Audio: 1981

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

Up ] 1980 ] [ 1981 ] 1982 ] 1983 ] 1984 ] 1985 ] 1986 ] 1987 ] 1988 ] 1989 ]

This yearly page now contains only the main Rarities List! 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: 02 April, 2008


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 -
Performances currently available on commercial CD are marked by (these are the ones that count as obscurities rather than as rarities)


"Guitar - A Rock Episode: The Guitars Of Bob Dylan" - radio broadcast LP, TM Special Products "1981 Hour 22" (USA), 1981:
Neither the cue sheet nor the record labels give the precise broadcast date, but if it was week 22, it would be at the beginning of June 1981.


TM Special Products "1981 Hour 22" - cue sheet scan by Hans Seegers
This LP contains ten Dylan songs including a rarity:

R-0078-2 Mr. Tambourine Man - recorded live with George Harrison, Leon Russell and Ringo Starr, Madison Square Garden, New York, 1 Aug 1971 (evening show), from the Apple 3LP set Concert for Bangladesh, 1972
This performance also appeared in a 1990 US radio broadcast in Radio Today/ABC Radio Networks series "The Live Show" (see 1990).

The Dylan songs are Blowin' In The Wind; Subterranean Homesick Blues; Ballad Of A Thin Man; Positively 4th St.; Like A Rolling Stone; All Along The Watchtower, The Weight by The Band (the live version from Before The Flood), Mr. Tambourine Man (R-0078); Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine (the live version from Before The Flood); Maggie's Farm (live with the Rolling Thunder Revue, probably from Hard Rain); Don't Think Twice. It's All Right (the live version from Bob Dylan At Budokan).

Information and scans from Hans Seegers.


TM Special Products "1981 Hour 22" - Side 1 scan by Hans Seegers

TM Special Products "1981 Hour 22" - Side 2 scan by Hans Seegers

"4 Tracks From 'Shot Of Love'" - acetate 10" EPs, Columbia (no catalogue numbers) (USA/UK), 1981:

BS1-3USAcetate1.jpg (21247 bytes)
US acetate Side 1, scan by Arie de Reus
R-0652 Seven Days - Special Rider demo, recorded at the 1976 "Hard Rain" tour rehearsals, Belleview Biltmore Hotel, Clearwater, FL, 17 Apr 1976. The version on The Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3 is a live recording from Tampa, FL, 21 Apr 1976.

R-0653 Yonder Comes Sin - Special Rider demo, out-take from Shot Of Love, recorded Rundown Studios, Santa Monica, CA, 27 Oct 1980
This song has not otherwise been officially released.

These two rare 10" 45 r.p.m. double-sided acetates each have Seven Days with Yonder Comes Sin on one side, and Need a Woman with Angelina on the other. The tracks on Side 2 were released in 1991 on The Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3.

The US acetate is from Capitol Magnetics, Winchester, VA, and has generic blank "audiodisc" labels with typewritten text. The UK acetate is from the CBS Mastering Studios, Whitfield Street, London, and has generic labels with handwritten text. Angelina is misspelled as "Angalina". This was never released commercially on vinyl in this form.

Thanks to Arie de Reus for information and scans.

BS1-3USAcetate2.jpg (20280 bytes)
US acetate Side 2, scan by Arie de Reus
BS1-3UKAcetate1.jpg (19581 bytes)
UK acetate Side 1, scan by Arie de Reus
BS1-3UKAcetate2.jpg (19858 bytes)
UK acetate Side 2, scan by Arie de Reus

"Shot Of Love" - vinyl test pressing, Capitol (no catalogue number) (USA), 10-26 Jun 1981:


Test pressing Capitol generic 12" sleeve, scan by Arie de Reus
This test pressing manufactured by Capitol on behalf of Columbia Records consists of two separate apparently single-sided acetate LPs in Capitol sleeves. Side 1 is dated 10 Jun 1981, Side 2 is dated 18 Jun 1981, and the sleeves are dated 26 Jun 1981.

Side 1 is unique in that it has a rarity on the B-side, a mono version of Shot Of Love only. It's possible that this is a mistake, abandoned after the first track. There is nothing on the reverse of the Side 2 disc.

R-0644 Shot Of Love - mono version (reduction from stereo)

Thanks to Arie de Reus for information and scans.


Test pressing of Side 1, scan by Arie de Reus (the side with R-0644 is blank)

Test pressing of Side 2, scan by Arie de Reus

"Heart Of Mine"/"Let It Be Me" - 7" promo and commercial singles, CBS A 1406 (UK/NL/Italy/Spain)/CBS BA 222856 (Australia/NZ), 3 Jul 1981:
This single was released in Europe and Australasia only. It was released before the Shot Of Love album on 12 Aug 1981. The B-side has never been released on a Dylan album.


CBS UK acetate of R-0365, scan by Hans Seegers
R-0365 Heart Of Mine - single edit (3:30)

R-0154 Let It Be Me (Pierre Delanoe/Gilbert Becaud/M. Curtis)-  Shot Of Love out-take recorded May 1981 - not the 1970 Self Portrait version

The very rare UK acetate of R-0365 at upper left uses a blank made by Pyral in France - it has a Pyral sleeve which is plain white on the reverse. For more details see 7" Single Sleeves. Thanks to Hans Seegers for this.

The UK promo single shown has paper labels and comes in a generic sleeve, unlike the picture sleeve of the commercial single. Note the release date of "3 Jul 1981" is stamped, not printed as on other promos illustrated on this site.

Like other European singles of the same period, one UK commercial single has "injection" labels - a thin coloured plastic ring-shaped layer (in this case brown) is injected into the record itself, and the text/graphics are cut out using a stamp so that the black vinyl underneath shows through, there is no paper label. Hans Seegers has another copy with normal paper labels.

Thanks to Raoul Verolleman for the rear sleeve scan of the Dutch single and for pointing out that both tracks are said there to be "from the forthcoming new Dylan album Shot Of Love". This track must therefore have been dropped from the album after the single cover was printed. It has not been restored on the CD version, although the US single B-side that also wasn't on the 1981 LP, The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar (see below), has been added to the CD release.

The Spanish release of this single, also CBS A 1406, had a unique feature sleeve with a variant of the Shot Of Love cover, and the title translated as "Mi Corazon [My Heart]". The  promo copy has white record labels with the words "DISCO PROMOCIONAL PROHIBIDA SU VENTA [Promotional record, sale prohibited]". Thanks to Roland Hiss for scans of the Spanish commercial 7" single, which has orange CBS labels. My promo copy has a different rear sleeve from Roland's commercial release, but Hans Seegers tells me that both sleeves were used for both promo and commercial releases. The timing of R-0154 is given incorrectly as 4:30 on both records when it should be 4:35.

Thanks to Hans Seegers, Roland Hiss and Raoul Verolleman for scans.


Pyral acetate sleeve scan by Hans Seegers
HeartUKPromoA.JPG (29826 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (UK) - A-side of promo single (R-0365)
 HeartUKPromoB.JPG (24518 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (UK) - B-side of promo single (R-0154)

A1406A.jpg (22465 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (UK) - A-side of commercial single (R-0365), scan by Dave Plentus (injection "label")

A1406B.jpg (25264 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (UK) - B-side of commercial single (R-0154), scan by Dave Plentus (injection "label")


CBS A 1406 (UK) - A-side of commercial single (R-0365), scan by Hans Seegers (paper label)


CBS A 1406 (UK) - B-side of commercial single (R-0154), scan by Hans Seegers (paper label)

CBS A 1406 (NL) - f
ront scan by Roland Hiss

heartofminesingleb.jpg (32951 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (NL) - rear scan by Raoul Verolleman


CBS A 1406 (NL) - detail of rear, scan by Raoul Verolleman


CBS A 1406 (NL) - A-side scan by Hans Seegers (R-0365)


CBS A 1406 (NL) - B-side scan by Hans Seegers (R-0154)

CBS A 1406 (Italy) - front scan by Hans Seegers


CBS A 1406 (Italy) - A-side scan by Hans Seegers (R-0365)


CBS A 1406 (Italy) - B-side scan by Hans Seegers (R-0154)

Heart7SpBack.JPG (26889 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (Spain) - rear of promo release, used also for commercial copies (my copy)

Heart7SpSideA.JPG (24798 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (Spain) - A-side of promo release (R-0365)

Heart7SpFront.JPG (53827 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (Spain) - front of promo and commercial releases (my copy)


CBS A 1406 (Spain) - rear of commercial release, used also for promo copies, scan by Roland Hiss

Heart7SpSideB.JPG (23993 bytes)
CBS A 1406 (Spain) - B-side of promo release (R-0154)


CBS A 1406 (Spain) - A-side of commercial release, scan by Roland Hiss (R-0365)


CBS A 1406 (Spain) - B-side of commercial release, scan by Roland Hiss (R-0154)

CBS BA 222856 (Australia) - A-side of promo release, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0365)


CBS BA 222856 (Australia) - B-side of promo release, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0154)


CBS BA 222856 (Australia) - A-side of commercial release, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0365)

CBS BA 222856 (Australia) - B-side of commercial release, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0154)

CBS BA 222856 (New Zealand) - A-side of commercial single in sleeve, scan by Doug Lilly

CBS BA 222856 (New Zealand) - generic CBS sleeve, front scan by Hans Seegers

CBS BA 222856 (New Zealand) - A-side of promo release, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0365)

CBS BA 222856 (New Zealand) - B-side of promo release, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0154)

CBS BA 222856 (New Zealand) - sticker from promo release, scan by Hans Seegers

CBS BA 222856 (New Zealand) - generic CBS sleeve, rear scan by Hans Seegers

CBS BA 222856 (New Zealand) - A-side of commercial release, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0365)


CBS BA 222856 (New Zealand) - B-side of commercial release, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0154)

This was the first of two Australian singles with this A-side - for the second single with The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar as the B-side, see below.

Thanks to Bill Hester for information about the New Zealand release, CBS BA 222856 - thanks to Doug Lilly for the scan. Hans Seegers has a promo copy of this single with promo stickers on the labels. Note the unique salmon-pink CBS New Zealand sleeve housing CBS BA 222856 and the colour variation between the sides.

Thanks to Hans Seegers for further information and scans.


"Shot Of Love" - 8-track cassette, Columbia TCA-37496 (USA), 12 Aug 1981:


Columbia TCA-37496 (USA) - upper side scan by Hans Seegers
R-0644 Shot Of Love (Reprise) - 1:55 faded version

As far as I know this is the last Bob Dylan 8-track release! An oddity is Shot Of Love (Reprise) at the end of Program 3 - this is faded at 1:55 and must have been added to make up the program time.

Thanks to Keith Venturoni for information and the photo and to Hans Seegers for scans.


Columbia TCA-37496 (USA) - end scan by Hans Seegers


Columbia TCA-37496 (USA) - under side photo by Keith Venturoni

"Heart Of Mine"/"The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar" - 7" promo and commercial singles, Columbia 18-02510 (USA)/CBS BA 222910 (Australia), Sep 1981:

HeartUSFront.jpg (23376 bytes)
Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - front scan by Hans Seegers

R-0365-2 Heart Of Mine - single edit (3:30)

This single has The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar as the B-side (no longer a rarity as it's on the CD release and on Biograph).

The promo single shown actually has the A-side on both sides despite using the same rear cover as the regular single. On the copy shown the words "DEMONSTRATION - NOT FOR SALE" are printed, but the promo also exists in the regular cover with these words rubber-stamped, as on the copy supplied by Nol Grint.

Hans Seegers has promo copies of the Australian single with "SAMPLE RECORD NOT FOR SALE" stamped in black on the A-side. This was the second Australian single with this A-side - for the first single with Let It Be Me as the B-side, see above.

Information and scans from Hans Seegers and Nol Grint.

HeartUSBack.jpg (25827 bytes)
Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - rear scan by Hans Seegers

HeartUSPromoBack.jpg (26754 bytes)
Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - rear of promo single, scan by Hans Seegers - the front of the promo single is the same as the regular single

Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - detail of rear of promo single, scan by Hans Seegers (printed promo text)

Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - rear of promo single, scan by Nol Grint (stamped promo text)

Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - detail of rear of promo single, scan by Nol Grint (stamped promo text)
HearUSPromoLabel.jpg (20710 bytes)
Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - label of promo single by Hans Seegers showing the 3:30 timing (same both sides)

Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - A-side of promo single showing the 3:30 timing, scan by Nol Grint (regular label with stamped promo text)

Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - detail A-side of regular single, scan by Nol Grint (stamped promo text)
HeartUSPromo.JPG (21760 bytes)
Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - A-side of regular single showing the 3:30 timing, scan by Hans Seegers
HeartUSBLabel.jpg (21157 bytes)
Columbia 18-02510 (USA) - B-side of regular single, scan by Hans Seegers

CBS BA 222910 (Australia) - front scan by Hans Seegers

CBS BA 222910 (Australia) - A-side of promo single showing the 3:30 timing, scan by Hans Seegers (first copy)

CBS BA 222910 (Australia) - A-side of promo single showing the 3:30 timing, scan by Hans Seegers (second copy)

CBS BA 222910 (Australia) - detail of A-side of promo single with stamp, scan by Hans Seegers (first copy)

CBS BA 222910 (Australia) - rear scan by Hans Seegers

CBS BA 222910 (Australia) - A-side of regular single, scan by Hans Seegers (R-0365)

CBS BA 222910 (Australia) - B-side of regular single, scan by Hans Seegers (now not a rarity)

CBS BA 222910 (Australia) - detail of A-side of promo single with stamp, scan by Hans Seegers (second copy)

Various Artists - "Melody Maker: A Sampling Of New Music From CBS Records, Inc." - Eva-Tone Soundsheet 831811 AXS, flexidisc included with "Melody Maker" magazine (USA), 1981:

MelodyMaker.jpg (18291 bytes) R-0510 Heart Of Mine - 1 min excerpt on sampler

Information and scan from Hans Seegers. Bob is on track 5 of side 1, other artists included Miles Davis and Art Garfunkel.


"D. A. Pennebaker, Rock's Cinematographer" - Clayton Webster Corporation radio station discs, Retro Rock Shows RR-81-4 & RR-81-5 (USA), broadcast 14 & 21 Sep 1981:
Both LPs have plain white sleeves with the cue sheet as an insert. The records have generic "Retro Rock" labels with show information on Side 1 only, so Side 2 on both LPs is the same.


Retro Rock show RR-81-4 (USA) - cue sheet scan by Hans Seegers

R-0402-2 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - live, City Hall, Newcastle, England, 6 May 1965 (broadcast 14 Sep 1981)

R-0403-2 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - hotel room, Savoy Hotel, London, England, 8 May 1965 (broadcast 21 Sep 1981)

R-0405-2 Talking World War III Blues - live, Royal Albert Hall, London, England, 9 May 1965 (broadcast 21 Sep 1981)

These are from the soundtrack of the 1965 film "Don't Look Back", see VHS & DVD 1960s. See VHS & DVD 2000s Part 1 for the 2000 DVD release which contains additional complete audio performances, and see VHS and DVD 2000s Part 4 for a 2 disc 2007 "Deluxe 1965 Tour Edition" with a bonus disc with newly released additional video footage. In the first show, after R-0402, Bob has a discussion with Joan Baez about ending the song Love Is Just A Four Letter Word. The second show starts with Bob laughing just before Donovan performs To Sing For You. I previously listed R-0404, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding), live, Royal Albert Hall, London, England, 9 May 1965, here but this performance is not in either show.

Thanks to Hans Seegers for information and scans.


Retro Rock show RR-81-5 (USA) - cue sheet scan by Hans Seegers

Retro Rock show RR-81-4 (USA) - Side 1 scan by Hans Seegers

Retro Rock show RR-81-4 (USA) - detail of Side 1, scan by Hans Seegers

Retro Rock show RR-81-4 (USA) - Side 2 scan by Hans Seegers (Side 2 label for show RR-81-5 is identical)

Retro Rock show RR-81-5 (USA) - Side 1 scan by Hans Seegers

Retro Rock show RR-81-5 (USA) - detail of Side 1, scan by Hans Seegers

Various Artists - "Danke '81 [Thank You '81]" - promo 12" LP, CBS (no catalogue number) (West Germany), Dec 1981:


Danke '81 (West Germany) - front scan from LP CD.de web-site

R-0627 Heart Of Mine - promo edit (3:07), even shorter than single edit R-0365 (3:30), see above

This album has no catalogue numbers, but the record has matrix numbers ST DANKE 81-A/B.

Thanks to Nol Grint for information.

For the equivalent 1974, 1976 and 1978 albums with Dylan album tracks, see Promotional Albums (Various Artists Compilations) 1970-79. For the equivalent 1979 album, which contains an exclusive edit of Precious Angel from Slow Train Coming, see 1979. If anyone has details of what was on the equivalent 1980 album Danke '80, please let me know.


Danke '81 (West Germany) - rear scan from LP CD.de web-site

Promotional Items for 1981

Stereo promo items for 1981 which don't contain rare material but which are still very collectable are now here: International Promotional Releases. Promo releases of regular albums and commercially released singles are now located on the appropriate page in International Stereo Releases.

For the UK promo 7" single of Lenny Bruce/Dead Man, Dead Man previously listed here, see US & International 7" & 12" Stereo Singles & EPs 1980-89. (Only singles that were released exclusively for promotional purposes and not released commercially with the same tracks are listed on the Promotional Singles 1980-89 page.)


Up ] 1980 ] [ 1981 ] 1982 ] 1983 ] 1984 ] 1985 ] 1986 ] 1987 ] 1988 ] 1989 ]

A Flying Pig production

Listings © 1998-2008
The rights to material from all quoted contributors remain with them. Copyright of all included cover art remains with the various record companies.

Since 18 Jun 2002 you are Visitor No. 

Hit Counter
sold out concert tickets

(That was when I started using a new counter - I estimate that around 700,000 people previously visited the site since its set-up in mid-1998.)

Site hosted by