Tag: Bob Dylan

This Day in Rock and Roll History (rewritten)

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Not a particularly surprising article that I read today. But let’s try and get some perspective on it.

When asked this and many other questions about that fateful day – the now retired co-founder of Lub & Co. Records Buddy Holly, often delivers a wry smile. As for his thoughts on the first major signing to his and Ritchie Valens record label he is as always, very humble. After the crash, Holly bounced right back after a quick recovery at his home in New York. He then started the record label and publishing company with fellow survivor and then still very young Ritchie Valens, who is still at the reins of the label.

In a recent interview Holly, now 89 years old said “Look, Bobby is quite right to grow tired of the same old question. But I can say without reservation that had Bob not sought me out in New York, we never would have signed him”. He goes on to say “We at Lub & Co. Records owe much of our success to Bob and I still remind him of that as we frequently chat over FaceTime”. Holly has always maintained that the fledgling label was moving along at a bit of a snails pace, until they released “Meet Bob Dylan” in 1963. “Then things really took off for all of us”. He goes on to say, “With or without us, Bob was on an upward trajectory and would still be the holder of the Nobel Prize for Literature”.

For this reporter, who was born five days after that plane crash in Iowa, it’s a joy to still be talking about the state of music over these past seven decades. And today could have been a much more somber remembrance. Now, once upon a time there were real physical newspapers, and I still covet this clip shown below that I pulled from my private archives.

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It was 67 years ago, but for many the memory has not faded. Many speculate what popular music would be like today had the world and we here in Canada not seen that above headline in the Toronto Star on Feb. 4, 1959. I spoke with another Lub & Co. label artist a few years back, singer songwriter Don McLean. He says the inspiration for his legendary hit song “Vincent” was actually hearing of Bob Dylan’s story about attending a Buddy Holly show at the Duluth Armory in Minnesota just days before the plane crash. The alternate title to the McClean song is of course “Starry, Starry Night”. McLean said the that title came to him after hearing the quote from Dylan who once said, ” When I knew Holly and the others had survived the crash, it felt like those unseen stars above the storm were most certainly in proper alinement”. McLean says the song is about more than just the one misunderstood artist.

The younger among us need a reminder of how much music owes to Buddy Holly and his label co-founder Ritchie Valens. Take away the hit songs the two wrote and recorded and we see the real magic was what they did behind the scenes’ of that successful record company. Innovations in sound engineering and generous profit sharing with label artists are just two among the many notable achievements.

I will probably never get a chance to interview Bob Dylan, but if I did, todays anniversary would not be a topic I would bring up. Dylan is well known for is brusque treatment of the media. But I give him a pass on this one. However, that does not mean the rest of us won’t always celebrate this day. Which reminds me of an obscure song from Don Mclean that never got much attention. “The Day the Music Lived”, it just never seemed to catch on.

And now back to reality. Many have written and talked about what things would be like had that plane crash not occurred. Sadly we know that Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson all perished. So we all mourn the loss on from this day, Feb. 3, 1959. But today I thought I would try and take a different look at the “what may have been” scenarios.

The two articles were generated by prompts given to Chat GBT. They were based on a real clipping from The Toronto Star from Feb. 4, 1959.

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60s Sunday – “Blowin’ in the Wind”

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There are few songs that are more insightful and revealing than this one. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for all my criticism, has done a good thing by displaying the handwritten lyrics (as of earlier) this year. Despite the fact Rolling Stone Magazine has pushed it down on it’s Greatest 500 list to 100 as of the 2024 so called “update” to the 2021 list.

Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” was #1 for many years but has been ‘revised’ down to #4, but I won’t get into that rant for today. However there is a wind blowing regarding the song, and I may be the only one that noticed, or cares. But hey it’s my blog and it never hurts to talk about a great song.

“Blowin’ In the Wind” was written by Bob Dylan and appeared on just his second album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963). It’s his most covered song by a fair margin. There are currently (in 2025) more than twice the cover versions of the next in line, “Like a Rolling Stone” that has 232 versions (Secondhandsongs.com). The numbers are now complicated a bit by a recent listing change for the song (more on that later) but I put it at just over 500 documented versions. Up from 436 just two years ago.

Now I know there are sources out there that site a lot more versions than that. But as always, I use Secondhandsongs.com to try and keep the playing field as level as possible for comparisons. As I talk about covers from hundreds of artists. And yes it’s true, few are in the same league as Dylan but few if any of the other sites track and compare everyone else either.

But the whole reason I am posting about this song today is because I just noticed a status change for this song made by Secondhandsongs.com. To explain, on the site they have a page for each Artist. They list songs under column headings, these are the three that I pay attention to.

The first is “Originals” meaning they are the first to record the song – regardless of who wrote it. The second column is “Covers”, so we know what that is, songs they were not the first to record. The third column is “Works” which is a list of songs that they have written/co-written, but they of course must have been recorded, by themselves or others.

So what has happened is that they moved “Blowin’ In the Wind” from the ‘Originals’ to the ‘Covers’ column on the Bob Dylan page. I know, I had to catch my breath as well. As I am almost positive that it was moved within the past year. When I last checked, it was listed under the ‘Originals’ column.

Far as I know the world is still rotating on it’s axis. Unless of course in your own little world it might make all of your past blog references on the song look suspect. Long story, but it truly creates a headache for me in the way I search and sort the songs for my lists. Especially when it comes to the ubiquitous Bob Dylan.

So, here is the deal on the change.

There is a Traditional song “Many Thousand Go” that was first released under the title “No More Auction Block” by Paul Robeson with Lawrence Brown. I know it’s confusing already, but its a song Dylan himself covered in 1991. So it is not a recent revelation about this connection with a past melody. Dylan has said long ago the song was inspired by what he described as an old “Spiritual” and he see’s “Blowin’ In the Wind” in that vein. With the recent change in listing location it affects no one and means nothing to anyone but a few of the Dylan fanatics and as mentioned people like me that track cover songs.

I can find no information on the site as to why the change was made. Maybe the success of “A Complete Unknown,” has drawn some scrutiny? They still list Dylan as the sole songwriter. And it is still in his “Works” column. I know that Secondhandsongs.com (SHS) is not perfect but they rarely make mistakes. Unlike myself. But this one seems strange. Given there are other songs with a similar history that are not listed this way. I could bore you with many examples but I will give just one.

Since we are in the Folk category, l remembered that Pete Seeger wrote a song called “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” which you no doubt have heard before. It is listed as an “Original” song of his from 1960. Yet in my own research I found that the lyrics originally came from the Russian Traditional song “Koloda Duda”. Which has been been recorded, but not listed by SHS. Yet SHS themselves mentions “Koloda Duda” in their own notes on the song. Not to pick on the legendary Mr. Seeger but a discovery of using lyrics from another song, even a Traditional one, is usually an automatic trip to cover song status. And in this case, I would say more valid than what I see with the Dylan song.

Sure they must have their reasons for the listing change, and these administrative decisions are made fairly frequently on the site. But on this one I don’t agree. So without a signed confession of some sort from Bob himself I will always refer to it as a 100% Dylan original.

All things considered, and even though I am not changing a singe Dylan reference, I need to take a closer look at what other changes I may have missed. Ones that may lead to changes for my own posted information. Such as reexamining the Top 10 Most Recorded Folk Songs post. Apart from changes to the database on SHS, I will look at my own qualification of the songs, by genre for example. Not to mention my own oversights in missing a song, yep already found one for that list! So you can all sleep better tonight.

A bit of trivia on “Blowin’ in the Wind”. It was actually first released as a single by The Chad Mitchell Trio in January of 1963. “Green Grow the Lilacs” was on the flip side and it not chart. Dylan had recorded the song first, back on July 9 of 1962 but the single was released in March of 1963. Dylan’s album then came out in May.

Peter, Paul & Mary did a lot for Bob Dylan by covering this song. Just like they did for other great writers such as Laura Nyro, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Phil Ochs, Tim Hardin and several more. Their version of “Blowin’ in the Wind” reached #2 on the Hot 100 in 1963. Whereas Dylan’s did not chart. It helped pave the way for people to first of all know who he was, and second to actually listen to what he was saying. In a big chart move of his own, Dylan’s 1965 original of “Like a Rolling Stone” would reach #2 as well. He is a album artist, so we know that singles or charts have never meant much to Bob Dylan, but they keep the record company happy. Before he sold his music catalogues in 2020 and 2022 his estimated income from song royalties were in the range of 10-15 million per year. Who says cover songs don’t matter!

Own Your Cover (s) – Manfred Mann/Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

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There are very few artists that have had more success with covering songs than Manfred Mann. He was the keyboard player and a vocalist for the band(s) that bore his name. He was from South Africa but his move to the UK is where he made his mark in music. First with Manfred Mann and Paul Jones on lead vocals they covered “Do-Wah-Diddy” in 1964 and then with Mike D’Abo on lead “Mighty Quinn” in 1968. In fact they covered over 50 songs in less than five years.

Mann then formed a new group (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band) covering over 70 songs but he struck it big time with Springsteen’s “Blinded By the Light”. Then it was Chris Hamlet Thompson on lead vocals and it was #1 in the US and Canada in 1976. And their only #1 song.

“Do-Wah-Diddy”, written by the dynamic duo of song writers Ellie Greenwich and her (then) husband (m. 1962-66) Jeff Barry. Originally recorded as a demo by Ellie Greenwich herself but the first release was by The Exciters (1963) and a great song that only reached number 78 on Billboard in the US. You may recall that they had a #4 hit with the song “Tell Him” in 1962.

Manfred Mann would record this July 10, 1964 and have a number one hit in the UK, US, New Zealand, Sweden and Canada. The original by the Exciters was well off the play charts of radio stations at the time this first remake came out. The Movie ‘Stripes’ helped resurrect this version of the song in 1981.

“Mighty Quinn”/”Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)” was written and first recorded by Bob Dylan and The Band. However the first release was actually Mann’s version in 1968 that was #1 in Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, West Germany and the UK. It reached #10 in the US on Billboard and #4 on Cashbox. It charted top 10 in four more countries and top 40 in a few more. So you can’t argue with that kind of commercial success. As far as I know none of the other 100+ vocal versions ever charted.

Dylan’s first version was recorded in July of 1967 but was not released. But his Manager Albert Grossman sent out copies of The Basement Tapes in hopes others would cover the songs. And Mann had already covered Dylan songs (“Just Like a Woman” #2 in the UK and “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” #10 in the UK). So the original take of “Quinn the Eskimo (Take 1)” by Bob Dylan and The Band did not come out until 2014 with the release of The Basement Tapes album. A different version of the song did appear in 1970 on Dylan’s Self Portrait album.

“Blinded by the Light” was first covered by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band in 1976, peaked at #1 in the US and Canada in February of 1977. This version of the song is almost 7 minutes long but the clip above is edited down to under four minutes. Not the first and only cover of a song from Springsteen’s first album, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band also did “Spirit in the Night” (1975), “For You” (1980).

Bruce’s original version he wrote after Clive Davis from Columbia said the songs he submitted for his 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. lacked anything with single potential. But the release did not chart, nor did the other one he wrote “Spirit in the Night”.

No one can argue the merits of the originals, coming from some of the most iconic songwriters in history, but you really have to say man, that Mann owned his versions.

60s Sunday – The Johnny Cash Show Ep. 1

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The Johnny Cash Show first aired June 7, 1969 on ABC.

Johnny Cash did an opening medley of his songs and performed “Folsom Prison Blues”, “The Wall”, “Greystone Chapel” and “It Ain’t Me, Babe” with June Carter Cash. So you are Johnny Cash and you can have your pick of the best in the business. As it was evident at the time, two of his guests were quite well known. But what could not have been known is what history has shown. Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell are two of the greatest singer songwriters in history.

They did not perform together but over the years they did ‘appear’ together including being filmed at Gordon Lightfoot’s house in the 70s, briefly on stage at Joni’s concert in Austin in 1976, and later at a benefit concert.

Joni Mitchell sang “Both Sides Now“. She and Johnny did a duet of one his songs.

No secret that Johnny and Bob Dylan were good friends so all the more reason to have him on. I have found separate clips and Bob sings “I Threw it All Away” and “Livin’ the Blues” and Johnny & Bob Dylan had a duet on “Girl from the North Country” .

Doug Kershaw performed “Diggy, Liggy Lo”. Another amazing talent on the show was Fannie Flagg and apart from being quite funny and a great actor, in 1987 she wrote a novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was made into a movie.

The Stadler Brothers, the Carter Family and Rock and Roll legend Carl Perkins were also part of the regular cast for the series.

So that is quite the line up for any TV program. The series ran for two seasons and some 50 episodes.

Garth Hudson

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(August 2, 1937 – January 21, 2025)

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Garth Hudson was best known as the Keyboardist/multi instrumentalist from the legendary group The Band. While he was born in Windsor, Ontario he grew up in London where he learned music and started his first groups.

He teamed up with fellow Londoner Paul Hitchens, and they formed Paul London and the Capers (Kapers was used as well) they would play in Toronto and Detroit and would even record a couple singles. When he was approached by Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm in London, yes Ontario, in 1961 he was not interested, but he had no idea how his life was about to change.

As taken from Hudson’s Wikipedia Page: When the 24-year-old Hudson joined the Hawks, the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins, the band already consisted of 21-year-old Levon Helm on drums, 18-year-old Robbie Robertson on guitar, 18-year-old Rick Danko on bass and 18-year-old Richard Manuel on piano. The line up that would become the Band was now complete.

Garth joined his fellow Ontarian’s and the one American member, Levon Helm as one of The Hawks. He was not only the keyboard player, he was their music teacher. He was the only one with a wealth of formal training and played more instruments then all of them put together. He could see they had talent but would only join The Hawks if he was paid extra to coach his fellow bandmates. They backed Ronnie at many gigs and by the time Garth joined the group they only made one more record.

By 1965 they gave Ronnie notice that they were striking out on their own. Levon Helm was the leader at this point and they left Ontario for the Southern US. They would become known as Levon and The Hawks and they built a solid reputation as a Blues and R&B band. Bob Dylan checked them out at a gig in New Jersey as he was looking for a band to back him during his first ‘electric tour’. He first hired Robbie Robertson, who convinced Dylan to hire Levon Helm. After a couple gigs they got Dylan to hire Garth, Rick and Richard.

By late 1965 they became Dylan’s new backing band. After a raucous year of touring which included the experience of Dylan getting booed every night for supposedly becoming a traitor to Folk music. They stopped touring after the recording of The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert. In late July of 1966 Dylan was badly injured in a motorcycle accident and was convalescing at home in New York. It was Rick Danko that found the pink house in Woodstock, New York near where Dylan was living. And most will know they all hung out in the house, playing and writing new songs. Garth would also settle in Woodstock and lived there until his passing today.

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It was Garth Hudson who played organ, piano, accordion, the sax and you get the idea. He was also doing all the recording of the over 100 songs they worked on with and without Bob Dylan at the house. They would leave Dylan and use some of the songs for their debut album The Music from Big Pink (1968). For 10 years The Band released some of the most iconic works in their unique style of Country Rock and Americana. A blend of Rock, Blues, Folk and Country.

While Robertson was the principal songwriter, Garth had written some songs while they were in The Hawks and “The Genetic Method” with The Band. His iconic playing style can be heard on many of The Band’s songs but perhaps the introduction to “Chest Fever” is one of the best examples.

After the breakup, they would reunite without Robertson, and after that Hudson had a successful solo and session playing career. He worked with Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and many others. He was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Band in 1994. He was known as one of the most talented musicians of his time as both a keyboard player and a multi instrumentalist. Rest in peace Garth.