Category Archives: Bootleg

Bob Dylan, Bootleg

My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg 1966: Genuine Live 1966 (box set)

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66boxfront

 

My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg 1966: Genuine Live 1966 (box set)

Scorpio put out the 8 CD set entitled Genuine Live 66 in 2000 (following in their tradition of sticking titles to Sony music.)  It gives us a fantastic view into one of the best  (if not THE best) rock tours ever done.

The Bootlegs included in the box set are: 
“A Phoenix in April” – Sydney, Australia
“The Children’s Crusade” – Melbourne & Adelaide
“While The Establishment Burns” –  Dublin, Copenhagen, & Edinburgh
“A Nightly Ritual”– Liverpool, Glasgow, Sheffield, & Birmingham
“The Genuine RAH Concerts” Manchester & London
(In addition, some sets included two bonus discs of the Bristol show entitled Away From The Past)

The Bob Dylan World Tour 1966 was a concert tour from February to May 1966. Dylan’s 1966 World Tour was notable as the first tour where Dylan employed an electric band backing him, following his “going electric” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The musicians Dylan employed as his backing band were known as The Hawks; they subsequently became famous as The Band. The 1966 tour was filmed by director D. A. Pennebaker. Pennebaker’s footage was edited by Dylan and Howard Alk to produce a little-seen film, Eat the Document, an anarchic account of the tour. Drummer Mickey Jones also filmed the tour with an 8mmhome movie camera. Many of the 1966 tour concerts were recorded by Columbia Records. These recordings produced one official album, the so-called “Royal Albert Hall” concert, and also many unofficial bootleg recordings of the tour. This box set is the definitive audio documentation of this tour.

Highlights: Too many to single out, this is a true treasure chest!

Other entries in this series:

My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1962: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Outtakes
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1969: The Dylan / Cash Sessions
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1973: The Pat Garrett sessions
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1983: Infidels outtakes (Rough cuts)
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1989: The Oh Mercy Outtakes
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1995: Prague 3 nights in March
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2011: Funen Village Denmark June 27
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2012: The Day of Wine and Roses, Barolo, Italy July 16
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2014: Gothenburg Sweden July 15

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Bob Dylan, Bootleg

My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1973: The Pat Garrett sessions

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Pat-garrett-sessions

My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg  from 1973: The Pat Garrett sessions

“Even by the standards of Dylan bootlegs, this is one for the obsessives”
– Richie Unterberger (allmusic)

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is the twelfth studio album and first soundtrack album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 13, 1973 by Columbia Records for the Sam Peckinpah film, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Dylan himself appeared in the film as the character “Alias”. The soundtrack consists primarily of instrumental music and was inspired by the movie itself.

The Pat Garrett sessions has also been released under other names, Lucky Luke, Blood on the saddle and Peco’s Blues. I think the “release”, The Pat Garrett sessions sounds best. So hit Google, people, and find it.

lucky luke  Peco's Blues

Dylan’s first session for the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid soundtrack was on January 20, 1973 at CBS Discos Studios in Mexico City. The only song from that day that was included on the album was “Billy 7”; also recorded were multiple other takes of “Billy”, and the outtakes “Under Turkey”, “Billy Surrenders”, “And He’s Killed Me Too”, “Goodbye Holly” and “Pecos Blues”. The following month, Dylan recorded two days at Burbank Studios in Burbank, California. The rest of the album’s songs were recorded, as well as the outtakes “Sweet Armarillo” and “Rock Me Mama”

This bootleg is a collection of Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid outtakes. It has good to great sound quality and features a haunting instrumental ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’, several great and very different takes of Billy, the fabulous ‘Rock Me Mama’, and loads of studio banter (for us obsessives), including Bob asking the band to help him create a great song (‘Billy Surrenders’) right on the spot. It’s so great to get a little window into that world. To see the development of a song like Billy is fascinating to witness.

It may be a bootleg for the obsessives but so is the original Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid album. I love them both.

Highlights:

Tom Turkey(TurkeyII)(Billy) a slow bluesy build-up to a fine version of Billy, Billy 4, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (instrumental), Sweet Amarillo, Billy 7 (song6, disc2) but I think there are so many good tracks here that I usually just put on the whole set and runs through it.

Other entries in this series:

My favourite Bob Dylan bootlegs

The Burbank sessions yielded a few spontaneous recordings, including a jam titled “Sweet Amarillo” and a simple, improvised song titled “Rock Me Mama.” Although neither were seriously considered for the soundtrack (as they were born more out of leisure than actual work), they were eventually completed and recorded by the Nashville band Old Crow Medicine Show; “Wagon Wheel” was released in 2004 (and subsequently covered by many other artists, including Darius Rucker) and “Sweet Amarillo” was released in 2014, so check out the stories behind these songs:

The Roots of Wagon Wheel aka Rock Me Mama
The Roots of Sweet Amarillo

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Bob Dylan, Bootleg

My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg 1995: Prague 3 nights in March

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My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg 1995: Prague 3 nights in March

“Anyone who has watched a sunrise over the ancient city of Prague will feel they have visited a city of magic & wonder. Anyone who has heard Dylan’s performance on the 11th will have felt a similar sense of awe”
~Andrew Muir (One More Night: Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour)

The first leg of the Europe 1995 tour picks up the NET after the MTV Unplugged sessions in November, 1994 and a three-month break from performing live. Dylan played two months in Europe in 95. He began with three shows in Prague and ended on April 11 in Dublin. Dylan returned for a second leg with a month in Europe in the summer of 1995.

Right before the Prague dates Dylan came down with the flu, this meant that all three to be pushed back one night. Dylan did these shows without playing guitar but focusing on singing and on the harp.

Usually the show at the 11th gets picked as the best of the three Prague shows, I don’t think it’s that simple. There are lots of bootlegs that has songs from these three incredible nights. Many collectors place these Prague shows among the very best Dylan ever performed. All three are legendary performances. I’m hard pressed to pick one so I’ll recommend a few boots.

Bob Dylan sang in a style that reminds me of crooning these nights and maybe this gave him the idea of making an album with Frank Sinatra songs.

Other entries in this series:

My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1962: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Outtakes
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1969: The Dylan / Cash Sessions
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1983: Infidels outtakes (Rough cuts)
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2011: Funen Village Denmark June 27
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2012: The Day of Wine and Roses, Barolo, Italy July 16
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2014: Gothenburg Sweden July 15

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Bob Dylan, Bootleg

My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg 1983: Infidels outtakes (Rough cuts)

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Bob Dylan - Rough Cuts (Infidels Studio Sessions) - Front

 

My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg 1983: Infidels outtakes (Rough cuts)

 For the first time in his career, Dylan books a month of sessions to record an album. The sessions will take place at the Power Station in New York, across the way from Sony Studios. Dylan coproduces the album with Mark Knopfler. The band they have devised for the sessions ranks as one of his most inspired gatherings. The rhythm section is Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. The two-pronged guitar attack is to be provided by Knopfler and ex-Stones axeman Mick Taylor. Keyboardist Alan Clark has been enlisted from Knopfler’s band. The sessions result in 16 original new songs, 14 cover versions, and a couple of instrumentals (copyrighted under the titles, “Dark Groove” and “Don’t Fly Unless It’s Safe”).
~Clinton Heylin (Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan Vol. 2, . 1974-2008)

This is a fantastic bootleg/collection, the material and versions recorded included in these month-long sessions are impressive. The Infidels albums and singles, Death is not the end on the album Down in the Groove, Five tracks on Bootleg series vol 1-3: Blind Willie McTell (acoustic), Tell Me, Someone’s got a hold of my heart, Foot of Pride and Lord Protect My Child.

“…This Power Station material has also been released, in part, in several packages; under various titles. The quality of this material is great. There is some slight tape hiss, and at times ‘dead air’ noise. The overall sound, success of  ‘Infidels’, and desire for studio outtakes has been the spawn of the numerous releases. 

The outtakes themselves are most highly recommended. There really seems to be no particular standout as far as the various versions of CDs, … If you own one, for all practical purposes you own then all.”
– Bobsboots.com

Here we have some brilliant outtakes from the Infidels sessions. Most importantly the electric versions of “Blind Willie McTell”. This is worth the whole package, really.

Other entries in this series:

My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1962: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Outtakes
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1969: The Dylan / Cash Sessions
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2011: Funen Village Denmark June 27
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2012: The Day of Wine and Roses, Barolo, Italy July 16
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2014: Gothenburg Sweden July 15

outfidels
Another bootleg from the same sessions

 

Studio A
Power Station
New York City, New York
April 11 – May 17.

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Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan Concerts, Bootleg

My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg 2014: Gothenburg Sweden July 15

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My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg 2014: Gothenburg Sweden July 15

We (Egil & I) saw Bob Dylan two times on this leg of the tour (Stavern and Kristiansand), Stavern was good and Kristiansand was great. This show from Gothenburg, Sweden is close to the Kristiansand show in atmosphere and performance. It has a guitar-heavy feel just like the two shows we attended. The boot has a very good sound.

Bob Dylan – piano, harp
Tony Garnier – bass
George Recile – drums
Stu Kimball – rhythm guitar
Charlie Sexton on lead guitar
Donnie Herron – electric mandolin, pedal steel, lap steel

Review by Anders Tidström (via Boblinks)

“Rain stopped when Bob and his band entered the outdoor stage in Gothenburg. So did most expectations about the set list. There we go again Bobby. Tonight every song – but the encores – was different from last night and that was certainly not expected as things have been pretty constant on this tour. Opening act with Watch The River Flow gave the atmosphere for the whole evening – Dylan singing and playing the grand piano. He in fact parked behind this instrument most of the time. The Levee´s Gonna Break a few songs later gave a hell of a fire as the band rocked and swinged ultimately. Next: Shelter From The Storm with Bob center stage just singing and for a while pleasing the crowed with a small harmonica solo. He also performed Girl From The North Country solo center stage with a remarkably fine voice. Then back behind the grand piano, hammering, exercising a good swing-swing version of Summer Days. The set list wash´t expected but a great concert was performed. Though some local Gothenburg journalist had another view, seems like she´s been to another show actually. But I was enjoying it as much as ever. Standing by since Bob´s Swedish live debut, Stockholm 1966. Wow Bob, you´ll be back in a while? Stopping the rain!”

Highlights: Don’t think twice it’s all right, Girl from the North Country, Shelter from the storm were best, but the other are not far behind, this was a very good concert! Just like tom Thumb’s Blues and Ballad of a Thin Man are terrific also, and so are To Ramona, well, now you know that I like this concert a lot 🙂

Other entries in this series:
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1962: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Outtakes
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1969: The Dylan / Cash Sessions
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2011: Funen Village Denmark June 27
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2012: The Day of Wine and Roses, Barolo, Italy July 16

The highlight, a stunning Girl from the North Country:

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