Tag Archives: Bob Dylan

The Best Dylan Covers: 16 Horsepower – Nobody ‘Cept You

sixteen-horsepower

There’s a hymn I used to hear
In the churches all the time
Make me feel so good inside
So peaceful, so sublime
And there’s nothing to remind me of that
Old familiar chime
’Cept you, uh huh you

The Best Dylan Covers: 16 Horsepower – Nobody ‘cept You

Dylan left for New York in October, 1973 to compose new material for album sessions scheduled in November. Dylan already had three songs (“Forever Young,” “Nobody ‘Cept You,” and “Never Say Goodbye”) which he had demoed in June, and when he returned to Malibu after twenty days in New York, he had six more.

A session (Nov 2nd)  was devoted to all three songs demoed in June, and Dylan and The Band succeeded in recording complete takes of “Forever Young” and “Nobody ‘Cept You” as well as the master take for “Never Say Goodbye.”

When Dylan and The Band reconvened at Village Recorder the following Monday, November 5, with Levon Helm now present, they made another attempt at “Nobody ‘Cept You.”

The last song recorded on the 9th was a new composition titled “Wedding Song,” which Dylan had completed over the course of the sessions. “Nobody ‘Cept You” was originally planned as the album’s closing number, but without a satisfactory performance, it would be omitted and replaced by “Wedding Song.” (The November 2 recording of Nobody ‘Cept You” was eventually released in 1991 on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991.) Both Wedding Song and Nobody ‘Cept You are wonderful songs and the one that surfaced on the Bootleg series is a very good take.

Secret South is 16 Horsepower’s third full-length studio album. Released in 2000, the album marked a distinct change in direction compared to previous efforts as it focuses more on storytelling over a more laid back soundscape. It had two cover songs, Wayfaring Stranger and Nobody ‘cept you.  The Dylan song is so immersed into the feel and concept of the album that you will think it was written for this record. Fantastic choice of song from David Eugene Edwards and 16 Horsepower.

Continue reading The Best Dylan Covers: 16 Horsepower – Nobody ‘Cept You

The Best Dylan Covers: Dave Alvin – Highway 61 Revisited

alvin-dave-51c7ab108a441

The Best Dylan Covers: Dave Alvin – Highway 61 Revisited

Highway 61 Revisited is the title track of Bob Dylan’s 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited. It was also released as the B-side to the single “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?” later the same year.

I’ve read somewhere that Dave Alvin recorded it at the Ashgrove sessions, that makes sense. His cover of Highway 61 Revisited would fit that album very nicely. The Groove and overall feel from Ashgrove is very present in his interpretation of Highway 61 Revisited. The song is not on the album (not the release that I have at least) but check out the album, it’s a classic (June 15, 2004)

ashgrove-51c27e928fc56

Highway 61 Revisited by Dave Alvin was however included on a CD that came with an issue of Uncut Magazine, Highway 61 Revisited Revisited (2005).

Continue reading The Best Dylan Covers: Dave Alvin – Highway 61 Revisited

June 20: Chet Atkins was born in 1924 – Chet Atkins plays Bob Dylan

chet

June 20: Chet Atkins was born in 1924 – Chet Atkins plays Bob Dylan

Chester Burton “Chet” Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001) was an American guitarist, occasional vocalist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country’s appeal to adult pop music fans as well.

Atkins’ signature picking style was inspired by Merle Travis. Other major guitar influences were Django Reinhardt, George Barnes, Les Paul and later Jerry Reed. His trademark picking style and musicianship brought him admirers within and outside the country scene

He has done a few Bob Dylan compositions, here are some of them.

Chet Atkins- Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right:

Continue reading June 20: Chet Atkins was born in 1924 – Chet Atkins plays Bob Dylan

The Best Dylan Covers: Antony and The Johnsons – Knocking On Heaven’s Door

Antony & the Johnsons 006

Mama, take this badge off of me
I can’t use it anymore
It’s gettin’ dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door

“…an exercise in splendid simplicity…”
– Clinton Heylin (about Dylan’s song)

The Best Dylan Covers: Antony and The Johnsons – Knocking On Heaven’s Door

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door is a song written and sung by Bob Dylan, for the soundtrack of the 1973 film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. The best western ever made, and probably the best film in history.

The song describes the collapse of a deputy sheriff; dying from a bullet wound, he tells his wife “Mama, take this badge off of me; I can’t use it anymore.” The saddest and best death scene you’ll ever witness  (yes, I love that film).

Antony and the Johnsons is a music group presenting the work of Antony Hegarty. Antony Hegarty (born 1971), often referred to simply as Antony, is an English singer, composer, and visual artist. Antony and the Johnsons has a done a few Dylan songs (all good), today we present their haunting and beautiful, Knocking on Heaven’s Door. It has been very popular in TV and movies lately, but it started out as part of the soundtrack to the Dylan “fable”, I’m Not There.

im_not_there_2007_3

Continue reading The Best Dylan Covers: Antony and The Johnsons – Knocking On Heaven’s Door

The Best Dylan Covers: Johnny Rivers – Positively 4th Street

Johnny Rivers

The Best Dylan Covers: Johnny Rivers – Positively 4th Street

Positively 4th Street is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, first recorded by Dylan in New York City on July 29, 1965. It was released as a single by Columbia Records on September 7, 1965.

Johnny Rivers was probably the first to cover this song, using it as the closing track on his Realization album in 1968. Dylan said in his best selling book Chronicles: Volume Onethat he preferred Johnny Rivers’ version of “Positively 4th Street” to his own recording of the song.

Chronicles.html
– Bob Dylan : Chronicles Volume One

Continue reading The Best Dylan Covers: Johnny Rivers – Positively 4th Street