Mixed Up Confusion - A-side, original mono version
This original single A-side is now on the revised 1997 Biograph, see 1997 (although in a newly discovered stereo mix, not the original mono version included here). An alternate mono mix of this take (R-0575) also appeared on a 1984 Columbia acetate, see 1984.
R-0008 Corrina, Corrina (traditional) - B-side, alternate mono take to The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan version, still otherwise officially unreleased
Because R-0008 has pressing number "ZSP 58625" (promo "JZSP 58625" as shown on the photo) and "R-0007" has pressing number "ZSP 58626" (promo "JZSP 58626" as shown on the photo) it's possible Columbia originally intended R-0008 to be the A-side, but on release R-0007 was always considered the A-side as the later European 7" singles below confirm.
Matrix numbers for the copies shown are as follows:
However, Yan Friis has a copy of this single with orange label variant 2 and matrix ZSP 58625/6-1D/1D so the pressing doesn't always match the label.
For details of the alternate take of Mixed Up Confusion (R-0145) that appeared on the Japanese compilations Mr. D's Collection #1 (LP, see 1974) and Mr. D's Collection #2 (EP, see 1976), and the 1978 Australian compilation Masterpieces (see 1978) and the edit of it found on the 1985 original Biograph (R-0748, see 1985), see below. Also listed are two further alternate takes that appear on Columbia acetates.
Including the one on the four and possibly five pressings of this original single, there are four circulating takes of Mixed Up Confusion, this released single and three alternate takes from the recording sessions at Columbia Studios, New York, in Oct-Nov 1962. The four alternate released takes can be identified by these notable differences:
| Take of Mixed Up Confusion | Early harmonica solo? | Wording of Sixth stanza |
| A Original mono single (R-0007, see above), included in mono CBS Brazil album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits with a unique sleeve and tracklist (see 1970), alternate mix found on 1984 Columbia acetate (R-0575, see 1984), stereo version on current release of Biograph (see 1997) | Harp solo immediately after Bob's
introduction "I got mixed up confusion Man, it's a-killin' me!" |
Well,
I'm lookin' for some answers |
| B Alternate stereo take (R-0145) found on the 1970s Japanese compilations Mr. D's Collection #1 (LP, see 1974), Mr. D's Collection #2 (EP, see 1976), the 1978 Australian compilation Masterpieces (see 1978) plus the edited stereo remix of it (R-0748) found on the 1985 original Biograph (see 1985). Also three different mixes of R-0145 were found on 1962 Columbia acetates that surfaced in 1984 (R-0576/R-0577/R-0578, see 1984) | No intro harp solo |
An' I
feel like a stranger (Wording of fifth stanza is also different on this take.) |
| C Second alternate take (R-0573) found on 1962 Columbia acetate that surfaced in May 1982 (see 1982) | No intro harp solo |
Won't
somebody tell me |
| D Third alternate take (R-0574) found on 1962 Columbia acetate that surfaced in Jun 1984 (see 1984) | Intro harp solo similar to R-0007 |
An'
I questions a-comin' (**) |
(*) This is the published lyric, see
.
(**) The wording of this line is speculative.
Many thanks to Les Kokay for all his information about the various alternate takes of this song, and for permission to reproduce his findings. According to Michael Krogsgaard there were five complete takes from the session at Columbia Recording Studios, New York, on 1 Nov 1962 - takes 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11. The song was recorded again on 14 Nov 1962, although no session details are available. The take selected for the mono single was overdubbed on 8 Dec 1962. As I do not know which takes from the session were used, I have labelled the four circulating takes A to D for convenience.
Thanks to Nol Grint for news that the 2011 European 3CD "ecolbook" release of Biograph contains the alternate take of Mixed Up Confusion from the 1985 release of the set (R-0145 see above and 1985). If this is a deliberate change, and not just a "Columbia Cock-up" that will be corrected as in 1997, then the stereo version of the original single (see 1997) will become a rarity!
"Mixed Up Confusion"/"Corrina, Corrina" - 7" mono single, CBS 202476 (UK - cancelled), CBS 2476 (NL), Dec 1966:
Label differences are as follows (information from Hans Seegers):
| Variant | Left of Centre Hole | Right of Centre Hole | ||
| 1 | "Recording First Published 1966" | Copyright symbol to left of "B.I.E.M." box, "1" in square below | ||
| 2 | "Recording First Published 1966" | "B.I.E.M." box to left of Copyright symbol, "1" in square below | ||
| 3 | "Recording First Published 1966" | Copyright symbol to left of "B.I.E.M." box, "1" in square below missing | ||
| 4 | " "P" (in circle) 1966" | Copyright symbol to left of "B.I.E.M." box, "1" in square below |
"Mixed Up Confusion"/"Corrina, Corrina" - 7" mono singles, CBS Serie Gemini 2476 (France), Jul 1968:
"Mixed Up Confusion"/"Corrina, Corrina" - 7" mono singles, CBS 2476 (Norway), 1968:
"Mixed Up Confusion"/"Corrina, Corrina" - 7" mono singles, CBS 2476 (Italy), 1969:
The 1969 Italian single sleeve uses the 1968 French design, but without the "Serie Gemini" logo. The promo version of the Italian single has a sticker with the words "DISCO CAMPIONE NON VENDIBILE" on the B-side. This Italian single was also available in two white label jukebox releases - JB 2476 and ODJB 2476, scans required.
Thanks to Hans Seegers for information and scans.
"Mixed Up Confusion"/"Corrina, Corrina" - 7" mono acetate, CBS (no catalogue number) (UK), Jul 1970:
Mono Singles & EPs for 1962
![]() Mono 7" Singles & EPs 1962-64 |
These are now here: Mono 7" Singles & EPs 1962-64. Mono LPs have their own pages, see International Mono Releases. |
Promotional/Regular Items for 1962
| Stereo promo items for 1962 which don't contain rare material but which are still very collectable are now included with promo releases of regular albums and commercially released singles on the appropriate page in International Stereo Releases. |

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