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
Bob in 1971 from the CD booklet of "The Concert For Bangladesh"
(see 1972)
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.
This page has now been split in two because of length - all George Jackson single releases 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: 08 March, 2010
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)
"Watching The River Flow" - 7" mono/stereo promo singles, Columbia 4-45409
(USA), 3 Jun 1971:
For the mono commercial singles with Spanish Is The Loving
Tongue on the B-side, see below. Only these promo singles were in stereo
in the USA! The stereo version of this song appeared on Bob Dylan's Greatest
Hits Vol. 2 in Nov 1971 and is not a rarity, see
International Albums
(Regular). For more Watching The River Flow international mono and stereo 7"
singles, see
Mono 7" Singles & EPs 1970-76
and US & International 7" Singles & EPs
1971.
R-0687 Watching The River Flow - mono version (stereo version is not a rarity)
The first promo single has white labels and the title track in mono on both sides. Hans Seegers has three copies with label variants:
The second promo single has the title track in mono on one side with a white label and stereo on the other with a blue/yellow label. There are two label variants:
Thanks to Hans Seegers for information and scans.
"Watching The River Flow"/"Spanish
Is The Loving Tongue" - 7" mono promo and commercial singles, Columbia
4-45409 (USA/Canada), Jun
1971:
Having discovered this single was released in both stereo and mono, I have
now separated the entries, with separate R-numbers for the mono versions of Watching
The River Flow and Spanish
Is The Loving Tongue. The stereo version of the A-side appeared on Bob
Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in Nov 1971 and is not a rarity, see
International Albums
(Regular). For more Watching The River Flow international mono and stereo 7"
singles, see
Mono 7" Singles & EPs 1970-76
and
US & International 7" Singles & EPs 1971.
R-0687-2 Watching The River Flow - mono version (stereo version is not a rarity)
R-0072M
Spanish Is The Loving Tongue (Charles Badger
Clark/Billy Simon)
- lyrics on bobdylan.com
, B-side of mono single, New Morning out-take
recorded at Columbia Studios, New York, 2 Jun 1970
This solo version of the song was also released on the stereo singles below and on the 1978 Australian 3LP set Masterpieces (see 1978). The band version R-0096 from the 1973 Dylan album (see 1973) was not authorised by Bob, and many feel this solo version is far superior. R-0072 has three verses from the lyrics - R-0096 omits the second one.
bobdylan.com has a page for this song with a 1978 copyright for Bob (it's usually credited as "Traditional" on these 1971 singles). In fact, the lyrics are taken from a poem called "The Border Affair" by Charles Badger Clark, first printed in the Jun 1907 issue of the US magazine "Pacific Monthly", and later included in a 1915 anthology of his cowboy poetry called "Sun And Saddle Leather". The melody was added later by Billy Simon. Several of the 1971 singles credit the song correctly as "Public Domain" or "P.D." which recognises that it once had a copyright that had likely expired by 1971.
The US singles had generic sleeves, see 7" Single Sleeves. On the US single labels the record company name "Columbia" now makes up the label background design, not part of the lettering (see also the US George Jackson single here). The US single exists with three label variants:
For US mono promo 7" singles with just the title track, see above.
Thanks to Hans Seegers and Dave Plentus for information and scans.
"Watching The River Flow"/"Spanish Is The Loving Tongue" - 7" mono promo and commercial singles, CBS 7329 (UK/France/West Germany/Ireland/Italy/Norway/Portugal), 25 Jun 1971:
![]() CBS 7329 (France) - front with languette, scan by Hans Seegers |
The UK singles had generic sleeves, see
7" Single Sleeves. The UK promo release has the date "25th June,
1971". The commercial single was available with both punch-out and closed
centres. The West German release was also available as a promo in a release-specific "CBS-Blitzinformation" sleeve (both sleeves contained the same record). For the generic "CBS-Blitzinformation" rear sleeve of the German promo single, see 7" Single Sleeves. The information about the single on the German promo sleeve is as follows: "Bob Dylan's newest single "Watching The River Flow" was written by him in collaboration with Leon Russell, who was also jointly responsible for the production. For the first time with DYLAN for this recording is a band with the name of "Tulsa Tops": Leon Russell, piano; Jesse [Ed] Davis and Don Preston, guitar; Carl Radle, bass and Jim Keltner, drums. The music is somewhat to be compared with the "rolling" Blues-Style of "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box and Hat" [sic]." This information is odd in that Leon Russell is not co-credited with either writing or producing the song! |
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![]() CBS 7329 (UK) - A-side scan by Hans Seegers (promo release) |
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![]() CBS 7329 (West Germany) - front scan by Hans Seegers (promo release) |
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![]() CBS 7329 (Italy) - front scan by Hans Seegers |
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![]() CBS 7329 (Italy) - B-side scan by Hans Seegers (commercial release) |
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![]() CBS 7329 (Ireland) - A-side scan by Hans Seegers |
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CBS 7329 (Norway) - front scan by Yan Friis (rear is plain white) |
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The French single sleeve has a "languette" - for more information about the unique French index tabs or "languettes", see 1965.
The Italian release had two different promo versions - one has a promo stamp in Italian on the A-side, the other has a triangular hole punched through the label. For a 1971 CBS Italy 7" stereo/mono jukebox single with Watching The River Flow as the A-side and Indian Reservation by The Raiders as the B-side, see US & International 7" Singles & EPs 1971.
The Irish single shown here is very rare and came in a generic sleeve. The Norwegian single had a plain white rear sleeve, and was exported to Denmark and Sweden. It came with a centre that could be pushed out to play in a jukebox, or jukebox-ready with an open centre.
The Portuguese single had three label variations. The first has "(P) 1971" to the left of the CBS logo, the second is the same as this but with the "(P) 1971" missing. The third variation has a different type face for the titles.
Thanks to Hans Seegers and Yan Friis for information and scans.
"Watching The River Flow"/"Spanish Is The Loving Tongue" - 7" mono commercial single, CBS BA 301317 (Greece), Jun 1971:
![]() CBS BA 301317 (Greece) - A-side scan by Hans Seegers |
The Greek single shown here is very rare and came in a generic sleeve. Thanks to Hans Seegers for information and scans. |
"Watching The River Flow"/"Spanish Is The Loving Tongue" - 7" mono promo and commercial singles, CBS 33727 (Brazil), Jun 1971:
"Watching The River Flow"/"Spanish Is The Loving Tongue" - 7" mono promo and commercial singles, CBS/Sony SCBSA 82116 (Japan), Jun 1971:
Thanks to Hans Seegers for information and scans.
"Watching The River Flow"/"Spanish
Is The Loving Tongue" - 7" stereo singles, CBS 7329 (NL/Spain); CBS
SSC.1136 (South Africa), CBS BA-221831 (Australia); CBS BA 461349 (New Zealand), Jun
1971:
Although this single was released in mono in most countries worldwide, five
countries including Holland and Spain had a stereo release. For more Watching
The River Flow international mono and stereo 7" singles, see
Mono 7" Singles & EPs 1970-76,
and
US & International 7" Singles & EPs 1971. Larry Crum says he has a copy of the Australian single CBS
BA-221831 and both sides are definitely in mono. He also says that the
Dutch single CBS 7329 is also in mono, even though the labels state "STEREO". He
also thinks the version of this song on the Australian 3LP set Masterpieces
is also in mono, see 1978. Was there a stereo
version released? If not I shall have to combine the entries for R-0072 with
R-0072M.
![]() CBS 7329 (NL) - front scan by Hans Seegers |
R-0072
Spanish Is The Loving Tongue (Charles Badger
Clark/Billy Simon), Jun 1971
This stereo solo version of the song is also on the 1978 Australian 3LP set Masterpieces (see 1978). The band version R-0096 from the 1973 Dylan album (see 1973) was not authorised by Bob, and many feel this solo version is far superior. The stereo A-side appeared on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in Nov 1971 and is not a rarity, see International Albums (Regular). |
![]() CBS 7329 (NL) - detail from rear, scan by Hans Seegers (second variant - first doesn't have the "L" in a circle) |
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![]() CBS 7329 (Spain) - front scan by Hans Seegers |
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![]() CBS SSC.1136 (South Africa) - B-side scan by Hans Seegers |
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The Dutch single had two alternate covers - one has an "L" in a circle in the top left hand corner of the rear sleeve next to the CBS logo.
Thanks to Bill Hester for information about the New Zealand release, CBS BA 461349. On this release and the Spanish CBS 7329 R-0072 is wrongly credited to "Bob Dylan". CBS SSC.1136, the South African release, came in a generic "Music People" sleeve, see 7" Single Sleeves.
Thanks to Hans Seegers for information and scans.
Earl Scruggs - "Earl Scruggs Performing With His Family And Friends" - vinyl LP, Columbia C 30584 (USA), mid-1971; CBS S 64777 (UK), 1972; Harmony HC 15044 (Australia), 1972; CBS SBP 473938 (New Zealand), 1972:
R-0074 Nashville Skyline Rag
- version with Earl Scruggs on banjo and Bob on
guitar, recorded at Tom Allen's home, Carmel, NY, Dec 1970
R-0074 (along with a unique performance of the traditional song East Virginia Blues), also appeared in a TV show "Scruggs: A Festival Of Music", broadcast on National Education TV in New York on 10-17 Jan 1971. This was released on video in 1978, see VHS & DVD 1970s.
This album also contains Earl's covers of Love Is Just A Four Letter Word with Joan Baez and You Ain't Goin' Nowhere with The Byrds. The UK album has orange CBS labels and a different picture on the rear sleeve. The Australian release is on the Harmony label and uses the UK rear picture, as does the New Zealand CBS release. This album has now been released on CD as part of a "2 on 1" release by Collectables Records, USA, November, 2000, see 2000
Thanks to Kenneth Robson, Stuart Moore and Bill Hester for information and scans.
"George Jackson" - 7" stereo promo and commercial singles, Columbia/CBS (Worldwide), 1971/1972:
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All international releases of this 7" single with George Jackson on both sides are now listed here. |
Mono Singles & EPs for 1971
These are now here: Mono 7" Singles & EPs 1970-76. There were no mono Dylan LPs released in 1971.
Promotional/Regular Items for 1971
| Stereo promo items for 1971 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. |
![]() Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II (1971) |

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The rights to material from all quoted contributors remain
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