Searching For A Gem: News

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"By popular demand", the latest Bob Dylan Rarity News notified to me. If you have any news not shown that will interest site visitors, please contact me here. Please make sure the subject of your message includes the word  "Dylan" or is obviously Dylan-related - this will ensure it's not put in the trash by my Spam filter!

To remove some confusion I have stopped using separate R-numbers for mono and stereo versions of the same rarity - the mono version now has the same R-number as the stereo version with an "M" suffix, e.g. the mono version of "R-0001" is "R-0001M". Thanks to Duff McDonald for the link to his article "Inside Dylan's Brain" on the US "Vanity Fair" magazine web-site .

Contacting Bob Dylan

This is a fan site with no connection to Bob and you can't contact him through me! I used to have a postal address that I thought was correct, but I have since been informed by someone who wrote to that address that their mail was returned. I have never had an email address. I can only suggest you contact Bob's publisher Simon & Schuster, or use the contact address at bobdylan.com . I also have no means of helping anyone who wants Bob Dylan's autograph!

For much wider news coverage of interest to Bob Dylan fans, see Karl Erik's amazing "Expecting Rain" site . It's always up-to-date thanks to his astounding dedication!

News and Updates are now two separate pages - for Updates (including all site structure changes), see here.

Revised: 06 May, 2008

6 May 2008: Thanks to "HwyCDRrev" for news that Rhino Records in the USA are releasing the two Traveling Wilburys albums from the 2007 set The Traveling Wilburys Collection (see Wilburys 2007) as separate albums on 3 Jun 2008. As in the 2007 release, Traveling Wilburys Volume One will include the two bonus tracks Like A Ship and Maxine, while Traveling Wilburys Volume Three will include the two bonus tracks Nobody's Child and Runaway. For more details, see . These two albums will be added to a Wilburys 2008 page when scans are available.

6 Mar 2008: Thanks to "HwyCDRrev" for news that Spin CDs in the UK are advertising a 2DVD release of The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration by Classic Rock Direct/Nova/Pinnacle on 7 Apr 2008 (Pinnacle is a UK-based distribution company specialising in reissues, so this may be legitimate). This release omits songs by both George Harrison and Neil Young. For more details, see .

3 Mar 2008: Thanks to Tim Dunn for information that a new Starbucks/Hear Music compilation, From The Coffeehouse, to be released on 25 Mar 2008, will include Boots Of Spanish Leather from The Times They Are A-Changin'. Hopes that it would be a track from the Starbucks exclusive album Bob Dylan Live At The Gaslight 1962 (see 2005) were unfounded.

25 Feb 2008: Thanks to Marissa Micik of Amoeba Music for news that the exhibition "Bob Dylan's American Journey 1956-1966" is being held at the Skirball Center, Los Angeles, CA, from 8 Feb 2008 to 8 Jun 2008. For more information, see . This exhibition was originally held in 2005 in Seattle, WA. For an exclusive Dylan compilation associated with this exhibition, see International Album Releases (Dylan-only Compilations) 2000s. For The Bob Dylan Scrapbook, 1956-1966, the Sep 2005 book with text by Robert Santelli associated with this exhibition, see Interviews with Bob.

The associated album

"The Bob Dylan Scrapbook 1956-1966"

Thanks to "HwyCDRrev" for news that Man In The Long Black Coat from Oh Mercy will appear on the soundtrack album of the NBC TV series "Heroes", to be released in the USA on 18 Mar 2008. David Bowie will of course contribute his song Heroes. This album will be available on CD at Best Buy branches and is not listed on amazon.com.

25 Feb 2008: Thanks to "HwyCDRrev" for news that the latest Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio Hour topic on XM Radio is "Danger".

19 Feb 2008: Thanks to "HwyCDRrev" for news that Starbucks/Hear Music are releasing in the USA on 26 Feb 2008 an album of songs chosen by Bob in their "Artist's Choice" series that has already included sets chosen by Sheryl Crow and Johnny Cash in 2003 and Joni Mitchell in 2005 that include Dylan songs, see International Compilations: Various Artist Albums with Dylan Songs. There is no Dylan music on the album, but it will qualify for the Honourable Mentions page.

18 Feb 2008: Thanks to "HwyCDRrev" for news that the latest Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio Hour topic on XM Radio is "Doctors".

11 Feb 2008: Thanks to "HwyCDRrev" for news that the latest Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio Hour topics on XM Radio were "Mail" and "Presidents" (a two-hour show).

9 Feb 2008: Thanks to Jack from Canada for information about Rolling Stone: Cover To Cover. This US 4DVD set released on 22 Oct 2007 contains the whole contents of "Rolling Stone" magazine from 1967 to May 2007. There is no Dylan music or interviews, but it does contain over 1000 Dylan articles and many great Dylan photos.. More details are given in Honourable Mentions.

1 Feb 2008: Thanks to "HwyCDRrev" for news that the following seven albums are shown at amazon.com as being re-released on CD today, possible in remastered form:

Hard Rain (1976)
Saved (1980)
Shot Of Love (1981)
Real Live (1984)
Empire Burlesque (1985)
Knocked Out Loaded (1986)
Good As I Been To You (1992)

None have been remastered before now. amazon.com are also reporting that Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan will be issued on CD on 11 Mar 2008.

Older News

Old news items are kept on here until the rarities referred to actually surface, or until it becomes clear that they're not going to!

14 May 2007: Thanks to Dave Plentus and HwyCDRrev for news that Classic Records are to release a stereo 200gm vinyl version of the withdrawn edition of  The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan with the four replaced tracks (see 1963). This will be released as a 2LP set with the regular version. For more information, see .

26 Sep 2006: Thanks to HwyCDRrev and Jean-Pol Hiernaux for news that Bob's friend from Hibbing, Ric Kangas, is auctioning a three-song tape from 1959 and other memorabilia with a starting price of $25,000. The songs on the tape reel are When I Got Troubles (included in the 2005 release of The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 - No Direction Home), The Frog Song, I Got A New Girl. The site is Heritage Auction Galleries - for more details, see here .

31 Aug 2006: Thanks to HwyCDRrev for news that a forthcoming tribute album to songwriter Peter LaFarge will include Bob's recording of The Ballad Of Ira Hayes from the long-deleted Columbia Dylan album - see 1973.

7 Aug 2006: Thanks to Ian Woodward and others for news that the Royal Festival Hall, London, 17 May 1964 concert is being considered for release as a "mini album" of eight tracks, rather like last year's incomplete "Gaslight Tapes" and "Carnegie Hall" releases. Two of these performances, Mr. Tambourine Man and Eternal Circle, turned up in 2004 on a Fantasy Records acetate of the unreleased 1964 Bob Dylan In Concert album (see 1964 and 2004).

Thanks to Jerry Schatzberg and Tricia Jungwirth for information about Jerry's large-format limited edition book of Dylan photographs called "Thin Wild Mercury: Touching Dylan's Edge", published by Genesis Publications Ltd in 2006. The book contains many previously unpublished pictures of Bob from the 1960s. For more information see here:. Also see The Blonde On Blonde Missing Pictures.

22 Mar 2006: Thanks to Artur Jarosinski for information about Wolfgang's Vault . This is a site primarily selling memorabilia, much from the archives of legendary rock promoter Bill Graham (of the Fillmore East and West), whose actual first name was Wolfgang. The site also has an online radio which plays live performances from Bill Graham's collection, including many with Bob. For more information see here.

Picture from www.christies.com

6 Nov 2005: Christies in Rockefeller Plaza, New York, is auctioning this tape made by Peter McKenzie on Thanksgiving, 1961. It is about 60 mins in length and has seven songs by Bob: Baby, Let Me Follow You Down, San Francisco Bay Blues, You're No Good, House Of The Rising Sun, In My Time Of Dying, Highway 51 and This Land Is Your Land, with two instrumentals and interjections from the McKenzie Family, Suze Rotolo, Kevin Krown, and other people present. The selling price is expected to be between $40,000-60,000! The auction will  take place on 21 Nov 2005. The lot also includes the two microphones used to record the performances (shown on the left of the picture). It's important to note that "This recording is offered for sale without copyright, broadcast rights, performers' consents and other reproduction rights." Therefore it's unlikely this material will be officially released any time soon!

28 Oct 2005: Thanks to Jack from Canada for the information that, in addition to the Capitol 6 disc set The Band: A Musical History (see 2005), there will be an 8CD set of Levon and The Hawks called Bacon Fat And Judgement Day released by the Canadian label Other People's Music. This will include 1967 Woodstock Basement Tapes material, and may include tracks with Bob. For more information, see . In a reply to a query from Jack, OPM said:

"There were many recordings from "The Basement" which excluded Bob Dylan. OPM Inc. supplied a few of these for the Band Box Set: Words And Numbers, You Don't Come Through, etc., on disc 1. There's more that is currently being considered for inclusion in The Hawks' Box Set.

Any songs including Bob Dylan would require his consent. If we were able to include any material of the Hawks featuring Bob Dylan on lead vocals from "The Basement", we would focus only on a few selections. Those considered would be cover songs... Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, etc., as this project is about The Hawks. They would not be Dylan originals. Certainly we hope to include the other version of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" with Dylan singing lead and the Hawks singing back-up harmonies. Robbie originally wished to include both versions; with and without Dylan. Despite the report in the liner notes by Rob Blowman that this version was too distorted to use, I'm not sure that the esteemed Mr. Blowman has even heard the entire version of this song; certainly not a restored version. It's quite haunting."

Picture from eBay

21 Oct 2005: Thanks to Ian Woodward for information about the May 1959 Ric Kangas tape, which was offered on eBay for $1.5 million! It contains four songs: When I Got Troubles (on The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: No Direction Home), Teen Love Serenade (a short excerpt is featured in the "No Direction Home" film), and two other songs, I Wish I Knew (song by Ric Kangas with Bob backing), and The Frog Song (a song by Bob with Clarence "Frogman" Henry-style vocals). Thanks to Jean-Pol Hiernaux for finding the item on eBay. It's now closed and there were no bids!

Picture from eBay

21 Aug 2005: Thanks to Peter Stone Brown and Fred Muller for news that the four songs performed by Bob in his role as Bobby the Hobo in the 1962 BBC TV drama "Madhouse On Castle Street" have been restored after being thought long lost. These are an early version of Blowin' In The Wind, Ballad Of A Gliding Swan, The Cuckoo, and Hang Me, Oh Hang Me. The songs are due to be broadcast in Sep 2005 in an Arena documentary on BBC4, "Dylan In The Madhouse", shown as part of a Bob Dylan season including the BBC screening of "No Direction Home". I doubt if they will be officially released in any form, but I'll add further information when available.

13 Jun 2005: Thanks to Gil Walker for information about the Larry Keegan disc that failed to sell on eBay in 2002 (see "Older News" below. The tracklist is mentioned in Greil Marcus' new book about Like A Rolling Stone, and is said to be covers of:

There are only seven songs as opposed to the eight mentioned below. Apparently the quality of both the sound and the performances is awful!

6 May 2005: Thanks to John Lettiere for an article by Bill Holland from "Billboard" magazine in the USA about music industry vault losses - the relevant Dylan information is: "Sometimes, tapes just end up missing," said a vault vet.. "They're either mislabelled, or they just can't be found, like Bob Dylan's 'Nashville Skyline' album--Sony's still searching for it. They have safety, but it's a copy. The good news is that they've found (Dylan's) 'Blood on the Tracks' master now. It had been mislabelled when it was shipped years back from Nashville to New York." For the full article, see .

Picture from eBay

On 20 Nov 2002, I reported that the latest issue of "Isis" magazine (#105) says that the 1956 acetate shown left only attracted a single bid on eBay for $1! I've since learned that the record is definitely genuine, and is being sold by the sister of Bob's long-time friend Larry Keegan, who died in Sep 2001. However the price being asked ($150,000-$200,000) was very high for an item which could only be acquired for a personal collection, since there would seem no likelihood of the owner being able to use it for commercial benefit. I still don't have details of the songs on the acetate. The eBay description of this acetate is as follows: "This vintage master sound recording from 1956 features Bob Dylan, a legendary performer and composer, an icon of Rock & Roll. It was recorded on Christmas Eve in the recording facility of Telinde Music, a retail music store in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is the earliest known recording of Bob Dylan at the age of 15, a very unique master. There are approximately eight minutes of eight recorded songs on the disc, with Bob playing piano and singing, accompanied by Larry Keegan and Howard Rutman on vocals. This 10 inch 78 rpm solid aluminium, vinyl coated record is in excellent condition."

On 30 Jan 2002 I reported: "Bob Dylan is reported to be one of the musicians participating in an album of tribute to the Cuban singer and songwriter Pablo Milanés, according to informed journal "Cuban Rebellious Youth" yesterday. The album, called Pablo Querido, will be published by PM (Pablo Milanés) Récords in February 2002." That album appeared without Bob, but Bob and other artists such as Sting, Harry Belafonte, Stevie Wonder and Peter Gabriel may now appear on a new album tentatively called Pablo Querido 2, with Bob performing on a song called Dónde Andarán [Where They Will Walk]. For more details, see (in Spanish).

A "new" Townes Van Zandt release called Van Zandt Country was scheduled to be released in the USA on Tomato/Glitterhouse Records in the "early summer" of 2002. It was supposed to feature duets with Bob Dylan (For The Sake Of The Song), Lyle Lovett (Flyin' Shoes), Van Morrison (Snow Don't Fall), and Neil Young (Loretta). Glen Dundas told me that around ten years ago there were rumours in Austin, TX, about a collaboration between Bob and Townes Van Zandt, but they were never confirmed. Thanks to Paul Read for details of his interval chat with Townes during the interval at his performance at the Winning Post in York in mid 1994, when they spoke about the duets project and Dylan's involvement (which Townes was still waiting for). It now appears most likely that the duet did not happen during Townes' lifetime and Bob's contribution has been recorded posthumously. Re the Townes Van Zandt duets (see "Older News" below), Rod MacBeath writes: "One little bit of news relates to the Townes Van Zandt duets album Vol 2, featuring Townes and Bob on For The Sake Of The Song. The last I heard, this release had been put back to Spring 2003, thought there are great disputes between Townes' widow and the producer about his over-production standards and both seem to think that they have a legal right to the final say.  I'm sure, as you stated, that Bob's contribution was only done after Townes' death. I spoke to him in '94 and '95 about it (see the first issue of  "The Bridge") and it was clear that things were a long way off happening. There is the possibility that Bob recorded more than one song though - I recall hearing that up to three was a possibility,  and some artistes will have been featured more than once by the time all five volumes are out (or if all five come out). Of course, the intention may have been simply to get a selection of duets of the same song to choose from."

Before he died George Harrison was working with Jeff Lynne on a Traveling Wilburys anthology (perhaps a boxed set) called Maximum Traveling, which would have contained all the previously released material (see Traveling Wilburys), plus previously unreleased tracks, such as a cover of Paul Simon's Run That Body Down, and three 1990 tracks with Del Shannon as the replacement for Roy Orbison. Two unreleased 1990 songs, Maxine and Like A Ship, circulate amongst Dylan collectors. There's no news on a release date, but we live in hope!

[The Official Rarities Yearly Lists] [Traveling Wilburys] [Online Performances (bobdylan.com)] [Online Performances (Other)] [Interviews with Bob] [VHS & DVD]
[International Mono Releases] [International Promotional Releases] [International Stereo Releases] [Questionable Releases] [Released Rarities] [Honourable Mentions]

[Updates] [Red Herrings] [Other Pages] [Go back to bobdylan.com]

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