"Billboard" in Jun 2003 revealed that Gene Simmons' first solo record in 25 years would feature songs co-written by Simmons with Bob Dylan and the late Frank Zappa. The album was finally released on 8 Jun 2004 in the USA on Sanctuary Records entitled "A**hole!

The Dylan co-written song, "WAITING FOR THE MORNING LIGHT," was born out of a one-day writing session at Simmons' home in Los Angeles six or seven years ago, the Kiss bassist/vocalist reveals.

"Bob came up with the chords, most of them, and then I took it and wrote lyrics, melody, the rest of it," says Simmons, adding that he kept urging Dylan through the years to put lyrics to the song. "I'd see him on tour, and I'd say, 'Bob, you wanna write the song? And he would say, 'No, man, you write it, Mr. Kiss.'"

Of the one-day session, Simmons says, "We understood each other right away. He picked up an acoustic guitar, and we just tossed it back and forth, 'How 'bout this, how 'bout that?' And he started to strum, because he -- at least with me -- tended to talk and strum guitar at the same time. And as soon as I heard the first three or four chords, I went, 'Wait, wait, what's that? Do that again.' So I went and started to write a lyric around that." For a 1991 song co-written by Bob and Gene Simmons see LAUGHING WHEN YOU WANT TO CRY

Born In The Basement (Lookout Records, 1996) by the Groovie Ghoulies with their version of WALK OUT IN THE RAIN. Thanks to Tim Dunn for information on this item

Paul Cable reported in his book "Bob Dylan: His Unreleased Recordings" that a rough studio recording of Bob performing this song with Helena Springs was in circulation

The Complete San Quentin, the 2000 Columbia Legacy remastered and expanded CD release of Johnny Cash's legendary 1969 prison concert, with WANTED MAN

Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood and The Destroyers (Capitol, 1982), with their version of WANTED MAN

The First-Born Is Dead by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (Mute, 1985) including their version of WANTED MAN

Michel Montecrossa's Bob Dylan Fest 2001 6CD boxed set on the Mira Sound Germany label containing his version of WANTED MAN. The set also contains versions of BOB DYLAN'S NEW ORLEANS RAG, DENISE, EAST LAREDO BLUES and HERO BLUES
 

First performed live by Johnny Cash on his "Johnny Cash At San Quentin" album. Also available are covers by George Thorogood and the Destroyers on their 1982 Capitol album "Bad To The Bone", Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds on their 1985 Mute album "The First-Born Is Dead" and by Michel Montecrossa on his 6CD Mira Sound Germany set "Bob Dylan Fest 2001", see D page for details

Fanning The Flames by Maria Muldaur (Telarc, 1996), who was given WELL WELL WELL by Bob for her album

Running From The Devil by Danny O'Keefe (Miramar, 2000), who co-wrote WELL WELL WELL with Bob

Gil Walker: "The guy I heard about the song from is also a film/music critic for a local group of weekly newspapers; he told me he asked Maria about the song at a recent club appearance, and she told him, that, as far as she knew, no one else had released a version of the song. Where did she get it? She said she just called up Dylan one day and asked him if he had anything on hand she could put on her new record - so he sent it to her! Unfortunately, she didn't say (or John didn't ask) whether she got sheet music, a Dylan demo, or something else to work from."

(It's since been reported to me that on the demo tape Maria received the song was performed by co-writer Danny O'Keefe, not Bob, so there is no circulating Dylan version.) Danny O'Keefe released his own version in February 2000, on his album "Running From The Devil" (Miramar 090006-23148-2), its first appearance from one of its writers. Maria has also covered the unreleased song AIN'T NO MAN RIGHTEOUS, NO NOT ONE.

David Lindley re-recorded the song with Wally Ingram on their September 1998 album "Twango Bango Deluxe" (Ulftone UTCD-003) and it has also been covered by Steve Howe with P.P. Arnold as guest vocalist on his June 1999 album "Portraits Of Bob Dylan" (Eagle Records, UK/Purple Pyramid CLP 0600-2, US). Thanks to Tim Dunn for additional information. One of these versions appears on  the Australian Raven album "Danny's Best 1970-2000 - Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" (Raven Records WWRAV 71098, Australia, 2005)

Thanks to Hans Marijnissen for the information that the lyrics are at Danny O'Keefe's web-site . Thanks to Gil Walker for this quote about the song from Danny O'Keefe's web-site: "I used to work for Bob Dylan's publishing company, Special Rider Music, and Bob sent me a demo tape and requested that I write lyrics to the song. I arranged the song and wrote the lyrics that you have below. David Lindley heard the song on a demo tape I sent him and recorded the song. Maria Muldaur and Mavis Staples also have a version of the song together. I think the meaning is fairly plain: poison the sources of water and we are all effected. Water is the life of the planet, as is the air, the earth and the fire within."