Bob Dylan: Simple Twist of Fate, 15 Great live versions (Video & Audio)

They sat together in the park
As the evening sky grew dark
She looked at him and he felt a spark tingle to his bones
’Twas then he felt alone and wished that he’d gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate

They walked along by the old canal
A little confused, I remember well
And stopped into a strange hotel with a neon burnin’ bright
He felt the heat of the night hit him like a freight train
Moving with a simple twist of fate

“Simple Twist Of Fate”  is among Dylan’s finest songs and there many fantastic live versions available.

Here are 15.

First ever live performance @ WTTW-TV Studios Chicago, Illinois 10 September 1975:

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Scarlet Rivera (violin)
  • Rob Stoner (bass)
  • Howie Wyeth (drums)

Palace Theater
Waterbury, Connecticut
11 November 1975

  • Bob Dylan (vocal, guitar)
  • Bob Neuwirth (guitar)
  • T-bone J. Henry Burnett (guitar)
  • Roger McGuinn (guitar)
  • Steven Soles (guitar)
  • Mick Ronson (guitar)
  • David Mansfield (steel guitar, violin, mandolin ,dobro)
  • Rob Stoner (bass)
  • Howie Wyeth (piano, drums)
  • Luther Rix (drums, percussion)
  • Ronee Blakeley (vocal)

Blackbushe Aerodrome
Camberley, England
15 July 1978

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Billy Cross (lead guitar)
  • Alan Pasqua (keyboards)
  • Steven Soles (rhythm guitar, backup vocals)
  • David Mansfield (violin & mandolin)
  • Steve Douglas (horns)
  • Jerry Scheff (bass)
  • Bobbye Hall (percussion)
  • Ian Wallace (drums)
  • Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals)



Paramount Theater
Portland, Oregon
3 December 1980

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Fred Tackett (guitar & mandolin)
  • Willie Smith (keyboards)
  • Tim Drummond (bass)
  • Jim Keltner (drums)
  • Clydie King, Carolyn Dennis, Regina McCrary (background vocals)

Meadowlands Brendan T. Byrne Sports Arena
East Rutherford, New Jersey
27 October 1981

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Fred Tackett (guitar)
  • Steve Ripley (guitar)
  • Al Kooper (keyboards)
  • Tim Drummond (bass)
  • Jim Keltner (drums)
  • Arthur Rosato (drums)
  • Clydie King, Regina McCrary, Madelyn Quebec (background vocals)

The Summit
Houston, Texas
12 November 1981

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Fred Tackett (guitar)
  • Steve Ripley (guitar)
  • Al Kooper (keyboards)
  • Tim Drummond (bass)
  • Jim Keltner (drums)
  • Arthur Rosato (drums)

Piazza Grande
Locarno, Switzerland
5 October 1987

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar) with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
  • Tom Petty (guitar)
  • Mike Campbell (guitar)
  • Benmont Tench (keyboards)
  • Howie Epstein (bass)
  • Stan Lynch (drums)
    and with The Queens Of Rhythm: Carolyn Dennis, Queen Esther Marrow, Madelyn Quebec (backing vocals)

A saxophone someplace far off played
As she was walkin’ by the arcade
As the light bust through a beat-up shade where he was wakin’ up,
She dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about a simple twist of fate

He woke up, the room was bare
He didn’t see her anywhere
He told himself he didn’t care, pushed the window open wide
Felt an emptiness inside to which he just could not relate
Brought on by a simple twist of fate

Radio City Music Hall
New York City, New York
19 October 1988

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • G. E. Smith (guitar),
  • Kenny Aaronson (bass)
  • Christopher Parker (drums)

Le Zenith
Paris, France
23 February 1993

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Bucky Baxter (pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar)
  • John Jackson (guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • Winston Watson (drums & percussion)

Shoreline Amphitheater
Mountain View, California
26 September 1998

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Bucky Baxter (pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar)
  • Larry Campbell (guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • David Kemper (drums & percussion)

Reno Hilton Theater
Reno, Nevada
17 March 2000
Early show

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Charlie Sexton (guitar)
  • Larry Campbell (guitar, mandolin, pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • David Kemper (drums & percussion)

He hears the ticking of the clocks
And walks along with a parrot that talks
Hunts her down by the waterfront docks where the sailors all come in
Maybe she’ll pick him out again, how long must he wait
Once more for a simple twist of fate

People tell me it’s a sin
To know and feel too much within
I still believe she was my twin, but I lost the ring
She was born in spring, but I was born too late
Blame it on a simple twist of fate

Jahrhunderthalle
Frankfurt, Germany
6 November 2003

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & piano)
  • Freddie Koella (guitar)
  • Larry Campbell (guitar, mandolin, pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • George Recile (drums & percussion)

Spektrum Oslo
Norway 30 June 2011

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & keyboard)
  • Stu Kimball (guitar)
  • Charlie Sexton (guitar)
  • Donnie Herron (violin, mandolin, steel guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • George Recile (drums & percussion).

KunstRasen Gronau
Bonn, Germany
4 July 2012

  • Bob Dylan (vocal, guitar, grand piano & keyboard)
  • Stu Kimball (guitar)
  • Charlie Sexton (guitar)
  • Donnie Herron (violin, mandolin, steel guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • George Recile (drums & percussion).

Spektrum
Oslo, Norway
10 October 2013

  • Bob Dylan (vocal, guitar, grand piano & keyboard)
  • Stu Kimball (guitar)
  • Charlie Sexton (guitar)
  • Donnie Herron (violin, mandolin, steel guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • George Recile (drums & percussion).




-Egil
Egil

Recent Posts

“All Dylan” Blog will merge with “Born To Listen” Blog

alldylan.com will merge with borntolisten.com. Please check out borntolisten.com & subscribe.

4 years ago

Bob Dylan – Mutineer (Warren Zevon) @ Hartford, Connecticut 2002

Bob Dylan performing Warren Zevon's wonderful "Mutineer".

5 years ago

January 21: Bob Dylan Recorded One Of His Best Songs “She’s Your Lover Now” in 1966

On January 21, 1966 Bob Dylan recorded one of his best songs "She's Your Lover…

5 years ago

November 30: Bob Dylan recorded “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?” in 1965

Bob Dylan recorded "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" on November 30, 1965. Here…

5 years ago

Bob Dylan Sings Gordon Lightfoot – Happy Birthday Gordon Lightfoot

Happy 81st Birthday Gordon Lightfoot (November 17, 1938). This post includes audio of Bob Dylan…

5 years ago

Bob Dylan Sings Neil Young’s Old Man (3 versions)

Bob Dylan covers Neil Young's "Old Man" - 3 versions from 2002.

5 years ago